July 2 university forum to discuss future use of technology at UTSA
(June 30, 2003)--UTSA President Ricardo Romo recently announced an initiative to revolutionize and enhance the learning experience for UTSA students.
"This initiative will make our university a true model of learning for the 21st century," said Romo. "Students I have talked with are excited about innovative ways to integrate technology into our university environment, and I invite all members of the UTSA community to get involved with this initiative."
A public forum for educating and engaging the UTSA community about some of the exciting opportunities that lay ahead through the initiative will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, in the University Center Retama Auditorium (2.02.02) at the 1604 Campus. Members of the university community are encouraged to attend.
Due to the significance of the forum, departmental representatives are encouraged to print this article for distribution to faculty and staff who may not have Internet access before the forum.
"It is our responsibility to prepare our students for the global work environment, and we can best achieve this by enriching the teaching and learning experiences on our campuses," Romo added. "The beauty of technology is that it reaches all groups, allows for greater inclusion of all learners, and helps create a closer-knit community within our campus and beyond. We want to be the institution of first choice, and this initiative will take us one step closer to reaching that goal."
As part of the initiative, components under consideration include creating a campus-wide wireless environment, establishing a center to assist faculty in integrating multimedia into their course materials, exploring the use of laptops and/or tablet PCs, and delivering more courses and student services online to reach students beyond the campus boundaries. The task force will also explore ways to support students in meeting the costs of accessing technology.
Romo appointed a task force to best evaluate the opportunities available to expand the use of all types of technologies and media in support of UTSA's mission of teaching, learning and discovery. As part of the initiative, the task force has been charged by Romo to look at options to expand the use of technology in classrooms, laboratories, study areas, residence halls and community spaces throughout the university from undergraduate to doctoral-level programs.
Members of the task force include Executive Vice Provost David Johnson (chair), Vice President for University Advancement Sonia Martinez, Vice President for Student Affairs Rosalie Ambrosino, Dean Blandina Cardenas of the College of Education and Human Development, Vice Provost Sandra Welch, Director Dwight Henderson of the Freshman Initiatives Program, Associate Vice President for Information Technology Jeff Noyes, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Technology Bill Angrove and Assistant Vice President for University Communications David Gabler.
Currently three committees are being formed. They are: Faculty Engagement and Support; Student Engagement, Training and Support; and Campus Infrastructure. "The task force will conduct extensive meetings to evaluate challenges and opportunities related to the integration of technology at UTSA," said Romo.
"Technology is changing our lives on a daily basis, and this initiative will enable us to provide an optimal university environment for teaching, creating new knowledge and providing community service," Romo said. "I have also asked the task force to see this initiative as a key resource for helping address the digital divide that exists in San Antonio and South Texas. As our students take these new tools to their homes and share these new learning concepts, the entire family is exposed to the digital revolution. UTSA will become a national leader in integrating technology into the academic environment for the benefit of our students."
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2003