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Standard 6.E
Unit Resources Including Technology

   Target: The unit aggressively and successfully secures resources to support high-quality and exemplary programs and projects to ensure that candidates meet standards.  The development and implementation of the unit's assessment system is well funded.  The unit serves as an information technology resource in education beyond the education programs-to the institution, community, and other institutions.  Faculty and candidates have access to exemplary library, curricular, and electronic information resources that not only serve the unit, but also a broader constituency.

   Unit resources.  The university uses a "base budget" mechanism.  At the college/department level, this means that the budget remains essentially constant, other than for negotiated salary/wage increases, from year to year.  At a certain point in the budget cycle, the dean of the COE may initiate a change in the "base budget" for the COE (e.g., more money for one department, less money for another), provided that it does not change the total for the "base" for the college.  Changes to the COE budget (in either direction) are made by the Provost, either on a one-time basis or on a permanent basis.  Positions that are budgeted but that are vacant for part or all of the year (and the dollars associated with them) revert to the Provost's office for reallocation.  However, in recent times, a portion of the "recoupment" has been returned to the originating college.   Budgetary allocations are made to the college in several broad categories, typically at different points in time.  These include a faculty allocation, an allocation for staff (including student workers), an allocation for graduate assistants, and an allocation for "SS&M" (supplies, services, and materials).   Although the "SS&M" budget for each unit comes with amounts for each of several categories (e.g., travel, equipment), funds may be spent by administrators across those lines.  "Budget transfers" occur with frequency during the year as funds are moved from one account to another.  Unexpended (or deficit) SS&M funds are usually carried forward into the next fiscal year.

   Many expenditures are covered by accounts outside of the College of Education.  One example, previously mentioned, is the extent to which funds for various faculty development opportunities are available elsewhere in the university.  Another example is that the university's "computer refreshment" program of recent years has permitted the COE to re-direct considerable resources into other technology applications.  Continuing Education covers most major costs associated with off-campus and on-line courses. 

   The John W. Porter Chair in Urban Education is supported by endowment funds and the COE receives about $10,000 each year from its permanent endowment for general use.  Gifts to the COE have averaged about $400,000 per year since 1997.  Sponsored project income has averaged about $1.6 million per year since 1997.  Indirect cost recovery funds are shared with the college and the originating department.

   As a result, total income to the College of Education from university-allocated funds, gift-related income, and sponsored projects has followed this pattern:

   It should be recognized that these increases have occurred at a time when appreciable numbers of senior faculty members have retired.  In almost all instances, they have been replaced with beginning assistant professors.

   Assessment system funding.  Assessment system funding and staffing is handled on a decentralized basis, with a disproportionate amount handled by the staff in the COE Office of Academic Services.  The COE Office of Academic Services has traditionally handled the portions of the assessment system that have to do with admission to and exit from various programs.  Support for the EBI survey and the follow-up of most program completers has been provided by the dean's office.  Various other university offices—Career Services, Institutional Research, Records and Registration, etc.—are involved in various ways.  As new mid-program assessments have been created, groups of faculty members and various departments have managed/supported the process.  During 2002-03 an Assessment Advisory Committee worked to formulate plans for better coordination of the entire system.  A full-time staff member was re-assigned for this purpose, effective with FY04.  See Standard 2 for additional information.

   Information technology resource.  The Porter Building in many ways "led the way" for "high tech" instructional facilities on the campus.  For example, planning for the Marshall Building (College of Health and Human Services) drew heavily on  experiences associated with the Porter Building.  Numerous delegations from both in- and out-of-state have visited the Porter Building to observe its technology features.  The building is the first on campus to be "wireless."  Various local and state meetings are held in the building to take advantage of and to demonstrate the use of technology in teaching.   EMU's leadership in the state-wide, on-line autism endorsement program is an indicator of state-wide service through technology.  The CATE lab is widely recognized as one of the best facilities of its kind in the country, providing technology-based assistive services to campus clients with a wide variety of disabilities. 

   The COE's sponsored projects have often been focused on providing training and services in the area of technology-software usage and the Lincoln School District; the Ameritech award to assist cooperating teachers in the use of technology for communications; the work of the CATALISE project in helping other institutions plan for the acquisition and use of technology in instructional programs; and many others.

   Access to information resources.  EMU's Bruce T. Halle Library, a  technologically highly advanced facility often known as the "Cybrary," supports the members of the faculty and staff and initial and advanced candidates with sufficient and appropriate materials and in technologically advanced and convenient ways.  The catalog is on line, along with numerous data bases and full-text periodical holdings.   Numerous library services are available on line, ranging from interlibrary loan to renewing books online.  Email reference services are provided.  For faculty members, class reserve materials may be placed online, book purchases may be requested, and off-campus classes are supported.  The Halle Library includes a video production studio, the Center for Research Support, and the Faculty Commons.  Special features of the building may be seen virtually by clicking here. 

   The Halle Library holds 658,648 books, serial backfiles, and other materials including government documents that are accessible through the library's catalog. There are 4,457 current serial subscriptions in paper and microform. The Library holds 973,380 microforms and 11,524 audiovisual materials.

   The COE's Instructional Resource Center, located on the first floor of the Porter Building, works in close association with Halle Library in terms of catalogs, acquisitions, cataloging, security, and the like. 

Facilities are designed to be ALA compatible. The Instructional Resource Center includes K-12 textbooks, curriculum guides, instructional aids, and units of instruction; a copier and printers for several types of projects; computers with Internet access and educational software; digital cameras, digital video camera and editing capacity; binding machine, laminator, Ellison letter cutter; and numerous supplies for teacher-made materials.  In addition, a large collection of testing materials is maintained under appropriate security.

   The COE's Bonisteel Computer Laboratory houses a wide variety of software for candidate and faculty member use related to multi-media-sound, still photo, movie/video, website production-as well as software for word processing, statistical processing (SPSS 6.0), and for many other education-related purposes.  Software for hand-held devices is available, as well as an extensive collection of software for specific P-12 applications.

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