6.08

Evidence of Compliance:

Computer resources and their availability to all members of the University community have improved greatly in the past six years. Computer equipment assigned to faculty and the Administrative Support Coordinator (ASC) are typically replaced within four years. Each faculty member and the Administrative Support Coordinator all have use of their own personal computer. Part-time instructors have shared access to two computers and printers in their office. In addition, faculty desktop computers are networked to the copy machine in the department copy room, allowing faculty to scan and print on this machine.

Tenure track faculty receive either a new desktop or new laptop computer as part of their hiring package. Since our department as had a high turnover in faculty, and new faculty have been hired, our current technology is sufficient. Several internal grants have been successfully awarded since our last report, and the department now has two fully functional mobile classroom computer carts that consist of tablets, iPad mini's, and laptops that can be utilized for classroom instruction. In Fall 2018, the department was awarded an additional grant for the purchase of a mobile iPad Pro cart. Plans are currently in process to secure the cart and make it accessible to faulty for the Spring 2019 semester.

Faculty have access to the College of Health and Human Services Technology Support Staff for computer hardware/software needs and service. The office of Instructional Technology Support Services (ITSS) provides a wide range of computing support and training. ITSS support includes consultation on the use of computer systems and application packages, limited instructional programming and data analysis assistance, cataloging of vendor documents, production of handout materials, and a variety of related services. An overview of ITSS services can be found via the following link: Instructional Technology Support Services (ITSS) website

Students have access to many open computer labs on campus, both within the College, as well as campus wide. Within the College, students have computer labs in the ET building and the PE building, all are within a two to three minute walking distance. Additional on-campus student computer labs are available in the Library’s computer facility and Students’ Computer Assistance lab. These facilities provide teaching laboratories and a variety of microcomputer platforms, including IBM PC’s and compatibles, and Macs. Most computers are bundled with standard software (Microsoft Office) and technicians are available for routine assistance.

In addition to the computer labs, the campus is wireless and most locations on campus can be accessed via the campus wireless networks, BeachNet for students and Campus Domain for faculty. All currently employed faculty and staff, along with currently enrolled students, access to the networks via their campus ID and password.

A. Instruction

CSULB has converted all classrooms regularly allocated for REC classes to “smart rooms.” These rooms are equipped with LCD panels or digital projectors, as well as DVD players. This allows faculty to readily incorporate PowerPoint and video into their class time. In addition, faculty have access to WiFi in every classroom, allowing faculty to incorporate web-based media, such as Prezi and YouTube, into class time. Technology is available for the support of every class outside the classroom through BeachBoard, which is CSULB’s “learning management system.” Faculty can post course materials, syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, discussions, and grades on their class BeachBoard site. Students can now access BeachBoard via the CSULB Mobile App.

B. Research

Research by faculty members is facilitated by use of personal computers. The campus has a site license for SPSS for personal computers. Faculty and students who have questions on research design, sampling, instrumentation, questionnaire design, data collection, statistical analysis, and the interpretation of results may request a statistical consultation. Consultative services on statistical software are available as well as assistance with the use of the social science databases, as evidenced by the following link: CSULB Library Website of Statistics and Data Sets

These services are intended primarily for CSULB faculty who are working on grants and publications and graduate students who are working on thesis research.

C. Administration

Computers are used regularly as a part of advising students, as faculty members have direct access to student academic records through MyCSULB which provides an interface to the Common Management System (CMS). CMS is a CSU initiative to bring state-of-the-art administrative services to students, faculty and staff. CMS utilizes the PeopleSoft Suite of software products for human resources, financial and student information processing. These records are used frequently to check course enrollment and individual student records as a part of ongoing advisement and the formal check for meeting graduation requirements in the major. Computerized administrative links between the Department and University include budget and financial records, student records, classroom scheduling, course capacity control, and similar administrative functions.