February 14, 2002

To: Dr. Virginia Long, Chair

University Budget Committee

From: Kathleen O’D. Walton George A. Pardon

Provost and Vice President

Vice President Academic Affairs Administration and Finance

Re: Rationale for Budget Requests

We appreciate the opportunity to provide further explanation to the University Budget Committee (UBC) regarding mediated (“Smart”) classrooms. We are especially appreciative of the legitimate interest of the UBC in ensuring that CSUDH is taking maximum advantage of the recent strides in bringing our campus up to the technology standards we all endorse.

Clearly, the campus would have benefited from a comprehensive Academic Technology Plan over the past several years. Even though we have not had such a plan, it is clear that we have moved forward effectively with the Dell roll-out, the e-mail standardization across the Schools and the College, the addition of mediated classrooms, and the like.

Now, the Division of Academic Affairs is moving to put in place a plan for addressing the campus technology needs over the next few years. The Academic Technology Plan will be one part of a larger Academic Master Plan, with the other two areas to be Academic Programs and Academic Facilities. With broad consultation and involvement in careful planning, the Division believes that the legitimate concerns expressed by members of the UBC will be addressed for the short term (1-3 years) and the longer term (5-10 years) by the end of the Fall 2002 semester.

Meantime, it is important to share information with each other and with the rest of the campus on our current status vis-à-vis technology and, specifically, mediated classrooms.

Listed below are key facts related to the present:

· Presently, there are 16 mediated classrooms that have been completed in the past 8 months, approximately 10 % of the available classrooms on campus. The specific locations of these classrooms are those identified by the Deans, who are also responsible for the scheduling of the rooms.

· There is approximately $230,000 that remains in the current budget for 8 additional mediated classrooms. With the completion of this part of the project, we will have approximately 15% of our available classrooms mediated. An evaluation of their usefulness and suggestions for improving the next iteration should be conducted at this time.

· One year from now, in Spring 2003, we anticipate that Welch Hall will be on line. ALL classrooms in this building are mediated. There are 5 mediated classrooms, 5 instructional computer labs, and a 198-seat Symposium (lecture hall) that has appropriate wiring at each seat to enable mediated instruction to take place.

· We are beginning the telecommunications infrastructure upgrade project that will bring network connectivity to instruction areas where it is currently non-existent. This project will also significantly improve the speed with which our computers serve as tools for our productive teaching, research, creative and scholarly efforts—and our administrative needs, as well.

· As the telecommunications infrastructure project is being completed, we will be pursuing the renovation and upgrade of our electrical infrastructure, a $2,855,000 Capital Outlay project that we anticipate will be funded in the 2002/2003 fiscal year. At the conclusion of this upgrade, the campus will be prepared to take advantage of ongoing advances in computer technology for teaching and learning and for administrative management.

While baseline funds were requested for the support of the mediated classrooms, funds were not requested for additional rooms. Based upon the items addressed in the memo, we will wait for 2003/04 cycle to present a comprehensive plan to the UBC for the renovation of additional classrooms.

We welcome an opportunity for further discussion with the UBC if additional information is needed.