Accreditation - Hartnell College!!

Institutional Self Evaluation – 12-05-12
For technology functions such as e-mail, phone systems, meeting software and the Datatel
database system, which includes finance, human resources, student registration and records
systems and related portal system, the District has a centralized training and support
organization to support these systems. Since these systems support the entire college, the IT
organization maintains a help desk to channel faculty and staff support for technology issues
and to coordinate individualized trainings. To meet demand for training around the new
technology systems on campus, the IT organization (ITS) continues to provide the college
with an instructional technology/training specialist to assess needs, develop a training plan
and deliver technology training to employees and student employees. The training specialist
focuses on providing training employees on the new and existing administrative information
systems.
Faculty can turn to the FRC and the instruction technology specialist to be taught how to
utilize various learning management tools (LMS) tools such as the discussion board, e-mail
system, chat rooms and the assignments tool to design online courses that foster interaction
between faculty and students. Additional faculty development opportunities provided by the
FRC include skill-building in the use of open educational resources and open textbooks;
multimedia for teaching; anti-plagiarism software, etc.
Self Evaluation
The budget cuts and staffing variability, coupled with the introduction of additional fiscal
challenges such as the 50% law have stretched the capabilities of technology training
services for faculty, staff and students. Yet, the college has been fortunate in receiving well
needed funds to continue training and technology acquisition efforts helping multiple district
locations accomplish much in the past two years related to these critical technology
implementations. The college has accomplished much in the past few years related to critical
technology implementations and enhancements of learning facilities without disruption of
college services to students, faculty or staff. Nevertheless, feedback from the college
community reflects the need to increase training for technology in several areas, including
Datatel, and other resources such as desktop applications and new course management,
email, and webpage content editing. Lastly, training needs to continue for faculty in how to
use multimedia and smart classroom equipment.
To ensure that technology assets are appropriately utilized by all members of the college
community, Hartnell College needs to continue to invest in its FRC staff and technology so it
may continue to develop diverse plans for training employees in the use of campus
technology. Included in this plan are College-level training services, coordinated with an
institutional professional development program.
Planning Agenda
The IT organization will conduct a needs assessment in the next quarter via a survey in order
to determine specific educational technology training needs. Upon completion of the needs
assessment and, in coordination with the LRC and FRC, training plans will be adjusted and
Page 237