The School has three training specialists (an increase of one since 1988) and two clerical staff. Staff are very much in tune with the School’s mission. Their support is invaluable in retaining students, assisting faculty as needed, and in supporting the Dean. A new staff position was recently approved and filled to provide an individual to assist the faculty in the Mechanical Design Engineering Technology/BSET areas. Other programs in the School have needs for technical staff. The Forest Technology program has a need to hire professional foresters during their Fall quarter of instruction and may need a technician position in the future to help offset the heavy teaching loads in that area.

Within the limits of the School’s budgets, staff are encouraged to attend professional-development seminars. Training programs are not required because no reliable source of training exists. Within the School of Technology, clerical staff are often given short help sessions on subjects that relate to computing. The clerical staff in the School is highly motivated to seek out assistance within the University as needed. Currently, no pool of money is available within the University to support the technical staff’s computing needs.

University Goal 6: Provide Comprehensive Information Technology Services.

Computer Strategy Plan

For a complete discussion of the status of computing in the School of Technology, please refer to the School of Technology Computer Strategy Plan -1997 [2.3A9]. The report indicates that each faculty and staff member is equipped with an up-to-date computer and has access to printers, plotters, and network facilities. The ratio of students to computers is approximately 5:1 for the School.

Software

The School is well prepared to handle the needs of students in word processing, spreadsheets, equation solvers, e-mail, and computer-aided drafting (using the AutoCAD software package). Additionally, each program has software specific to its curriculum. A need exists to expand into higher-end drafting/design software (IDEAS software) to meet the needs and expectations of industry. This will necessitate higher-end computers for both students and several faculty. This software is already available on campus.

Computer Committee

The School of Technology has a standing computer committee that provides oversight to the operation and design of School of Technology computing labs. The committee is relatively new and is maturing in its mission to serve the School. In 1997 a financial accounting system was put in place to give guidance to the committee and to answer to students’ questions with regard to the disposition of their student lab fees toward the School’s laboratory expenditures. This data will allow the committee to better plan for the future.

Several good opportunities exist for the School in the area of information technology. One is to provide students with education in the area of computer-network system administration. To this end, we will use the School of Technology—Technology Center to teach such a class during 1997. Equipment to be used in these classes will have the dual use of providing both a platform for systems-administration education and education in the high-end drafting/design area with the software IDEAS. The wide acceptance of IDEAS in industry means that a great demand exists for individuals with the skills to use the software.

Classroom Technology

Faculty are very interested in having technology components, including electronic white boards, network connections, and display units, available in the classroom. Classrooms with a high degree of technological capacity are needed for faculty to continue to improve undergraduate education. The majority of the School’s classrooms need to be networked for data communications, TV, phone, and fax capabilities. Supporting equipment including computers, video projectors, electronic white boards, faxes, and phones need to be in place for faculty to exploit new teaching technologies and for reaching out to off-campus students. Currently, little planning and no funding exists to improve classroom technologies; this is a significant weakness. Faculty are, however, exploring partnerships with technology providers which may help to alleviate this situation.

Library

Academic programs in the School of Technology closely parallel programs in the College of Engineering and the School of Forestry. Library holdings that serve that College and School are often adequate to serve Engineering and Forest Technology programs. This is especially true in reference to manuals of practice, standards manuals, and journals. The Surveying program has special needs that relate to new technologies in surveying. However, some overlap is found with programs in the School of Forestry. An annual allotment of funds from the Library helps to fill the gaps between holdings obtained for the College of Engineering and the School of Forestry and the needs of programs in the School of Technology.

University Goal 7: Develop the MTU Campus and Continuously Maintain the Physical Plant.

The School of Technology is committed to expanding it’s laboratory space by using floor space located in the School of Technology—Technology Center (see discussion in Goal 1.1, above). A one-time University grant in 1996/7, of $20,000 has made possible some necessary improvements such as repairs to doors, fire protection, signage, electrical upgrades, and other similar improvements.

As of February 1997, $6,436 had been spent on renovations to the School of Technology—Technology Center. Several major repairs, such as the replacement of two overhead garage doors, plumbing, and septic-tank modifications, will be made this Spring when weather permits. In addition, $9,957 has been encumbered for Spring 1997 construction. Over time, renovation of the Center must also focus on energy conservation. Operational funding is needed to continue the improvements made to the facility this year. The acquisition of this facility provides an opportunity for the School to expand in many ways including improved student resources, new programs, new courses, and applied research. The acquisition of the School of Technology—Technology Center represents the fulfillment of a School goal.

University Goal 8: Provide a Stable Financial Environment and Enhance Resources Acquisition.

With the budgetary pressures on funds from the State of Michigan, the School is interested in developing new sources of funding that are not State dependent. The School is particularly interested in adding or sharing an advancement officer to seek out these new sources of funding. The School has not had strong advancement support in the past, but it does have over 3000 graduates and their numerous connections to industry. An untapped opportunity exists to obtain external funding from these graduates and their employers.

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