Riding the Wave: Technology in the Liberal Artsat Carleton

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Riding the WaveTechnology in the Liberal
Arts--at Carleton
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The Purpose of the College

• "Carleton College strives to provide a liberal
  education of the highest quality. The goal of
  such an education is to liberate individuals from
  the constraints imposed by ignorance or
  complacency and prepare them broadly to lead
  rewarding, creative, and useful lives.

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Technology in the liberal arts?

• A recent benchmarking exercise
• Yes, Carleton is definitely riding the wave

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Where weve been

• Early involvement in computing/networking
• Superior technology support for faculty
• Student computing facilities
• Networked residence halls
• Weve kept pace, weve ridden the wave

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More recently

• Major web initiatives
• Web registration, advising, room draw and many
  other administrative uses
• Web initiatives by Admissions
• Alumni online directory

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Academic uses

• Beowulf cluster
• Image databases
• Rapid prototyping/3D modeling
• Simulation
• Digital music tools
• Statistics, visualization, and data modeling
• Programming
• GIS
• E-reserves
• Scholarly work that is more than just text

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A few examples

• DVDfest
• Digital Arts Festival
• Carleton online directory

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Keeping up with demand

• Gigabit, network reengineering, SAN, 6000 network
  connections, 2,000 plus networked computers
• major wireless initiative in 2002, connecting
  near-campus student housing, public spaces in
  2003 and 2004
• Internet2 coming to Carleton
• Network security

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But wheres the wave going?

• What needs to drive us?
• Where do we set the bar?

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Its all about our mission

• Culture trumps technology
• Its about what students, faculty,staff, alums,
  prospects need

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For students

• Digital kids
• Information fluency
• Critical thinkers and users of technology
• What will tomorrows leaders need?
• One step ahead of them

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For faculty

• Fostering innovation
• Integration with their teaching, research, and
  scholarship
• Tools to facilitate administrative tasks

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For staff

• High level of service
• Efficiency, effective decision-making
• Knowledge workers
• All in support of Carletons mission

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Picking the right technology and the right
partners

• palms or pocket PCs or laptops, or all of the
  above?
• Blogs, wikis, twikis, SMS, IM?
• How to embrace mobile computing?
• Next-generation telephone service PBX, VOIP,
  cellmultifunction devices?
• CATV or IPTV?
• Poised to make wise choices

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Technology convergence and integrated planning

• Web and publications, Library, Facilities,
  telephone, media/CATV
• Dig the hole once
• Integrated communications infrastructure
• Single workflow with multiple outputs to hardcopy
  and/or the web
• Poised to take advantage of technology
  convergence
• Fundamental changes to the way we plan and
  implement technology

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Its a big wave

• Building out a smart campus
• Anticipating whos coming
• Assessing new technologies
• Mapping them onto what we do to make it better
• Critical thinking
• Information fluent graduates
• Visualizing information
• Integrating new media types into scholarship

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In support of our mission

• a technology environment that develops leaders
• that teaches and models for them responsible use
  of information
• develops innovative and creative uses of these
  tools

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Conclusion

• avoid wipeouts

• find the sweet spot and push it

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Questions?
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Thank you!