Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

To facilitate 24 x 7 access to computing resources for all students, the USM institutions have proposed an array of solutions. This mix of initiatives includes:

• Opening 24 x 7 public computer laboratories for students.
• Enhancing the number and quality of computers in public laboratories.
• Requiring students to own computers and including this requirement in the financial aid consideration.
• Leveraging the size of the USM to effect partnerships with vendors, enabling students to purchase computers at discounted prices.
• Establishing a "laptop university" initiative to provide all incoming students with laptops.
• Leasing computers to students.
• Subsidizing the purchase of computers by students.
• Initiating computer-loan programs.
• MEEC personal computer purchasing and lease agreement (estimated availability 10/2001).

In addition, the USM has addressed the issue of the geographic divide for its institutions located in less populated areas through UMATS, a USM infrastructure network consortium that provides wide area network connectivity and interactive video services to all USM institutions.

Status at each institution:

Bowie State University does not meet this standard. BSU is moving forward on several initiatives to improve student access to computing resources. These initiatives are being funded through a combination of institutional allocations, redirected departmental funds, private grants, and Title III funds.

• Establish BSU as a laptop university, providing laptop computers to incoming freshman in fall 2001. BSU intends to ask students to bear the 2^nd and 3^rd year lease costs.
• Negotiate agreements with vendors, making computers available for purchase by students at a discounted price.
• Upgrade existing computer labs.
• Increase staff to support the student access initiative.

BSU has deferred several other initiatives due to a lack of funding. These include opening at least one public lab on campus for 24 x 7 student use and developing a program to provide computers to students other than freshman.

Coppin State College does not meet this standard. CSC has proposed several initiatives to improve access to computing resources for students, but has been unable to allocate funds to implement many of these initiatives:

• CSC participates in the educational computing initiative as well as the NAFEO / Gateway agreement to enable students to purchase computers at a discounted price.
• CSC has also launched a pilot laptop ownership program last spring with 40 laptops.

• CSC does not have funding to increase the number of computers in public labs; increase the hours of public labs; or open a 24 x 7 computer lab for students' use.
• CSC has not identified funding for several other student access initiatives: establishing a laptop ownership program, opening computer labs in the residence halls, starting a computer loan program, and staffing the initiative.

Frostburg State University (FSU) partially meets this standard. The university has extended the operating hours of its five newly equipped, general-purpose computing labs. These labs are open and staffed for more than 100 hours per week. Beginning fall 2002, FSU will further extend operating hours during the academic year at times when student demand for computer access is at its highest. In addition to the computing labs, students have regular access to 21 modern and highly specialized departmental computing facilities. All residence hall rooms provide students with an individual fiber optic connection to the Internet and the university's computer network.

• The university participates in a USM initiative that allows students and other members of the university community to buy premium grade computer systems at the lowest available retail price. Financing and leasing arrangements are also available to students through this initiative.
• Through the university's bookstore, FSU students can also purchase computing systems at an educational discount.
• FSU does not have funding to open and staff a 24/7 general computing facility on-campus for students or to establish a program for students to purchase university-owned computers at a discount.

Salisbury University meets this standard, but with some qualifications. SU estimates that 83% of its students already own computers. SU has proposed two key initiatives for increasing access to computing resources for students: extend the hours of computer labs and develop a wireless network in the library.

SU will implement the following in FY 2002:

• Extend the hours of computer labs and open a 24 x 7 computer lab for students' use during peak periods.
• Develop a wireless network in the Blackwell Library, providing 15 wireless laptop computers for use by students.

Towson University partially meets this standard. TU commissioned a survey asking whether students had access to computers at their residence. The response to this survey, with a maximum sampling error of 6.3%, indicated that 94% of students had access to a computer at their residence.

TU has moved forward on some measures to improve students' access to computing resources, but has been unable to fund certain other initiatives:

• The Towson University Senate has approved a proposal for a Student Computer Requirement, beginning in fall 2002.
• The approved proposal for a Student Computer Requirement implies the inclusion of students' costs for meeting this requirement in the financial aid consideration.
• TU will continue to work with the educational computing initiative, providing opportunities for students to purchase computers at a discount.
• TU has allocated space for the initial location of the Student Computing Services Center and will hire a person to provide student technology training and support.
• TU does not have funding to open a 24 x 7 computer lab and to extend the hours of the 62 campus computer labs.

University of Baltimore:

The University of Baltimore meets this standard. UB conducted a survey indicating that a high percentage of UB students owned computers. For students who do not own computers, UB has implemented the following measures:

• UB has upgraded and opened a 24/7 lab for student use. This lab is in a secure location in the center of the campus.
• UB participates in the educational computing initiative, providing opportunities for students to purchase computers at a discount.

Some of the University of Maryland, Baltimore's professional schools meet this standard and others do not. The School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, and Graduate School have initiatives that require student ownership of computers or assure access to computing resources. At its other professional schools, UMB proposed several initiatives for increasing student access to computing resources, including:

• Opening a 24-hour study lounge in the new Campus Center
• Investigating establishing a laptop requirement in the School of Law
• Requiring students entering the School of Social Work in 2002 to own laptop computers.

However, UMB was unable to allocate funding for these initiatives in FY 2002.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County meets this standard. UMBC has been promoting student use of technology and has implemented several measures in recent years:

• Expanded the hours in public labs to provide 24-hour access during the week.
• Updated 66% of the public computer labs.
• Created a pool of lending computers for students with the greatest financial need.
• Adopted a principle of Assured Access to Computing for students, beginning in fall 2001.
• UMBC also participates in the educational computing initiative, providing opportunities for students to purchase computers at a discount.

UMBC had planned to hire additional technical staff to support students, but has been unable fund this initiative.

The University of Maryland, College Park meets this standard. UMCP's campus strategic plan provides that it will "strongly encourage all students to have access to a networked personal computer, and require computer ownership for students in selected disciplines. " UMCP estimates that more than 80% of students who live on campus currently bring their own computers and connect to the network from the dorms and that approximately 80% of incoming students have access to personally owned computers.

UMCP's student access services include:

• Open computer laboratories that provide 915 multi-platform-networked workstations that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in 35 campus locations.
• Arrangements with vendors for discounts on equipment purchases through the university bookstore.
• Continually updated web pages with recommended minimum requirements for each academic department http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/faqs/misc/reccomp.shtml.
• Consulting assistance for technology acquisition.
• Adaptive technology that is available in open computer laboratories and a centralized laboratory to ensure computer access for persons with disabilities.

However, UMCP does not have funding for certain critical student access and digital divide initiatives in FY 2002. Specifically:

• Outreach for personal ownership of computers;
• Upgrade of open lab facilities;
• Financial grants for needy students;
• Training to bridge the cultural divide; and
• Staffing for the student access initiative.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore partially meets this standard. UMES has established a centrally located site that will allow students, upon request, to have 24-hour access to networked computers. However, UMES has been unable to fund certain critical student access and digital divide initiatives in FY 2002:

• Full-time staff for the site that provides 24 x 7 access.
• Subsidized computer ownership / lease programs for students.

University of Maryland University College:

UMUC partially meets this standard. UMUC currently requires all distance education students to have access to a computer as well as Internet connectivity. In addition, the university has increased its computer lab facilities and help desk support for students taking courses at the Adelphi campus. UMUC also participates in the educational computing initiative, providing opportunities for students to purchase computers at a discount.

However, UMUC has been unable to fund the initiative to expand the hours of computer labs to 24 x 7.

UMBI meets this standard. Specifically:

• Faculty, students and staff at UMBI (all related centers) have access to a computer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Access to a computer is assured by each UMBI center through the use of public labs.
• Faculty, students and staff with proper identification are assured access to a computer around the clock.

UMCES meets this standard. Each campus maintains a common computing area that is accessible to all students 24 X 7, either on a walk-in basis or through a schedule/sign-up process. In addition, each student can coordinate with his or her advisor for access to laboratory facilities, if needed.

In addition to computers, the quality of students' learning experiences will significantly depend on the software and learning materials available to do coursework. Many USM institutions include or intend to include students in the Maryland Educational Enterprise Consortium (MEEC) software agreement with Microsoft. This agreement allows students to license the latest releases of the Microsoft operating system, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher), Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Outlook, and other Microsoft products, paying only a minimal charge.

USM institutions also continue to enhance specialty-computer laboratories that have discipline-specific software for students in disciplines such as engineering, medicine, writing, music, geographical-information systems, computer engineering, and nursing. Another USM initiative involves creating "smart classrooms" that integrate computer, multimedia, and network technologies. Smart classrooms could be equipped with permanent ceiling or tabletop projectors, computers, Internet connection, sound systems, VCRs, and DVD players. In addition, some USM institutions have proposed enhancing the availability of digitized materials, including online access to course reserves, electronic journal subscriptions, and multimedia images such as photographs and slides used in courses.

Status at each institution:

Bowie State University does not meet this standard. BSU participates institutionally in the Microsoft licensing agreement, but has delayed adding students to this agreement until FY 2003, unless corporate sponsorship is received. The university also has discipline-specific software licensed by the institution and in some cases licensed by individual students.

Coppin State College does not meet this standard. CSC has not identified funding for several proposed initiatives to improve access to software and electronic learning materials for students, including:

• Acquiring subject-specific software for students' use.
• Enhancing library electronic information resources and services.
• Using Web-enabled technologies to enhance the learning environment.
• Building state-of-the-art smart classrooms that are connected to electronic learning materials.
• Installing the appropriate instructional software on every computer on campus.

However, CSC has allocated $50,000 in capital funds for implementing a faculty and student web server for their web pages.

Frostburg State University meets this standard. FSU includes students in the university's participation in the Microsoft site license initiative.

However, FSU has not identified funding for offering access to other software licenses to students. In addition, FSU is unable to fund increased dial-up access for off-campus students in FY 2002.

Salisbury University meets this standard. SU currently participates in the Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium's (MEEC) licensing agreement with Microsoft for all students, faculty and staff. Students have access to the most current Microsoft products at significantly discounted rates.

In addition, SU's academic departments provide discipline-specific software for specialized course offerings. The campus library also provides online access to a variety of information resources. Finally, the campus is implementing WebCT learning management software to enhance courses with web-based content.

Towson University meets this standard. TU has implemented the Microsoft licensing agreement for the campus, enabling the university to install the latest releases of Microsoft products in its 62 computer labs. The campus computer labs also provide students with access to discipline-specific software.

TU has also developed the Towson Online Learning environment, allowing an instructor to select among various tools to facilitate content delivery, threaded discussions, student teamwork, and online quizzing. Students can access this environment from any web browser. Additionally, TU's students have 24 x 7 access to the Cook Library's online catalog, its growing collection of electronic materials in text and multimedia formats, the USM online catalogs and collections, electronic databases, electronic journals, government information, and other information resources.

However, TU has not identified funding to upgrade the availability of technology in its classrooms and large lecture halls.

The University of Baltimore meets this standard, but with qualifications. UB provides students working on campus with access to the required software and electronic learning materials.

However, UB has not identified the funding to include students in the Microsoft licensing agreement. Also, the university plans to work with its educational foundation to identify private funds for upgrading the availability of technology in classrooms.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore meets this standard. UMB includes students in the MEEC Microsoft licensing agreement for productivity software. In addition, UMB's professional schools provide discipline-specific software for students' use.

Also, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HS/HSL) has implemented an electronic reserve system and has increased its collection of electronic journals. However, UMB has not identified FY2002 funding to enlarge its collection of electronic journals available for students and faculty through HS/HSL.

Finally, UMB's Law School has received capital funds to build smart classrooms and seminar rooms in the new building.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County meets this standard. UMBC has been continually promoting student access to appropriate software and electronic learning materials. Significant initiatives include:

• Extension of the Microsoft Enterprise agreement to include students, of which over 2000 students acquired the software in the first two months alone;
• Development by the library of a campus Electronic Reserves system to facilitate online student access to course reserves;
• Purchase and development of over 1000 full-text electronic journal subscriptions for students and faculty to search;
• Development of a multi-media image database for storing library photographs and slides used in courses;
• Development of a technology enhanced learning (TEL) group to support experimentation and adoption of technology for instruction;
• Development of specialty computer labs for students taking courses in engineering, writing, geographical information systems, computer engineering, and network LAN administration.

UMBC has also allocated institutional and departmental funds for enhancing the technology in large classrooms and ensuring adequate numbers of mobile carts with laptops and projectors.

The University of Maryland, College Park meets this standard. UMCP provides a range of services and learning resources for students. Some examples:

• Microsoft's suite of software and browsers are available in public laboratories.
• Examples of some resources available online include the library catalog, full text documents, slide images, music, and databases. Some digital resources are limited to students taking specific courses.
• Educational discounts to discipline-specific software in laboratories through Software Licensing. Students can purchase educationally discounted software in the book center.
• UMCP's web-enhanced environment gives additional access to course materials. Vendors (e.g., WebCT) have developed relationships with publishers to provide materials on-line at a cost to the individual, and some discipline specific resources are available for free. Faculty members determine the relevance of the particular resource.

However, UMCP has been unable to identify funding to include students in the Microsoft licensing agreement. Additionally, the university has not funded, in FY 2002, the proposed $1 million initiative to increase the number of databases and other digitized resources available through the Libraries.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore meets this standard. UMES has allocated institutional and departmental funds in FY 2002 to include students in the Microsoft enterprise license agreement. UMES is also able to partially fund its needs for discipline-specific software for students' use.

The University of Maryland University College meets this standard. Students attending online courses at UMUC are required to have access to specific software packages. Students attending traditional classes, and online students located within close proximity, are encouraged to use the university's open computer labs, which have the appropriate software.

UMBI meets this standard. Faculty, students and staff have access to appropriate software and electronic learning materials to complete course assignments.

• The availability of appropriate software and electronic learning materials is assured through computer labs and resource center at each UMBI research center.
• All computers in each resource center and lab are loaded and configured with the appropriate software and electronic learning materials.
• UMBI assures all its faculty, students and staff access to appropriate software and electronic learning materials through its library facilities.
• With the use of appropriate identification, library resources can be used across all USM institutions.
• The enterprise-wide Microsoft licensing agreement assures UMBI faculty, students, and staff access to appropriate software and electronic learning materials.

UMCES meets this standard. The Center, being a non-degree granting institution, does not have students in the traditional sense. All students are here in a research or teaching capacity, and as such, each student will normally obtain any special purpose software or materials through their grant funding, or if available on campus, through their local IT department.

A key concern for all USM institutions is connectivity, particularly in an increasingly distributed technology environment. Recognizing the importance of the network in providing access to contemporary information and communication services, many institutions have proposed upgrading the bandwidth and, in some cases, the pervasiveness, of their institutional network infrastructures. Specific initiatives include:

• Upgrading the campus network backbone.
• Installing needed cabling in residence halls.
• Increasing the availability of mobile and public access networking.
• Connecting more classrooms to the campus network.
• Investing in improved off-campus access via an enhanced University of Maryland Academic Telecommunications System (UMATS).

Status at each institution:

Bowie State University will meet this standard in FY 2002. BSU has redirected departmental funds in FY 2002 to enhance the campus network infrastructure. Specific initiatives include:

• Enhancing the campus connection to UMATS and the Internet
• Installing needed cabling in the residence halls.

Coppin State College:

Coppin State College will meet this standard in FY 2002. CSC has received capital funds to accomplish the following:

• Install new network equipment to ensure adequate bandwidth.
• Wire all campus facilities.
• Complete a critically needed upgrade of the campus voice communications system.

However, CSC had not identified funding for a pilot wireless communications project and certain security initiatives.

Frostburg State University meets this standard. FSU's fiber optic campus network connects to UMATS and the Internet. All offices, computing facilities, residence hall rooms, the library as well as many classrooms and conference facilities are connected to the Internet through UMATS. Additionally, the university maintains 78 dial-up lines for Internet access by off-campus students, faculty, and staff.

In FY 2002, FSU has allocated institutional funds to continue the upgrade of the campus network infrastructure.

Salisbury University meets this standard. SU has made significant investments in the campus network infrastructure in recent years to wire all residence halls and expand the network to off-campus properties.

In FY 2002, SU has proposed new initiatives to enhance the campus network infrastructure:

• Incorporate additional buildings in the campus network infrastructure
• Upgrade the bandwidth of the campus network to accommodate growth

The funding for these initiatives is currently unidentified.

Towson University meets this standard. TU upgraded its fiber optic network infrastructure in 2000 and has allocated institutional funds in FY 2002 to upgrade network equipment to boost the bandwidth of the campus network. In addition, TU has enhanced its UMATS connection to the Internet to 45 Mbps (DS3). TU has also allocated institutional funds in FY 2002 to activate classroom ports, enabling computers in classrooms to access the campus network and the Internet.

However, the university has been unable to identify FY 2002 funding for a critical initiative to upgrade building networks on campus.

The University of Baltimore meets this standard. Any student, faculty, or staff working on campus has access to the Internet 24 by 7 and can access the university web mail.

However, due to lack of funding, UB has had to extend its implementation plans to upgrade the campus-wide network to switched Ethernet from three years to five years.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore meets this standard. Student, faculty, and staff currently can access the Internet through the campus network 24 x 7. In FY 2002, UMB has allocated institutional, departmental, and auxiliary services funds to:

• Upgrade the ISP contract for access to the Internet
• Upgrade the cabling in buildings and roll out common directory services

UMB has not identified FY 2002 funding for expanding the bandwidth and access to the campus network.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County meets this standard. UMBC has implemented the following campus networking initiatives over the last few years:

• Deployment of a fiber-optic cabling system interconnecting all major buildings;
• Connection to vBNS and Internet2 networks for support of advanced research applications;
• Extension of the campus network to the residential housing facilities;
• Expansion of the campus modem pool to 450;
• Development of a Gigabit Ethernet backbone linking all academic buildings and bringing over 75% of network connections up to the Internet2 standard of a minimum of 10Mbs switched Ethernet connection.

In FY 2002, UMBC has allocated departmental and capital funds to continue renewal of the campus network and expand wireless networking, particularly in the library, student commons, and certain academic buildings.

University of Maryland, College Park:

The University of Maryland, College Park meets this standard. UMCP provides a campus network and Internet connection that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The network infrastructure includes DS-3 Internet connectivity, high speed Internet2 and

NGI connections, a gigabit Ethernet backbone, and the ability to provide switched Ethernet to most desktops, allowing the university to meet almost all of its current student, faculty, and staff needs. UMCP aspires not just to provide a state-of-the-art network infrastructure for students, faculty, and staff, but to be one of the major drivers in the development of high-speed networking and the model of a network-centric university.

In FY 2002, UMCP has allocated institutional funds and redirected departmental funds to:

• Upgrade the building wiring to support 100Mbps service where required. However, this initiative has only been partially funded.
• Increase the quality and reliability of Internet connections through the addition of multiple high-speed connections.
• Increase the availability of mobile and public access networking.

However, UMCP has been unable to identify funding for the initiative to electronically monitor the network 24 x 7, increase technical support staff, and expand its wireless service offering.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will meet this standard in FY 2002. UMES has allocated institutional funds in FY 2002 to:

• Complete the process of providing network connectivity in the residence halls.
• Upgrade the UMATS connection to DS3.
• Increase network specialist staff.

The University of Maryland University College meets this standard. UMUC has a modern and robust network providing high speed, reliable access to all academic and administrative computer users. All of UMUC's office spaces, computer labs, and knowledge worker desks have access to the appropriate computer network. All classrooms in UMUC-owned and leased facilities have access to the campus network.

Annual network upgrades are a significant percentage of the technology budget, but are required to meet the increased demand for online and networked services. In FY 2002, UMUC has not identified funding for the initiative to provide global ISP connectivity for instructors.

UMBI meets this standard. UMBI assures all its faculty, staff and students access to a computer network of adequate bandwidth connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Network connectivity is available in offices, libraries, public labs and classrooms.
• UMBI provides remote access through dialup to all of its faculty, students and staff. The dialup services are provided and supported by UMBI.
• Internet accounts are provided to all UMBI faculty, students and staff.

However, UMBI has not identified funding for several proposed network initiatives in FY 2002. These network infrastructure projects include:

• Upgrading the network to 100Mbps switched Ethernet and meeting Internet 2 requirements
• Upgrading video equipment for Internet 2 video conferencing and collaboration labs.

UMCES meets this standard. All personnel have access to campus computers connected to the Internet 24 x 7. In addition, dial-in facilities are provided, enabling users to access the campus networks and the Internet.

While using technology to improve teaching and learning is a key facet of e-learningMaryland, the immersive environment that this entails includes improving administrative processes as well. Accordingly, the USM institutions have proposed establishing sustainable models for renewing computer technology in faculty and staff offices. Two key concerns across the USM have emerged in this area:

• Modernizing computer technology in faculty and staff offices.
• Renewing or refreshing computer technology in faculty and staff offices on a three- or four-year cycle.

Status at each institution:

Bowie State University meets this standard. In its FY 2002 budget, BSU has allocated institutional funds for routine upgrades of computer technology in faculty and staff offices.

Coppin State College partially meets this standard. During FY 2000, CSC acquired a $250,000 loan to give every faculty and staff an appropriate computer in their offices to do their work. CSC has a plan that enables faculty and staff to apply technology effectively. However, CSC has been unable to fund an initiative to continue modernizing the campus work environment in FY 2002.

Frostburg State University meets this standard, but with qualifications. Over the past four years, FSU has acted to ensure that all faculty and administrative staff have appropriate computers in their offices. In addition, computers are available to employees holding positions where office computers are not required, providing them with e-mail access.

However, FSU had not identified funding sources in FY 2002 to continue replacing computer technology in staff offices on a four-year cycle.

Salisbury University meets this standard. SU provides computers (approximately1200 units) to all faculty and office staff. The annual "refresh" goal for these computers is four years. The industry standard is three years, but current funding does not make this realistic at this time.

In FY2002, SU has allocated institutional funds and has redirected departmental fund to partially meet it needs to renew campus computer technology in faculty and staff offices.

Towson University:

Towson University meets this standard. Each year since 1997, TU has allocated $1 million for the purchase of a new computer for each new faculty hired by the university and for computer workstations for a specific population of the campus:

• 1997: Campus computer labs
• 1998: Faculty
• 1999: Staff
• 2000: Campus computer labs
• 2001: Faculty
• 2002: Staff

This three-year rotation cycle has been a comprehensive and effective plan to modernize the computer workstation technology of the university community. In addition, one of TU's four strategic objectives for technology includes providing appropriate faculty, staff, and student training and support services to enhance the understanding and use of technology.

The University of Baltimore partially meets this standard. UB currently renews computer technology in faculty and staff offices on a five-year cycle, but has been unable to identify FY 2002 funding to move to a three-year cycle. UB draws on a variety of institutional resources to facilitate the use of technology by its faculty and staff.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore partially meets this standard. Faculty and Staff have appropriate access to computer technology on campus, but not necessarily at home or other places they may work. No formal equipment replacement policy exists. Training requirements are only being partially met: a formal initiative is planned to meet this need.

UMB has been unable to identify FY 2002 funding for a formal initiative to upgrade computer technology in faculty and staff offices.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County meets this standard, but with qualifications. In the mid-1990's UMBC recognized the need to provide faculty and staff with appropriate computer technology and created a campus initiative named the Computer Replacement Initiative (CRI). This initiative is a yearly initiative in which a floor is set on the minimum desktop computer needed on campus. Faculty and staff who have computers below this minimum, with the approval of their chair or department head, may submit requests for computer replacement through a simple form. Even though the CRI only applies to desktop computers used by full-time faculty or staff and requires that the requesting department match at least 25% of the cost, UMBC has not had adequate funding to meet all requests from full-time faculty and staff. In addition, the university needs to expand this initiative to meet the need for specialty computer labs in graduate and undergraduate programs. UMBC's preferred solution to meet this requirement is to move to a desktop computer leasing arrangement. UMBC has funded the CRI initiative to lease 450 computers in FY 2002. Ultimately, the university needs to replace 825 computers a year.

Also, to apply technology effectively across the university requires basic standards for interoperability (e.g. SMTP and IMAP for email) and adequate technical support. In comparison of IT support staff to similar research institutions, UMBC requires a minimum of an additional 10 FTE positions to bring its faculty/staff support in line with the other institutions (as a ratio of support staff to full-time faculty/staff).

The University of Maryland, College Park meets this standard, but with qualifications. Workstations in the office workplace were updated during the Year 2000 program, although funds for continual updating have not been made available. "Workplace" refers to home office as well as classroom environments. Regarding the effective use of technology, current training programs provide faculty and staff with basic skills. Effective integration of technology into academic and administrative work requires a more extensive support and training effort.

In FY 2002, UMCP has redirected departmental funds to refresh some servers and replace faculty workstations, partially meeting its need.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore meets this standard. 99% of faculty and staff have access to appropriate computer technology in their offices. Those without computers in their offices have chosen to do without them. In addition, a recent survey identified those faculty who need (i) updated equipment; (ii) additional software; (iii) training on current software; and (iv) peripherals. However, faculty do not have access to appropriate technology in classrooms.

In its budget for FY2002, UMES has allocated institutional funds to upgrade computer technology as needed in faculty and staff offices as well as to install and provide access to technology in classrooms.

University of Maryland University College:

The University of Maryland University College meets this standard. UMUC's policies and technology infrastructure have enabled the university to reach this goal and meet current and emerging faculty and staff access requirements.

UMBI meets this standard. UMBI assures faculty, students, and staff access to computer technology in their offices or workplaces to do their work.

• All faculty and staff have appropriate desktops and software in the offices.
• UMBI provides public workstations in the buildings for staff use.
• Faculty and staff also have access to computer technology through the UMBI and USM campuses.
• Laptop computers are available on loan
• Library information resources are available for staff to use throughout UMBI

UMCES meets this standard. All faculty and staff, if assigned to an office environment, have direct access to a computer configured according to their job requirements. If faculty and staff are assigned to a non-office environment (i.e., Research Fleet or Maintenance Garage), each will have access to at least one common use computer for administrative use, email and Internet browsing.

USM institutions already provide e-mail services to faculty and staff and most institutions also provide e-mail services to students. All institutions intend to expand e-mail services to include all students by 2001. In addition, some institutions plan to establish a public key infrastructure (PKI) to enhance the security of e-mail communications and other services that require such security.

Status at each institution:

Bowie State University meets this standard. All faculty and staff have access to e-mail communications through BSU's network, and GroupWise. Resident students owning computers and those using public labs have access to e-mail through BSU's network connection to Microsoft's HotMail.

In addition, a directory service is available for faculty and staff using GroupWise and a database with this information is available on the web for non-Groupwise box holders. BSU's website is comprehensive and in this year was assigned a full time staff member to maintain it. All Departments have webpages. A website policy is in place and an e-mail policy is drafted and awaiting university acceptance.

Coppin State College meets this standard. CSC implemented CoppinNet, enabling every student, faculty, and staff member to have access to e-mail communications. CSC also has an explicit web site policy as part of its institutional information technology policies.

Frostburg State University meets this standard. FSU has provided e-mail services to students, faculty, and staff since 1993. In 1998, the university invested in new hardware and software that provides individuals access to their e-mail remotely and locally.

All users of the university's e-mail system must read and adhere to the institution's website and e-mail policies.

Salisbury University meets this standard. SU currently provides email accounts for students, faculty and staff. The campus email system processes 30,000 email messages daily during class sessions and consumes about 70% of the server resources available on the network. Web policy has been developed and is a part of the university's information technology policies. All IT policies are available on the university's web site.

Towson University meets this standard. Once a student is admitted to Towson University, the university issues an electronic mail account to help the student establish an electronic presence on campus. The Student Computing Services Center (SCSC) helps the student become familiar with campus technology and encourages the student to begin corresponding with their advisor and other students.

All faculty and staff are entitled to receive an electronic mail account. New employees simply request an electronic mail account through the CANS Help Center.

The University of Maryland University College partially meets this standard. UMUC has standardized with Netscape Mail and its shared calendaring program (known as UCMail). Faculty and staff are encouraged to install a customized version of Netscape Mail on their home computer or laptop. All students have the option to obtain and use a UMUC email account while enrolled in a course.

However, over the past three years the number of student email accounts on the UMUC system has declined sharply. The main factor for this decrease is that WebTycho allows users to specify an external email account. Students no longer have to maintain multiple email accounts on the UMUC systems as well as with their work and ISP. They need only specify one email address.

UMUC is currently developing an explicit web site policy.

UMBI meets this standard. UMBI provides email communications to students, faculty, and staff and has an explicit web site policy. In addition, UMBI has directory services to coordinate e-mail addresses for all UMBI users.

UMCES meets this standard. All personnel are issued email addresses upon assignment and are briefed on the use and access of their account. Procedures are in place to allow traveling personnel to receive their email while away from campus.

A policy is being drafted to address the use and content of websites residing on UMCES web servers, both official and personal. Personnel are encouraged to develop and publish personal websites with content being monitored by system administrators.

USM institutions recognize that the effective use of information technology depends vitally on the availability of relevant training as well as the effectiveness of technical support. In particular, USM faculty will need opportunities to learn how to take advantage of the capabilities of the electronic medium to enhance instruction.

To meet this requirement, some institutions have proposed establishing centralized facilities and support resources within their institutions, while others plan to expand existing services. A venue for collaborative training has been the USM Service Center Training Facility. Sponsored training initiatives extending to State Agencies, MEEC members, as well as USM institutional participants are routinely conducted in this facility. As with other initiatives, the USM will seek ways to address this need by collaboration among institutions as appropriate.

Status at each institution:

Bowie State University meets this standard. BSU offers training for faculty, staff, and students on all productivity software and troubleshooting computer problems. The university has a Training Policy, which requires BSU faculty/staff who have direct access to BSU-owned equipment to have certain minimum computer competencies.

However, BSU's ratio of number of students to technical support personnel is significantly less competitive compared with its peers, based on data from the 2000 National Survey of Information Technology in Higher education.

Coppin State College:

Coppin State College partially meets this standard. CSC has a plan and has utilized grant funds to implement a faculty and staff training program. However, training for students was not conducted due to budget constraints.

In addition, CSC has not identified funding for critical FY2002 initiatives to:

• Provide year-round training
• Increase staffing for training and technical support

Frostburg State University meets this standard. FSU's Whytech Program, funded through a MHEC faculty-training grant, currently offers year-round workshops for faculty in instructional technology, including web-page and online course development.. The Instructional Technology Support Center offers training to faculty and staff in multimedia production and the use of interactive video classrooms. FSU also offers workshops in computer applications for faculty and staff through its employee-training program. Training for students in the use of the Internet and electronic reference databases is conducted by the Library. In addition, the university provides limited on-site hardware and software support to students, faculty, and staff through the Office of Academic Computing and the Office of Computing Services and Telecommunications.

In its FY2002 budget allocation, FSU has not identified funding for a much needed centralized and fully staffed help center to answer questions on hardware and software, recommend training opportunities, and make referrals for repairs. In addition, funds were not available for the personnel needed to achieve a more coordinated and sustainable delivery of IT training at the university.

Salisbury University meets this standard. SU provides a host of training and support services to faculty, students and staff. In addition to operating an information technology Help Desk an average of 16 hours per day, SU offers assistance and promotes the use of technology through:

• A faculty and staff training program
• Student peer training program
• The Teaching and Learning Network (TLN), a new initiative, which supports faculty use of technology in the classroom

Initial startup funding for the TLN program was provided by a grant from Bell Atlantic and a USM Elkins scholar grant. The TLN strategic plan calls for an annual budget of $205,000 for staffing, hardware, software, and programs. SU has funded this program through institutional allocations and redirected departmental funds in FY 2002.

Towson University meets this standard. TU provides a variety of training and support services for the university community, including:

• Instructional Technology Training for faculty to utilize technology in teaching and learning activities.
• Online Learning, providing training in the development of online learning materials and the use of web course development software.
• Faculty and Staff Skill Development and Training in standard microcomputer software such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, electronic mail/calendar software, basic web development, and how to access information resources. TU is also implementing new Computer Based Training and web-based training for faculty and staff.
• Scholarship and Applied Research, including grants and innovative in-house programs for designing or adapting technological innovations for teaching and research.
• Student Technology Orientation and Training, providing orientation and training opportunities to help students make full use of available software and electronic learning resources.
• Help Center, a single point-of-contact for students, faculty, and staff for all computer and telecommunications questions, problems, information, or service requests.

The University of Baltimore meets this standard. UB draws on a variety of institutional resources to facilitate the use of technology by its faculty and staff. Training programs include:

• Instruction in desktop applications provided through a limited number of workshops offered by the Academic Resource Center;
• Instruction and training in electronic databases and the Internet;
• Training, tutoring, and faculty support in using the web for instruction; and
• Support for other instructional technologies.

However, UB has not identified funding in FY 2002 to add a staff position for developing a more comprehensive and centralized training and support program.

University of Maryland, Baltimore:

The University of Maryland, Baltimore partially meets this standard. UMB has proposed a central training program to integrate with the current informal training programs, training at the professional schools, and outsourced efforts.

However, UMB has not identified the funding in FY 2002 for 40 additional staff positions to support this initiative.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County:

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County meets this standard. UMBC offers an extensive set of training services for faculty, staff, and students, including:

• Faculty empowerment through common tools (FaCT), a partnership between UMBC, Coppin State College, Blackboard, and Microsoft to support faculty use of technology in the teaching and learning process;
• Basic computer training for faculty and staff through the Office of Information Technology (OIT), which provides over 100 free short classes a year in common desktop applications;
• Basic computer training for students -- OIT provides over 75 free classes each semester on software used commonly for instruction; and
• UMBC provides faculty and departments with a free copy of CBT-systems training CDROM on Microsoft Office.

However, UMBC anticipates needing additional technical staff as it moves from traditional face-to-face training to web-based training that utilizes web pages and streaming video.

The University of Maryland, College Park partially meets this standard. The Technology Enhanced Training group continually evaluates its training offerings for faculty, students and staff to meet their changing needs. Training programs in place include:

• Skills training for faculty, students and staff: trainers from internal staff and from outside contractors, as well as Computer-Based Training materials.
• Specialized programs developed for Web designers and developers.
• Special programs designed for faculty who intend to integrate technology into the curriculum, where pedagogical issues are discussed as well as how to use particular environments.
• Students receive training in the use of discipline-oriented tools through their curriculum.

UMCP also provides a mix of central, peer, and unit-based technical support services:

• One-stop shopping help-desk, which is open 10 hours a day during the fall and spring semesters (weekdays only).
• Central support personnel are located in the units, providing discipline-oriented support for faculty and technology support.
• Campus units provide the first level technical support for their clients.
• Local area technical support through a cost recovery model.

However, UMCP has not identified funding for an initiative to extend technical support hours and services, deploying full-time staff as the core of the Help Desk instead of students. The lack of funding is a lost opportunity for UMCP to provide quality 24 x 7 end-user support.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore meets this standard. The IT Steering Committee is developing appropriate plans for information and instructional technology training. In addition, UMES has allocated institutional funds for three key training and technical support initiatives in FY 2002:

• Expanding the university's Microsoft mentoring efforts
• Establishing a faculty and staff IT training room in a central, well-equipped location to provide basic, intermediate, and advanced training modules for faculty and staff on a regular basis
• Establishing a campus resource center where faculty and staff can receive additional assistance in using technology tools

The University of Maryland University College meets this standard. Students participating in UMUC's online courses learn to master basic computer fluency skills by navigating the delivery platform, performing research on the World Wide Web, submitting electronic assignments, communicating with other students and faculty online, and preparing coursework with various software packages. Students may receive training in the form of one-on-one tutoring or assistance from the academic computing lab staff on an as-needed basis. Also, ad-hoc technical assistance is available 24x7 for students attending online courses and self-paced online assistance is available on the UMUC web site.

Faculty training and support includes online course training and a variety of programs and workshops designed to increase communication, enhance teaching, and promote professional development for faculty in the online environment. Technical support and self-directed online assistance on the UMUC web site is available to faculty 24x7.

A wide range of technical courses is available for faculty, staff and student workers. The UMUC Computer Support-Desk is available to staff and faculty during regular office hours.

UMBI meets this standard. Faculty, students and staff at UMBI current get training through the other USM institutions. This includes training in productivity software, computer related courses and career-based training. UMBI is currently reviewing other training options.

UMCES meets this standard. Informal training is available from in-house subject matter experts on locally developed software. For training on commercial software USM training resources as well as training vendors are utilized as needed.

USM Summary

All of the 11 degree-granting USM institutions as well as UMBI have developed information technology strategic plans.

USM Summary

The USM institutions have collaborated and continue to do so extensively on information technology initiatives within the System. They also have formed partnerships with the State of Maryland, the corporate sector, the federal government, and other institutions and organizations. Some examples of collaborative projects and partnerships:

• Leveraged educational computing initiative to facilitate ownership of computers, soon to be replaced by and expanded Personal Computer Purchase and Lease Agreement (estimated availability 10/2001).
• Networking initiatives, including Internet2 and Abilene (high-speed networks).
• Library Information Management System and the Maryland Digital Library.
• UMATS, a USM network infrastructure consortium to provide wide area network connectivity and interactive video services to all USM institutions.
• USM Service Center initiatives:

• USM PeopleSoft Consortium, focusing on customer services applications
• MEEC activities, including USM leadership in the development and administration of the initiative
• Specialized system-wide contracts, including Compaq, Oracle, and PeopleSoft
• System-wide state interface and FMIS connectivity
• Legacy system and web-enhancement support, until replaced by PeopleSoft

• Partnerships with IBM, Microsoft, Sallie Mae, Comcast, Nortel Networks, Aether Systems, RWD technologies, SAP (University Alliance program), NASA, Honeywell, National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, the Smithsonian Institution, and the World Bank.
• Shared educational TV networks, community TV collaborations, and other collaborations to create various technology initiatives.
• Partnerships with the State of Maryland and private industry to develop eMaryland.