UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE POLICY MANUAL This Replaces File: 170.50 Date: 07/01/02 ORIGINATOR: Provost and Chief Academic Officer SUBJECT: Policy 170.50 - Information Technology Fluency I. Introduction The Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Maryland (USM) requires that all graduates of USM institutions be able to demonstrate Information Technology Fluency - that is, the ability in both their personal and their professional lives to use technology available now and to adapt to the rapid and inevitable changes of the future. In order to ensure that its graduates meet this requirement University of Maryland University College (UMUC) has established the definitions and procedures contained in this policy. II. Definition of Information Technology Fluency UMUC defines Information Technology Fluency as the ability to: understand information technology broadly enough to be able to apply it productively to academic studies, at work, and in everyday life; recognize when information technology would assist or impede the achievement of a goal; and adapt to the changes in and advancement of information technology. III. Standards for Information Technology Fluency In order to integrate the above characteristics successfully into an academic environment, UMUC has established three sets of standards for Information Technology Fluency: 1. Minimum Information Technology Fluency Standards: Information technology fluency competencies required of all UMUC graduates regardless of their level, degree program, or academic discipline. 2. Level-Specific Information Technology Fluency Standards: Information technology fluency competencies that are specific to graduates of the School of Undergraduate Studies and to graduates of the School of Graduate Studies. 3. Discipline-Specific Information Technology Fluency Standards: Information technology fluency competencies that are specific to particular academic disciplines. IV. Implementation UMUC will develop and implement a plan for ensuring that all three sets of standards are appropriately embedded in the curriculum. UMUC will also assess Information Technology Fluency using a variety of assessment formats. Results of these assessments will be reported to the BOR in accordance with its reporting schedule. The plan will be reviewed and updated annually at the time of the report to the BOR to ensure UMUC's technology fluency standards remain current and that the University makes steady progress in enabling its student to achieve them.