Chapter VIII: 
Quality Management for Academic Computing

General Policy on Academic Computing

In the last two decades computers have become as critical to the educational process as libraries have been for millennia and laboratories for more than a century. Of the fields offered at La Verne, they are indispensible for the study of business and global studies, engineering, journalism, mathematics, and science, and they are almost as essential in most other disciplines studied a the University. Whether the student is participating in simulation exercises, doing statistical analyses, searching databases, reading journals, or laying out newspaper copy, computer software is needed. For this reason ULV believes that all of its students and faculty must have access to a personal computer, either privately owned or provided in labs by the University.

La Verne makes computers available in academic computing laboratories at the central campus and at each administrative center. At a minimum these labs have programming, word processing, spreadsheet, and database software as well as software to meet the needs of the particular programs offered at the location. Where appropriate, the labs are equipped with networks capable of supporting simulation exercises.

Worldwide access through the Internet enables ULV faculty and students to communicate with colleagues, libraries, databases, and organizations around the globe.  ULV administrative centers also are connected to Internet. ULV's aim is to connect all of its students, faculty, and staff, off campus as well as on campus, with each other and with other universities, libraries, and databases through international electronic networks.

Because the field of computers and computer software is extremely dynamic, the University must continually upgrade the hardware and software used in academic computing. Hardware usually becomes obsolescent in a year or two, and software in much less time.

Closely associated to these changes is the need for regular training in the use of new equipment and programs. The University attends to the training needs of students by providing computer courses, and it provides for the training of faculty and other employees through regular classes and seminars.

Procedures for Quality Management of Academic Computing:

1. It is the responsibility of the Chief Information Officer and the Chair of the Department of Academic Computing and their staffs to keep abreast of developments in hardware and software and to recommend enhancements and upgrades to ULV's Academic Computing facilities.

2. It is the responsibility of the Dean of SCE, in consultation with the Chief Information Officer, the Department of Academic Computing, appropriate academic departments, and the SCE directors, to see that SCE administrative centers have the academic computing hardware and software needed to support the programs they offer.

3. It is the responsibility of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the deans to see that faculty have the hardware and software they need to effectively teach their classes and conduct their research.

4. It is the responsibility of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the the Chief Information Officer and the Chair of the Department of Academic Computing, to see that ULV faculty and students, off campus as well as on campus, are appropriately linked to international computer networks.

5. It is the responsibility of the Chief Information Officer and the Department of Academic Computing to see that appropriate training is offered to students, faculty, and staff, off campus as well as on campus.

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