Fast times at ITS

Changes will be abound during the next few weeks for Plymouth State University's Information Technology Service [ITS] department. Student Print quotas, classroom technology and the departure of Dwight Fisher, Chief Information Officer [CIO] are all on the horizon.

Fisher has been the CIO at PSU for the past five years, prior to that he was at UNH, and spent an additional fifteen years at Keene State College.

Fisher announced to The Student Senate on Sun. Nov. 9 he was leaving PSU on Dec. 2, "I'll be sorry to leave PSU, but the opportunity at the new campus was too much to pass up. I'm going Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia," Fisher said, "I still want to get the word out to students and push some of this strategic planning before I go," he said.

"There will be an interim leader named this week. After that, a search committee will be formed [to find] a new CIO," Fisher said.

Though he is leaving in a few short weeks, Fisher assured that the advancement of ITS will still be his top priority, "We have been putting a lot of funds and effort into the network this year," Fisher said, "but we also want to look at technology in the classroom."

In the next few weeks, PSU students will be encouraged to take the time to answer surveys regarding the use of technology in the classroom, mainly the use of Blackboard learning systems. The surveys will be on the myPlymouth portal throughout Nov.

"It will be up at least four different times over the month of Nov. on the myPlymouth portal, we will refresh the message so it will remain [near the top of the queue]," Fisher said.

The surveys on myPlymouth will give students the opportunity to offer his or her opinion regarding personal experiences with the PSU ITS department, and also allow for an outlet for students to give the ITS advice about how to make the department more student-friendly.

The other ITS survey that will be posted on the myPlymouth portal will be more in-depth study on how IT tools are used in the classroom, mainly, students experiences with Blackboard learning systems.

"Students have a unique opportunity to share with us what they would like to see for information technology priorities for the next few years," Fisher added, "We know we need more network...more capacity, more controls, more security...to allow students to take advantage of the rich content and growing number of video content and conferencing capabilities offered on the web."

The PSU ITS department has been looking at ways to better integrate technology in the classroom, and how that will help students and faculty alike in the future. The future of ITS and communication including attaining prospective students and whether or not it would be fiscally responsible or possible to invest in more multimedia-based learning programs.

Currently, PSU has a contract with Blackboard. When the contract ends, the school will have the option of going to another online education resource, "[classroom technologies] are the priorities were are setting for the next few years," Fisher said, "PSU just extended its current contract with Blackboard for another three years."

Other companies like Moodle and Sakaii offer services similar to Blackboard, and the use of these services could be discussed in the future depending on the feedback given to ITS by students.

Paper quotas were also discussed. This year, PSU students were given an annual printing quota of 400 pages. This up from 350 pages last year.

The printing quota allows students to print up to 400 pages per year without incurring additional fees. As of Sun. the ITS department was talking about increasing the quota to 450 pages per year.

"Eighty percent of students do not go anywhere near their quota," Fisher said. He added, "About twenty percent go over, five percent [of that figure] really go over."

Despite his impending departure, Fisher has high hopes for the ITS department at PSU, "ITS is in a really good place right now," he added, "You have one of the best IT shops in the state."