Outside Review Recommendations

Recommendations for Academic Technolology at Dickinson

LIS 3.0

1. Define expectations and mechanisms for communications within LIS.
2. Set expectations and find projects for increased collaboration between LIS departments.
3. Perform a “functional review” of LIS activities.
4. Create the Academic Commons.
5. Define ways to achieve greater involvement of ATS within LIS.
6. Consider reviving the LIS liaison programs.
7. Determine appropriate levels of project management methodology across the division.
8. Engage organization-wide approaches and greater staff participation in LIS strategic planning efforts.
9. Have an LIS cross-functional team design the LIS web site to convey a unified organization.
10. Determine where functions are best be positioned and move appropriate responsibilities within LIS.

The Academic Commons

1. Develop both a program plan and a space plan for the Academic Commons.
2. Co-locate most ATS staff within the Academic Commons.
3. Plan for a phased implementation.
4. Plan for longer hours of operation.
5. Understand the noise levels appropriate for an Academic Commons.
6. Move some elements of the current Information Commons to another floor of the Library.

Program Plan for ATS

1. Develop a community-based process to develop a cohesive vision for the ATS program plan.
2. Define core technology services first.
3. Define special projects and initiatives second.
4. Integrate the emerging ATS program plan into overall LIS planning.

ATS Core Services

1. Determine which current drop-off, media production services should be maintained, outsourced, or discontinued.
2. Define ATS core services around the following set of common categories:
   • Web-based technologies and applications.
   • Classroom technologies.
   • Computing lab hardware, software and peripherals.
   • Instructional technology consultation.
   • Application development services.
   • Training, user support and outreach.
3. Align core services with strategic values (e.g. efficiency, pedagogy) in order to justify allocation of scare resources.
4. Develop on- and off-line processes to more efficiently provide a variety of regular services with as few staff resources as possible.
5. Leverage the Course Management System.
6. Plan for the new GIS initiative to become a core service.
7. Integrate ATS core services with LIS core services.
8. Better understand service drivers at Dickinson.
9. [Minimize activities which do not align with core services.]

ATS Special Projects and Initiatives

1. Understand the resource implications of special projects and initiatives.
2. Use appropriate project management methodology.
3. Define a formal Project Manager for significant projects.
4. Coordinate digital initiatives.

ATS Staff Development

1. Develop new job descriptions for ATS staff.
2. Hire a GIS technician.
3. Pursue professional development for instructional technologists (e.g. http://www.educause.edu/LTL08).

Distributed vs. Centralized Support

1. Work with ITSC to understand the issues surrounding centralization vs. distributed services at Dickinson.
2. Decide where distributed LIS staff could be best utilized.
3. Centralize the proposed GIS lab and its support.

Outreach and Communication

1. Find more reasons to bring people together in conversation.
2. Build tools and persistent resources that help people find answers.
3. Create new methods of communicating with the community.
4. Provide regular project updates and program plans.
5. Reconsider the liaison model for technology support.