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Judith Anna Porto: rho-paon

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Hichigan State university
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DOCTOR OP PRILOSOPHY

Depart-ant of Educational Administration
1994

ABSTRACT

ORGANIZING TECHNOLOGY FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION:
LESSONS FROM THREE COMMUNITY COLLEGES

BY

Judith Anne Porter Thompson

This study examined how three community colleges in the
United. States organize their 'technology’ units, including
distance education, telecommunications, media and information
systems. The study analyzed how administrators, faculty
members, creative staff members and technical staff members
perceive the benefits of and potential for growth and
development of these technology units, as well as the
effectiveness and the impact on teaching and learning, as well
as on the organization structures of these units and the
colleges. A major focus of the study was to identify critical
issues which might suggest strategies useful for other
community colleges when transforming these units.

The research methodology was field observation at each
site, an analysis of college documents, structured interviews
and case study. Fifteen respondents were interviewed
representing administrators, faculty members, creative staff
members and technical staff members from the three community
colleges. The colleges were selected based on their national

recognition in distance education programs , telecommunications

technologies and a revised organization structure.

This study reinforced previous findings that the changes
occurring with demographics, technology and management
philosophy have impacted community colleges in both the way
they provide products and services to their customers and how
they might remain viable in the future. The respondents from
the three colleges reported their organization structures
change frequently, their colleges have adopted total quality
concepts, and they rely on strategic planning. It was
suggested that there is a need for one person at the college
to understand and manage all of the technology units.

It was determined in the study that reported changes in
the organization structures involved changes in personnel, job
titles and accountability and not with the redesign of the
structure itself. All three colleges had and still have
traditional, hierarchical, line-and-staff structures.

A. variety of strategies were offered' for assisting
community colleges when designing new organization structures
for effective practice. These innovative structures should
remove barriers among the distance education and technology
units and provide the support for collaboration and resource

sharing among the units.

Copyright by
Judith Anne Porter Thompson

1994

To the memory of Mary Jo, and my parents, Arden and
Violet. To my family, Chris, Paige and Regan. Thank you for
your support, love, patience and faith. I share this

achievement with you.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study owes its completion to many individuals who
offered encouragement, and who were sincerely interested in
the research topic and how the study was developing. To the
many friends and colleagues at Delta College, I offer genuine
thanks, especially to Betty Lopez, Patti Davidson and Rick
Carlson who offered moral support and their expertise with
computers.

Significant contributions to the study were made by my
committee, who helped redirect me when I needed it. Dr. James
Snoddy deserves recognition for his patience and the time he
spent with me throughout my doctoral studies and this research
project. As my advisor and committee chairman, the bulk of
the work and responsibility was placed on his shoulders; I am
grateful for his willingness to assist me in this endeavor.
Dr. Howard Hickey has encouraged me even before I was
officially enrolled at Michigan State University as a doctoral
candidate; I appreciate his sense of humor, insights and.words
of encouragement. Dr. Ann Austin offered suggestions to
strengthen the study and asked insightful questions that
needed to be answered. Dr. Bella Mody contributed
significantly to the outcome of the study by her interest in
the topic and suggesting I think about including other

vi

perspectives, especially a business management correlation.
In addition to unlimited support from Chris, Paige and
Regan, special recognition is in order for Rose Beane and Pat
Graves, co-workers and friends at Delta College. Rose was
especially generous with her time, expertise and energy in

helping me to complete the study.

vii

LIST OF
Chapter

I.

II.

III.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FIGURES O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY . . . . . . . .

Statement of the Problem . .
Research Questions . . . . .
Purpose of the Study . . . .

Methodology . . . . . . .
Significance of the Study . .
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . .
Organization of the Dissertation . .

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . .

Technology and Organization Structures
Implications for Distance Education

and Technology . . . . . . . . . . .
Organization Structures . . . . . . . .
Organization Structure Issues . . . . .
Management Philosophy . . . . . . . . .
Kinds of Organization Structures . . .
Organization Theory . . . . . . . . . .
Transformation of Organization

Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Strategic Planning . . . . . . . . . .
Future Organization Development . . . .
Effects of New Organization Theory

and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

METHODOLOGY 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

Selecting the Colleges . . . . . . . .
Identifying the Participants . . . . .
Method of Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . .
Site Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . .

viii

xi

Page

H

ocub~>u¢uro

28

28
30
31
33
33

Informed Consent . . . . .
Documents . . . . . . . . .
Relevant Literature Review
Pilot Study . . . . . . .
Research Questions .
Analysis of Data . .
Summary . . . . . . .

FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY . .

Part I: Presentation of Data
Middle College . . .
Respondents' Profiles .
College Profile . . . .
Organization Structure
North College . . . . . .
Respondents' Profiles .
College Profile . . . .
Organization Structure
Lake College . . . . .
Respondents' Profiles .
College Profile . . . .
Organization Structure . .
Part II: Summary of the Findings
Organization of the Technology On
Middle College . . . . . . . .
North College . . . . . . . . .
Lake College . . . . . . . .
Benefits and Potential for Growth
and Development . . . . . . . .
Benefits and Potential . . . .
History of the Development .
Impact . . . . . . . . . . .

Critical Issues . . . . . . .

Strengths and Weaknesses .
Future . . . . . . . . . . . .
Participants' Recommendations .
Suggested Strategies for Innovati
and Effectiveness . . . . . . .
Human Resources . . . . . . . .
Leadership . . . . . . . . . .
Centralization . . . . . . . .
Institutional Planning . . .

Summary of the Data Combined for
Three Colleges . . . . . . . .
TechnolOgy Organization . . . .

ix

1

ooofloooooooooooooo

on

the

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Page

35
35
36
36
37
38
4O

41

Page

Growth and Development of the

Technology Units . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Critical Issues for Community Colleges . . 111
Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND
RECOMMENDAT IONS O O O O O O O O O O O O O 1 1 4

Summary of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Organization of the Technology Units . . 116
Benefits and Potential for
Growth and Development . . . . . . . . . 118
Critical Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Suggested Strategies for Innovation
and Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Implications and Recommendations . . . . . . 122
Organization of the Technology Units . . . 122
Benefits and Potential for
Growth and Development . . . . . . . . . 124
Critical Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Suggested Strategies for Innovation
and Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Implications for Research . . . . . . . . . 127
Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

A. RESPONDENTS’ JOB TITLES . . . . . . . . . . 130
. RESPONDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS . . . . . . 131
. COVER LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
. INFORMED CONSENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

B
C
D
E. DOCUMENTS REQUESTED FROM RESPONDENTS . . . 134
F. RESPONDENTS' DEGREES AND WORK EXPERIENCE . 136
G

. PERMISSION LETTER FROM UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE
ON RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS . . . 139

BIBLIOGRAPHY O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 14 0

Figure 1:

Figure 2:

Figure 3:

LIST OF FIGURES

Line-and-Staff Organization
for the Technology Units at
College . . . . . . . . . .

Line-and-Staff Organization
for the Technology Units at
C01 lege O O O O O O O O O O

Line-and-Staff Organization

for the Technology Units at
College . . . . . . . . . .

xi

Page
Chart
Middle
O O O O O O O O O 91
Chart
North
O O O O O O O O O 93
Chart
Lake
O O O O O O O O O 95

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

Technology is shrinking our universe by electronically
transporting education and information to sites throughout the
world. Education is benefiting from the technology, which
ingreases the potential for higher education to facilitate
teaching and learning to distant locations.

The 19808 were a time of incredible growth for distance
education in community colleges. As technology was emerging
and converging at an incredible pace, change was inevitable.
This transformation is now challenging traditional roles of
teaching and learning, and how and where the new and diverse
activities associated with distance education are managed in
community colleges.

Most distance education practitioners in the 19803
learned by doing and helping each other. Managers were
pioneers in a neW' enterprise, in which conferences and
workshops provided information on timely topics. After
entering the world of distance education administration and
consulting nearly a decade ago, and while researching a

masters thesis, I realized that the barriers facing the

2
distance education unit at my college were similar to those of
other institutions. One persistent barrier has been procuring
technology. Experience indicates this may occur because of
insufficient planning, which particularly affects four
technology units in community colleges; distance education;

telecommunications; media; and information systems.

Statement of the Problem

The traditional community college organization structures
may not provide the support needed for the future and long-
term development and utilization of the four technology units.
Thewmanagers of these units are usually accountable to various
administrators and operate under separate cost centers within
the college's organization structure. This may result in
competition for scarce resources and a duplication of
technology systems, products and services.

Some argue that most American institutions operate under
ZOO-year-old, outmoded and counterproductive structures
developed to handle the needs of the Industrial Age (Tomasko,
1993). Recent literature suggests that these hierarchical
structures are not well-suited for the Computer and
Communication Age (Hartz, 1992), which requires collaboration
and planning. The issue is what organization structures are
most appropriate for effective development and utilization of

the four technology units in community colleges.

3
Research Questiggg

The principal research question that guided the study was
"How do three selected community colleges in the United
States, which are recognized nationally for their technology,
distance education and organization structures, organize their
distance education and technology units?"

Three subquestions emerged from the qualitative method of
inquiry to guide the study:

1. How do administrators, faculty members, creative
staff members and technical staff members perceive the
benefits of and potential for the growth and development of
their unit, the background of the development of the current
organization structure, and its impact on teaching and
learning?

2. What are the critical issues for community colleges
to consider in organizing their technology units?

3. Do the experiences of these three colleges suggest
strategies whichtmight be useful in guiding the development of

innovative and. effective organization structures for the

technology units in community colleges?

Purpose of the Study

This is a field-based, ethnographic research study
designed to investigate how three community colleges organize
their four technology units, and to search for implications
for effective organization structures which could benefit

other colleges. These three colleges were selected based on

4
input from distance education and technology professionals and
consultants, who indicated these colleges have state—of—the-
art technology, successful distance education programs, and
have changed their organization structures. The study will
identify and examine similarities and differences in terms of
their four technology units, organization structures,
strategic planning and leadership. The study will describe
their structures, and examine the effectiveness of the
structures for the technology units as seen by selected

informants.

Methodology

1‘:er??“ of the related literature was conducted for
current information on distance education and technology, new
management and organization theories, trends, and guidelines
and strategies for managing the change and growth in these
areas, especially as it might shed light on innovative and
effective organization structures. The primary data
collection. methods were structured interviews and field
observation during site visits to the three community

colleges, along with a review of college documents.

Significance of,the Study

Distance education in community colleges has experienced
growth in the past decade and will expand into the twenty-
first century as it continues to serve new customers (Purdy,

1992). Today, all 50 states have distance education

5

activities, which include telecourses, teleconferences,

k.

\-,

satellite delivery, interactive television, computer-based and
audio-based learning. TI-IN Network Programs (Satellite
Transmitted Academic Resources) are available via _cable
television and satellite to subscribers, and offer credit
bearing undergraduate and graduate courses through an
affiliation with another proprietary vendor, Mind Extension
University (ME/U), The Education Network, a 24-hour cable and
satellite education network (TI-IN Network News, 1990).
Technological change is a major force that will affect
the viability of community colleges. Limited research has
been reported on organization structures as they relate to the
distance education and technology units in higher education
(Satyanarayana & Raghunath, 1991; Holmberg, 1987). Therefore,
the results of this study may provide useful information to
community college administrators as they attempt to create
innovative and effective organization structures. These
results may suggest strategies for designing new structures.
Changes, in” demographics, technology, and _management_
philosophy have been largely responsible for the growth
experienced by the distance education and technology units.
The Coast Communicator (1992) predicts that 80 percent of the
community colleges will have distance education programs byi‘
1994. This growth and the resulting changes will make the
management of distance education and the other technology
systems in the next decade, and beyond, a difficult and

challenging job. How well the college of the future will

6
survive is partially based on the value-added services it

provides, and not on its location (Gross, 1993).

Terminology

The following terms are useful to the understanding of
this study. Definitions of some terms are provided in the
context in which they were used in this study.

Organization structure. This involves the institution’s
reporting lines and levels, and where responsibilities are
positioned within the institution. 'Institutions illustrate
these lines and levels on their organization charts.

Quit. Unit refers to the broad administrative area,
which may be a department and could have several technology
divisions located within it. Each unit in the study may or
may not have the same or similar systems, products and
services, or serve the same customers, or be managed by the
same administrator. The four technology units are distance
education, telecommunications, media and information systems.

Qigtance education unit. This is a multifaceted
enterprise that provides programs, training, information
exchanges, meetings, certification, credit and noncredit
courses, and academic degrees delivered via available
technology, such as ‘television, radio, cable, audio and
videotapes, computers and modems, print-based materials,
telephone and interactive videodiscs. Some institutions may
include media, telecommunications, independent, extension and

correspondence courses in the distance education unit.

7

Telecommunications, unit. This includes television,
radio, commercial and private cable, closed circuit,
telephone, facsimile, modem, microwave, satellite, radio
frequency, broadcast systems, information exchanges over
telephone and data networks, fiber optical cable, or other
electromagnetic channels to transmit and receive voice, video
and data communication.

Media unit. This is technology used in multimedia labs,
the library, media centers, graphic design, printing,
audiotapes, word processing, desktop publishing and
Videocassettes.

Information systems unit. These consist of instructional
and administrative computer systems, networking, the telephone
system, wiring and cabling infrastructure within the physical
plant to transmit and receive education and information, and
to operate campus security systems.

Technology. This includes the equipment for voice, video
and data technology, as well as the software used with the
systems. Distance education requires voice, video and data
technology to deliver products and services to customers
located away from the source of these activities. These
activities may include: live and interactive audio and video;
individual work stations; synchronous services, which can be
offered at the same time, but to different locations, e.g.,
television; or asynchronous, which can occur at different
times and different locations, e.g., videotaped courses and

electronic mail.

Products and services. "Product" refers to the
instructional technology commodities (Wagner, 1990), such as
disks and tapes, and the competencies of the student who
graduates (Aslanian, 1993). It includes development. and
production of courses and programs, such as telecourses, audio
courses, computer-based courses, satellite resource programs
and teleconferences. “Service" can be provided to customers
by offering convenience and flexibility through new technology
systems, continuous enrollment, interactive television, tapes
and disks for home use, and classes on cable channels, over
public television, or at local centers.

Customers. The users of distance education products and

services are referred to in various ways, including the new
educational majority" (HEIRAlliance, 1992), traditional and
nontraditional students, adult learners, customers,
constituents, clients, internal staff, employers and.agencies.
The term "customer" is used in many colleges in reference to
students (Zilinski, 1993), and will be used in this study to
encompass all categories of individuals benefiting from
technology and distance education products and services. In
the past, distance education customers were identified as
older adults attending college part-time. Today, they include

people of all ages, as well as part-time and full-time

students and staff.

9
Organization of the Digsegtatigg

This study is presented in five chapters. Chapter I
introduces the study, which is grounded in the organization
structures of the four technology units in three community
colleges. This chapter describes the growth of distance
education and technology. The problem, purpose and
significance of the study are included, as well as the
research questions that guided the study, and the methodology
used to collect data.

Chapter II consists of a literature review'of several key
areas, including distance education, technology, organization
structures, planning, human resources and leadership. It
covers changes in demographics, management philosophy, the
needs of the customers and trends.

Chapter III lays out the design of the study. Personnel
were interviewed from the four technology units, and site
visits were made to the three community colleges in the study.

Chapter IV presents the research findings which resulted
from.analysis of the site visits, materials collected at each
site, and the interviews.

The summary data are presented in Chapter V, along with
conclusions for effective organization structures, discussion
of implications for practice and research, and reconuuendations
for designing organization structures for the best development
and utilization of the four technology units in community
colleges. The study is viewed as an inaugural to future

research on organization structures related to these units.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Technology and Organization Structures

Distance education in the community college haswevolved
in response to the needs of the customers and availability of
technology. Societal and technological change have created
opportunities for community colleges to extend their services
to distant locations (Reed & Sork, 1990), using formats
suitable to the needs of the customers located in rural, urban
and suburban communities (Lassner, 1992). This study focuses
on the capacity of technology units in community colleges to

handle future needs and change under the current lineeand-

staff organization structures.

Implications for Distance Education andggechnology

Technology. has been responsible for, the .growth of
distance education. The more technology that distance
education can access, the more products and services this
alternative delivery system can provide. In a report, prepared
by Cummings, Toner, and Godfrey (1991), they note that_the

technology is very expensive and requires the ‘technical and

10

11
administrative expertise and adequate staff to operate_theg
systems, develop the products and provide the services. In
addition, these ,authors indicate the technology requires
planning “and funding, as well. as support from the
administrators and users, and recommend consolidation of
technology units under a single administrator.

Distance education operates in a competitive environment

and must depend on feedback from customers for “continued

I-‘J’~H .... - .—- --~ ._-_ ~ as... p, s). t... - urn,

 

operation and future growth (Murgatroyd,hl990)m, Murgatroyd

K. _)-Ia.

asserts that distance education and the technology resources
and staff are affected by the following; limited budgets for.
purchasing equipment, technical . assistance and” expertise;
unnecessary duplication of work efforts, equipment
installation and maintenance, and systems design; and lack of
leadership and decision—making power under the traditional
organization structure. This author raises the issue of how
innovation and development can be controlled in ways that
organizations remain innovative to add to their competitive
position without losing control over cost and human resources.

According to Keegan (1980), structure, organization and
administration are of crucial importance for the existence of
any distance education program, and need to be studied. In
his remarks about the institutional contexts, organization,
and administration of distance education, Donaldson (1990)

notes the literature regarding description of distance

education..institutions and programs is filled to satiety, but

12
lacks analysis employing organization theory and research
which would contribute to a deeper understanding of factors
associated with organization and administration. This is in
keeping with what Holmberg (1987) discovered, when he
identified only four studies on the organization and

administration related to this field.

Qgganization Structuggg

Technology, which is changing education by providing new
methods for teachers to teach and students to learn, is
creating a need to evaluate the effectiveness of the
traditional organization structure and past management
practices. Distance education is involved in this change
process by serving as the interface between education and
technology under the banner of educational opportunity
(Peruniak, 1983). The use of technology requires managers to
rethink the assumptions that are factors in the structure and
management, and this reflection should be done at all levels
of the organization both from the top down and the bottom up
directions (Tomasko, 1993). This author concludes that while
we work in the Information Age, our jobs have not been

rethought since the Industrial Revolution.

Organization Structure Issues

The subject of organization structures for technology
areas is only recently being recognized as an important part

of governing the effective use of telecommunications to

13
increase educational access, to college degree programs
(Olcott, .1992). Practitioners in the fields of distance

education and technology have expressed severa1_.concerns.

L.

W ‘ -

There isthe duplication of work and operations,_the expense
of the equipment, and the need for Strategic planning and

1.

cooperative arrangements for sharing resources among units.
Under the traditional line-and-staff structures, these units
arafifitypically segmented and responsible to different
administrators, which makes teamwork difficult (Murgatroyd,
1999).

Community colleges are recognizing complementary
relatioaships among separate operations_(Katz & West,_1993),
especially with distance education, media'and information
sygiems. New organization structures might enable these units
toflwayoid- costly duplication_ of expensive equipment _and
services, enhance resource sharing, and promote innovation.
Colleges are beginning to address the changes resulting from
thefliwte‘chnology, and j the need [for transformation of
organization structures (Woodsworth & Maylone, 1993) through.
rethinking (Tomasko, 1993), restructuring and reengineering
the traditional organization structures (Penrod, 1992).

Murgatroyd (1990) indicates that old models of hierarchy
are unlikely to produce constant improvement in the_pedagogy
of distance learning materials and in the quality of student
learning experiences. Organizations need to‘ be; task-

structured and integrated, and that change, which is a

constant process, will be necessary for improvement of

14
educational services in the competitive world (Murgatroyd,
1990). By combining purchasing power and sharing technology
expertise and resources on a cooperative basis, economies of
scale increase and greater cost savings are realized (Loeb,

1989).

Management Philosophy

New management philosophies are having an impact on
community colleges, as many academic leaders began adapting
these innovative philosophies to educational applications in
the 19803 (Cornesky, 1990). W. Edwards Deming (1982), who was
the pioneer of the quality concept, advocated that management_
will need to consider planning and innovation, and focus on
the future to remain viable, and this will necessitate new
systems and structures. In 1950, Deming sold the Japanese on
his philosophy of quality as a strategic advantage. Four
years later, Joseph M. Juran coined "management for quality,"
followed by Philip Crosby's "quality is free" concept
(Marchese, 1991). Total quality control f0cuses (”1 zero
defects and continuous improvement in all aspects of the
organization (Murgatroyd & Woudstra, 1990).

In 1988, David Langford.was one of the first educators to
embrace the techniques of Deming and adapt them to this
profession. Inm a live, six-hour videoconference workshop,
Langford (1993) applied the tools of total quality management
to the learning environment. He indicated that education

should examine its management system, since the whole system

15
is preventing quality from happening.

Several authors, including Stark (1992) and Langford
(1993), report that quality in education is important. Brown
(1993) advises that practical applications for quality
management can assist educational institutions in
accomplishing strategic planning and reorganizing of the
structure. Responsiveness by institutions to the changes in
demographics, technology and management philosophy will be
important in order for the technology units to remain viable
and competitive in a rapidly changing global environment
(Lucas, 1991). Tomasko (1987) corroborates the need for
planning and reorganization in order for institutions to
remain competitive, and Pollan and Levine (1992) describe what
the European countries are accomplishing with training and
education at the work site.

However, institutional success may depend less on the
technology than on those factors allowing users to function
effectively in these new technological environments
(Johnstone, 1992) . In a videoconference on distance education
from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gross
(1993) reports on the importance of people over technology,
and the complex relationships created within the institution’s
environments. Visionary leadership is important for distance
education to be successful (Feldman & Arnold, 1983). Whiteley
(1992) explains the importance of leadership in which leaders
put the customer first and promote their organization’s

visions: ILeaders become students for life, constantly seeking

16

new ways to learn; they believe and invest in their people;
these people build customer-focused teams, celebrating
successes and encouraging collaboration; and most of all, they
lead by example, personifying the organization's purposes.
Whiteley maintains that when used together, the imperatives
listed above can produce a well-integrated organization that
can deliver high quality in products and services to the
customer.

In his book, "The Fifth Discipline," Senge (1990) is
concerned about traditional forms of leadership where
individuals break apart problems and fragment the world. By
doing this the connection to a larger whole is lost. Senge
believes those organizations that discover hOW’tO tap people's
commitment and capacity to learn at all levels in an

organization will excel in the future.

Kinds of Organization Structures

Most community colleges have organization charts that
illustrate traditional hierarchies, which are line-and—staff
structures (Browne & Golembiewski, 1974). These structures
use lines and boxes to illustrate the top—down level of
authority and the reporting bureaucracy (Bennis, 1970). This
diagram represents a division of tasks, a pyramid structure,
and decision-making that is attached to a particular position
(Weber, 1964). According to Hodge and Anthony (1984), this
traditional model places the highest level officer, who has

ultimate power and is responsible for final decisions

17
affecting the institution, at the top of the organization
chart.

9/ The role of technology in society, as well as its
influence on organizations, was the basis for models developed
by Thompson (1967), Woodward (1958 & 1965) and Perrow (1967).
Their models show the technological effect on the
organization, and the production and distribution of products
and services. The linking pin structure (Likert, 1967),
taxonomies and matrix management models were developed by
business to deal with linking various parts and personnel of
an organization to deal with mergers and coalitions (Hodge &
Anthony, 1984).

In 1980, CAUSE, a membership organization focusing on the
management of information technology in higher education,
began collecting information on computing activities in
community colleges with regard to administrative applications
and staffing. The 1990/91 CAUSE ID Survey (Rudy, 1991)
indicates the emergence of a position with responsibility for
all or most aspects of information technology which has had a
major impact on the typical campus reporting structure. Often
this position, referred to in the literature as the Chief
Information Officer (C10), is directly responsible to the
Chief Executive Officer, and the title may be vice president,
vice chancellor, director or associate provost. Where the C10
is recognized, the major technology functions, including
academic computing, administrative computing, networking and

telecommunications, are all responsible to the CIO (Woodsworth

l8
& Maylone, 1993). On campuses without a recognized CIO,
academic computing tends to be responsible to the chief
academic officer, administrative computing to the
administrative vice president or chief financial officer, and
telecommunications to the administrative vice president.

In his book, "Rethinking the Corporation, " Tomasko (1993)
proposes building domes, instead of pyramids. His idea is
that the dome is an appropriate structure for our time and
that it is both strong and economical. This author uses
architectural logic for building an organization structure
that provides speed, flexibility and focus when resizing
capabilities and work processes, for reshaping the structure,
and for rethinking the basics of how work is managed (Tomasko,
1993).

New structures are emerging that may have application for
community colleges. A new corporate structure, referred to as
"bubbles," is based on broad work skills, cooperation,
flexibility, system learning and self-regulation where each
worker learns all jobs and rotates jobs every few months
(Hartz, 1992). The belief is that because the workers know
more jobs, the company needs fewer people. Pay is based on
the number of different jobs learned, and evaluation is done
by all team members based on performance and abilities.
Quaker Foods in Topeka, Kansas has established this system, in
which supervisory roles are transferred back to workers who
control themselves. This is also known as an amorphous

structure (Hartz, 1992). This kind of structure enables

19

personnel, who are the basic foundation of any organization,
to see the whole process and the bigger picture (McCoy, 1993).

New organization structures allow for teamwork,
interaction and networking (Lucas, 1991). Krebs believes such
structures centralize complementary units, but decentralize
the day-to-day authority, operations and decisions pertaining
to each unit and transform traditional hierarchical structures
into) democratically based, ones (Krebs, 1992). Bi-modal
organization structures, which are both centralized and
decentralized, combine elements of traditional structures with
new technologies and management processes. These structures
appear to be operating in academe already, according to
Woodsworth and Maylone (1993). Because of this need for
change in organization structures, a twelve step process
approach was developed by Hodge & Anthony (1984) for walking
an organization through the various stages of planning and,

ultimately, change.

Qgganization Theory

Distance education organizations are complex, ambiguous
and filled with paradox (Morgan, 1986). Gerloff (1985)
postulates that the design and structure of an organization
are functions of its strategic mission, its culture, the
leadership style of the top team, the nature of its production
and operations, and the environment in which it is placed.
The assumption is that organizations exist to achieve pre-

established goals (Bolman & Deal, 1984).

20

Because an organization is a product of its environment,
Anthony, Dearden and Vancil (1972) discuss the merits of
environmental scanning to help colleges understand the three
major environments affecting all organizations: macro (total
environment including systems and forces outside the
organization); intermediate (the link from the organization to
the outside); and micro (internal systems and operations which
produce the products and services required to satisfy the
needs in the macro environment).

Personalities, tasks and technological innovations are
factors in organization design and structure, and, because
structure is both dynamic and particular, there may be no one
correct structure for all distance education organizations
(Murgatroyd & Woudstra, 1990). Shetty and Carlisle (1972)
suggest that various structures should be considered
appropriate for all organizations. Kovel-Jarboe (1990)
implies there are various organization structures that could

apply specifically to distance education.

Transformation of Orggpization Structures

The literature notes that management is changing, and
that the strategies of the 19803 are no longer relevant in the
challenging environment of the 19903 (Taking the Lead, 1993).
Robert M. Tomasko stresses the importance of lowering the
walls between line-and-staff and among the various operating
divisions. He presumes that continued attention to employee

training at all levels is what makes those leaner structures

21
with fewer layers function, and that staff can help to build
businesses by selling their unit or department services for a
fee (Tomasko, 1987).

Structural change is a powerful managerial tool within an
organization because it modifies the organizational patterns
of resource allocation and accountability, and redistributes
authority for decision-making and action. The effect of
structural change is demonstrated when distance education
programs are relocated and placed in the mainstream. of
institutional planning; they are more likely to be successful
than those on the fringe (Going the Distance, 1992). Gross
(1993) agrees that programs which are a subunit of some other
department will not have the longevity they would in the
mainstream.

Technological change has come rapidly in the past decade,
and with it the need to re-examine the missions of information
technology units in academe, and organization structure and
processes (Rudy, 1993). Many institutions now have Chief
Information Officers (CIOs) and patterns for organizational
realignment and merged components (Rudy, 1992). This has
happenedias such areas as academic and administrative computer
centers, libraries, media, printing, telecommunications and
distance education have come to overlap more and more, leading
to turf battles, duplication of effort and confusion about
service roles (McClure, 1992). McClure lists organizational
strategies for information technology problems; among them are

creating a C10 office to centralize leadership and linking

22
missions of existing technology units through joint strategic

planning.

Strategic Planning

Technology is driving education to strategic planning,
leading to new methods, products and structures, which may
create positive change (Weick, 1979). Murgatroyd and
Woudstra (1990), who'suggest that colleges may have difficulty
with strategic planning because they are too bureaucratic and
operate on a top-down basis, offer four keys to effective
strategic planning: 1) Organizational identity regarding
mission, mandate and culture; 2) Sense of purpose; 3) Core
business (understand and communicate it); and 4) Response to
new opportunities (provides a framework for action and a
process for responding in innovative and entrepreneurial
ways).

Chaffee (1985b) notes that higher education is adopting
the business practice of strategic planning which is replacing
planning-programming-budgeting systems and management by
objective. While educational administrators in the past have
resisted business analogies, models and practices (Handy &
Aitken, 1986), this is changing in today's competitive market
as learning systems become more complex and are reaching
beyond traditional boundaries. Quality control and service
management will become increasingly important (Lewis, 1988).

Murgatroyd and Woudstra (1990) associate other activities

to the strategic plan, including financial, marketing,

23
technology, human resources and capital, and conclude that
planning is central to success and survival. Chaffee (1985a)
echoes this view and believes that no institution is immune to
competition, and in the face of increasing sophistication in
the marketplace and the changes that newtechnology will
afford, success will require a plan and a clear sense of
purpose. According to Crosby (1979), service will provide
competitive advantage, but it hinges on access, reliability

and quality.

Future Organization Development

Many institutions are in a transitional environment which
has evolved in piecemeal fashioni HEIRAlliance notes that now
may be the time for the college president to bring about the
real information technology revolution by adjusting
organization structures to accommodate and exploit what is
valuable in these technological developments, as well as to
evaluate the services and integrate the systems into the
structure. The role of the president is to establish a
process and an atmosphere that will promote the integration of
these inevitable new technologies, both with the mission and
core values of the institution. The HEIRAlliance report
mentions the outreach activities for the "new educational
majority," the individualized learning environment and
community service. Key to all of these is the development of
organizational, instructional and informational

infrastructures. It also requires a vision of an information

24

technology infrastructure which is integrated, efficient and
functional (HEIRAlliance, 1992). Guidelines are discussed in
HEIRAlliance (1992), which incorporate the experiences of
institutions identified in surveys for their successful
development and integration of information technology: 1)
Focus overall coordination of information resources at a high
administrative level; and 2) Develop1a plan to fund technology
as a vital capital asset.

Several trends in.community colleges were cited by Ryland
(1991), who notes that evolving organization structures will
significantly change traditional hierarchical structures, and
that the teaching'and learning information infrastructure‘will
change to accommodate a shift from a paper—based to a network—
based system of sharing academic resources. Institutions may
require their human resources departments to adopt new
strategies for personnel development, career paths, staffing
needs, and with their organization structures (Rudy, 1993).

Stedman.and Bransford (1992) consider the need.to»develop
and establish an educational telecommunications infrastructure
and integrate the technology into educational systems. These
authors inform the reader of the rapidly merging technology,
and suggest that the use of the technology has been proposed
as a solution to the problems of American education. The
converging technologies are computing, television, printing
and telecommunications, which are considered critical by many
countries to their future productivity and competitiveness in

global commerce (Aronson, 1992).

25
The rapid changes in technology, the cost of equipment
and global competition for products and services will require
distance education and technology administrators to make wise
decisions. ‘Wagner (1990) indicates we have passed the time in
which the technologies are fairly simple and the consequences
of making an inappropriate instructional delivery system

decision were relatively inconsequential.

gggectgofNew'Ogggpization Theory and Desigp

Quality management has made its way into the vocabulary
of higher education with remarkable speed, and higher
education leaders are calling for dramatic restructuring of
their institutions in order to meet the public's demands for
higher quality at less cost (Cross, 1993). A new structure
was developed over a period of eight years by Fox Valley
'Technical College in Wisconsin, which infused total quality
management into its mission and goals. According to Zilinski
(1993), in a workshop conducted at Delta College in Michigan,
the new structure at Fox Valley was reported to be neither
cumbersome nor complex, and has allowed management to move to
the side where it facilitates the consensus process,
eliminates the line management model, and places the customer
at the top of the process. This flatter structure relies on
the strategic plan and flow charts for process, work and
control, and places deans, vice presidents and councils on the

same level and with equal decision making power, with all

responsible to the president. In this flatter organization

26
structure of the future, it is expected that communication and
decision-making ‘will be 'more open, outcome oriented and
flexible (Creal, 1993).

Jane N. Ryland (1993) refers to complementary
relationships with the technology areas as "family," and
concludes that new alternatives are in order for organization
structures and job definitions to best achieve institutional
goals and objectives. This concept of "family" is noted by
Woodsworth and Maylone (1993), who specifically reference
distance education and technology as being part of the same
"job family."

In the future it is likely that redesign of the
organization structure for technology will occur frequently.
As Paul Saffo from the Institute for Future in Menlo Park,
California, notes in the Hartz (1992) television series, we
are into 10 years of a 30 year period which will reshape
society and the globe as profoundly as the Industrial
Revolution did more than 100 years ago. It was "T & T"
(transportation.and technology) before, and nOW'it is'"C2& C"
(communications and computers). Tom Chase, executive director
of Ecology of Work Conference, believes the need for
information workers who can think for themselves has lead to
a re-examination of traditional management structures which
built up barriers, below, between and above levels (Hartz,
1992).

By examining the literature and investigating the three

community colleges in the study who are nationally recognized

27
for their success with distance education, telecommunications
technology and innovative organization structures, the
research may suggest strategies for guiding the development of
organization structures for the technology units in community
colleges“ The design and methodology for collecting the data,
which supports the major research questions for this study,

are the subject of the next chapter.

Summa

The education systems of the next century will be
drastically different from those of today. Whether Americans
lead the world in this educational transformation or play
”catch-up" with more enterprising cultures will partially
determine the extent to which the United States will continue
to play an international leadership role in the increasing
competitive world of the 213t century (Perelman, 1988).

Communications technologies are no longer an option for
community colleges; they are vital for community colleges to
fulfill their mission of education and training; Boyer (1992)
indicates that work and education will blend into a more
flexible education model, in which community colleges will
become lifelong learning centers, adult education will
increase, and self-directed education. will expand. ‘The
HEIRAlliance (1992) Executive Strategies Report #1 advises
colleges to develop effective organization structures which
would assist in the delivery of quality instruction through

distance education as a means of remaining competitive.

CHAPTER II I
METHODOLOGY

This study was designed to investigate how three
cenunity colleges organize their distance education,
telecommunications, media and information systems units, and
to search for implications for effective organization
structures which could benefit other colleges. Experience and
previous research in the field have reinforced the belief that
there has been little attention focused on the organization
structures of these units in community colleges. With a
paucity of research literature on organization structures
related specifically to these technology units, an exploratory

study is warranted.

Selecting the Colleges

The study identified those higher education institutions
in the United States reputed to have successful distance
education programs, extensive telecommunications capabilities
and innovative organization structures. Identifying these
institutions to include in the study was expected to be

difficult because there appear to be few higher education

28

29

institutions which satisfy the criteria. The criteria were
stringent" The«colleges selected for the study needed.to have
distance education programs and telecommunications
technologies; they needed to have national visibility for
their programs and services in all of the related fields; and
each should have addressed the need for change in the
traditional organization structure.

A list of eight potential institutions was compiled after
six months of preliminary research. Telephone calls were made
to technology professionals in higher education, information
was gathered from colleges in the League for Innovation, at
national conferences, from technology and telecommunications
publications, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and higher
education membership associations. In addition, there was
conununication with strategic planners, engineering consultants
and technical experts. The final list included five
universities and three community colleges.

The decision to limit the study to the three community
colleges was based on several factors. My ten year background
in community colleges has provided some understanding of their
mission and goals. There is some familiarity with these three
colleges because I have worked with personnel from each in
various capacities. Limiting the study to community colleges
made the research more manageable because it was anticipated
the comunity colleges would have more in common than might be
the case if both colleges and universities were included in

the study.

30
Identifying the Participants

The initial contact at each of the three institutions was
with a higher level administrator associated with distance
education. These administrators included a provost, a vice
president and a dean, and each agreed for their college to
participate in the study. They were asked to nominate from
each of the four areas of distance education,
telecommunications, media and information systems one
administrator whom they felt would participate in and
contribute to the study. To broaden the study's perspective,
these higher level administrators were then asked to identify
one person from each of the following groups: distance
education faculty members; creative staff members; and
technical staff members. With this selection process there
was a potential for seven individuals from each college, for
a total of 21 possible interviews. A total of 19 individuals
were nominated by the higher level administrators, and with
scheduling difficulties, 15 were interviewed.

The highest level administrator interviewed was a vice
president for instruction, The others included two assistant
vice presidents, two executive directors, four directors and
two deans. The administrators represented all four technology
units: distance education; telecommunications; media; and
information systems.

The administrators in charge of distance education

identified one or two faculty members who either facilitated

31
telecourses or taught through the interactive television
system. I arbitrarily selected one faculty member from each
college to interview; The creative staff members interviewed
at each college represented the production and instructional
support area, and are all administrators. ‘The three technical
staff members who were interviewed all work in the academic
and administrative computer services areas. No technical
staff members from distance education, telecommunications or
media were nominated to be interviewed by the higher level
administrators. Two administrators are listed as technical
staff members, and the program director of the Instructional
Technology Center from one of the colleges is directly
responsible for both.technica1 and creative support“ Three to
five administrators from each college were interviewed, while
the interviews with faculty members, creative staff members
and technical staff members at the three colleges were limited
to one person from each of the three groups of respondents.

(See Appendix A for the Respondents' Job Titles.)

Method of Inggigy
The method of inquiry for the study was qualitative in

design, and included aspects of ethnography, field study,
observation and case study. Time was spent at the three
research sites, with research subjects and documents,
recording data for analysis and writing descriptions of the
findings, reporting conversations and dialogues as suggested

by Erickson (1986).

32

Bogdan and Biklen (1982) define five features of
qualitative research:

1) Qualitative research has the natural

setting as the direct sources of data and
the researcher is the key instrument.

2) Qualitative research is descriptive where
the data collected is in the form of
words or pictures rather than numbers,
and the researcher asks questions to
gather information.

3) Qualitative researchers are concerned
with process rather than simply with
outcomes or products.

4) Qualitative researchers tend to analyze
their data inductively; Theory developed
this way emerges from the bottom up and
from many disparate pieces of collected
evidence that are interconnected. Glaser
and Strauss (1967) refer to this as
grounded theory.

5) “Meaning" is important to the qualitative
approach where the researcher is
concerned with the perspectives of
participants (Bogdan 8 Biklen, 1982, pp.
27-30).

Site visits and interviews were scheduled after the
appropriately identified administrators, faculty' members,
creative staff members and technical staff members had been
contacted by telephone and they agreed to participate in the
study; Direct observation was used.totcollect data during the
sites visits and the interviews. The field notes, which
included audiotaping all but two of the interviews, collection
of institutional documents and the literature review were used
to develop a case study for each of the three colleges.

As a research strategy, the case study is appropriate for

this study, since it uses histories, surveys and the analysis

33
of archival information, which is included as part of the
research. According to Yin (1989), the case study is used in
many settings, one of which is organizational and management
studies. As a means of analyzing and reporting the data
collected, the case study is a valid research tool for this
research.

The goal was to examine the organization structure of
these institutions out of which strategies might be proposed
for other institutions to consider when developing
organization structures for the distance education and

technology units.

t sit

Visits were made to each institution. The intent of the
visits to the colleges was to investigate their technology
systems, to personally meet the staff and the respondents
face-to-face, and to inquire into the equipment, products and
services offered by the colleges. Most interviews were
conducted at the time of the site visit; however, scheduling
problems required five telephone interviews involving

respondents from two of the three colleges.

11132211191;

Interviews were conducted in person and by telephone with
four groups: the administrators; faculty members; creative
staff members; and technical staff members. They were

scheduled at various times throughout January and February of

34
1993, and each required from one hour to one-and-one-half
hours to complete.

Everyone interviewed was asked the same thirteen
questions. (See Appendix B) These questions were provided to
the respondents well in advance of the interview. Questions
pertained to the products and services, customers and college
support for distance education and the technology systems.
They were asked how their unit benefits the institution and
increases faculty and administrator awareness of the systems.
They were asked to identify strengths and weaknesses of the
organization structure and how the college measures the
effectiveness of the organization structure. Finally, they
were:questioned about the future of the technology systems and
the organization structure at the institution, and were asked
about their recommendations for other colleges. The purpose
of interviewing representatives of the four groups was to
obtain information from a broader cross-section of college
employees and to examine the responses of the participants.

Two of the 15 participants requested that no audiotaping
be done during the interview. One person reluctantly answered
the questions, which resulted in an incomplete set of notes
for that interview; One person who was interviewed functions
in three of the four categories, as an administrator, a

creative staff member and a technical staff member.

35

In 0 d Consent

All those interviewed were assured anonymity for
themselves and their colleges. Therefore, no respondents or
colleges have been identified by name in the report of the
study. Each respondent received a cover letter which
described the purpose of the study and the method of data
collection. (See Appendix C) They were asked to sign the
Informed Consent if they agreed to participate in the study.
All those interviewed and included in the study signed the

form. (See Appendix D).

M

Additional information from print.materials from.each of
the four groups was sought. It was expected that the highest
level administrator interviewed at each college would be the
one with access to the print materials, as well as the person
who would oversee the collection of these materials. This was
the case, although a few' middle managers provided the
researcher with print materials specific to their unit. All
respondents had access to the list of requested documents.
(See Appendix E)

Useful institutional documents included those related to
the histories of the institutions, institutional statistics,
organization.ncharts, brochures on 'the 'various technology
systems, related newspaper articles, copies of programs,
degrees, courses and other services, institutional studies,

internal and external newsletters, copies of strategic plans,

36
telecommunications and technology master plans, and mission

statements.

Relevant Literature Review

Relevant literature included journals, professional
magazines and organizations, dissertations, newsletters,
reports, textbooks, 'videotapes, live (and. interactive
videoconferences, audioconferences and newspaper articles.
Current literature, especially from professional distance
education and technology associations, was selected and
analyzed in connection with the main research question and the
three related research questions listed in this chapter and
Chapter I. Research findings are presented in an expository

format and in figures when appropriate.

0 tud

A pilot study was conducted at a community college in the
Great.Lakes region to pretest the intervieW'questions. In the
pilot study, two persons from each of the four groups, which
consisted of administrators, faculty members, technical staff
members and creative staff members from the distance education
and technology units, were approached by telephone and asked
to participate. Each agreed, and the interviews were
conducted. The interview questions were changed slightly from

the original using the feedback from this preliminary study.

37
Research Qpestions
The primary research question that guided the study was:

How do three selected community colleges in the
United States, which are recognized nationally for

their technology, distance education and
organization structures , organize their distance
education, telecommunications, media and

information systems units?

This research question guided the investigation of three
community colleges noted for their successful distance
education, technology and innovativetorganization structures.
Responses to this research question were analyzed in an
attempt to identify the various organization structures,
including levels of responsibility in current organization
charts, and the integration of the technology with these four
technology units.

Three other research questions support the main question:

1. How do administrators, faculty members, creative
staff (members and technical staff members perceive the
benefits of and potential for the growth and development of.

their unit, the_background of the development of the current

41“-“3tfl

organization structure, and its impact on teaching and

\,

:‘Jmnu w‘,- ‘,

learning?vfll

. ”Responses to this question were analyzed to ascertain the
attitudes of the respondents toward cultural and financial
aspects of the current organization structures in relationship
to the development, organization, impact and effectiveness of
the four technology units.

2. What are the critical issues for community colleges

38
to consider in organizing their technology units?

This research question was included because there appears
to be no articulated process for community colleges to use in
organizing these units in an effective and supportive manner.

3. Do the experiences of these three colleges suggest
strategies which might be useful in guiding the development of
innovative and effective organization structures for the
technology units in community colleges?

After identifying factors which impact the organization
structures for the technology units, similarities and
differences that existed among these factors were identified
to) enhance the understanding’ of the development of the

organization structures.

Analysis of Data

The design of this study was informed by Erickson's
(1986) model for qualitative methods in research and is an
analytical description (Sieker, 1973) based on grounded theory
methodology (Glasser & Strauss, 1967), and survey research
(Yin, 1989). Data collection was accomplished in three
stages: site visit to each institution; compiling
institutional documents; and personal interviews.

Much of the main analysis of the data took place after
the collection of data was completed. The analysis involved
writing observer comments in fieldnotes, reviewing the
pertinent literature and institutional documents, transcribing

audiotapes of the interviews, indexing’ data, and noting

39
observations and experiences from visits to the colleges.
This analysis was performed in an attempt to determine the
following:

1. The nature of the technology units in place at the
three institutions,

2. The nature of the organization structures in place
at the three institutions,

3. Similarities of the technology units in place at
the three institutions,

4. Similarities in organization structures at the
three institutions,

5. Differences of the technology units in place at the
three institutions,

5. Differences in organization structures at the three
institutions,

6. Effectiveness of the current organization structure
as perceived by the different constituencies:
administrators, faculty members, technical staff
members and creative support staff members, and

7. Innovative, effective and unusual elements of the
organization structures at the institutions.

The data include descriptive information about the
technology systems and organization structures at the three
institutions. They include budget and demographic information
of each College, including size of the institution’s student
body’ and staff, general information. about the: college's
location, off campus centers, and other information. The data
contain the processes the institutions utilized to create
their current organization structure. The analysis of the
data includes a description of the organization structure and
reports the respondents' assessment of the effectiveness and

the impact of the structure on their unit and college.

40
Analysis was done on factors such as the various products
and services and numbers of students served by each of the
technology units. The budget of each institution was reported
as it relates to the institutional support and revenue-

generating nature of the technology units.

Summagy

Structured interviews were held with four groups of
respondents: administrators; distance education faculty
members; creative staff members; and technical staff members.
They were all associated with three community colleges in the
United States and were involved in distance education,
telecommunications, media and/or information systems. The
interview questions were developed with responses and
reconnendations from the pilot study. The interview was
designed to solicit information from.the respondents on their
colleges' organization structures as they are linked to the
distance education and the other technology units. A total of
15 individuals were interviewed.

Additional data were collected through site visits to
each college, documents provided by the respondents in the
study, and a review of the related literature.

The results of these procedures are outlined in the next

chapter in which the findings of the study are presented.

CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY

Chapter IV presents the findings and a summary of the
findings for this study, which focused on the organization
structures of four technology units at three community
colleges in the United States- The technology units are
distance education, telecommunications, media and information
systems. The technology units are more specifically defined
in Chapter I of this study, however, a brief description
follows: Distance education uses voice, video and data
technology to produce and deliver courses, degrees and
training to distant locations; telecommunications uses
television, radio, telephone, wiring and cabling to transmit
and receive communication; media uses technology in multimedia
labs, the library and desktop publishing; and information
systems are the computer services and the telephone system.

As suggested by Yin (1989, pp. 84-104), data were
obtained through four primary sources for conducting case
studies: 1) documents; 2) archival records; 3) interviews;
and 4) direct observation. The case study approach was useful

in analyzing and summarizing the findings from the three

41

42

community colleges, which are presented in expository format.
To maintain the anonymity of the three community colleges they
are referred to by pseudonyms: Middle College; North College;
and Lake College. When a respondent is quoted directly, a
pseudonym is associated with the quotation. When exact
wordings are used within the text, these are marked by
quotation marks. Informal discussions are summarized and used
within the body of the text. Interview questions are denoted
by bold italics.

This chapter is organized around two parts: presentation
of data, which is based on the thirteen interview questions
(Appendix B) and the institutional documents requested
(Appendix E); and summary of the findings, which is based on
the four major research questions. The data collection
assisted in answering the research questions, which helped
form.the conclusions, implications and recommendations listed

in Chapter V.

Part I: Presentation of Data
The data obtained from the three community colleges are
presented in case studies. Middle College is the first case
study presented, next is North College, and the third case
study is that of Lake College. The findings are presented in
the following order for each. case study: Respondents'
Profiles; College Profile; and Organization Structure. The

Respondents' Profiles are reported first in order to provide

43
the reader with pertinent information on those individuals who
were interviewed for the study, since data are presented from
the thirteen interview questions in each case study. In the
sections on the Respondents’ Profiles and the College Profile,
data are presented from interview questions one through six,
and under the Organization Structure section, data are

presented from interview questions seven through thirteen.

Middle College
Regpgpdents' Profile;

Six participants from Middle College were interviewed.
Their pseudonyms, titles and responses to the first interview
question, which is a two part question, are presented in this
section. (See .Appendix .A. for Respondents' Job Titles,
Appendix B for Interview Questions and Appendix F for
Respondents' Degrees and WOrk Experience.)

What are the types of'activities you do in your'job

and why'do you do these activities?

Middle College Respondents' Pseudonyms and Titles

Tam: Vice president of instruction

Pat: Dean of telecommunications

Mark: Executive director of computer information
systems

Ray: Director of telecommunications services

Bobbie: Program director of the Instructional
Technology Center

Millie: Traditional, alternative and distance education
faculty member

44

The respondents, for the most part, provided descriptive
information about their responsibilities. The following data
were taken from Middle College (IntervieW' Transcripts,
1/4/93):

Pat: There are four aspects to my job:

management; make sure the unit functions as it

should and enhance the managers within the system

to do their jobs; leadership within the state and

nation to provide direction and remain competitive;

and keep the college aligned with instructional

technology in order to adjust the resources,

personnel and strategies according to the cultural

and the technological changes to make sure we are

not obsolete.

Tam manages the instructional components and considers
himself to be the college's educational leader. In this role
he helps to develop the vision, constantly improves the
programs and services, and keeps his skills upgraded through
professional development activities, which he believes will
assist him in managing more effectively.

Mark oversees the computer programming operation, the
microcomputer support services, and the centralized computer
lab to provide service to Middle College's customers.

Ray, the director of telecommunications services, is
responsible for broadcasting, engineering and communications
within the college. This includes data communications,
technology expertise, repair, maintenance, installation,
design, documentation and administrative work with the
systems.

As Bobbie described it, she is in a position at Middle

College for which her responsibilities are comprehensive:

45

I wear several hats. I am program director of the

Instructional Technology Center, and. work. with

personnel and budgets. I am both the technical

person who has to understand all technology that
comes in, and the creative person who was hired to
complete the development of videotapes. The job
evolved and they centralized it in this area
because of the technology and the need.for faculty

to get instructional design and technical support.

(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

As a traditional, alternative and distance education
faculty member, Millie, has several responsibilities. She
coordinates all adjunct faculty for technical writing and
teaches business and technical writing courses, composition
and literature. She described her feelings for her job:

I like working with students, and the hands—on

experience through the interactive television

courses for two reasons: I can share something I

am interested in with students who cannot get to

campus; and it makes you organized and motivated to

teach. (Interview Transcripts, 1/26/93)

Pat and Tam depicted their leadership functions at the
college. Bobbie indicated that she has multiple
responsibilities and that the support for the technology and
instructional design activities has been relocated. and

centralized in the Instructional Technology Center.

What is (your' (professional and educational

background? (See Appendix F)

Pat, who arranged for the interviews at this college, has
been an assistant director of a learning center and a director
of testing at a university, and holds the doctorate in higher
education and educational telecommunications. Pat has been

with Middle College for nearly fifteen years as the first dean

46
(of telecommunications and oversees six service areas in.which
the following administrators are responsible to him: director
of telecommunications services; manager of telecommunications
operations; manager of printing and graphics; manager of the
radio station; director of telecommunications instructional
services; and program director for the Instructional
Technology' Center; Pat's supervisor, Tam, is the vice
president of instruction.in¢charge of the applied sciences and
technology, arts, sciences, the telecommunications unit, the
library and off-campus centers. Tam explained his background:

I was an executive director of planning and

development, taught two years in a private college,

and came to Middle College as an instructor.

Later, I became a department head in social

science, and then became dean of arts and sciences.

I have a doctorate in higher education and have a

masters in economics. (Interview' Transcripts,

1/4/93)

The others interviewed included Ray, Bobbie, Millie and
Mark. Ray is the director of telecommunications services,
whose background is in broadcast television, and with twenty
years of electronic experience in the Navy. Bobbie, the
program director for the Instructional Technology Center,
worked in radio and at a newspaper, and has the masters in
instructional design. Millie, who did not provide information
on her professional and educational background, is a faculty
member who teaches both traditional and nontraditional
students on campus and for the distance education and

alternative systems. Mark, the executive director of computer

information systems, explained his professional and

«A

47
educational background:

In 1966, I became a computer operator for the
college, then went into computer programming,
system analysis and through different levels of
management. Since 1980, I have reported to the
same person, but because of promotions this one
person has had different titles, including vice
president for instruction, vice president of
administration, assistant to the president,
director of vocational technology, and president
since 1985. I graduated from Middle College in the
first class in computer science. (Interview
Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Pat and Tam both have the doctorate, Bobbie has the

masters, and Mark has the associate of arts in computer

science. Pat and Mark have both the professional and
educational credentials to support their current
responsibilities with the technology. Ray's military

electronic experience has a relationship to his current

position.

W
pgckground information on Middle College. Middle
College, whose colorful glossy brochure highlighting their

state communications network is entitled "Information Highway
of the Future,” is highly oriented toward technology. Other
promotional brochures state their claim that they have been,
and still are, a leader in their state and the nation in their
quest for building an expansive telecommunications network to
link people by technology. Middle College’s "technology
story” begins in 1978 when the president and board of trustees

envisioned a cost-effective and timely two-way method of

48

communication to provide education, information and training
to a seven county region. These leaders, who developed
funding strategies as the system was designed, used the
following analogy; The costs for’ constructing a
telecommunications system.for instruction.were similar to the
costs of constructing a building. However, instead of using
bricks and mortar to house main campus classes, the
telecommunications network ”building" would encompass over
4,200 square miles through telecommunications. The college
committed capital construction funds and received grant
funding from the United States Department of Commerce National
Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA)
Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) to
construct this "building" venture, which made them pioneers in
the field of distance education. Today, thirty-two years
after it was established as a community college, Middle
College is involved in satellite downlinking and uplinking.
Major television networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX,
and Conus Satellite News Service, pay fees to utilize their
uplinking system. In addition, this institution operates a
public radio» station, provides broadcast. engineering’ and
support for cable television, voice and data communications,
audio and video production and distribution, as well as live
credit and noncredit courses over interactive television
networks, and an open learning lab.

Geographic orientation. Middle College is the smallest

of the three institutions in the study. It represents a

49
largely rural population in a seven county area in a state
with no major metropolitan areas.

Service area pgpulation. Middle College’s service area
population is 350,000.

Staff size. Middle College has 550 full- and part-time
faculty and staff.

rol nt. Credit enrollment is 9,000; non-credit
enrollment is 55,000; and distance education enrollment is
more than 6,000.

O -c us centers. Middle College, which was
established in 1961, has 13 off-campus centers in its seven
county area and provides courses in 38 school building, plus
business and industry sites. The total number of off-campus
sites varies each semester because most of the sites are not
college-owned and are used on an ”as needed” basis, therefore,
the above figures represent an accurate picture at only one
point in time.

Customers. Who are your customers and where are they
located? Customers are identified by the administrators of
Middle College as all users, including those seeking degrees,
those upgrading skills to gain employment or change jobs, and
those seeking personal enrichment. They range in age from 15
to 75 years. Most students enrolled in academic credit
classes are transfer students, who:may be either transferring
from other institutions or taking their credits to other
institutions. Other customers are involved in vocational

education and secondary school completion programs. According

50

to Pat, who is the dean of telecommunications, this college
serves the following students:

We have a large number of international students

(250) and serve customers in every state and Canada

through the uplinking of our teleconferences.

Distance education serves students and the general

public and reaches 38 different school buildings in

a seven county area. we also serve business and

industry on site. (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Sources of funding. What are all of the sources of
funding for the unit and the percentage of total funding which
comes from the college’s general fund? The respondents
indicated that their units are funded through their college's
general operating fund. The distance education and
telecommunications units receive $2.5 million, which is 8% of
the general fund dollars. The college's total operating
budget is $31.1 million. Middle College provided a breakdown
of the sources of the distance education and
telecommunications unit's budget: Pat provided a detailed
description of his unit's budget; and Tam gave a detailed
description of the college's funding sources.

Pat: 80% comes from the general fund; 10% of the

budget is generated from. equipment repair and

revenue from the sales of product development; and

10% of the budget comes from grants and other

sources. (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Tam: 47% comes from state aid; 40% from tuition

and fees; 7% is local property taxes, and the

remainder comes from the federal government and

other service income. (Interview' Transcripts,
1/4/93)

The college has received grants for purchasing equipment

and technology systems.

' 'on.st tement and.strate ic lannin.. .Does‘your'unit

51

operate with a mission statement and a strategic plan? The
administrators indicated their unit's mission is compatible
and in keeping with instruction, which is the college's
primary mission, and all strategic plans revolve around this
mission. The faculty member indicated that their college has
mission statements and strategic plans, but did not believe
that their unit operates under separate mission or strategic
plans. Bobbie, the creative staff member, indicates that "the
college sets one, two and five year goals in keeping with its
mission and strategic plans " (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/ 93) .

Technology systems. What are the technology systems in
your unit? This college has state-of-the art audiovisual,
audio and video production and editing equipment, and advanced
telecommunications systems. It operates a public radio
station, microwave and instructional television fixed
services, and satellite downlinks. However, Middle College is
the only institution in the study that owns and manages
satellite uplink equipment. It has a fiber optic backbone
(infrastructure) on campus for voice, video and data
transmission, closed circuit and cable television systems,
access to public television and commercial cable stations. It
has CD-ROM, laser, interactive videodiscs, computer graphics,
computer delivered instruction, voice mail, interactive
television systems, multimedia and hypermedia; Tam described
Middle College's central distributing system for tapes, slides
and interactive video over microwave and computers.

Products and services. What are the products and

52
services provided by your unit? Middle College respondents
lists their products as transfer students, courses, degrees
and services, including the Open Learning Lab, distance
education, library, teacher in-service, graphics,
developmental services and outreach to high schools. Tam
listed "transfer courses, vocational education, off-campus
instruction, high school completion, the telecommunications
division, developmental education and the library" as products
and services provided by Middle College (Interview
Transcripts, 1/4/93). Pat added that "telecourses, credit and
noncredit live programming over the telecommunications system,
multimedia support, computer assisted instruction, the
Instructional Technology Center, public radio station and the
communications media technology degrees which include radio
and television production" as the products and services of

that college (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93).

Organisation Structure
The data that follow' are based on ‘the participant

responses to the interview questions seven through thirteen.
(See Appendix B)

Enefits, What are the ways your unit benefits the
institution both financially' and in the use of scarce
resources? Respondents felt that their units benefit their
colleges by providing alternative services to faculty and to
those students who could otherwise not take a traditional on

campus class. Millie added that some Middle College students

53
could not take courses if not for television, and this means
.more enrollment, which.means more money for the college. Pat
indicated his unit benefits Middle College in three ways:

1) Distance learning extends college courses to

more students who would not be able to take courses

on campus--2,600 this semester in live and

prerecorded course work through different

transmission systems. 2) Production facilities and
multimedia production for software and hardware
give the college more instructional tools to allow
faculty to have more diverse and powerful ways to
present materials and information. 3) There is the
direct benefit financially because what we do is
entrepreneurial in nature. (Interview'Transcripts,

1/4/93)

Pat provided examples of how his unit benefits the
institution: ”The satellite uplink generates revenue as we
act as subcontractor for business and industry and for news
needs, and also video and media-based products are marketed to
other colleges. The college can share educational resources
with a greater number of people in a greater geographic area
through these delivery systems." (Interview Transcripts,
1/4/93)

Tam indicated why Middle College uses fewer state dollars
to educate one full-time student than either the kindergarten
through twelfth grade sector or the four year colleges:

Distance education provides more student contact

hours for the instructional unit through the

efficiency of scheduling courses and added student
loads, which maintain a relatively high contact

hour per faculty. (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Middle College, according to Ray, has an entrepreneurial
spirit, and Mark indicated that the computer services unit

”develops software and installs it in other community colleges

54
who pay for the installation and maintenance. It is helpful
to have the expertise and.provide the support for academic and
administrative computing. This is a better use of our
resources." (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

When responding to this question, Bobbie indicated that
the Instructional Technology Center benefits Middle College
faculty in the following ways:

The Center allows faculty the opportunity to create

or investigate technology and tools for teaching.

The centralized nature of our operation allows the

pooling of resources and technology, and makes

effective and efficient use of the Center's staff

and expertise to help the teacher in using the

technology in their courses. Faculty don't have

time to sit down and figure it out, so our staff

does it for them. (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Awareness and pgtential. How does your unit increase
faculty and administrator awareness of the technology systems,
and, from your perspective, what is its potential for teaching
and.learning?’ The respondents believe that the potential for
teaching and learning is excellent, and that the college
promotes awareness and provides support for the technology
systems. Middle College accepts a leadership role with
distance education and technology, and because of that, Pat
noted:

The culture promotes awareness. In general, the

larger culture [North America] is rapidly changing

because of advances in technology, as is the pace

of societal change and technological change.

Community colleges will need to anticipate the

nature and needs of students who require skills,

and will have to do more than react to change. It

will require colleges to predict when and where

services are needed in cost-effective, efficient

services. Technology can provide the tools to
deliver critical services in a timely fashion. We

55

are beginning to see the potential for learning.

The critical demand of education is to serve it in

a timely and convenient manner. The larger array

of delivery systems will provide access on demand

and.‘will occur ‘wherever students are, and the

technology will match up to the learning styles.

(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Tam. said that planning and instructional advisory
committees, which recommend equipment, technology and systems,
have helped inform. faculty' and. administrators at .Middle
College. They complete needs analysis and offer half day
technology workshops. Tam estimated that the ”possibilities
[with technology] are endless; we have only scratched the
surface and have so far to go, yet we have gone further than
most colleges.” He noted that telecommunications makes the
college more accessible and ”enables us to envision the role
of education in the world" (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93).
Middle College has plans to reach.Russia and will deliver live
instructional courses with interactive television to anywhere
in the world. There is financial support from national
sources for projects with industry and the farmers in the
state. Pat expressed the feeling that the primary effect of
technology is access to the learners who could not attend
college, but have earned degrees without coming to their
campus.

Tam: The biggest impact in the future is with new

ways of learning and access to information,

networks, vast amounts of information to enrich

learning. The new age of teaching will be the
biggest service to the learner. (Interview

Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Bobbie shared her perspective as the program.director of

56
the Instructional Technology Center at Middle College:

A.bulletin goes out when something new comes along.
We formed an advisory committee made up of one
instructor from. each of the instructional
departments to survey and review the needs. The
technology changes how the teacher teaches;
computerized classes solved the learning process
because of immediate feedback, which eliminates the
long, tedious process of students writing, teachers
correcting, students rewriting and faculty re—
editing. The technology is more efficient and
effective and makes learners more responsible for
their’ own learning, 'which. we now' recognize as
lifelong learning. Faculty feel more like a.mentor
and a coach, which they are comfortable with.
(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Millie, who is a faculty member at Middle College, said
there are technology days where anyone can look at and try the
systems. She added that departments encourage faculty to try
new things and that faculty can get help with their ideas.
She felt that the technology saves driving time for both
faculty and students, who like the options, and that the
potential for learning is excellent:

The interactive classes are the same as my on

campus classes; the interactive classes do as well

and sometimes better than my on campus classes. I

would say the outcomes are very comparable to on

campus; in fact, people are more motivated and more

likely to show up for an interactive class than an
on campus class. (Interview Transcripts, 1/26/93)

Evolution and development. As you know it, how did the
organisation structure for the distance education and
technology units evolve, and what is the background for its
development? Four of the six respondents credited the college
president as the major reason for the development of
technology and change in the organization structure. Pat

suggested that their founding president "had the idea for

57
(tistance education and was effective in communicating that to
the board, and the development of telecommunications became
the top priority of the board. When telecommunications was
first developing, the president made sure that the
responsibility was spread throughout the college, so it was a
shared program." (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Tam was one of several respondents who noted Middle
College has experienced many organizational changes over the
years. He said:

For twenty five years there were deans and vice

presidents, but one year ago the college eliminated

the dean layer. Telecommunications and off-campus

operations have had numerous organizational

changes. So many changes are based on people in a

position, their availability, talents and skills.

(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Ray added that Middle College once had the director of
the library accountable to his technology unit and that Pat
was responsible directly to the president” Ray indicated that
these changes were made by the president. Millie concurred
with this assessment and indicated that their staff was
committed to technology and, therefore, there was support for
it. Mark added that the president's philosophy was to take
into consideration the personnel when designing the
organization structure. Bobbie indicated that when Middle
College remodeled, they found space for computing, because
their administration supports experimentation.

Effectiveness and impact. How do you measure the

effectiveness of the organisation structure for ease of

implementation and use by customers, its cost-effectiveness,

58
and the impact on teaching and learning? Respondents remarked
that their institution uses feedback from questionnaires,
interviews, evaluations and surveys with both staff and
students. This information is used for planning and goal-
setting. The following is how Tam expressed his feelings
about Middle College:

We gauge faculty comments through surveys and
interviews with colleagues. We keep careful
records of use and problems in the computer center
with an eye on keeping up with demand. we measure
the effectiveness by the feedback from our
customers. The ideal would be to put ourselves
against other benchmarks to see how the amount of
resources devoted to technology and television
instruction rates. we need more advanced planning
and organizing with materials and to develop good
habits for classroom instruction, which will
benefit students. Performance is better with
telecommunications than on campus, and we find that
students with television do superior performances
over those in the traditional classroom. Our
studies show benefits for students and teachers and
think we will find the same thing with computer
aided learning and computer writing lab. The
structure works well. We offered 80-85 courses
through telecommunications instruction last year
and because this area is under my responsibility,
it is easier to manage and helps with the
credibility of academic programs. We are planning
to add another 20-25 sections. (Interview
Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Ray felt that Middle College lacked the human resources
needed to put more systems into place, and that the
organization structure is not as important as the person in
charge. On the other hand, Bobbie felt that their
organization structure enables their unit to get more
equipment, and that visuals have an effective impact on
teaching and learning. Millie also found that the

organization breaks down barriers:

59

Distance education is cost-effective because it
costs more to put teachers out face-to-face on
site, but we often cannot get enough students in
one site to justify teachers; distance education
overcomes this problem. Outcomes are good; the
attrition rate is lower than on campus. Some
teachers think technology will replace them, so
this issue may contribute to difficulty in setting
up these kinds of courses. (Interview Transcripts,
1/26/93)

Strengths and weaknesses. What do you see as the
strengths and weaknesses of the organisation structure? Pat
was convinced that Middle College's strength was in placing
the support for the use of the technology and distance
education system campus-wide to avoid turf battles.
Conversely, he felt that their weaknesses are that they use
too many committees and trying to build consensus, which slows
the process down to a point at which they cannot respond
quickly. Bobbie said they are willing to try new things, but
bureaucracy at Middle College makes some things difficult to
happen. She indicated that any major change in curriculum has
to be approved by everyone, and when this procedure goes up
the ladder, it creates problems with grants and projects. She
ended with the comment: ”Education is conservative and avoids
change, where competitive business responds to changes."
(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

The organization structure at this college appears to be
flattening. Tam noted:

There has been an effort to flatten the

organization structure to shorten the time to

respond to needs. We have allowed individuals with
talent to charge off in new directions, and the

technology has enabled us to do more with less.
There is more consistency and strengths are in our

60

policies and procedures. Our weaknesses are that
we have grown so much that the staff is worked
hard, and we are restricted in adding new
personnel. Technology is the reason for growth.
(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Mark.made a reference to the low amount of turnover with
personnel in that unit, which provides Middle College with
people who have considerable experience. He added: "We also
have support from the top, but there is frustration for not
having 'the resources for faculty’ and staff to increase
productivity.” (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Future. What do you see in the future for’the technology
systems and the organisation structure for the distance
education and technology units? The following are comments
from respondents from this college:

Pat: The nature of the mission will expand greatly
in the near future because of the technology and
social changes. We will respond through the use of
educational technology, where the mission of the
college and technology will have the same mission.
It will be necessary to build faculty and
administrative experts in.educational technology as
in other aspects of educational services.
(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Tam: There will be tremendous growth in
telecommunications, greater utilization of
uplinking and hybrid systems. We have just
scratched the surface for the use of computers,
where applications with technology will grow. The
organization structure will continue to evolve, but
with no major changes in the near future. When
someone retires or leaves, the first thought is
replacement, the second thought is how can we
replace and should we restructure. (Interview
Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Ray felt that the use of technology will increase, which
will require Middle College to add 50% more classes and hire

more personnel. He said that the library will again become a

61
part of the telecommunications area in the near future.
Bobbie‘also felt that college's technology areas will continue
to grow, and that their organizational structure is flattening
out. Bobbie remarked:

we just went through budget cuts and offered early

retirements. We eliminated the deans' level, so

assistant deans report to the vice president."

(Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Recommendations. What reca-endations would you make for
other institutions in organising their'distance education and
technology units? Pat articulated the need to be proficient
with technology, that there must be support for faculty to use
these tools, and that the responsibility for the technology
must be distributed so it is not viewed as one person’s or
department's program.

Tam felt that Middle College must be customer driven, and
that the structure should be a blend between the driver with
the vision who can take instruction to the cutting edge and
those real needs of instruction.

Ray was concerned about having the number and proper
staff in place to do all jobs with the technology systems, as
he felt many colleges try to do it with half the staff not
qualified in the areas they are working.

Both Millie and Bobbie believed that colleges should
survey the faculty to see what they use and how they use it.
Bobbie made the following recommendations:

Look at goals to see if the technology can help

achieve those goals. You need one person in the

institution to find out what is going on, what is
needed, and what new is going on elsewhere. Do

62

analysis and set good goals; technology is not the

goal, but should help achieve the goal. Education

should follow business and industry examples who do
internships, like in Europe. (Interview

Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Mark believed that colleges should search for ways to
share resources both within the college and between other
colleges:

Compatibility with the technology lends itself to

connectivity which provides better utilization of

resources and facilitates teaching and learning.

Do not take the lowest price. Share one pool of

people to support these tools; know“what department

A is doing so it meshes with department B. Form a

technology committee with faculty who provide

guidance in the planning and acquisition of
computers. Consolidate equipment into a neutral

lab; check out computers for faculty and staff.

Support from.the CEO is important, because whatever

is decided he will support. (Interview

Transcripts, 1/4/93)

Chuck was supportive of putting all units under one
umbrella for control. He felt that there should be a long
term planning process, a clear vision of where to go and how
to get there, what the costs are and what needs to be

implemented. (Interview Transcripts, 1/4/93)

North College

Res ents' P ofiles

Five participants from North College were interviewed.
Their pseudonyms, titles and responses to the first interview
question, which is a two part question, are presented in this
section. (See .Appendix: A. for' Respondents' Job Titles,
Appendix B for Interview Questions and Appendix F for

Respondents' Degrees and WOrk Experience)

63
What are the types of'activities you do in your.job
and why do you do these activities?

lorth College Respondents' Pseudonyms and Titles

Dale: Dean of academic alternatives

Jeff: Executive director of computing and information
systems

Ken: Director of instructional design

Chuck: Lead academic analyst, distributed computing

Adam: Distance education faculty member

At North College, Chuck works in the Computer Center, is
responsible for the technical support and is a full-time
consultant to faculty. Ken indicated he manages people,
projects and information. Adam teaches full-time and loves
what he is doing. Dale attempts "to facilitate programs and
deal with finances and projects" (Interview Transcripts,
1/25/93). Jeff said:

I manage the whole computer operation by giving

reliable support to ‘the users and. keeping the

mainframes running. My job is to integrate
technology into academic instruction, support the
faculty, manage 40 full-time and 35 part-time
staff. I work on strategic planning for computers

and information technology. (Interview

Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Respondents indicated that strategic planning is
practiced at this college. The administrators, Dale and Jeff,
as well as Chuck, the lead academic analyst for distributed
computing, felt that consolidation of the computer services
unit was a good move for the college.

What is ,your* ‘professional and educational

background? (See Appendix F)

64

Dale, the dean of academic alternatives, provided details
of his professional and educational background:

I first started in student services and crossed

over to administration. I was an associate dean,

then a dean, and before that a director of testing,

a counselor, and a secondary school teacher. My

bachelors is in applied science and technology; My

masters is in guidance and counseling, and I am
working on a doctorate in adult and continuing

education. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Dale arranged interviews with several staff members, but
because of scheduling problems, some interviews were canceled
or delayed, and substitutions were made during the site visit.
Jeff, the executive director of computing and information
systems, did not respond to this question. Ken, who is the
director of instructional design, holds the bachelors and the
masters in history. Dale had arranged for an interview with
a faculty member, but that person was not in when I arrived at
the Learning Center. An interview was arranged with Adam, a
faculty member who was waiting for telecourse students to come
into the Center for help. .Adam had been in the Air Force for
twenty years, received the bachelors in history and language,
and the masters in history, and is working on the doctorate.
A technical staff member, whose title is computer lab manager,
was scheduled for an interview. However, when I arrived at
the Computer Center, this person was not available for either
the interview or a tour of the computer facility, which is an
impressive building that was completed two years ago. It was

disappointing there might not be a tour of the facility that

was talked about and written about nationwide. As I started

65
to leave the Computer Center, there was a young man who asked
a series of questions:

Where are you from? Why are you visiting North

College? What do you need? Is there anything I

can help you with? (Site Visit, Informal

Conversation, 1/25/93) .

Be listened intently to my responses to his questions,
then he introduced himself as Chuck, the lead technician for
the Computer Center, and provided the following information:

I would be happy to give you a tour of the facility

and answer the interviewr questions. I helped

design the Computer Center and have experience in

design, networking and interactive media. I have a

masters in computer-based education and a bachelors

in vocational education. (Interview Transcripts,

1/25/93)

There were no respondents with the doctorate, but Dale
has completed all of the requirements except the dissertation
for the doctorate in adult and continuing education, and Adam

is working on the doctorate. Chuck and Ken have the masters.

College Profile
Background information on North College. This college

has created a distinctive role in the nation, and has captured
the esteem of many community colleges in the United States
because of its centralized computer lab and structure, and
full-time faculty dedicated to the alternative academic
systemh My first introduction to this college was three years
ago when Ken, their director of instructional design, gave a
presentation at a statewide conference held at my institution.

When I was seeking to identify colleges to include in this

66

study, North College was suggested several times by different
sources. One source was from the League for Innovation who
said, ”They are not a League school, but they are leaders in
the computer field, telecommunications and distance education.
You have to talk with them." The North; College district
encompasses 360 square miles and includes most of one county
and portions of two other counties, all with large
populations. Enrollment is over 36,000 students per quarter
who range in age from 16 to 100 years with the average age at
31.2. Documents indicate this college believes in serving its
students through different delivery systems and off-campus
learning centers. The planning documents are impressive, and
the ”Institutional Plan for Computing" is comprehensive and
covers short term (two years) and long term (five years)
planning. Other documents include an institutional portrait
which was organized to answer the most frequently asked
questions about the institution. It includes a planning model
which does a needs survey and a scan of the institutions's
mission, vision, plans and goals.

Geographic opientapipp. North College is located in a
suburban area near one of America's largest commuter cities
and the student body is attracted mainly from the county in
which it is located.

Service area population. North College's service area
population is 900,000.

Staff size. North College has 2,518 full- and part-time

faculty and staff.

67

Enrollment. Credit enrollment is 36,000; noncredit
enrollment is 75,000; and distance education enrollment is
more than 5,000.

Off-cgpus centers. North College, which opened in 1967,
serves primarily one county, but overlaps into small portions
of two nearby counties. The college has more than 80
satellite centers and three in-district regional centers. It
should be noted that the total number of off-campus sites
varies each semester because most of these sites are not
college-owned.and are used on as "as needed" basis, therefore,
the above figures represent an accurate picture at only one
point in time.

Cugtopgrg. Who are your customers and where are they
located? The computer information systems administrator at
North College indicates their customers are those faculty and
staff members who use computers at the college and those in
other colleges in three states who purchase and use their
software programs. Dale, the dean of academic alternatives
who oversees distance education, identifies their customers as
ranging from traditional age students to senior citizens:

These students report that they like the pace of

distance education courses and the opportunity to

take classes at the various sites because of their

time constraints, life style demands and learning

needs. Most students reside in the county in which

the college is located, although the college serves

small sections of two adjoining counties.

(Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Jeff, the computer information services administrator

remarked that their customers are 40,000 full-time and part-

68
time students, faculty and staff. Ken, the director of
instructional design who is the college's creative staff
member, indicated the customers are primarily faculty, but
business and others outside the institution are also
customers.

Sources of funding. What are all of the sources of
funding for the unit and the percentage of total funding which
comes from the college's general fund? The respondents
indicated that their units are funded through their college's
general operating fund. ‘They have received grants for
purchasing equipment and systems. Dale indicated that North
College "looks at needs and projections, and where we are
underfunded, we write for grants" (Interview Transcripts,
1/25/93). The administrators all reported that their units
are not considered profit centers, but in those instances in
which. contracts and fees are sources of revenue, these
revenues usually are retained by the unit rather than going
directly to the general fund. North College's total operating
budget is $55.5 million, and the information systems unit
receives $3.9 million, which is 7% of this sum.

Mission statement. Does your unit operate with a mission
statement and a strategic plan? The administrators, the lead
academic analyst and the faculty member indicate their unit's
mission is compatible and in keeping with instruction, which
is the college's primary mission, and all strategic plans
revolve around this mission.

Technology systems. What are the technology systems in

69
your unit? North College has state-of—the art audiovisual,
audio and video production and editing equipment, and advanced
telecomunications systems. It operates a public radio
station, microwave and instruction television fixed services,
and satellite downlinks. It has installed a fiber optic
backbone (infrastructure) on campus for voice, video and data
transmission, closed circuit and cable television systems,
access to public television and commercial cable stations. It
has CD-ROM, laser, interactive videodiscs, computer graphics,
computer delivered instruction, voice mail, interactive
television systems, multimedia and hypermedia. North College
is the only one of the three colleges using compressed video.
Adam indicated that North College plans to use computers for
testing. Jeff said:
North College is installing a cabling system to

support a campus-wide telecommunications systems
for all three modes (voice, video and data) to

every office and classroom. This system will
connect all regional centers and my office will
manage this system. ( Interview Transcripts ,
1/25/93)

Products and services. What are the products and

services provided by your unit? North College respondents
indicate their products are credit and noncredit programs and
courses, and their services are public television, flexible
learning and telecourses. Dale offered "television, flexible
learning, and training «credit and. noncredit courses" as
products and services of that college (Interview Transcripts,

1/25/93).

70

Organisation Structure

The data that follow are based on the participant
responses to the interview questions seven through thirteen.
(See Appendix B) Respondents were asked a series of interview
questions to assist the researcher in formulating strategies
for developing organization structures for effective practice.

Benefits. What are the ways your unit benefits the
institution both financially' and in the use of' scarce
resources? Adam indicated that North College draws more
students because of the alternatives provided by the
institution. Dale was descriptive in answering this question:

My' division. is the third largest of the nine

divisions in the college. We serve 8,500 students

and 5,000 of these are distance education students.

We serve students in ways that meet their time and

place needs. It provides an alternative for the

community that is a sound, viable program that

generates significant enrollment. The alternative

delivery saves space and does not require building

more buildings, and this will help the college as

we expect growth of 36,000 to 55,000 more students

by the year 2015. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Revenue is generated by most of the technology units.
Ken’s unit.generates revenue through telecourses, tape:rental,
videoconferences and marketing courses. The centralized
nature of operations was mentioned by Chuck and Jeff at North
College. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93):

Chuck: All computing is consolidated and shared

across disciplines. We provide labs in one

building for everyone. We can manage our 300

computers for students and all the PCs [personal

computers] on campus with less manpower, which

includes one full-time person and three lab aids.

we have saved $100,000 through the CAD lab.

Jeff: We have seen an increase in production

71

because of applications and support for the

hardware. We have over 1,600 computers available

for faculty and in our labs. We operate a help

desk from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. every day. We got

rid of overlap to a critical situation [equipment

and service] and offer over twenty-one different

short courses for faculty and staff in use of

computer applications and programs.

Awareness and potential. How does your unit increase
faculty and administrator awareness of the technology systems,
and, from your perspective, what is its potential for teaching
and learning? Chuck indicated that all new faculty at North
College have a full afternoon orientation in the Computer
Center, and training' is on-going' on. a quarterly basis.
Faculty do not need to know technology, they just need an
idea. He said that while computers can now compete with
television and will replace pen and paper, teachers will
always be an important part of the process.

North College communicates information to the staff
through a newsletter. In addition, the college has
established planning committees in every division. According
to Jeff:

The potential is unlimited with technology, and

distance learning can deliver to the home and on

site, and multimedia has a higher learning curve,
students learn more quickly, and we can offer
training courses. We have self-paced courses,
individual work stations and video servers for
lectures. We have to continuously evolve because
everything below us is evolving. We are looking at

a mobile van to take our products and services to

businesses. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Dale indicated that North also offers seminars and in-
service programs as a part of their alternative programs, and

that distance education is "a sign of current times and the

72
wave of the future. Our customers are more comfortable with
technology; their lifestyle needs demand more flexibility; and
learning style is expecting more of us as teachers and
facilitators. Technology will help us do it [teaching]
better.” '

Adam, the distance education faculty member with the
alternative program, said that there are faculty enhancement
programs on two levels: orientation for new faculty; and for
those at the college more than a year, there are professional
development opportunities. According to this respondent,
there are ”Spread the Word" sheets from deans and other
department, and he, too, felt that the potential with
technology is good for a significant number of students.

Evolution and developmen . As you know it, how did the
organisation structure for the distance education and
technology units evolve, and what is the background for its
development? Chuck indicated that seven years ago, North
College *was very ‘traditional, but. Jeff consolidated all
computer areas, not for the purpose of control but to maintain
continuity. The college saved $100,000 on maintenance because
of the 'way' in 'which 'they coordinated. their campus-wide
computing efforts. Jeff said:

I made the recommendation in 1985 [to consolidate

the computer services areas] and since then the

department has evolved based on needs. I didn't

follow an institutional model; I read, attended
conferences and looked at the services and support

needed. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

As Dale noted, in 1979, their new president initiated a

73
study on the existing structure. He looked at new ways to do
business, which resulted in two campuses: the central campus
which is traditional; and the open campus for three programs,
which include off-campus noncredit, nontraditional programs,
and the business and professional institute.

Effectiveness and E2. act. How do you measure the
effectiveness of the organisation structure for ease of
implementation and use by customers, its cost-effectiveness,
and the impact on teaching and learning? Chuck responded that
North College uses feedback and interviews with students and
staff for planning purposes, and there is a formal procedure
for evaluating the Computer Center every year. Jake related
that Lake College also uses feedback from faculty and
students, and that the learning for distance education
students is comparable to on campus.

Jeff indicated that users rate the unit and the personnel
in the unit set the goals. They survey students, have
suggestion boxes and prioritize projects based on need. .Adam
noted that North College evaluates telecourses like any other
course.

Strengths and weaknesses. What do you see as the
strengths and weaknesses of the organisation structure? Chuck
felt that at North College, because all computer operations
are responsible to a single administrator, there is not
competition for the same funds and the unit is better
organized to respond to issues. There was concern, however,

that even though the organization structure is good, that

 

74
North has personnel problems, and this was thought to occur
because of those individuals in charge of areas who have
neither professional nor educational background in their
areas.

Jeff indicated that North College's. strengths are a
commitment from the president and the institution from the
top, and on down, where people are involved and there is
support for the systems and the staff.

Dale, who is the dean of academic alternatives at North
College, said specifically:

The first major strength is that these projects are

given the same stature as any other academic

program, and the dean has the authority. The
associate dean has more autonomy and authority than

the other associate deans on other campuses,

because he reports directly to the provost and on

traditional campuses there is at least one tier in

between. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Dale felt that the weaknesses were due to the nature of the
organization structure with the open campus and the central
campus, which prevented some things from.getting communicated
as quickly as needed. Adam, who is accountable to Dale,
reported that "I have a boss I can go to with my problems and
he's been told he is the only boss." (Interview Transcripts,
1/25/93)

Future. What do you see in the future for the technology
systems and the organisation structure for the distance
education and technology units? Ken indicated there will be

intelligent wiring systems that will accept any electronic

technology. Jeff offered his perspective of the organization

75
and management structure at that institution and mentioned a
vice president of technology:

There will be a vice president for information

technology involved at the cabinet level. There

will be a melding of information technology, such

as library, telecommunications, academic and

institutional services, telephony, printing,

multimedia and wiring. (Interview Transcripts,

1/25/93)

Dale talked about what his institution will be doing in
the next two years with comprehensive planning, updating their
phone service, interactive video, fiber spine and networks.
He added that North College is planning to be available to
every home in their district to connect students and
instructors.

Chuck indicated that North College "will double the
number of computers in five years, and operate in a graphical
environment with Windows on the DOS side." He added:

There will be networking for all computers; it will

be easy to upgrade; there will be more faculty use

of software; computers and.communications will come

together. It will change education; students will

be computer literate. There will be no big change

in structure; we need someone with institutional

power. (Interview Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Recommendations. What recounendations would you make for
other institutions in organising their'distance education and
technology units? Institutional commitment from the board and
the president on down was seen as important. Jeff felt that
there should be a formal organization planning process, a
technology committee, project teams and committed resources.

Involvement at all levels serves to create a sense of

ownership, and he added that a formal document defines

76

strategies and goals, and evaluates the project and helps the
staff to carry through. Continual feedback is important;
'inform.people as to what's going on" (Interview Transcripts,
1/25/93).

Dale commented that. whatever is done .must fit the
organizational culture:

To make it work, distance education has to have the

same stature as on campus and the same level of

authority as to who is in charge of classroom

instruction; otherwise, it is a stepchild. The

class retention and attrition rates are identical

to on campus. The telecommunications plan will

change the structure somewhat. (Interview
Transcripts, 1/25/93)

Lake College
Resppndents' Profiles

Four participants from Lake College were interviewed.
Their pseudonyms, titles and responses to the first interview
question, which is a two-part question, are presented in this
section. (See .Appendix .A. for Respondents' Job Titles,
Appendix B for Interview' Questions and Appendix F for
Respondents' Degrees and Work Experiences)

What are the types of activities you do in your'job

and why do you do these activities?

Lake College Respondents' Pseudonyms and Titles

Jim: Assistant vice president of educational and

technical resources

Darren: Assistant vice president of technology systems

Jake: District director of the telecourse office

77

Katy: Faculty'member teaching on campus and distance

education health education courses

The faculty member interviewed teaches health education
courses and loves teaching. Darren provides planning and
management of technology resources in his unit. Jake works
with division heads and faculty to determine which telecourses
are to be offered, negotiates with other colleges for air time
and licensing. This college schedules courses one year in
advance. Jim described his responsibilities as follows:

Jim: I have district-wide management

responsibility for my unit, and develop policy and

procedures. I handle major issues, but stay out of
day-to-day operations. I develop long range
planning for technology and cross over into all
major technology systems used by the college. We

have committees, which can fall by the wayside and

are revived when needed, that do long-range

planning and special projects. There is one

committee where every major technology and
operational decision must pass through this

committee. (Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93)

Respondents noted that Lake College uses. strategic
planning and establishes committees that provide planning and
evaluation of the technology. There are committees with the
authority to oversee technology policies, procedures,
purchases and other decisions pertaining to the operations of
the technology.

What is (your' ‘professional and educational

background? (See Appendix F)

Selected staff members were unavailable for interviews at

the time of the site visit because they were involved with

projects and productions with imminent deadlines. I had met

78

most of the respondents on previous trips to their college,
and at the time of the site visit for the study I talked with
the administrators informally and followed some of them around
as they performed their duties that day. After the site
visit, I arranged to do telephone interviews. Those
interviewed include Jim, assistant vice president of
educational and technical resources, who has the bachelor of
arts in history and the masters in elementary education, and
Jake, director of telecourses. Jim and Jake described their
professional and educational background:

Jim: I designed elementary and junior high media

centers, was a consultant for media development,

and worked in a grants and planning office. I have

a bachelor of arts degree in history, a masters in

elementary education with emphasis in media

centers. (Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93)

Jake: I have worked in health care in hospitals.

I am a licensed psychologist with a masters in

higher education and educational psychology, and an

MBA. (Interview Transcripts, 2/9/93)

Darren, assistant vice president of technology systems,
has worked in data processing for thirty years and has the
bachelors in management. Katy, a telecourse faculty member,

has the masters and has completed all but the dissertation.for

the doctorate in health education.

College Ppofilg

Backgrognd information on Lake College. Lake College's
document, "Responding to the Challenge: The First Twenty-five

Years," is its historical account of the college's first

twenty-five years as a community college. It highlights their

79

distance education programs and technology, and their proposed
future with telecommunications and outreach. This document
chronicles American education, which was influenced by
principles dating back to Thomas Jefferson, who advocated
universal education for the public. Lake College is committed
to universal education and training in a diverse environment
and has taken its mission to serve its district seriously.
Plans include the continuance and expansion of technology to
provide access and excellence for their products and services
within and beyond their physical geographic boundaries. For
twenty-five years, Lake College and the community college at
which I am employed have been very closely tied through
projects and national organizations. This closeness carries
over in cooperative roles of friendship and mentoring. My
first visit to Lake College's central campus occurred four
years ago when eight community colleges from various states
met at Lake College's new Technology Center to undertake a
huge telecommunications and distance education project. I was
impressed with how easy it was to find the main campus, which
is located in a large metropolitan area. It is a short
distance from. the interstate, easily accessible to its
customers.

Geographic orientation. Lake College is situated in a
densely populated county in a large metropolitan area served
by three district campuses and several off-campus centers.

Service area population. Lake College's service area
population is 1,500,000.

80

Staff size. Lake College has 1,050 full and part-time
faculty and staff.

Enrollment. Credit enrollment is 25,000; non-credit
enrollment is 55,000; and distance education enrollment is
more than 4,000. '

Off-campus centers. Lake College opened in 1963, serves
a large metropolitan community, operates three district
campuses, and has 10 off-campus centers. It should be noted
that the total number of off-campus sites varies each semester
because most of these sites are not college-owned and are used

on an as needed" basis, therefore, the above figures
represent an accurate picture at only one point in time.

Customers. Who are your customers and where are they
located? Jim, the assistant vice president of educational and
technical resources, identifies their customers as faculty,
administrators, staff and students. They reach out to three
district campuses and 45 off-campus centers. Jim was familiar
with all of the distance education, telecommunications and
alternative delivery systems, because all of these departments
had been in his unit, until recently, when the telecourse
office was placed with the dean of continuing and professional
education. Jim identified the customers as:

Traditional and nontraditional students; half are

enrolled in telecourses and 85% are female; [they]

take distance education courses because of job,

family, scheduling and transportation problems.

(Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93)

Jake, the Lake College telecourse administrator, had been

the director only a short time when he was interviewed for

81

this study, but concurred with Jim/s assessment of telecourse
students. Jim.also indicated that instructors and academic
administrators are customers of his department because he
oversees instructional support. The computer information
services program serves the faculty and staff and Darren, the
administrator for this area, refers to them as customers.

Sources of funding. What are all of the sources of
funding for the unit and the percentage of total funding which
comes from the college's general fund? The respondents
indicated that their units are funded through their college's
general operating fund. The college has received grants for
purchasing equipment and systems. While the administrators
all reported that their units are not considered profit
centers, in those instances in which contracts and fees are
sources of revenue, these revenues usually are retained by the
unit rather than going directly to the general fund. Jim
indicated that "small amounts of money come back to my unit
from generated income, mostly from. small contracts for
production.” (Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93) The college's
total operating budget is $121 million, and distance
education, media and telecommunications receive $3.7 million.

Mission statement. Does your unit operate with a mission
statement and a strategic‘plan? The administrators indicate
their 'unit's mission. is compatible and in keeping ‘with
instruction, which is the college's primary mission, and all
strategic plans revolve around this mission. Katy, the

faculty member, indicates that her "unit has recently

82

completed both a mission statement and a strategic plan, and
these are separate from, but compatible with, the college's
mission and plan." (Interview Transcripts, 2/8/93)

Technology systems. What are the technology systems in
your unit? The college has state-the-art audiovisual, audio
and video production and editing equipment, and advanced
telecommunications systems. It operates a public radio
station, microwave and instructional television fixed
services, and satellite downlinks. It has a fiber optic
backbone (infrastructure) on campus for voice, video and data
transmission, closed circuit and cable television systems,
access to’public television.and commercial cable stations. It
has CD-ROM, laser, interactive videodiscs, computer graphics,
computer delivered instruction, voice mail, interactive
television systems, multimedia and hypermedia. Katy, the
faculty member from Lake College, feels ”comfortable with the
technology” and uses computers, filmstrips, films, video and
audio tapes, telecourses, multimedia and two-way interactive
television in her classes. (Interview Transcripts, 2/8/93)
Jim added that this college has "two television production
studios with full control room and edit suites, and portable
studios to generate jprograms from. the field for remote
programming." (Interview Transcripts, 2/8/93)

Products and services. What are the"products and
services provided by your unit? Those responding from Lake
College report that their products are software development,

health care courses, and their services are distance education

83
and training. Jim noted that his areas ”supply technical
support to make programs happen, get information out about
teleconferences, and production comes from someone with an

idea or a need." (Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93)

Organisation Structures

The data that follow are based on the participant
responses to the interview questions seven through thirteen.
(See Appendix B) Respondents were asked a series of interview
questions to assist the researcher in formulating strategies
for developing organization structures for effective practice.

Enefi ts. What are the ways your unit benefits the
institution both financially and in the use of scarce
resources? While Jim's unit at Lake College is "set up to be
a service unit for instructional purposes for faculty,
students, staff and community, it does generate small amounts
of money through services to the community, mostly from
productions, namely teleconferences for business, for which we
charge a fee" (Interview Transcripts, 2/ 5/ 93) . Jake indicated
that telecourses generated tuition through the 4,000 students
enrolled last year at Lake College.

Awareness and potential. How does your unit increase
faculty and administrator awareness of the technology systems,
and, from your perspective, what is its potential for teaching
and learning? Jim noted that they increase awareness with
brochures for faculty and students and through their

librarians and workshops. He felt that the technology

84
increases the ability to learn by providing multiple ways to
learn; it gives students more options and makes it more real
and interesting.
As the assistant vice president of technology systems at
Lake College, Darren had these comments:

Technology will completely change how education is
delivered in the next five to fifteen years. The
role of faculty in a technologically rich
environment, especially in labs, will be technical
advisor to students. Students want help with
problem solving and to interact with other systems,
and they want someone to help them with this
process. Technology allows the student to go over
the content a hundred times and doesn't yell at
him. (Interview Transcripts, 2/9/93)

Jake indicated that telephone calls, memos, personal
visits, the telecourse committee and human relations create
awareness, and that there is an undetermined potential with
the technology.

Evolution and development. As you know it, how did the
organisation structure for the distance education and
technology units evolve, and what is the background for its
development? Lake College grew similarly to North College.
According to Jim:

The college started as a single campus and grew to
three campuses. Initially, technology and creative
services were one unit, the libraries on all three
campuses were a single operation, as was the
learning resources center. The decision in 1980
was to combine the library and the learning
resources center under single administrative
leadership, and to combine under single
coordination with technology and creative units.
These decisions grew out of the need to get more
economy of staff and bridge the gap between faculty
and turning their ideas into products. (Interview
Transcripts, 2/5/93)

85

Darren indicated the structure at Lake College just
changed recently in which the telephone system, computing,
office automation and telecommunications, which were the
responsibility of various administrators, are now consolidated
under one vice president, the vice president of
telecommunications and educational resources.

Katy commented that about every five years Lake College
reorganizes, because new presidents change things around and
people power play for influence. (Fieldnote Transcripts,
2/8/93)

Effectiveness and impact. How do you measure the
effectiveness of the organisation structure for ease of
implementation and use by customers, its cost-effectiveness,
and the impact on teaching and learning? Respondents noted
that their college uses feedback from questionnaires,
interviews with students and faculty, evaluations and surveys
with staff and students, and that this information is used for
planning and goal-setting. Jim added that surveys are done
every quarter, and the college just completed an intensive
self-study for the North Central Association. Jim further
noted that there was a revision of the official college plan,
for which they looked at areas that needed to expand, such as
the library, media and technology services. He felt that the
revised organization structure makes it easier for those doing
the job to reach him for help.

Strengths and weaknesses. What do you see as the

strengths and weaknesses of the organisation structure?

86
According to Jim at Lake College, they have a group of well
trained, dedicated, capable people with a strong technology
base, and support from faculty and administrators. Jim
indicated that their weaknesses were in not having enough
staff and getting everyone to agree on an issue is difficult.

Darren believed that Lake College's strengths are their
centralization of technology units, technology council,
ability to deal with projects, and the recognition that they
are accessible to the end user. One drawback, according to
Darren, is that people do not understand the impact of the
technology on the instructional delivery systems.

Jake felt that Lake College has a great foundation
because of their people and programs. He felt that their
weakness was that the telecourse office had no separate budget
until this past year when he was appointed to the position of
district director of the telecourse office and this position
was made responsible to the dean of continuing and
professional education. On the other hand, Katy thought that
Lake College has no strengths, and therefore, she reasoned
that was why their structure keeps changing. She felt that
faculty, division chairmen and students have little or no
influence, because the directions only come from the top and
then move to the bottom.

Future. What do‘you see in the future for'the technology
systems and the organisation structure for the distance
education and technology units? Jim, Darren, and Jake said

that Lake College would be using technology to avoid

87
duplication and to increase instructional opportunities and
improve instruction:

Jim: Our staff is 20! smaller than ten years ago,
but we may start to grow in certain areas. There
will be consolidation in areas that overlap. As
people retire, reporting lines -will change.
(Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93)

Darren: Consolidation of the reporting structure
under a vice president of technology was the right
direction because coordination is a problem
otherwise. (Interview Transcripts, 2/9/93)

Jake: The institution will have to look at
changing the structure to deal with the different
technology systems. (Interview Transcripts,
2/9/93)

Respondents mentioned that areas would consolidate and
that the organization structure is flattening. Respondents
expressed their belief that there‘would.be a vice president of
technology. Jim indicated that the technology needs someone
in charge with institutionally invested authority; According
to Katy, there is a strong commitment to technology and
delivering education with it, and at Lake College, they are
bringing total quality management concepts into education and
administration. Respondents indicated that the technology
systems will continue to experience growth and be an important
part of the institution. The fact that the organization
structure was changed many times in the past was noted by
several respondents in previous responses to other interview
questions, and it was noted again in the responses to this
question. Darren referred to a vice president of technology
when he talked about the person.to*whom.he is responsible, the

vice president of telecommunications and educational

88

resources. Many respondents referred to the need for
consolidation of the reporting structure under a single
manager. Darren indicated that some decentralized support
systems may be necessary, but that planning and management
should be centralized to improve coordination.

Recommendations. What reco-endations would you make for
other institutions in organising'their’distance education and
technology units? Jim expressed his views: ”Everything
should be need based and program driven." He indicated that
centralized structure works best because it provides a "single
thrust and image, and works best for budget and planning." He
believes that a commitment from the top executive staff is
mandatory, and this support must include the president and
vice presidents. He felt the structure should be responsive
to ‘what students and faculty want and need, and that
committees are "important to give a mechanism for ideas to
have a way to move through the system and make it easier for
implementation to happen." (Interview Transcripts, 2/5/93)

Darren and Jake also believed in a centralized structure
for Lake College:

Darren: A vice president of technology brought six

major functional areas together and provided a

cohesive direction, a common ground. You need a

strong central core with academic taking a

leadership role with technology. (Interview

Transcripts, 2/9/93)

Jake: A. centralized structure has advantages

because everyone is in one location, one office,

and one person is pulling together the diverse

levels of responsibilities, especially in multiple

disciplines. This one person can follow through in
a specific area. (Interview Transcripts, 2/9/93)

89
Respondents appeared to favor centralized structures, and
felt that technology needs leaders with vision, and that there
must be commitment from all levels, but especially at the
president's level. Others indicated the need for staff with
the proper credentials. Long term.planning and feedback.were
important to the respondents, as was the need for a council to

oversee the technology issues.

Part II: Summary of the Findings
The data presented in this section are organized and
summarized around the four research questions as follows:
* organization of the technology units
* benefits and potential for growth and development
* critical issues

* suggested strategies for innovation and effectiveness

Organisation of the Technolpgy Units

How do three selected conunity colleges in the
Uhited States, which are recognised nationally for
their technology, distance education and
organisation structures, organise their distance
education, telecommunications, .media and
information systems units?

The organization charts for the three colleges indicate
that their four technology units are organized in somewhat
traditional, hierarchical, line-and-staff structures. This
information is listed in the following subsections under

Middle, North and Lake Colleges.

90
Middle College

Three higher level administrators oversee the technology
units; they are a vice president of instruction, a vice
president of planning, development and international education
and an executive director. (See Figure 1.)

Distance education. The director of telecommunications
and instructional services is accountable to the dean of
telecommunications; the dean. is .responsible to ‘the ‘vice
president of instruction, who is accountable to the president.

Telecommunications. The director of telecommunications
services, the manager of telecommunications operations, the
manager of printing and graphics, the radio station manager
and the program director of the Instructional Technology
Center are responsible to the dean of telecommunications.

‘Megigv The director of the library is accountable to the
vice president of planning, development and international
education, who is accountable to the president.

Information systems. The executive director of computer

information systems is directly accountable to the president.

91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRESIDENT
I
I 7 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
VICE pngsyngyr COMPUTER INFORMATION
INSTRUCTIOW* . SYSTEMS*
(TAM) OMARK)
DEAN, TELECOMMUNICATIONS* VICE PRESIDENT
(PAT) PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT/
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
DIRECTOR
'_ TELECOMMUNICATIONS zififCTzf
SERVICES* (RAY) mm
MANAGER
-‘ TELECOMMUNICATIONS
OPERATIONS
Ffi MANAGER
PRINTING/GRAPHICS
*Persons interviewed
fer the study.
MANAGER
y..—

RADIO STATION

 

 

DIRECTOR
-- TELECOMMUNICATIONS/
INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES

 

 

 

 

PROGRAM’DIRECTOR, INSTRUCTIONAL
—— TECHNOLOGY CENTER*
(BOBBIE)

 

 

 

Figure 1. Line - and - staff organization chart

for the technology units at Middle College.

92
North College

Three higher level administrators oversee the technology
units; they are a provost of the open campus, a vice president
of planning and information and a provost of the central
campus. (See Figure 2.)

Distance education. The director of telelearning, the
director of flexible learning opportunities and the associate
dean of instructional alternatives are directly responsible to
a dean of academic alternatives; the dean is accountable to
the provost of the open campus, who is responsible to the
president.

Telecommunications. The manager of radio, the television
services manager and the manager of audio services are
responsible to the associate director of audio, radio and
television services. The associate director is accountable to
the director of instructional design, who is responsible to
the dean of academic alternatives. V

Miia, The dean of the Learning Resources Center is
responsible to the provost of the central campus, who is
accountable to the president.

Information systems. The manager of distributed
computing, the communications, systems and operations manager
and the manager of the mainframe are accountable to the
executive director of computing and information systems. The
executive director is responsible to the vice president for

planning and information, who is accountable to the president.

93

 

| PRESIDENT ]
_l L

Ff , , l

 

 

 

 

PROVOST OPEN CAMPUS] rvp pLANNING 5 INFOI PROVOST CENTRAL
CAMPUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEAN Or ACADEMIC EXEC. DIR., COMPUTING |DEAN LRC I
ALTERNATIVES* & INPORMATION’SYSTEMS* ’

(DALE) (JEFF)
1 ,

 

 

 

 

DIRECTOR OF

NSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN * _| MANAGER, MAINFRAME l
(KEN) ,

 

 

 

 

 

MANAGER,COMMUNICATIONS,
SYSTEMS, OPERATIONS

I COORDINATOR
IWEEKEND COLLEGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR , MANAGER, DISTRIBUTED
_ AUDIO, RADIO & COMPUTING
TELEVISION
SERVICES
LEAD.ACADEMIC
- ANALYST*
ASSOCIATE DEAN MANAGER (CHUCK)
INSTRUCTIONAL AUDIO SERVICES
ALTERNATIVES
' l
ASSOCIATE DEAN MANAGER
ADULT BASIC ED TELEVISION
SERVICES
DIRECTOR l
FLEXIBLE LEARNIN I
OPPORTUNITIES f f MANAGER. RADIO
_4 DIRECTOR l * Persons interviewed for the study.
TELELEARNING

 

Figure 2. Line - and - staff organization chart for

the technology units at North College.

94
Lake College

Two higher level administrators oversee the technology
units: an executive vice president of academic and student
affairs and a vice president of telecommunications and
educational resources. (See Figure 3.)

Distance education. The director of the telecourse
office is accountable to the dean of continuing and
professional education, who is responsible to the provost of
the metropolitan campus. The provost is responsible to the
executive vice president for academic and student.affairs, who
is accountable to the president.

Telecommunications. The director of technical and
creative services and the director of the television center
are accountable to the assistant vice president of educational
and technical resources. This assistant vice president is
responsible to the vice president of telecommunications and
educational resources, who is accountable to the president.

Mggig. The director of learning resources programs is
accountable to the assistant vice president of educational and
technical resources.

Ipfoppgtion systems. The managers in charge of office
systems and computer services, telephone service and Office
automation are accountable to the assistant vice president of
technology systems. The assistant vice president is
responsible to the vice president of telecommunications and

educational resources, who is accountable to the president.

 

95

 

 

 

PRESIDENT }

 

 

- IJ
l l

EXEC. VP, ACADEMIC &
STUDENT AFFAIRS

 

VP, TELECOMMUNICATIONS &
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROVOST, METROPOLITAN ASST. VP, EDUCATIONAL
CAMPUS & TECHNICAL RESOURCES*
(JIM)
DEAN OF CONTINUING & , DIRECTOR, LEARNING
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION RESOURCES PROGRAMS
DISTRICT DIRECTOR DIRECTOR. TECHNICAL
TELECOURSE oppycgw & CREATIVE SERVICES
(JAKE) '
DIRECTOR

 

 

 

TELEVISION CENTER

 

 

 

 

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT
TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS*
(DARREN)

 

 

MANAGER, OFFICE
SYSTEMS & COMPUTER

 

 

 

 

 

SERVICES
(wiring/cabling)
* Persons interviewed
SERVICE

 

 

 

MANAGER, OFFICE ‘
AUTOMATION

Figure 3. Line - and - staff organization chart for the

 

technology units at Lake College.

96

Benefits and Potential for Growth and Developppnt

low do administrators, faculty members, creative

staffflmembers and technical stafffimembers perceive

the benefits of and potential for the growth and

development of their unit, the background of the

development of the current organisation structure,

and its impact on teaching and learning?

The data relative to this research question have been
organized around the perspectives of the respondents regarding

the three themes embedded in this question:

* benefits and pptential for their unit's
growth and development

* histopy of the development of their
current organization structure

* impact of their organization structure on
teaching and learning

Beneiits and Potential
Middle College. Administrators and the faculty member

indicated distance education extends college courses to more
students who are unable to come on campus, provides the
college with more instructional tools, and uses fewer state
dollars to educate full-time students. There is a direct
financial benefit from the units' involvement in
entrepreneurial businesses, such as the satellite uplink
services that generate revenue for the college through
subcontracting for business, industry and news. ‘There is also
revenue from marketing software, video and media-based
products. The administrators noted that the college shares
resources with more people in a larger geographic area.

Specifically, one respondent said that the centralized

97
operation merges resources and technology to make effective
use of staff and expertise.

North College. Administrators and faculty described
their programs as sound and viable, and as generating
significant enrollment and revenue with telecourses, tape
rental, videoconferences and marketing courses. They serve
students in ways that meet their time and place needs. Two
administrators noted that the consolidation of all computing
areas eliminated redundancy and saved money.

Lake College. The educational and technical resources
unit provides service to faculty, students, staff and
community, and generates funds through its services to
business. The technology systems unit provides planning,
management and support of computer technology for both

academic and administrative areas.

Histogy of the Developpent
Middle College. The position of dean of

telecommunications ‘was formulated. 15 years ago ‘when ‘the
founding president effectively communicated the idea of
distance education to the governing board. This area became
a high priority of the board, and the president spread the
responsibility throughout the college so it could become a
shared program. Administrators indicated that there have been
many organization changes over the past 25 years, and that
change has been based on the availability, talents and skills

of the personnel, One administrator noted that faculty wanted

98
computers, so computer space and support was consolidated.
Respondents noted 'that. the jpresident's philosophy’ is to
consider personnel when redesigning the organization
structure.

North College. Administrators were interested in the
increased utilization and availability of technology, but they
did not follow a model when designing the units or the
organization structure. It was a new president who initiated
a study on the existing structure and looked at new“ways to do
business, and this resulted in two campuses: the central
campus which is traditional; and the open campus which is off-
campus noncredit, nontraditional programs, and the business
and professional institute. The technical staff member
indicated that the computer unit was traditional, but the new
administrator consolidated all computer areas, which saved
money and provided a focus to campus—wide computing.

Lake College. At one time, the technical and creative
services areas were one unit, the library was another, and the
learning resources center yet another. These units were
combined in 1980 to allow faculty to turn their ideas into
products and for reasons of economy and service. Managers
indicated the structure had changed recently to realign the
telephone system, telecommunications, computers and office
automation, which had been under other areas and were now
consolidated under one vice president. The faculty member
thought the college reorganized about every five years because

new presidents bring change and people influence change.

 

99
Ippgct

Middle College. The technology administrators analyze
feedback from their customers to attempt to understand the
impact of their’ units on teaching and learning; They
indicated the students' academic performances with television
courses is superior to that of the traditional classroom, and
that the technology brings out the best in the teacher; Their
studies show' that nontraditional delivery benefits both
students and teachers because of visuals. Respondents felt
the outcomes for teaching and learning with distance education
and technology are good and the attrition rate for students is
lower than for those traditional on campus classes.

North College. The college field-tests their products
with students for two quarters. They set goals based on
student surveys and suggestion boxes, and projects are
prioritized based on need, and managers are expected to commit
to the projects. The faculty member indicated that the
college should treat telecourses like any other course,
because the outcomes from nontraditional programs are good and
the attrition rate for students is lower than for those
traditional on campus classes. The technical staff member
responded that the unit uses feedback from interviews with
staff for planning purposes, and that there is a formal
procedure for evaluating their computer center each year.
This unit also uses student evaluation sheets and
institutional research studies appear to demonstrate the

effectiveness of using computers in instruction. Respondents

 

100
believe that technology is a powerful tool and the potential
for teaching and learning is unlimited.

Lake College. The units conduct surveys and recently
completed a self-study for the North Central Association.
There has been a revision of the official college plan which
identified areas that needed to grow, such as the library,
media and technical services. They use feedback from the
staff and their counterparts on campus to determine concerns
and make recommendations. The director's council, whose
membership consists of faculty, administrators and staff,
meets weekly to handle operations and procedural issues.
Respondents noted there is an undetermined potential for
teaching and learning with technology, and agreed that the
telecourse service is easy to use, and that learning through
this nontraditional method is comparable to traditional on

campus classes.

Critical Issues

What are the critical issues fer community'colleges
to consider in organising their technology units?

Respondents' views of the critical issues for community
colleges to Iconsider' in. organizing 'technology' units are
reported here. The relevant interview’ questions asked

respondents to consider three issues:

* strengths and weaknesses of the
organization structure

* future for the technology systems and the
organization structure

101

* participants ' recommendations for other institutions
in organizing their technology units

Strengghs and Weaknesses
Middle College. The strengths were in placing support

for the technology and distance education programs campus-wide
to’obtain.a.commitment from all areas. .Also, when some retire
or leave, the first thought is replacement, then how the
college can replace and restructure. Respondents noted
problems with too many committees, trying to build consensus,
and the bureaucracy makes it difficult to do business because
everything goes up the ladder and everyone has to agree, and
this creates problems with grants and projects.

North College. Strengths were seen as the commitment and
support from the president and the college staff to the
technology, and that their deans and associate deans have so
much authority. It was also felt that technology projects
receive as much stature as other projects. Problems
identified were having people in charge with no background in
the area of responsibility.

Lake College. Respondents noted that their greatest
strength comes from their dedicated, well-trained, capable
people and programs, and that committees are important to
provide a mechanism for ideas to move through the system,
which makes implementation easier. .According to respondents,
the centralization of the structure under a vice president of

technology, which brought six major functional areas together

 

102
and provided cohesive direction, was considered the right
course for this college to take because coordination is a
problem otherwise. Weaknesses were identified as not enough
staff, lack of personal influence, especially at the division
chairman level, and the fact that the college does not

understand the impact of technology on instruction.

Future

Middle College. It was suggested by the vice president
of instruction that the organization structure should be a
blend between the driver with the vision and the needs of
instruction. This respondent added that there 'will be
tremendous growth in telecommunications and the applications,
and the organization structure will continue to evolve. Some
respondents felt the organization structure will flatten out,
and that the library ‘will be reassigned to the
telecommunications unit, as was the case at One time for
Middle College and most recently for Lake College. Others
felt that technology“will partially compensate for the lack of
resources, and the organization structure will become more
efficient and increase communication. Technology and social
change will expand the college's mission, and it was indicated
that as the use of technology increases, the college will add
50% more classes and hire more personnel.

North College. It was felt that interactive video, a
fiber infrastructure within the physical plants, networks and

the combining of audio, video and data were in the college's

103
near future, as was the presence of the college in every home
to connect students and instructors in the future. It was
felt that the telecommunications master plan will change the
organization structure, which should allow for better
communication between units. According to the executive
director of computing and information systems, there will be
a melding of information technology, library,
telecommunications, academic and institutional services,
telephony, printing, multimedia and wiring operations. There
was no indication when this would happen, but it was felt that
this will lead to the position of a vice president for
technology at the president's cabinet level, and that when
units are under a single administrator, there is less
competition for the same funds.

Lake College. Respondents indicated there will be
consolidation in areas that overlap, and as people retire,
lines of responsibility will change and the institution 'will
have to look at changing the structure to deal with different
technology systems. Technology will increase institutional
opportunities and the college will introduce total quality

management concepts.

Partici ants' ec ndat ons

Middle College. Respondents felt that support from the
chief executive officer is important, as is support for the
faculty and the customers. Some respondents said there is a

need for more consistency and good policies and procedures,

104
and that it will be necessary to build faculty and
administrative experts in technology as in other aspects of
educational services.

North College. Several respondents articulated the need
to obtain institutional commitment from the governing board,
the president and other personnel. They believe there should
be formal documents for strategic planning, goal-setting and
mission statements. Other important things to consider are
evaluation and feedback, a long term planning process, a clear
vision of where to go and how to get there. Respondents felt
that involvement at all levels creates a commitment to the
project, but whatever is done must fit the organization's
culture, and that to make it work, distance education must
have the same stature as on campus classroom instruction.

Lake College. The assistant vice president of
educational and technical resources indicated there must be a
commitment from the president and the top executive staff, and
that the operations should be need based and program driven.
The structure should be centralized for budget and planning

purposes.

Suggested Strategies for Innovation and Effectiveness

Do the experiences of these three colleges suggest
strategies which might be useful in guiding the
development of' innovative and effective
organisation structures fer’the technology units in
community colleges?

The experiences of these three colleges, as represented

by the participants in the interviews, suggest approaches that

105
might be useful in guiding the development of effective
organization structures for the technology units in community
colleges. Four strategies are suggested from.the experiences
of the three colleges in the study:
* institutional support for its human resources
* leadership for the technology

* centralization of the organization structure

* institutional planning

£2!22_B£222£22£
Middle College. Respondents affirmed the need for an

adequate and a qualified staff, and that ‘well trained,
dedicated, capable people with a strong technology base and
skills to match the job are necessary. Middle College allows
talented individuals to follow their own leads in development
of new courses and technology use in current courses. This
college generates revenue through entrepreneurial ventures,
such as production, fees and subcontracting services.

North College. Respondents indicated the same need for
personnel with skills that Middle College respondents noted.
North College conducts a technology orientation program for
new and existing faculty, and training for staff is on-going.
This college generates revenue through its programs and
services.

Lgke College. The data suggest that as the potential for
the technology continues to grow, human resources will be

increasingly important to the community colleges. Respondents

106
believed that they have dedicated, capable staff and there
appeared to be appreciation for the skills of their personnel.
This college generates revenue through business ventures,

products and services.

Leadership
Middle College. The necessity for leadership from the

top, and on down, and from the bottom up, was mentioned by
respondents from.this college. Middle College indicated that
commitment begins with the president's support for the
technology and for the people*who support the technologyu The
data suggest that this college has commitment to the
technology from their governing board, their president and the
college staff, all of which appear to have impacted the
successful development and use of the technology. Respondents
recognized their leadership role within their state and this
country. They are leaders in production, satellite uplinking
and teleconferences.

North College. The importance of leadership at all
levels was mentioned by the respondents, who noted that their
governing board, the president and the college staff are
supportive of the technology. Respondents were aware of their
national stature with their computer labs and the
reorganization of their technology units. The respondents
realized that their alternative educational services make them
a leader in the state and the nation.

Lake College. The need for leadership everywhere in the

107
institution was noted by the respondents. The board of
trustees, the president and the college staff seem to be
committed to the technology. Respondents believed that
personnel at this institution support the technology, and they
are also aware of their national recognition as leaders in

teleconferencing and production.

Centralization

Middle College. This college's movement toward the
centralization of technology units may lead to a flatter
organization structure. Respondents indicated that Middle
College has eliminated one dean's position, and that there is
an effort to lessen the time required to respond to needs.

North College. There is a movement toward the
centralization of the technology units so that they are
accountable to a single administrator. This college appeared
to provide their personnel with more autonomy and authority
than the other two colleges with similar positions.

Lake College. Respondents noted the movement toward
consolidating similar units, and that these technology units
may be accountable to a single administrator, referred to as
a. vice president of technology; One administrator' was
informally referred to as the ”vice president of technology,"
as this position has most of the technology units accountable

to it, with the exception of the telecourse office.

108
Institutional Planning

Middle College. This college stressed the need for
planning through the development and use of strategic plans,
technology and telecommunications master plans. Councils
provide guidance for overall policies, procedures, planning
and purchases of technology. Middle College has planning and
advisory committees that recommend equipment, technology and
systems, and comunicate information to faculty and
administrators. It relies on feedback from the users, surveys
and pilot studies. Staff set goals and objectives and update
mission statements to include technology.

Nopth College. This college does extensive planning for
all technology units. It has master plans for technology that
guided the installation of the campus fiber optic backbone.
A technology council provides guidance for comprehensive
policies, procedures, planning and purchasing technology,
especially as it relates to their computer area; This college
conducts surveys, evaluates programs, operates with mission,
goals and objectives.

Lake College. This college has strategic plans and
master plans for technology. Surveys are used to gather
feedback from the technology users, and provide data for
program evaluation. Plans are revised on a regular basis, and
the technology units operate with mission and goal statements,

and a technology council.

109
Summagy of the Data Combined for the Three Colleges
The following represents a. summary' of the findings
organized around the four research questions with the findings

combined for the three colleges.

Technolggy Organisation

The organization charts for the four technology units at
the three colleges each reflect traditional, hierarchical,
line-and-staff structures. However, respondents from all
three colleges noted that their organization structures for
technology are flattening and that units are consolidating in
order to better utilize resources. It appears that all three
colleges may be heading more toward a centralized management
structure, which might be organized with a vice president of
technology position in charge of the four technology units.

The three colleges refer to similar technology positions
by different titles and at various levels within the
organization structure. Of the eleven administrators
interviewed.for the study, four of the technology managers are
responsible to a dean, four to a vice president, one to a
provost, and two to the president" The only similarity in the
level within the hierarchy was for the distance education
managers, all of whom are responsible to a dean at the three

colleges.

110

Growth and Developppnt of the Technolpgy units

Benefits of technology. According to the respondents at
the three colleges, technology has created opportunities for
the community colleges to extend services and programs to
distant locations, as suggested by Reed and Sork (1990). The
data from. respondent interviews indicate the technology
provides alternatives for both faculty and students, distance
education and technology accommodate various learning styles
and preferences, and students' grades, retention and the
attrition rate are the same as for traditional on campus
classes. The learning was considered at least the same, and
in some cases, was recorded as superior to those of on campus
traditional classes, as indicated by college documents.

Respondents from the colleges believe that the technology
can help build a better product, create efficiency and larger
enrollments, result in lower costs per student, reduce
duplication and allow for the sharing of expertise and human
resources. Distance education and technology can generate
revenue, as well as reduce costs and the need for constructing
more physical plants. Instead of building new buildings,
Middle College built a telecommunications network; these
efforts have paid off in revenue and more services for faculty
and students. The three colleges have a history of receiving
support for the technology from their governing boards, their
presidents and staffs, and providing alternative educational
programs and services within and beyond their geographic

boundaries.

111

Histopy of the development. The respondents from the
three colleges generally’ believe that there has been a
historically strong commitment from their presidents,
governing boards and staffs for the initiation of the
technology programs. Respondents Observed that their
structures had. changed frequently; however, none of the
colleges attempted to emulate an organization structure in
place in another community college or as described in the
literature when developing their technology units or changing
their structure.

lmpact. These three colleges conduct surveys, evaluate
their programs, and rely on planning documents and technology
councils to deal with policy and procedural issues.
Respondents noted that the rate of completion of courses by
students and academic performances of students are comparable

to or better than traditional on campus courses.

Critical Issues for Community Colleges
Strengths and weaknesses. The commitment and support

from the president, governing boards and staffs, the
centralization of the technology units in the organization
structures, as well as the qualifications of their personnel,
were seen as strengths by some respondents. The use of too
many committees, the bureaucracy, unqualified and too few
personnel were identified by some as weaknesses.

Future. Respondents felt that the use of technology will

increase, services will have the potential to extend into

112

every home and that the consolidation of similar units would
continue. Technology will provide the colleges with
opportunities to add more classes and to hire more personnel.
The colleges seem to be looking at potentially different
structures to manage the four technology units; one
possibility might lead to a cabinet level position to oversee
all technology units.

Participants' recommendations. Respondents from the
three colleges indicated that commitment to the technology
from the presidents, the governing boards and the staff is
necessary for success. It was noted that building faculty and
administrative experts is also important, as is the need to

build sound policies and procedures.

Sggategies
Hpman resources. Personnel with appropriate skills and

training were seen as important assets. Respondents at all
three colleges recognized the value of their human resources
and several respondents noted their appreciation for having
qualified and dedicated staffs.

Leadership. Leadership from the top and throughout the
organization seemed to be a high priority for the respondents
and necessary for the support and success of the technology.
The respondents were aware that their colleges are nationally
recognized for ‘their’ state-of—the-art ‘technology' and
facilities and successful distance education programs.

Ceptralization. There is a movement at all three

113
colleges to consolidate the technology units, and this
movement has lead, to a limited extent, to the units becoming
responsible to fewer administrators at all three colleges.
The respondents believe that the flattening of the
organization structures will continue.

Institutional planning. Planning occurs through the
development of strategic plans, as well as master plans for
technology and telecommunications. Planning, which is
sometimes based upon the results of surveys and pilot studies,

then results in establishing and updating goals and purpose.

Summary
The data collected from the site visits, documents and
interviews 'were analyzed. around the four' major research
questions in this chapter.
Chapter V includes the summary of the study, the
conclusions, a discussion of the implications for research,
and implications and recommendations for colleges in

developing or re-organizing their technology units.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARI, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summagy of the Study

The study examined how three community colleges in the
United States organize their distance education,
telecommunications, media and information systems. The intent
was to exam these colleges in terms of their organization
structures for these four technology units, and to draw upon
the experiences of these colleges to generate strategies for
other colleges to consider when developing or reorganizing
organization structures for technology.

The method of inquiry used for the. study was a
qualitative design utilizing field study, which included
observation, interviews with college personnel and a
collection of college documents. The findings were drawn from
analyses of the college documents, interview transcripts taken
from. the structured interviews ‘with the administrators,
faculty members, creative staff members and technical staff
members, and fieldnote transcripts of the site visits at the
three community colleges. The case study method was used to

organize the data from the colleges, then the data were

114

115
summarized to address the four research questions below.

1. Bow'do three selected community'colleges in the

united States, which are recognised nationally fer

their technology, distance education and
organisation structures, organise their distance
education, telecommunications, .media and

information systems units? .

2. Sow' do administrators, faculty .members,

creative staff members, and technical staff members

perceive the benefits of and potential for the
growth and development of their unit, the
background of the development of the current
organisation structure, and its iopact on teaching

and learning?

3. What are the critical issues for co-unity

colleges to consider in organising their technology

units?

4 . Do the experiences of these three colleges

suggest strategies which might be useful in guiding

the development of innovative and effective

organisation structures for'the technology'units in

community'colleges?

The three colleges organize their four technology units
around traditional, hierarchical, line-and-staff structures.
Each college has successful distance education programs that
reach from kindergarten through higher education, business,
industry and the global community. While both staffs and
presidents have been supportive of the technology, it was the
presidents who were pivotal in envisioning the future with
technology and in implementing the technology programs. Each
college surveys their customers and the community and relies
on planning documents for the technology. The three colleges
anticipate a more centralized organization structure for
technology under a single manager who Will be a member of the

president's cabinet.

116

Conclusions

Organisation of the Technolggy units
Existing structures. None of the three colleges in the

study has what the literature suggests as an innovative or
transformed organization structure. .As part of the selection
process for this study, League for Innovation members,
technology consultants and professionals in higher education
were asked. ‘which. community' colleges had innovative
organization structures. It was perceived by the individuals
above that Middle College, North College and Lake College have
innovative and, therefore, possibly reorganized organization
structures. The organization charts for the three colleges
reflect traditional, hierarchical, line-and-staff structures.
In such structures, the units are separate and usually are
responsible to different administrators (Murgatroyd, 1990).
However, the data in the study indicate that these traditional
organization structures in the three community colleges
currently support successful distance education,
telecommunications, media and information systems. This is
demonstrated by the college documents, marketing brochures,
national and institutional statistics, site visits and
respondents' interviews.

Trends. Two trends in organization structures reported

by Ryland (1991) emerged from the data:

* There is a trend beginning toward flattening the

117
organisation structures. This appears to be occurring at the
three colleges as similar functions are merged and
complementary' units are (centralized. under fewer
administrators. This flattening was reported by Middle, North
and Lake Colleges' respondents to have produced cost-savings
because fewer administrators oversee more technology areas.
The literature concludes that new alternatives are needed for
structures and job definitions to best achieve institutional
goals and objectives related to complementary units, referred
to by Ryland (1993) as "family." Katz and West (1993) suggest
community colleges are recognizing complementary relationships
among separate operations, such as distance education, media
and information systems. Consolidating the technology units
facilitates the reduction in the number of levels of
administrators and increases autonomy, decision-making and
stature lower in the organization structure, which is

recommended by Zilinski (1993).

* There is movement toward a single manager of the
complementary technology units who ‘will serve at the
president's cabinet level. Respondents felt that North
College will have a vice president of technology as the
telecommunications, media and information systems merge, and
respondents from Lake College also indicated this likelihood.
The literature suggests that colleges are hiring chief
information officers to function in this capacity and at this

institutional level (WOodsworth 8 Maylone, 1993). The data

118
suggest that this has nearly occurred at Lake College, when
respondents referred to one of their managers as the vice
president of technology, although the official title of this
cabinet level person is vice president of telecommunications

and educational resources.

Benefits and Potential for Growth and Developppnt
Serving customers. It appears very likely that

technology and distance education at these community colleges
will be retained and increased as resources allow to serve
customers at locations convenient to their needs and
preferences. The technology provides alternative methods to
serve students and extends services to customers in a wider
geographic area. The technology units operate in an
entrepreneurial, cost-effective and revenue generating
environment. The colleges felt that their technology programs
are vital and healthy, that they enroll large numbers of
students and that their centralization of units makes for more
effective utilization of resources.

Distance education programs. The results indicated that
distance:education.is given about the same stature and support
as the traditional academic programs at these colleges. The
consensus was that the distance education and technology units
are sound, viable programs which generate revenue through
enrollment, services and production. These programs serve the
diverse student learning needs by taking the college to the

community via alternative and experiential learning modes, as

119

suggested by Lassner (1992).

Critical Issues

Personnel. It appears that the respondents at these
three colleges consider their greatest asset to be their human
resources. The data indicate that staffs were supportive of
the technology. Respondents at Lake College considered their
staff to be dedicated, well-trained and capable, and at Middle
College talented personnel are encouraged to develop new
products and services.

Institutional planning. The need for institutions to
plan for the future will be especially critical as
institutional funds diminish. These three colleges rely on
planning for most phases of their operations with the major
exception in the area of organization structures. This is
indicated by the respondents and the college documents. A
document written by a consultant for Lake College notes the
need for a different organization structure for this college
because of technological change, to consolidate units for
resource sharing and to cut costs. Yet no formal document
exists for restructuring the current organization structures
at this college or at the other two colleges. All three
colleges operate with strategic plans, technology and
telecommunications master plans, and they conduct internal and
external surveys related to the technology. The data from the
three colleges indicate that these institutions plan for

programs and technology, but not necessarily for an innovative

120
and effective organization structure that may support the
technological future.

Commitment. These three colleges feel that they have
benefitted from leadership committed to the technology and new
management philosophies. Respondents noted that the skills
and talents of people were important, as change with
technology and structure was based on peoples' abilities.
These abilities will be important to the future of the
institutions, because, as one respondent indicated, jobs will
require expertise in educational technology; this is supported
by Cornesky (1990). Respondents indicated their structures
will continue to evolve as personnel are hired or leave the
college. The governing boards, the administrations and the
staffs of the three community colleges appear committed to
technology, and. this commitment. was viewed as essential
because of the growth and change with telecommunications and
technology. Whiteley (1992) feels that commitment from the
leadership committed to the staff and technology can produce
high quality products and services for customers.

Concerns. Respondents, who underscored the need for
qualified and adequate staff to operate the units, were
troubled over too few staff, too many committees, and problems
in reaching consensus, and they were especially concerned by
employees in positions for which they lacked credentials or
had limited previous experience in the area. Practitioners in
the fields of distance education and technology have expressed

concern about the problems associated with poor credentials.

121
This is because quality of programs and services may suffer
when there is insufficient personnel or people are not
qualified for their particular responsibilities. The data
indicate that many of the respondents at these colleges are
without degrees, training or previous experience related to
their current responsibilities. However, as indicated by the
research, reported in professional journals and other
literature, the practice of hiring technology administrators
appears to be moving toward a college degree in educational

technology, computer-based education or telecommunications and

with experience related to the technology.

 

Restructuring. Innovative restructuring of the
traditional, hierarchical, line-and-staff organization
structures supporting the technology units may very well occur
in the future. 'This is likely partially becauSe of budget and
personnel cuts. Fewer dollars usually mean fewer workers
doing more work and restructuring may provide greater
utilization of these scarce resources. This is happening at
Middle College where they are restricted in adding personnel
even at a time when their technology units are generating
revenue. The Lake College telecommunications planning
document suggests the need for restructuring the technology
areas. The notion of restructuring organizations is supported
by Tomasko (1993) , and restructuring for teamwork, interaction

and networking by Lucas (1991).

122

Commitment. The president of each college was seen as
the key figure in assisting the development of the technology
units. In each case, the president was able to transmit the
vision.of technology to the governing'board.and.to the college
staff, who then interpreted, planned and implemented the
vision. Feldman and Arnold (1983) regard leadership, which
can transfer the vision to others, as important for distance

education to be successful.

Ipplications and Recommendations

Orgapisation of the Technolggy Units
Lelivering distance education. Distance education

delivers its products and services with available technology
to customers in times, places and formats suitable to their
needs. Respondents from the three colleges suggest that
barriers exist for distance education in the form of scarce
resources, decentralized units and various problems with
personnel in key technology positions. Murgatroyd (1990)
notes that distance education is cost-effective and extends
college courses to more students, and technology will be used
more in the future to avoid duplication, increase
instructional opportunities and improve instruction. These
arguments were also made by the respondents in this study.
The implication is that consolidating the technology units
should result in better use and distribution of resources,

vhfiohwaxfldahuturntemeflfl:disomxx:edmxuiongnogrmm:and<mmnsmers.

123

Change with the structure. Tomasko (1993) discusses
change in the organization structures, but in this study the
respondents' interpretations are different from that of
Tomasko's. Respondents are convinced their organization
structure have changed, and in some instances, they feel these
structures have experienced several changes. But what the
respondents referred to as change had to do with relationships
in personnel, job descriptions and responsibility levels. The
literature (Penrod, 1992), however, refers to change as a
redesigning and reordering of the organization structure that
includes transformation of the traditional, hierarchical,
line-and-staff structures. While it could be that the
respondents are not aware of what those in the literature are
recommending with regard to organization structures, it might
also be that the respondents think of change in organization
structures in terms of what can be done with existing
structures rather than in terms of radical change.

Designing the structure. Tomasko (1993) argues that the
organization structure should be designed to work in harmony
with the personnel, job classifications and responsibilities
across the institution. Job descriptions and accountability
levels should be evaluated and changed as indicated, and
individuals should be given responsibility for their work
performance. Respondents from the three colleges and recent
literature (Rudy, 1993) suggest the changes with the
organization structures reflect the changes with technology,

new management practices and society. Because it has been

124

suggested that various structures can lead to successful
operations (Shetty 8 Carlisle, 1972), different organization
structures should be considered viable. One useful strategy
would be to develop a structure based on an institution's
culture and specific needs. This is what North College did
when they reorganized their telecommunications and information
systems units. The administrator in charge did not follow an
institutional model, but researched, attended conferences and
looked at the services and support needed by the college. 'The
college has reaped benefits from this move, as service is up
and costs are down. This recommendation to consolidate the
technology units is supported by WOodsworth's and Maylone’s
(1993) study.

Bepgfits and Potential for Growth and Developpent
Surveys. Community colleges should solicit and rely on

feedback from their customers and staff to evaluate the
effectiveness of the organization structure. Anthony, Dearden
and vancil (1972) suggest that needs analysis, surveys and
feedback from environmental scanning and from customers, all
of which are done by the three colleges, has the potential to
create a firm knowledge foundation upon which to prioritize
projects and make decisions for the future.

Ppofessional development. Senge (1990) suggests that
organizations learn only through individuals who learn.
Managers with credentials and work experience in the

technology related areas are crucial in designing effective

125
organization structures, in which personnel will receive
support for continuing professional development. In interview
transcripts and fieldnotes, respondents from Middle College
suggested ‘that lifelong’ learning' and. staff’ training' are
important to the institution's future growth. This was
indicated also by the respondents from North College and Lake

College, who expressed the importance of qualified staff.

Critical Issues

Institutional leadership. The presidents, past and
present, of these three colleges had vision and commitment to
the technology, and this leadership carries over to the other
managers and staff, as well. Technology leaders should
possess organization and human resources skills and have a
broad knowledge of the technology units. This was supported
by the interview transcripts and fieldnote transcripts taken
during site visits. I

Delegated authority. The responsibility for overseeing
all of the technology units could be to someone in a cabinet
position, who might be referred to as a chief information
officer, as suggested by Rudy (1992) or a vice president of
technology, which was suggested by respondents from North and
Lake Colleges, and somewhat similar to the organization
structure at Lake College. Rudy (1993) also suggests that
institutions may require their human resources departments to
adopt new strategies for personnel development, career paths

and staffing needs for the technology professionals.

 

Need for a nontraditional resmnse. Respondents from
Middle College believed that to fulfill their mission as a

community college, new ways to overcome traditional barriers
to education are required. As a result, Middle College became
the first community college to conceive of a
telecommunications system that would replace the need for
constructing a building in order to develop what is now an
eight county and global network. The educational need was
identified and the systems were designed to meet the need for
education to drive the technology and not the reverse. The
college committed capital construction funds and additional
funding came from outside sources. The time frame from
conception to implementation was five years. This is an
example of how innovative thinking and creative approaches can
lead to unique solutions to problems associated with
technology. I

Restructuring. Placing the technology units under a
single unit and manager would maximize the effective use of
resources. Krebs (1992) discusses centralizing complementary
units and consultants who prepared planning documents for Lake
College suggested the need for a single manager and a
centralized organization structure. Some respondents
indicated the importance of a vice president of technology,
which exists to a certain extent at Lake College. Data
suggest the need for a flatter structure by consolidating the

technology units under one administrator at the president's

127
cabinet level. Recently, some institutions have created a
chief information officer position to define, manage and
convey their information technology and telecommunications
priorities (Woodsworth & Maylone, 1993).

Supmrt for technology and pgrsonnel. One of the reasons
reported by respondents for the success of their technology
systems and distance education programs is related to the
extent tO'WhiCh these systems are integrated across all units
of the colleges. Project teams, committed resources, mission
and continual feedback are important, and the technology
requires someone from the college with institutional power,
appropriate educational credentials and work experience
related to the responsibilities.

Technology council. The establishment of a technology
council seems to have promise. Such a council might have
representatives from the administration, faculty, creative and
technical staff. This council might have the responsibility
for setting policies and procedures, and guide, coordinate and
make recommendations concerning all technology activities.
The council could be charged to envision the future, propose
and direct plans to make the vision a reality, and guide the
overall direction of the technology to the benefit of the

institution.

Implications for Research

The data collected in this study have raised further

questions that researchers may want to investigate.

128

1. It has been suggested by Kovel-Jarboe (1990) that
there are administrative and organization structures
appropriate to distance education programs. But little
research is available on what configurations are best suited
tolcertain situations. This was not reSearched for the study,
because the study went beyond distance education programs to
include four technology units.

2. A recent development in the management of technology
at community colleges is that of viewing the technology areas
as businesses able to generate revenue. This view raises
questions such as which of these areas could and should
provide a means of self-support, and is the ability to provide
organizations or individuals external to the college with
technology services and systems in conflict or competition

with others .

Reflection

This study suggests there is a need for the effective
development and utilization of the technology units. It
appears at this time that successful distance education
programs and technology utilization that exist under
traditional organization Structures may face problems in the
future. This is because technology is expensive, resources
are diminishing, there is the need to respond expeditiously to
changes with technology and services in cost-effective ways,
and because education is now operating in a competitive,

global community (Lucas, 1991). Murgatroyd (1990) suggests

129
that innovation and development can be managed by institutions
to increase their competitive position through cost
containment and wise use of their human resources. Therefore,
strategies are needed for community colleges when organizing
their technology units for effective practice.

As this study is completed, I am convinced that there is
value in the research findings. The results reinforce for me
the need for community colleges to consider transforming their
traditional organization structures into innovative structures
designed to be effective and responsive to the changes taking
place in this technological, competitive and global

marketplace.

APPENDICES

 

APPENDIX A

RESPONDENTS’ JOB TITLES

 

130

RESPONDENTS' JOB TITLES

Middle College

TAM:

PAT:

MARK:

RAY:

BOBBIE:

MILLIE:

Vice President, Instruction

Dean, Telecommunications

Executive Director, Computer Information Systems
Director, Telecommunications Services

Program Director, Instructional Technology Center
Traditional, Alternative and. Distance Education

Faculty Member

NortL College

DALE:

JEFF:

KEN:

CHUCK:

ADAM:

Dean, Academic Alternatives

Executive Director, Computing and Information
Systems

Director, Instructional Design

Lead Academic Analyst, Distributed Computing

Alternative and Distance Education Faculty Member

Lake College

JIM:

DARREN:

JAKE:

KATY:

.Assistant‘Vice President, Educational and Technical
Resources

Assistant Vice President, Technology Systems
District Director, Telecourse Office

Telecourse Faculty Member

APPENDIX B

RESPONDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

131

RESPONDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

In order to answer the research questions and to identify

the organization structures, a set of questions was developed
for all interviews. Each respondent was asked the following
questions, although not necessarily in this order.

1.

10.

11.

12.

13.

What are the types of activities you do in your job and
why do you do these activities? What is your
professional and educational background?

Who are your customers and where are they located?

What are all of the sources of funding for the unit and
the percentage of total funding which comes from the
college's general fund?

Does your unit operate with a mission statement and a
strategic plan?

What are the technology systems in your unit?
What are the products and services provided by your unit?

What are the ways your unit benefits the institution.both
financially and in the use of scarce resources?

How does your unit increase faculty and administrator
awareness of the technology systems, and, from your
perspective, what is its potential for teaching and
learning? ‘

As you know it, how did the organization structure for'
the distance education and technology units evolve, and
what is the background for its development?

How do you measure the effectiveness of the organization
structure for ease of implementation and use by
customers, its cost-effectiveness, and impact on teaching
and learning?

What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the
organization structure?

What do you see in the future for the technology systems
and the organization structure for the distance education
and technology units?

What recommendations would you. make for other
institutions in organizing their distance education and
technology units?

APPENDIX C

COVER LETTER

132

COVER LETTER

January 2, 1993

Dear Colleague:

As part of a research project for my doctoral
dissertation, I am investigating three community colleges in
the ‘United States which have been identified as having
successful distance education programs, telecommunications and
innovative organization structures. Because there appears to
be no articulated management structure for higher educational
institutions involved in these technology systems, this study
will advance the fields of distance education, technology and
effective management structures.

Your institution, which has agreed to participate in the
study, has been identified as having these technology systems
and an innovative organizational structure in place. The
research will include an interview which will consist of
thirteen questions and will take approximately one hour, and
a site visit to tour your facility to see firsthand your
technology systems. I will be requesting printed materials
that will be useful in this study.

The results of the study will be treated with strict
confidentiality and you and your institution will remain
anonymous in any report of research findings. All materials
will be stored in a secured, locked location. Your
participation in the study is voluntary. You may refuse to
respond to questions, discontinue the interview at any time,
and/or decline to provide materials and information. You may
request that no audiotaping be done, or if it is done, then
you can ask that the taping be stopped at any time. You
indicate your agreement to participate by completing and
returning the Consent Form.

If you have any questions or concerns about your
participation, please contact the undersigned as principal
investigator at (517) 686-9402. Thank you for your
participation in the study.

Sincerely,

Judith P. (JP) Thompson

APPENDIX D

INFORMED CONSENT

133

INFORMED CONSENT

I understand the details of the Cover Letter as it
relates to this study and my participation in this study. I
understand my participation in this study is voluntary and
that all identifiers, such as names, materials and
information, will be kept strictly confidential. By signing

my name below I agree to participate in this study.

NAME

 

TITLE

 

INSTITUTION

 

ADDRESS

 

 

 

TELEPHONE

 

FAX

 

APPENDIX E

DOCUMENTS REQUESTED PRU! RESPONDENTS

134
DOCUMENTS REQUESTED PROM RESPONDENTS

All respondents were given this list and were asked if
they could provide the information. Documents were provided

only by the administrators at all three‘colleges in the study.

PRINT MATERIALS:
1) History of the institution
2) Demographic studies
3) Organization charts
4) Brochures from the four technology units
5) Newspaper articles
6) Copies of the following from your area:
a) Programs
b) Degrees
c) Courses
d) Services
e) Internal newsletters
f) Statistics
9) Strategic plans
h) Mission statements

i) Other information pertinent to the study

7)
3)

9)
10)
11)

135
Student enrollment in the unit/at the institution
Staff size:
a) Institution (including full-time and part-time
workers, but excluding student workers)
b) Unit (including full-time, part-time and student
workers)
Number of students served by the unit
Off campus centers (number/locations)
Budget
a) Institutional support
b) Grants
c) Self-supporting

d) Other

APPENDIX P

RESPONDENTS' DEGREES AND WORK EXPERIENCES

136

RESPONDENTS' DEGREES AND MORE EXPERIENCES

Middle College

TAM:

PAT:

RAY:

BOBBIE:

MILLIE:

Vice President of Instruction
Doctorate in Higher Education
Masters in Economics

Dean of Arts and Sciences at Middle College
Department Head in Social Science at Middle College
Instructor at Middle College

Faculty Member at a Private College

Executive Director of Planning and Development

Dean of Telecommunications
Doctorate in Higher Education and Educational
Telecommunications

Assistant Director of a Learning Center
Director of Testing at a University

Executive Director, Computer Information Systems
Associate of Arts, Computer Science

Computer Operator for Middle College

Computer Programming for Middle College

Systems Analysis for Middle College

Different computer' management levels at Middle
College

Director of Telecommunications Services
(The question about educational background was not
answered.)

Broadcast Television
20 Years Electronic Experience in the Navy

Program Director, Instructional Technology Center
Masters, Instructional Design

Radio and Newspaper Experience

Traditional, Alternative and Distance Education
Faculty Member

(The question about educational background was not
answered.)

(The question about work experiences was not
answered.)

137

North College

DALE:

CHUCK:

Dean of Academic Alternatives

(All But Dissertation (ABD) in.Adult and Continuing
Education)

Masters in Guidance and Counseling

Bachelors in Applied Science and Technology

Student Services
Associate Dean

Dean

Director of Testing
Counselor

Secondary School Teacher

Executive Director, Computing and Information
Systems

(The question about educational background was not
answered.)

(The question about work experiences was not
answered.)

Director of Instructional Design
Masters in History
Bachelors in History

(The question about work experiences was not
answered.)

Lead Academic Analyst, Distributed Computing
Masters in Computer-based Education
Bachelors in Vocational Education

Experience in Design, Networking and Interactive
Media

Distance Education Paculty.Member
(Working on the doctorate)
Masters in History

Bachelors in History and Language

Air Force for 20 years

138

Lake College

JIM:

JAKE:

Assistant Vice President of Educational and
Technical Resources

Masters in Elementary Education

Bachelor of Arts in History

Designed Elementary and Junior High Media Centers
Consultant for Media Development
Grants and Planning Office

Assistance Vice President of Technology Systems
Bachelors in Management

Data processing for 30 years

District Director, Telecourse Office

Masters in Higher Education and Educational
Psychology

Masters in Business Administration

Health Care in Hospitals
Licensed Psychologist

Traditional and Distance Education Faculty Member
Teaching Health Education

(All But Dissertation (ABD) in Health Education)
Masters in Health Education

APPENDIX G

PERMISSION LETTER FROM UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON
RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

139
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

 

()H'ICIE OI VICE PRESIDINT I'OR RISE/“K H INT lANSINLi 0 lelllquN 0 48824-1046
AN!) DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOI

December 30, I992

TO: Ms. Judith P. Thompson
1862 Avalon
Saginaw, MI 48603

RE: [RE ll: 92—624
TITLE: DISTANCE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS: A STUDY OF
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES IN THREE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
CATEGORY: l-A, l-E
REVISION REQUESTED: N/A
APPROVAL DATE: December 29, I992

The University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects’ (UCRIHS) review of this project is complete.
I am pleased to advise that the rights and welfare of the human subjects appear to be adequately protected and
methods to obtain informed consent are appropriate. Therefore, the UCRIHS approved this project including any
revision listed above. .

UCRIHS approval is valid for one calendar year, beginning with the approval date shown above. Investigators
planning to continue a project beyond one year must seek updated certification. Request for renewed approval must
be accompanied by all four of the following mandatory assurances.

l. The human subjects protocol is the same as in previous studies.

2. There have been no ill effects suffered by the subjects due to their participation in the study.

3. There have ban no complaints by the subjects or their representatives related to their participation in the
study.

4. There has not been a change in the research environment nor new information which would indicate greater

risk to human subjects than that assumed when the protocol was initially reviewed and approved.

There is a maximum of four such expedited renewals possible. Investigators wishing to continue a project beyond
that time need to submit it again for complete review.

UCRIHS must review any changes in procedures involving human subjects, prior to initiation of the change.
Investigators must notify UCRIHS promptly of any problems (unexpected side effects, complaints, etc.) involving

human subjects during the course of the work.

If we can be of any future help, please do not hesitate to contact us at (517) 355-2180 or FAX (517) 336-1171.
Sincerely,
“fl . I
David E. Wright, Ph.D.
CRIHS Chair

DEW2pjm

cc: Dr. James E. Snoddy

MS! '1: .m ‘Iflrrmarrrr r4t‘.‘run,’l‘qu.rl ()p/mrtmirn Imlrlutmn

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