WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

The body of the Pledge outlines ethical guidelines relating to academics for both faculty members
and students, and it also provides statements about valuing and supporting individuals. The
Pledge is available for individual instructors for elective use in classes. Signatures by both parties
signal a mutual commitment toward cultivating and maintaining a productive learning environment.
Information Technology Resources Policies and Online Courses
The College has adopted policies and procedures that set guidelines for acceptable online content
and computer use. Beyond the computers available in the Library and computer labs, students
have access to technology in the Writing Center, Math Center, the ILAC, computer-equipped
classrooms, as well as through wireless connections for personal devices. All users first encounter
a screen detailing the proper use of College electronic equipment when accessing a public
computer, and they must agree to the terms before being allowed access to the machine’s
programs. To access any internal programs or drives, an authorized password must be used, and
access is controlled to anything except open software like Word or Excel.
Online instruction is another area in which WNCC strives to ensure responsible and ethical
behavior. A few of the methods the College uses to ensure responsible use include addressing
student privacy by issuing a unique username and password; a statement in the syllabus informing
students that courses are subject to review by appropriate personnel; and information about
WNCC’s policy to comply with FERPA, specifically the right to limit disclosure of personally
identifiable information contained in education records as it applies to online courses.
Summary
WNCC provides multiple types of lifelong learning opportunities for constituents of all ages and
classifications, from pre-school to the golden years, focusing upon two-year transfer and vocational
education as the primary service around which all the other services and programs revolve.
WNCC values learning in its administrators, staff, and faculty as well as in students, and it has
support systems in place to make that possible. The institution values and rewards high
achievement in the realm of knowledge acquisition and learning of all types through its formal and
informal awards and recognition systems.
Perhaps at one time the relative geographical isolation in the sparsely-population High Plains
region might have led to a belief that employees of such an institution would not be technologically
informed or in step with pedagogical developments. However, the College’s faculty members and
administrators travel to conferences, meet with their state peers, and access the national
publications, especially prolific now via the Internet, like colleagues at other institutions, and they
are encouraged to do so.
The College has high expectations for student learning, and students are well-prepared when they
leave. The institution takes pride in the fact that it keeps pace with technology and plays an
important role in promoting the life of the mind and cultural awareness through its educational
offerings as well as opportunities for engagement beyond the classroom. The College makes it
clear in its public materials, its educational offerings, and its policies and practices that integrity is a
key principle for the institution.
Western Nebraska Community College Page 151