To: President Mike Allen

From: Gurbet Akdogan

Date: September 8, 2019

Re: Technology Committee Proposal

A significant development shaped the human life in every era from the invention of

wheel to industrial revolution; and any person, society, or institution that was too slow to

embrace the change stayed behind to their despair. The main driver of change in the 21st century

is undeniably the ever-accelerating technology and no industry can afford coming last; in

particular, higher education which is already going through trying/turbulent times.

Recent developments in digital technology require higher education institutions to

develop strategic plans to review and revise the existing technology used for their delivery of

education; implement new tools and methods to enhance teaching and learning; disseminate

information and train faculty and students about the applications of new technology while

assessing the outcomes of these methods, and proposing adjustments as necessary. In the light of

this necessity, Barry University needs to establish a Technology Committee to lead and manage

the process of technological advancement within the institution.

A successful committee would represent all of the stakeholders in both academic and

administrative positions including:

1. Provost: As the chief academic officer who sets the university’s academic vision for

advancement, provost’s involvement will foster the progress and inform the committee of

the institutional policies and regulations regarding the creation of new educational

programs.
2. Deans and Faculty Members: Having expertise in specific disciplines and knowledge of

the best practices to teach the specific topics and skills, faculty members representing each

college will provide perspectives on successful delivery methods that would enhance

learning in their respective subject areas.

3. School of Education Representatives: Our in-house experts in learning sciences can

provide consultation to the committee to identify best practices in instruction based on

contemporary research in their field.

4. Chief Information Officer: Being aware of all the information technology tools that are

currently employed, CIO can advise on how to maximize their efficacy to answer the needs

reported by faculty, and can verify if the suggested technology applications are compatible

with our infrastructure.

5. Vice President for Administrative Services and Organizational Development: New

technologies will require staff and faculty training, which will be developed and facilitated

by the organizational development team.

6. Vice President of Mission and Student Engagement (Student Affairs): Student

development is at the core of the university’s mission. VP of MSE will offer

recommendations to support these efforts, which will help improve academic outcomes.

7. Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Marketing: In collaboration with Information

Technology, marketing team will work on developing digital content. Also, a strong

marketing campaign will be needed to inform all the stakeholders about the new

technologies and instructional methods.

8. Director of Library Services: The library services currently utilize several technology

applications and will also benefit from the new tools to be added.
9. Registrar: Statistics such as course completion and attrition rates, and overall academic

performance of students will be valuable when identifying the courses that would benefit

from new instructional methods.

10. Director of the Center for Academic Success and Advising: Input regarding the unique

characteristics and needs of students with low academic skills will be needed to develop

relevant academic support methods that will help retention.

11. Director of Career Development Center: It is important to understand what competencies

are expected of students as they transition into workforce, so the learning experiences can be

centered around these skills. The directors provide feedback for creating new learning

modules that are in line with industry demands.

12. Director of Residential Life: This office will coordinate technology applications that will

be implemented in residential areas.

13. Director of Accessibility Services: Special consideration will be needed in order to offer

students with disabilities equal access to university’s educational resources.

14. Student Government Association President and Student Representative: Being the

liaison between the student body and administration, SGA president will provide valuable

input about what current technologies students are using and would be excited to see in their

classes. Up to 3 other students who are representing the BarryU student demographics will

be invited to provide additional feedback.

Sub-committees may be formed depending on the specific topics and other constituents may be

added to these sub-committees based on their fields of expertise.

References:

Love, L. T., and Graduate Students. Guidebook for Developing an Effective Instructions
Technology Plan. Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University, 1996.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. 2017. Reimagining the role of
technology in higher education: A supplement to the national education technology plan.
Washington, D.C. Retrieved on September 6, 2019 from http://tech.ed.gov