Standard 6. Element Five: Unit Resources Including Technology

 

Driven by the VSU Information Technology Strategic Plan (2003), technology (hardware) is funded primarily through the Equipment Trust Fund (ETF) established in 1986 by the Virginia General Assembly to provide funding to upgrade equipment needed for instruction and research. A large infusion of equipment was needed in a short period of time and the state could not afford to pay for it directly from operating appropriations. The State Council of Higher Education shares administrative responsibility for the program with the Virginia College Building Authority. Table 66 shows VSU’s ETF allocations by year and the percentage of those funds expended for the Unit.

 

The descriptions of the technological resources available to students and faculty in the Unit provided in the Facilities section of this report pertain specifically to supplies and equipment. In terms of training and education, the Unit provides substantive, ongoing development for students and faculty in the form of a dedicated Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Assessment who is responsible for (1) teaching courses in instructional/information technology and Praxis preparation; (2) assisting/training unit faculty with instructional technology applications; and (3) ensuring that Unit facilities and equipment are kept current.

 

Johnston Memorial Library (JML) is the academic epicenter for the University. In addition to making certain that books, periodicals, full-text databases, and other materials are available for students and faculty, JML offers access to the 24-hour computer laboratory and an extensive array of on-line resources. Renovated in 2005, JML is a state-of-the-art library and media services entity designed to serve faculty and students with every available resource for researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders. JML provides liaisons for academic areas, including the Unit, to ensure that collections are kept current and relevant. 

 

 

Johnston Memorial Library (JML) provides a full complement of research and information services to the University community. Renovated in 2004, JML is a state-of-the-art library and media services entity designed to serve faculty, students and staff with resources for instruction, research and the development of life long learning skills. It is open 86 hours per week. The new facility includes a 24-hour computer lab featuring 64 computer workstations, private study rooms, the Trojan Link Café, and a photocopy area. Students have easy access with their University 1Card. There are also 25 study rooms in the Library: 2 group presentation rooms with full multimedia, 4 regular group study rooms and the remainder individual study rooms. The third floor study rooms are targeted for graduate and doctoral students and faculty. Each floor has a handicapped accessible study room. The Library has also created an assistive technology room for students with disabilities.

 

Technology is a strong component in today’s libraries. JML has an “Information Wall” in a prime location at the entrance to the library providing students with the opportunity to be aware of news and current events at all times. From the perspective of the library as place, comfortable seating is strategically situated throughout the Library. Students can sit anywhere in the Library and connect to the University’s network through dedicated or wireless connections. Laptop computers are available for students to use in the multimedia group study rooms. Students can also check out a laptop to use in the Library as part of the Laptop Loan Program. Multimedia kiosks are available on each floor to direct students to the appropriate service points in the building. Remote access is available to students as well.

 

There is a wide range of programs and services offered in the Library including the circulation and reserves, reference and media services, government documents services and public computer workstations. The Library Reference Desk is the first stop for VSU library users who need assistance with the identification of the most appropriate resources for research. E-mail and virtual reference assistance are available during limited hours. The Library Training Center includes 40 computer workstations to teach students how to conduct research and evaluate resources located on the Internet. The Library Media Center houses the collection of non-print materials such as videotapes, slides, audiotapes, CD-ROMs, and DVDs that faculty and students use for presentations. In addition, videocassette players, audiocassette players, and 35mm slide viewers are available for in-house use.

 

The Library provides access to an electronic reserve system, Docutek, which allows storage of electronic versions of course reserve materials that VSU students may retrieve from the Library’s website to print for their personal study. This library service provides 24/7 access to reserve materials.

 

Interlibrary loan services are available to all students and faculty for materials not held in the Library, including books, dissertations, journal articles, proceedings, and videotapes. As part of the statewide consortium agreement, all academic libraries have agreed to provide a 24 to 48 hour turnaround on requests for journal articles. The Library, along with other academic libraries within the state, uses an overnight carrier service to deliver books to library users as quickly as possible. There is no limit to the number of articles a user can request. The VSU Library’s Interlibrary Loan electronic system, ILLiad, enables VSU students, faculty, and staff to submit book, journal article, conference papers, and dissertation requests, check the status of their requests, renew materials and communicate with the Interlibrary Loan Office all through the Internet. Automatic e-mail notification to VSU faculty, students, and staff occurs at the moment a borrowed book or photocopy is received in the system.

 

The Library offers information literacy and instruction sessions for classes, database demonstrations, Internet workshops or library tours throughout the school year. University faculty may request library instruction at anytime. The librarians also provide consultation by appointment to University faculty and students to promote current and newly acquired services and web-based resources. Special orientation classes are scheduled for graduate and doctoral students.

 

The Library has a rich collection of resources in many formats including books, electronic databases, full text files, full multimedia and digital collections. The following electronic database services provide scholarly research literature to support the Professional Education Programs Unit: ABI/Inform, Dissertation Abstracts, ERIC, Health and Wellness Resource Center, InfoTrac, Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, Mental Measurements Yearbook, MEDLINE, ProQuest Education Journals, PsychInfo, Social Work Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and Statistical Universe. Online database services, electronic journals, and other web-based resources make up a significant portion of library resources in education.

 

VSU faculty, students, and staff may access library web-based resources from any campus location as well as off-campus. The off-campus remote access to library electronic database services is available 24/7 for VSU students, faculty, and staff. Online subject guides, are available to direct VSU students and faculty to the most relevant VSU online databases for their research. In addition to the library’s online card catalog (TROY), the Library provides access to a web-based journal locator service for finding journals, magazines, and newspapers available at the Library. Electronic library resources and services are available online at the VSU Library’s website (http://library.vsu.edu).

 

Johnston Memorial Library, a selective federal depository library, provides access to federal government information in a variety of formats, including print, microform, non-print media, and web-based information. The Library receives government documents from all branches of the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The government documents collection also includes federal legislative and regulatory materials in print and available online.

 

The Library participates in contributing funds to a statewide electronic resource sharing consortium, VIVA (Virtual Library of Virginia) and a regional consortium, RALC (Richmond Area Library Consortium) to promote resource sharing through such activities as interlibrary lending, document delivery, direct borrowing by patrons, and media resources. VIVA is a collaborative effort of public and private institutions of higher education to enhance learning and research in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The goal of the electronic resource sharing consortium is to increase the scope and quality of resources available to researchers in Virginia, remove geographical barriers to information, seamlessly link resources shared by public and private institutions of higher education, and expand access to resources unique to the Commonwealth. The long-term impact of VIVA has been realized in parity among institutions in the Virginia.

 

Expenditures for materials to support the Professional Education Programs Unit grew significantly in the last five years. In 2003-2004 the Library received major funds from the Office of Civil Rights Programs to increase the purchase of books to support the doctoral program. These funds were also used to enrich the endorsement areas.

Table 67 (below) shows the expenditures for print and media resources specific to the Unit.

 

VSU has made formidable investments in the Unit’s assessment activities as a part of the University’s institutional effectiveness paradigm. The Unit has acquired and implemented Tk20 CampusTools™ HigherEd software for compilation, storage, and analysis of assessment data. Having initially invested $50,000 in this software package, the Unit fully utilizes CampusTools™ HigherEd to comprehensively link classroom activities, field experiences and clinical practice, transition point data, student data, faculty data, institutional data, and all other facets of the Unit’s academic enterprise in a single system, facilitating performance-based assessment. Additionally, a dedicated server (Dell Optiplex) was acquired for CampusTools™ HigherEd to ensure its longevity and adaptability for a growing Unit enrollment. A mainstay of the Unit’s operation, CampusTools™ HigherEd is actively maintained, monitored, and updated by the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Assessment. 

 

VSU’s Professional Education Programs have been a hallmark of the Institution since its inception. Resources to perpetuate this legacy of excellence are committed as a part of the University’s mission and principles and as a part of the 2020 Vision Long-Range Plan. To this end, the VSU Board of Visitors deemed Education the program worthy of developing the University’s first doctoral program: the Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration and Supervision (Ed.D.). The model for all subsequent doctoral programs at VSU, the initial funding for this was allotted through an Office for Civil Rights accord and included 5 full-time faculty positions. Implemented in 2002, the Ed.D. program is currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), elevating VSU to a SACS Level 5 institution and establishing the first of 3 programs toward VSU becoming a Carnegie Research Intensive institution.