In the decade since the release of the first Web browser, information technology has spread into virtually every corner of the UC Davis campus.
To keep the information flowing as smoothly as possible, the campus regularly reviews the use of information technology in instruction, research and public service. This year, two fact-finding committees -- the Academic and the Administrative Computing Coordinating councils -- became one and held joint meetings to better coordinate the university's approach to the fast-changing world of technology.
"Technology doesn't operate in a vacuum," said Caroline Bledsoe, chair of the combined councils and a professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. "What is encouraging is how well we can communicate now if we use the tools the right way."
On June 14, the council will hold a meeting to formally present its recommendations to Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.
Bledsoe said the council will recommend to the provost that two projects -- an online faculty merit and promotion system, and an electronic database to support research proposals -- be given a high priority for funding in the next year.
The council's recommendations for improvement were collected during the past academic year, based on faculty, staff and student feedback from campus units, both administrative and academic, Bledsoe said. "Our goal is to bring together both academic and administrative perspectives on the use of technology throughout campus," she said.
A faculty merit and promotion system
A campuswide online faculty merit and promotion system would simplify complex methods now used, Bledsoe said. As proposed in council discussions that began in October 2003, this system would include faculty "portfolios" or "dossiers" used for merit and promotion evaluations and would facilitate portfolio review by faculty peers, department chairs, deans, the Committee on Academic Personnel and the Office of Academic Personnel.
Bledsoe says security is deemed very important to a system that keeps personnel files. It is also critical to have a system that adapts well to the diverse needs of units, some of which already have existing or "ad hoc" faculty merit and promotion systems.
Connie Melendy, assistant vice provost for Academic Personnel, said a possible model for the faculty merit and promotions system might be an existing system called MyInfoVault, which was developed by the School of Medicine.
"MyInfoVault can provide much of this functionality required by the departments and is capable of providing remote access to faculty who review the dossiers," said Melendy, who co-chaired a committee on this issue along with David Shelby, associate vice provost in information and educational technology.
A research administration system
An electronic research administration system would enable the creation of an electronic database to support efforts involved in grant proposal development, submission, administration and reporting. The university currently has no such system, even though research grants and sponsored programs provide millions of dollars to the campus each year. In 2003, for instance, the total reported was $426 million.
Based on explorations that started in December 2003, the council envisions a secure system that does not duplicate data entry and is capable of "information exchange" or interacting with data systems in other units on campus. It would transfer a paper system to an electronic system and alleviate the burden of redundant reporting to agencies about a myriad of project details.
Currently, when a faculty member develops a research proposal, he or she must write and submit a number of documents to an agency to apply for funding. This time-consuming task also involves departmental staff and the campus's Office of Research. Even after a proposal is funded, the work continues with tracking budget expenditures, filing reports, and responding to information requests from funding agencies, the Office of the President and other campus units.
If the campus were able to develop a uniform "electronic warehouse" to support research grants, Bledsoe said, it would be a large step forward in streamlining the entire process and would likely reduce staff workloads.
Broad input is sought
UC Davis' challenges in navigating technology are not unique. Colleges nationwide use databases, networks and a dizzying array of software to maintain academic and financial records, recruit students, communicate with current students, disseminate library materials and help professors teach classes and collaborate on research.
"We encourage the campus and its employees to approach us with ideas for activities and projects involving technology on campus," Bledsoe said. She said that when an issue or project is brought to the council members they study background information, consider the impacts on diverse campus groups, ask questions and seek input from constituency groups. From a list of more than 30 topics, the council will select several for study.
The group works with John Bruno, vice provost for information and educational technology -- the unit responsible for developing the campus's strategic plan for information technology.
The council's broad representation reflects the various needs and demands of campus units and helps to ensure that when information technology policies are adopted, they receive support at the highest levels, Bledsoe said. Council members include deans and directors in decision-making positions.
"There's no point in getting together if a decision can't be made," she said. "Figuring how to keep the information flowing efficiently is a classic case in bureaucracy problem-solving."
• For more information, visit http://ac4.ucdavis.edu.