Your Feedback Matters to IT.
No, really, your feedback does matter. Each year, IT applies the results of your feedback from the TechQual+ survey to improve IT services and support. The Faculty Educational Technology Committee (FETC) and the Information Technology Strategic Advisory Committee (ITSAC) also uses the results to identify possible areas of focus for strategic planning. Oh, did we also mention that it increases transparency and accountability of IT to the College community?
The TechQual+ survey will be administered again this October. Please continue to provide your feedback by completing the survey so that we can be aware of IT issues that our campus community experiences. As a result, we will continue to work to correspondingly improve our services and support for you.
Major Improvements that Benefit You.
Based on the report of the October, 2013 TechQual+ survey at the College, IT initiated or accelerated actions to respond with improvements to infrastructure, services, and support. We’ve summarized our progress below.
- Classroom Improvements with Technology.
- IT re-imaged classroom computers; installing Microsoft Office 2013 Professional and solid state drives on Windows classroom computers for super-fast boot times (3x faster), lower noise levels, better reliability and lifespan and lower power consumption; and replacing old document cameras with new, user-friendly Lumens document cameras that enhance images’ quality, resolution and clarity.
- The Classroom Technology Project resumes in September 2014. To date, IT has upgraded the technology in almost 50 classrooms since the project began in 2012. And, we plan to upgrade 28 more classrooms in fiscal year 2015. You can view the schedule and list of classrooms at http://it.cofc.edu/projects/classroom.php.
- Reliable Wireless Service across Campus.
- The wireless upgrade project is complete! Based on your feedback, and enabled by supplemental funding approved by the Board of Trustees, IT accelerated the wireless project! As a result, areas across campus (such as the academic buildings, Patriot’s Point, Randolph Hall and more) have been upgraded with the latest wireless technology. For a full list of all of the areas that have been upgraded, visit http://it.cofc.edu/projects/wireless.php. We thought that you’d be excited! We are too!
- Benefits include:
- Reliable wireless access anywhere on campus
- Sufficient bandwidth which will provide increased speed and connectivity
- Ability to travel from one area to another without having to re-log into the CofC-Secure wireless
- Network security to protect transmissions
- Ability to simultaneously connect multiple wireless devices
- IT Strategic Planning with the Campus Community Input.
- IT Strategic Advisory Committee (ITSAC) continues to provide input and planning guidance to IT. The faculty, staff, and student representatives developed a 3-year strategic advisory plan for IT. Learn more at http://it.cofc.edu/strategic-plan/index.php.
- User Training Opportunities.
- Teaching, Learning and Technology now offers Webinar Wednesdays in addition to the small group training sessions offered each week. This provides faculty the opportunity to learn technologies from the TLT staff without having to leave the office!
- IT is also launching monthly Google Hangout Live sessions! Each month, IT staff will highlight a technology tool for faculty and staff. Go ahead and give it a try. Sign up for the first Hangout scheduled on September 15th. Learn more at https://plus.google.com/events/chq10j6g1bosnfpddj8vj2lmf5o.
- Increase of Funding for the Computer Replacement Cycle.
- IT replaced over 650 computers in fiscal year 2014. This is a 66% increase of computers replaced for faculty and staff from the previous fiscal year. We’re definitely making progress!