Strategic Technology Plan

I. Executive Plan
National Teacher College is developing this ongoing three-year Technology Plan
to address the colleges technology needs. The College Council formed the
Technology Committee to gather information, explore options, and make
recommendations to enhance National Teacher College's use of technology over
the next several years.
Needs were identified in the areas of technology management, staff instruction,
student instruction, computer software and equipment acquisition. Activities that
are planned to meet those needs are listed below.
Technology Management
A Technology Coordinator will manage and administer school technology
issues.
A Webmaster will maintain and update the schools website.
An on-call Technician will handle highly complex technical issues as they arise.

Staff Instruction
Teachers will have received Google Apps and Google Docs training.

Student Instruction
Computer use will be integrated into the regular curriculum.

Computer Software and Equipment Acquisition

Licenses for a variety of software programs will be acquired and installed.
Mobile wireless laptop computer lab will be purchased.
Outdated desktop computers will be replaced over time.

Multiple sources of funding will be aggressively pursued, including PTA

contributions, National Teacher College donations, corporate sponsorships, and
grants. A voluntary technology fee of 3,000 per student was approved by the
Local College Council to support the Plan.

II. Description

Mission Statement
- National Teachers College library will use this Technology Plan to identify
and provide the resources, infrastructure, support, staff development, and
educational instruction needed so that students will graduate with the
technological skills and understanding necessary to succeed in higher
education and reach their individual personal and professional potential.

About National Teachers College Library

- The National Teachers College Library is a Library system providing
Library services to National Teachers College. The integration of
technology in National Teachers College Library programs and services
is an integral library function, contributing to opportunities for all
people. Technology increases our ability to serve patrons at any
location or in whichever manner they choose, leverages our resources
and supports the Librarys mission. The Library is both a physical place
as well as an information portal. It is accessible 7 hours each day, 5
working days a week, through its electronic resources. The library
creates and provides programs and services aimed at targeted
audiences.

Budget
- The annual cost to provide technical services to the National Teachers
College Library is 5000,000. This amount is a line item in the librarys
budget funded by the college of National Teacher College. We expect
this cost to increase by 5% each year unless telecommunication costs
can be reduced. Currently connectivity for bibliographic, circulation and
patron functions. Equipment has historically been paid for through
grants or fundraising. We fully intend to cover replacement and new
terminal costs through fundraising efforts. Ongoing costs will become
part of the library budget funded by the National Teacher College.

Collection
- The librarys diverse collection includes print materials, electronic and
audiobooks, DVDs, periodicals, reference materials, genealogy and
local history materials, and globally accessible information through
premium subscription based services.
- Patron demand for materials in multiple and varied formats continue to
rise, and enhancing the collection continues to be a priority.
 - The National Teachers College Library currently provides approximately
8,000 books, audio books, and DVDs on the shelves with additional
access to 2,344 books and 109 audios digitally through Overdrive.

Staff
- Ongoing staff development and training is essential to help library
patrons achieve their goals. The library Administration Team will
continue to identify key development initiatives and the Board of
Trustees will ensure an adequate staff development budget.
Select key staff will provide in-house technology and resource
training to all staff
Keep staff informed of technology developments and resources
provided by National Teachers College Library.
Encourage communication from front line staff to the
administration team.
Take advantage of continuing education resources, grant
opportunities and applicable conferences.
Incorporate a review of technology competencies and
technology related performance in annual staff evaluations
Staff will protect the colleges investment in the library through
improved building, patron and staff security including expanding
the security camera system.

III. Challenges facing the library

Vision Statement of Library

- The National Teachers College Library will be the hub and
academic town square of the university by being an essential
component of the academic and creative life of the
institution. We will excel in: collecting, preserving, and
providing access to the best scholarly and educational resources;
providing high quality, innovative services; and creating a
welcoming and comfortable physical environment. We will foster
an atmosphere that encourages diversity, excellence, and
continued growth in finding ways to surpass our own high
standards. An educated, engaged, curious, and creative Monroe
County, with the library at its centre.

Technology Vision Statement

- The integration of technology in National Teachers College Library
programs and services is an integral library function, contributing to
opportunities for all people. Technology increases our ability to serve
patrons at any location or in whichever manner they choose, leverages
our resources and supports the Librarys mission. With the help the
 librarians and Technical Services staff, provide access to information
and materials in Polaris that meets our customers needs.

SWOT Analysis
- Analysing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats---the
SWOT---facing our library is an important part of strategic technology
planning, which is vital to the continued success of our library.

Strength
- Employees gave high marks to IT support staff across library for their
expertise, dedication, flexibility and the quality of service they
provided.
- The reliability of the library network and enterprise systems was seen
as a strength.
- Students praised the availability of computers and said it was easy to
find help.
- Students specifically highlighted library services and some online
services like Academic Planner as strengths.

Weaknesses
The discussion of IT weaknesses among employees focused primarily
on four areas:
1) funding and staffing levels
2) policies and processes
3) IT support and
4) strategic planning.

- Clients agreed that a lack of depth in technical staff was cause for
concern. There was also acknowledgement that lack of funding for
technology was a concern, but perhaps more concerning was a central
IT funding model based on largely on telephone and network port
charges. Funding levels and stability also create recruitment and
retention issues for technical staff.
- Both groups spent considerable time discussing weaknesses related to
coordination of central and distributed IT services. The groups pointed
to lack of Service Level Agreements (SLAs), lack of standard operating
procedures, lack of governance and poor communication as significant
weaknesses.
- Lack of effective governance and coordination is tied to IT service
delivery and support weaknesses. The groups identified inconsistency,
bureaucracy and inefficient business processes as weaknesses.
- A fourth area of concern was IT strategic planning. Employees
expressed concerns about lack of structure and transparency in
planning and decision-making,
- Students expressed frustration with inconsistencies in the quality of
campus websites, and inconsistencies in technology in computer labs
and classrooms. They said that many campus web systems are not
user-friendly and are not integrated with each other. And they listed a
lack of wireless network coverage in some areas as a significant
weakness.

Opportunities and Threats

While internal strengths and weaknesses were relatively easy for

students and employees to identify, the groups had more difficulty
envisioning external opportunities and threats.

- Employees identified opportunities for improving efficiency and

reducing costs through economies of scale, collaboration and cloud
computing. Employees and students both listed expansion of
wireless network access as an opportunity.
- The most significant threat envisioned by faculty, staff and
administrators was the challenge of balancing the Universitys
technology capacity with rapidly rising expectations. The groups
also listed security challenges, legal mandates and economic
conditions as threats.
- Students recognized that growing demand for technology creates a
threat. They suggested that the rapidly growing range of mobile
devices might create a threat to the quality of support. Students
also recognized the strain that growing technology demands would
place on the University, expressing concerns about budget
priorities. Finally, students identified concerns about access to
technology in cases of emergencies.