Vision Lehigh University is committed to providing a leading-edge library and technology environment that enables flexibility, innovation, and effectiveness in all areas of the academic enterprise, including learning, research, administration, community building, and outreach.   Table of Contents Introduction Organizational Strengths Organizational Challenges Ten Goals for Library and Technology Services@ Lehigh University Strategies and Initiatives Acknowledgements   Introduction At a time when information and communications technologies are transforming the social, cultural, and economic landscape of higher education, Lehigh University aspires to be a leading innovator in the use of these technologies to achieve greater effectiveness in instruction, research, community building, outreach, and organizational management. As a leading research university, Lehigh will be continually challenged over the next decade to invest aggressively in technology and information infrastructure, and to be at or near the state-of-the-art in the areas of networking, instructional support, information access and library service, and research computing. A strategic plan of this nature could not be developed without taking into consideration the unique character of this university. Recognizing this, the strategic plan that follows has been founded on the Seven Goals for Lehigh. This plan lays out a broad perspective of the future direction of Library and Technology Services (LTS) at Lehigh University. Detailed operational projects and success metrics will be developed in light of this perspective by various campus constituencies. To foster improvements in learning and to effect institutional change, information technology must be viewed as a catalyst for the intellectual, social, and professional growth of Lehigh students, faculty, and staff. With prudent investment and stewardship, Lehigh's technology environment will be a major facilitator of academic quality at all levels of instruction and research. That same technology environment will also provide a rich array of communication channels and tools for developing and communicating the institution's unique culture and style. For the foreseeable future, technological leadership will be a prime driver of national and international visibility for institutions of higher education; Library and Technology Services will strive to enable the university to derive maximum benefit from this situation. In the past decade, Library and Technology Services has played a significant role in supporting the instructional, research, and outreach activities of the campus. The strategic plan outlined in this document highlights LTS' leadership role in assuring that both technology and library services are clearly viewed as a mission critical resource supporting and enhancing the national academic and research reputation of Lehigh University.   Organizational Strengths Among the substantive strengths of the Lehigh information and technology environment are: 1) excellent academic and administrative support services from a team-based organization that brings together library and computing staff; 2) an exceptionally rich library of electronic and print resources tailored to evolving curricular and research needs and priorities; 3) a robust, high-capacity backbone network; well-maintained and frequently upgraded public access computing facilities in 18 academic buildings around campus; 4) wireless network connectivity in a growing number of locations, including the Fairchild-Martindale and Linderman libraries; 5) wide adoption of course management software (Blackboard) for Web-enhanced delivery of instruction at all levels; 6) growing expertise and staff commitment to assisting faculty with instructional technology and instructional design; 7) a cadre of talented student technicians to support residential networking and computing services; 8) a recently-implemented enterprise information system (SCT Banner) that provides access to data and to key administrative transaction processing systems (such as online registration) over the Web; 9) solid satellite up- and down-link technology for distance education delivery and video-conferencing at multiple locations on campus; and 10) a competent and committed professional staff in library and technical areas. In addition, LTS' staff at Lehigh have demonstrated flexibility and a willingness to adapt to the fast pace of technological change and client demands. The management and staff of LTS have worked diligently to align services and infrastructure investments with academic priorities. Organizational Challenges There are a number of key areas in which technology infrastructure and library service require significant investment and development. These include basic technologies, learning environments and support services, and cultural/planning issues. It is clear that given the financial magnitude of the technology upgrades required at Lehigh that some projects, because of financial realities, will need to be prioritized and their implementation spread out over the next five years. Basic Technology The campus is currently operating with a fifteen-year-old phone switch and wiring for which hardware and software support will soon be unavailable. While this situation presents an opportunity for Lehigh to explore new developments in the convergence of telephony and data networking, it also comes with a 14+-million-dollar project cost for replacing the telecommunication system and intra-building cable plant. One area of substantial weakness is in the capacity of many (if not most) intra-building networks on campus. The great majority of these run on very old twisted-pair copper wire that will not support emerging high-capacity networking technologies unless a major investment is made in re-cabling. Finally, with respect to enterprise support systems, there is very limited institutional information existing within a centralized data warehouse from which to efficiently and effectively extract data for operational and executive reporting. Learning Environments and Support Services The number of classrooms currently equipped with flexible, state of the art computing and presentation systems is inadequate to meet the rapidly escalating demand from faculty for such facilities. Furthermore, there are at present only three classroom locations available for full satellite delivery of distance education, with one additional site capable of video-conferencing. Scaling up distance education and the use of multimedia in the classroom will require facilities' upgrades. Though online instruction and course management software (Blackboard) have begun to take hold at Lehigh in recent years, innovative uses of instructional technology are not widespread. Until recently, there was little available in the way of professional consulting and support for faculty wishing to make extensive use of technology in their teaching. While the last two years have seen growth in the number and sophistication of instructional technology consultants, there is an ongoing need for increased expertise in this area, and there is a related need for a more intense faculty development focus on the capabilities of Web course development and technology-mediated learning. In the absence of these elements, Lehigh will not take full advantage of the capabilities intrinsic in resources such as Internet2, which could be widely used to extend and enhance the classroom experience in many disciplines through real-time video delivery, multi-site interactive courses, remote instrumentation, and other related applications. In addition, true supercomputing is not at the moment available on campus to faculty and graduate student researchers, nor is there very deep professional consulting support available to facilitate development of supercomputing and parallel computing applications. Linderman Library, a very important learning environment in its role as a library, is in desperate need of renovation. It has the potential to address the need for technically flexible seminar space and student collaborative learning areas. Since the libraries will be completely full within the next five years, there is also a need for increased and updated book stacks and library materials storage even with the expected growth in electronic publications. Cultural/Planning Issues Beyond these specific shortcomings, there are some other less tangible aspects of the environment that impede progress. Staffing within almost all areas of technology support at Lehigh is extremely lean, to the degree that critical services such as networking and library systems support rely on the expertise of single individuals. There is also a historical sense that tried and true technical approaches are best for an institution with limited staff resources; this view curtails innovation and risk-taking with respect to the technology infrastructure. In a more general sense, in technology areas the institutional culture has been described as risk-averse. Finally, Lehigh is struggling to define and expand its strategic programmatic fit in the increasingly competitive domain of distance education. There is a need for a coherent market strategy and increased regional, national, and international visibility for distance education initiatives to succeed as desired. Ten Goals for Library and Technology Services @ Lehigh University In an era in which information technology has become a ubiquitous presence in academic institutions, and in a social context in which information technology is widely viewed as an enabler of efficiency and competitiveness, it is important that we at Lehigh "not mistake the tool for the goal."1 The challenge of the next several years at Lehigh will be to make thoughtful use of information technology and library resources for the enrichment and extension of the learning environment without allowing technology alone to drive the evolution of that environment. As Lehigh aspires to find its place among the top 40 universities in the United States, information technology will be an indispensable enabler of new collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives such as those even now getting under way in opto-electronics and photonics, computer science, and bio-engineering. A major resource challenge for Lehigh University will be balancing existing Library and Technology Services' priorities in concert with the assumed growth and demand for new technology support and new program offerings and services. Though Lehigh's technical infrastructure and technical support staff are solid, there will be challenges in many information technology-related areas if the institution's overarching goal of achieving a new prominence and visibility in teaching, research, and service is to be met. To this end, an agenda for action for the next five years has been identified by the management of Library and Technology Services in collaboration with faculty and staff from throughout the university. This agenda embraces broad initiatives in ten major areas that all impact the teaching, research, and service missions of the university: To extend the reach of the learning environment, we will work to enhance campus connectivity and student access. To strengthen support and provide new accommodations for learning and research, we will re-invigorate library facilities, services and collections. To support flexible and evolving teaching modalities, we will enhance the learning environment through such activities as the creation of an instructional design support facility (Lehigh lab) for faculty and the development of state-of-the-art "adaptable classrooms". To foster intellectual growth and to encourage individual involvement in the life of the university, we will encourage innovative uses of technology to create a balanced E-learning and campus community. To better support the research initiatives of faculty and graduate students, we will enhance academic and research computing capacity. To reach out to new student populations, to facilitate the globalization of Lehigh's academic programs, and to extend availability of the undergraduate experience beyond the bounds of the traditional classroom, we will support growth and improvement in Distance Education. To enable Lehigh students, faculty, and staff to be adept, knowledgeable users of the technology and research tools of the 21st century, we will implement multi-faceted learning and support models for technology and information services. To make Lehigh a visible participant in the global academic and research community, we will leverage technology resources for expanded development and outreach activities. To provide timely, reliable institutional information to Lehigh students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever it is needed, we will expand Lehigh's Enterprise-Wide Information System (LEWIS). To better reach current and potential institutional constituents, be they students, faculty, corporate partners, or alumni, we will enhance marketing and communications through technology. With careful, concerted attention to, and investment in, these broad initiatives, Lehigh will move closer to realizing its goal of emerging over the next decade as an innovative, flexible university with a scope and international reach well beyond its size. Strategies and Initiatives Lehigh University, like most research universities, faces the daunting task of maintaining a robust library and technology infrastructure for students, faculty, and staff at a time when technology changes so fast it becomes increasingly difficult to plan and finance new technology initiatives. The strategic planning initiatives which are outlined in this document highlight the areas where Lehigh University will be focusing its collective energies during the next five years to support the technology and library information resource needs of students, faculty, and staff. This plan highlights ten strategic information resource goals for Lehigh. The planning and implementation for these ten goals will be developed by LTS in concert with various campus constituencies over the next five years.

1. Enhance Student Access and Campus Connectivity Provide the opportunity to access information, library services, communication services and computational resources from any location, at any time. Integrate a broad range of mobile computing and communications devices into the campus network environment. Expand high-speed wired and wireless network connections to include classrooms and public spaces. Reexamine the costs and benefits of a student laptop initiative. Provide enhanced communications access from on and off-campus to Lehigh's e-resources. Create a student technology access environment which is responsive to the needs of physically challenged individuals. Ensure that sufficient commodity Internet and Internet2 bandwidth is available for academic, research and administrative endeavors. Research and implement a campus network plan which connects the campus, E-mountain, and the South Side research park/incubators with high-speed fiber-optic and wireless connectivity. Replace the existing antiquated Intecom telecommunications system.

9. Expand Lehigh's Enterprise-Wide Information System (LEWIS) Leverage the new unified enterprise-wide system (LEWIS) to improve access to institutional information, and to ensure reliability and accuracy of data to:
Enhance web access for both on-campus and distributed client utilization. Integrate e-services using a common internet payment methodology for on-line purchasing applications in athletics, alumni, admissions, Zoellner Arts Center, university bookstore, and various other areas of campus. Maintain vendor software currency thereby utilizing new and enhanced software functionality and service offerings. Develop campus-wide data warehousing capacities to improve data administration and management.
Implement an integrated web-based information and communications environment (portal) for campus-wide services. Maintain a hardware infrastructure to ensure that client service levels are continually met.

10. Enhance Marketing and Communications Assess current LTS communication vehicles and develop a communications plan that widely and effectively promotes the mission and services of Lehigh University to local, state, national, and international constituencies. Work with appropriate departments (External Relations, University Advancement, Alumni Association, Admissions, etc.) to deliver a high-quality e-communication portal which:

Keeps Lehigh students, faculty, and staff well informed about current and planned technological resources that are designed to increase their overall productivity. Communicates to prospective students (and parents) the relevant benefits of new technological and library resources that will be available to enhance their learning potential. Engages alumni and friends in the university enterprise as mentors, benefactors and lifelong learners through frequent and targeted communication. Strengthens the university's image as a technology and library leader with key external prospects, opinion leaders, professional organizations, and members of the media. Conducts qualitative research to identify, understand, and respond to the service needs of Lehigh students, faculty, and staff.

 

1 Stanley Katz, in his "Chronicle Review" essay in the June 15, 2001, issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, uses this phrase as shorthand for an unimaginative and unexamined vision of technology as an end in itself in higher education.         Acknowledgement The following Strategic Plan for Library and Technology Services at Lehigh University is the result of a six-month collaborative planning process that involved a broad cross section of the campus community. Key campus leaders representing each academic college and several student administrative support areas actively participated in identifying strengths and challenges related to library and technology services at Lehigh University and how they support and enhance instruction, research, outreach, student life, administrative services, and communication with external constituencies. I would like to acknowledge the following Lehigh University faculty and staff for their time and effort in developing this strategic planning document: Robert Kendi, Director, The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communications Susan Lantz, Associate Dean, Student Life Joseph Lucia, Director, Library Technology and Access Services, Library and Technology Services Linda Mery, Assistant to the Provost for Budget Management, Office of the Provost William Michalerya, Associate Vice President, Government Relations Dr. Carl Moses, Associate Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences Stephen Oblas, Director of Internet Services, University Relations Peggy Plympton, Vice President, Finance and Administration Dr. Edward Shapiro, Department Chairperson, Education and Human Services I would also like to acknowledge the work of the Library and Technology Services Directors on this plan. They are: Jim Brown, Distance Education; Susan Cady; Administrative Services; Jean Farrington, Staff and Resource Development; Tim Foley, Client Services; Roy Gruver, Technology Management; Joe Lucia, Library Access and Technology; Manny Pena, Enterprise Systems Implementation; Christy Roysdon, Collection Management; and Dina Wills, Faculty Development. Without the combined contributions of these individuals and many members of the Library and Technology Services staff, this strategic planning document would not have been possible. Bruce M. Taggart Vice Provost Library and Technology Services   Spring 2002   - Most photographs by Liz Colley. - Web page layout by Steve Sakasitz. - Title background mural from the E.W. Fairchild Martindale Library lounge by Theater Professor Drew Frances and his students, Winter 2002.