Slippery Rock University MSCHE 2011 Self-Study
Chapter Four
Technology and Research As a primarily residential university where approximately 70% of all undergraduates live either on-campus during the academic year or in one of several private residential facilities in the community, Slippery Rock University strives to offer the widest possible range of instructional styles and technologies, as well as one-on-one guidance and directed educational experiences (Figure 4.2). Only one undergraduate program (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) is offered fully on-line, but an increasing number of classes are integrating interactive, webbased software applications into instruction. Until 2010, Blackboard was the primary “learning management system” employed by instructors; the number of class sections actively employing Blackboard rose from 550 in fall, 2006 to 811 in fall, 2009. Beginning with the fall, 2010 term, faculty members have switched to the Desire2Learn (D2L) software to perform the same instructional and classroom management tasks, since the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education has ceased use of Blackboard. Standard 9-A, and Standard 11-E, G, H and K
Figure 4.2: Use of Technology (Facts) 53 computer labs on campus 1,288 computers in those labs 150 classrooms with computer projection 91.59% of residence hall students with computer 90% of freshmen with laptops (MapWorks Survey) 96.3 Students bring computers to campus (Map-Works Survey) 75% + of our first-year students using D2L, the university’s classroom management tool, in at least three of their courses during their first semester on campus
The library has become increasingly reliant on electronic resources such as digitized books and databases to aid faculty and students in research. Acquisitions of both books and electronic resources have been financed in recent years by performance funding received from the state of Pennsylvania (Table 4.3). With the drop in state appropriations, the amount of funding for acquisitions has also dropped, from a peak of $272,577 in 2006-07 to $205,467 in 2010-11 (Appendix Y). Library holdings are generally obtained by having a faculty-status librarian assigned to each college. This librarian then consults with faculty from the college when determining the acquisitions to make within a particular year. Standard 9-A and B, and Standard 11-E, F and G Table 4.3: Performance Funding Library Budget for Fiscal Years 2005-2011 FY 2006-2007 Performance Funding
$
272,577
FY 2007-2008 $
247,897
FY 2008-2009 $
228,297
FY 2009-2010 $
205,463
FY 2010-2011 $
205,467
Students and faculty who conduct research can use nearly 100 scholarly databases and have access to more than 30,000 ejournals, 500,000 print volumes and 150,000 ebooks through the university’s Bailey Library. Print and electronic collections from thousands of libraries nation-wide are also quickly accessible through interlibrary loans. Faculty librarians provide instruction sessions tailored to classroom research requirements, provide one-on-one research consultations for both students and 63 | P a g e