LAMC Technology Plan: 2000-2002.
approved by TMI Committee on 5/09/00

1. MISSION. Los Angeles Mission College is committed to the principle
that our faculty and students need to participate fully in recent
advances in information technology. There are two main reasons for
this: the requirement for computer literacy in almost all fields of
employment and the fact that California law requires the implementation
of "digital high schools" within the coming decade. Our students in
the next few years will be individuals who both expect this and need
this, all the more because they are less likely to have computers at
home or easy access to computers elsewhere. An additional reason is
that with our projected growth in enrollment it will become more urgent
that we alter our course delivery in order to reduce the demand for
classrooms.

2. FUNDING. Most faculty now either have computers at their desks or
easy access to shared computers. The Professional Development Committee
has sponsored a number of workshops and, in conjunction with CSUN and
CVC (the California Virtual Campus), has made a number of services
available to those faculty interested in developing their own web
pages. VATEA funds have made possible attendance at conferences and
workshops to promote online teaching. Title III and TTIP funds allow
still more opportunities for equipment and training. The expected
acceptance by the Board of Governors of the CCC Technology II Strategic
Plan (2000-2005) will allow still more opportunities for funding to
meet the goal of one computer for every 20 students with a three-year
refresh rate for hardware and software as well as an appropriate number
of so-called "smart" classrooms. LAMC needs to aggressively pursue all
these funding opportunities in order to come as close as possible to
the guidelines of the new Strategic Plan.

3. FACULTY TRAINING. At the same time the course of least resistance
for faculty who are not now computer literate is to ignore available
opportunities. This is no longer acceptable when a skill in working
with the computer and particularly with the Internet is coming to be
seen as a requirement for our students, both for employment and for
further education. An emphasis on training accordingly has to be seen
as even more important than maintaining or upgrading equipment.
Innovative means for encouraging faculty involvement in technology need
to be developed and promoted. In particular, all faculty should be
encouraged to take advantage of the no-cost opportunities made
available through the California Virtual Campus and through CSUN. One
way this can be done is by recruiting and rewarding individuals who
will act as faculty mentors.

4. SUPPORT. It is generally recognized that maintenance and upgrading
are crucial when working with computers. At the present there is
inadequate staffing to keep our equipment functioning, much less to
provide appropriate upgrades. Also, there are perceived problems in the
present organizational chart according to which all computer staffing
is seen as an administrative function. A recommended solution for
staffing is the creation of parallel positions in administrative and
academic areas. In addition, the dependence on District personnel
needs to be reduced in order for the technical experts at the college
to act more freely in order to maintain 24/7 service.

5. DISTANCE LEARNING. At present the approved online courses do not
operate on a common platform and there is not any accepted procedure to
provide the oversight for these classes called for by Title 5. Whether
a common platform for course presentation and management should be a
goal needs to be resolved. While it appears imperative that there be
improved accountability for existing online courses as well as a
reasonable plan for the development of new offerings, the precise
mechanism for this requires further deliberation. One possibility is
the grouping together of such courses under a definite administrator,
much as the offerings in PACE are grouped together. Another is the
appointment of a coordinator who will work with existing departments to
facilitate both online offerings and the expansion of technology in
traditional classes.