City College of San Francisco - California Competes

STANDARD III.C
The administrative systems were also upgraded
and made significantly more functional.
During this time, the whole Banner system was
converted to the current version, the web-based
applications were installed, and user teams
worked to operationalize new functionalities
in their areas of operation. In Finance and
Administration, payroll was finally and fully
migrated to the new system. Assets management
was installed and made operational; budgeting
was accomplished online. In Admissions and
Records, online admissions applications were
processed. Registration was converted from
walk-in and telephone registration to web-based
registration. Financial Aid began to make use
of packaging and awarding capabilities. New
student orientation is now available online, and
computerized testing is operational. In addition,
a degree audit system coupled with educational
planning is now being implemented. In the
Learning Resources Center, a new catalog system
is being implemented. Behind the scenes, the
Information Technology Services team has
upgraded processors, installed network management
systems, and expanded its technical
support and help desk operations. Within
administrative units and departments, staff
groups have begun to examine business processes
in light of the tools of technology, exploring
ways to re-engineer and improve services and
operations—a process underway in Admissions
and Records as well as Finance and
Administration. [Refs. 3, 15]
In the area of educational technology, much
has also been accomplished. The College has
over 70 computer labs, and the lab support team
has been reorganized to support these labs while
at the same time supporting desktop computers
and applications. Workstations in computer labs
have been upgraded when funds have become
available, and a major laboratory is currently
being renovated as a state-of-the-art facility.
A couple of classrooms are slated to become
multimedia classrooms under the current bond
funding program. In addition, the College has
expanded its online course offerings from eight
courses in 2000 to more than 65 courses in Fall
2005, and the program continues to grow. The
College won several awards from the California
Virtual Campus (CVC), two awards from Merlot,
and one award from the State Chancellor’s Office
for its online courses. In addition, the Office
of Technology-Mediated Instruction, having
worked initially with a remote hosting service,
has upgraded to an in-house system that uses
WebCT. Finally, the Office continues to provide
professional development and training in
technology to faculty as the ongoing means
of encouraging greater use of technology in
the classroom. [Refs. 2, 5, 10]
Has technology enhanced operations and
institutional effectiveness It is the conclusion
of the Technology Committee that the return
on investment has increased by several orders
of magnitude. Technology is now modernized,
standardized, and ubiquitous. Communications
are now instantaneous and efficient. Data
transactions and reports are managed from the
desktop in real time and without delay. Students
register easily and efficiently, and faculty/staff
handle much of their work electronically.
Students can now take courses online and
complete course assignments in computer
laboratories. The transformation of the institution
with a significant investment in technology
has enabled the College to serve students more
effectively and efficiently, while making work
processes more productive. It has also saved
money—the investment in the VoIP phone system
has reduced the College’s annual telephone
system cost from $600,000 to less than $200,000
per year. However, converting from a “manual”
environment to a “cyber” environment has not
been easy or without setbacks. Nevertheless, it
has been accomplished successfully and it has
produced a far more effective institution, with
respect to both its services to students and its
internal operations. [Ref. 13]
By way of assessment, it is important to note
that there is much more to do. The Technology
Committee recognizes that the most significant
“return on investment” may be ahead. First,
there is a need to complete the College’s network
connectivity between campuses and fully utilize
the College-wide network for voice, data, and
video functions. The network, given its speed
and its substantial bandwidth, has the potential
to support many new uses, such as videoconferencing,
shared courses via video, online
counseling and advisement, etc. Second, there
is also a need to significantly improve the way
200 CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO