INTERIM POLICY ON TECHNOLOGY FLUENCY UMBC recognizes that the use of technology is instrumental in enabling learning, advancing research, facilitating business functions, and enhancing the quality of citizens' lives. UMBC, therefore, has developed, and regularly, updates a Strategic Plan for Information Technology (April, 2000) to ensure that technology enhances the quality of the campus' teaching and learning, research, and administrative services. UMBC's Strategic Plan for Information Technology responds to the Regents' mandate that graduates from USM institutions be technologically fluent. UMBC recognizes the importance of technology fluency in promoting success in employment and enhancing lifelong learning and communication capabilities. It is the intent of this policy to ensure that UMBC graduates will possess the information technology related skills that define technology fluency as a result of curricular focus, instructional strategies, and exposure to technology as members of the UMBC community. In order to accomplish the goals of UMBC's Strategic Plan for Information Technology and to implement this policy, UMBC students must have access to computing, software, and the internet. UMBC initiated its Assured Access to Computing Policy in 2001 to ensure such access. In so doing and recognizing that appropriate applications of information technology in teaching and learning will vary according to discipline and by course, UMBC faculty now are free to incorporate online resources and methods into their teaching and require students to complete assignments that entail use of those resources and methods. This policy, therefore, incorporates UMBC's Strategic Plan for Information Technology as well as its Assured Access to Computing Policy. UMBC graduates will possess the ability to use information technology to help define research agendas and goals, identify and evaluate information sources, develop write and edit reports and papers, and meet other course requirements (i.e., online information research, analysis, and writing skills); present their work through a variety of online or technology assisted means such as web pages, email, online forums and presentation software (i.e, publishing/presentation skills); and bring appropriate technology to bear on the problems within their disciplines and have knowledge of technological tools relevant to their disciplines and to being an active member of society (i.e., problem solving). In addition to the incorporation of UMBC's Strategic Plan for Information Technology and its Assured Access to Computing Policy into this policy, UMBC will achieve the goals of this policy in the following ways: · provide training beyond the classroom to students to enable the effective use of information technology and develop a level of information literacy (currently provided by the Office of Information Technology, and the library); · continue to enhance UMBC's required composition course (English 101) and other composition courses which teach technology skills; · offer required courses that teach technology skills within the major; · technologically enhance other courses within the disciplines as appropriate to each discipline; · make technology an integral part of all aspects of university life by continued use of technology to deliver student services (such as registering for classes, viewing account balances, accessing the schedule of classes and checking the status of library books) Assessment UMBC recognizes the need to evaluate the effectiveness with which it implements its instructional activities and accomplishes its technology fluency goals. UMBC will assess the degree to which its students achieve technology fluency by the monitoring and reporting of its assured access program; regular assessment of its required courses in composition and those within the major (especially at the senior level) that contain a technology component; and regular surveying its alumni. The Office of the Provost working with the Office of Institutional Research shall be responsible for such assessment. In addition, all academic program reviews shall address the issue of technology fluency. New program proposals also shall include a plan achieving technology fluency. February 2002