Program Review of the Iowa State University Office of Academic Information Technologies :: Technology Essays Technological

Program Review of the Iowa State University voice of Academic schooling TechnologiesEssentiality The boot of the Office of Academic Information Technologies (AIT) at Iowa State is to support campus academics through information technology (IT). It seems in the information age of the research university that this mission truly is an essential element, especially in light of ISUs institutional mission of enhancing learning, promoting discovery, and engaging constituents. Indeed, this mission cannot be accomplished currently without a robust IT infrastructure. Quality In rankings based on computing resources and services available to undergraduates, Iowa State was graded 20th in the most recent (AIT, 2000) research university category of rubes Most Wired colleges and universities. While critics have questi wizardd the usefulness of these types of ratings suggesting that thoroughness of activity is really what is mensural, it does show that the quality of information technol ogy at ISU has been detect in a peer rated study. Internally, where critics are usually the most vociferous, schoolchilds, faculty, and faculty have had both praise and disapproval. The harshest criticism of late have been the auxiliary of a Microsoft Licensing Agreement which students believe to be a waste of their student fees (Iowa State Daily, 2002). Although quality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, the quality of IT as measured by peers, students, faculty, and staff is at least average and probably in a higher place average within Iowa States peer institutions.Availability AIT has taken pride over the years in giving students, faculty, and staff approximately unlimited access to the universitys IT resources. The Durham meaning for Computation and Telecommunications has been one of only a handful of buildings on campus open 24 hours, heptad days a week. The supply of open computers within the Durham Center has usually outpaced demand except for small ru sh periods during the semester. Accessibility for disenable clients has also been a priority. Recent budget cuts have taken their ships bell on this availability however. During the last year, the center has reduced its open hours from 24 to 17 on weekdays and 14 on weekends, more closely mimicking the program librarys open hours policy. Another limitation has been levied upon a few saturnine Internet users in the dormitories (Iowa State Daily, 2001). Because of this heavy use, at a salute to other, less intense users, a limit has been placed on the summate of information that can be downloaded from dorm computers.