1. Technology for the California Community Colleges - Where We Are and Where We are Going
John Freitas, Los Angeles City College
Bill Scroggins, President and CEO, Mt. San Antonio College
Theresa Tena, Vice Chancellor of Institutional Effectiveness, Chancellor’s Office

2. Outcomes for Today
Learn about the history, role, and accomplishments of the Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Committee (TTAC) in setting the direction of technology for the CCCs.
Learn about the latest priorities for technology set by TTAC.
Have a discussion about the pros and cons of system-wide standardization of technology and data.

3. History and Role of TTIP and TTAC
The Technology and Telecommunications Infrastructure Program (TTIP) was first funded at $9.3 million in the 1996 Budget Act based on a study funded funded by the U.S. Dept of Commerce—to be called Tech Plan I.
The Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Committee (TTAC) was authorized by that same 1996 State Budget Act and formed by the Chancellor in 1998.
TTAC advises the Chancellor’s Office on the development and deployment of telecommunications and educational technologies. The Committee researches technology trends and recommends the direction for technology infrastructure initiatives within the CCC system.
TTAC regularly updates the Tech Plan and initiates Budget Proposals

4. Technology Plan I 1996-2000 Technology Plan II 2000-2005
TTIP funding: $18 M 97-98, $28 M 98-99, $44 M and ongoing
124 CCC sites linked via 4CNet (which merged with CENIC in 2001)
Provided Library Automation and Electronic Information Resources
Established the Community Colleges Conferencing Network (CCCCONFER)
Funded Telecommunications Model Applications Pilot Projects (TMAPP)
Directly funded Local college and district projects such as:
upgrade of obsolete technology,
instructional network improvements,
support for educational uses of technology,
expansion of distance learning
California Virtual Campus funded in 1998 for $2.9 million

5. Technology Plan III 2007-10 Technology Plan IV 2010-2013
Budget Act reduced TTIP from $44.3 M to $15.29 M on going
TTIP allocations to libraries and colleges was eliminated
Cuts for redundant circuits resulted in 25 colleges with no backup
CENIC costs were reduced and Tech Center was on limited budget
@One, CCConfer, 3CMedia and Edustream reduced access, staff, and costs
CCCApply, eTranscripts, California Virtual Campus, and Library Automation programs maintained

6. Tech Plan V 2013/2014/2015 Yearly
April 2013 TTAC Plan & M Funding:
Online Education Initiative
Educational Planning Initiative
Common Assessment Initiative

7. TTAC –Continuing Role
TTAC provides advice on the development and implementation of:
The CCC Technology Plan as approved by the Board of Governors.
California Community Colleges Budget Change Proposals (BCP).
Technology projects, evaluation of technology projects, and areas for coordination with areas focused on teaching and learning, student support, and operational effectiveness.
General industry standards and technical guidelines for hardware/software and technology related services and approves technical standards and recommend “Best Practices” for use in system-wide projects.
CCC involvement with intersegmental technology initiatives.
Procurement/vendor products to be considered by the Foundation for CCC.

8. Identifying TTAC Objectives
April 2016, TTAC met for its annual retreat. Four main objectives:
Take stock of current projects;
Start developing TTAC’s vision for the next 10 years of technology investments;
Articulate action steps for implementing the vision; and
Revisit TTAC’s purpose and function with the goal of making TTAC more effective.

9. Road Mapping Priorities
With these objectives in mind, retreat attendees engaged in a brainstorming session and came up with the following CCC technology priorities:
Seamlessly integrate all system-wide technology tools;
Implement system-wide data management and governance;
Establish a fully-funded and sustainable instructional technology infrastructure;
Enable students to seamlessly navigate and enroll in courses; and
Define accessibility standards and implement technology standards to ensure access.

10. “Seamlessly integrate all system-wide technology tools.”
Important because
Better data improves delivery of instruction and support services for students with a desired outcome of improved student success; elimination of the achievement gap; and the mitigation of disproportionate impact
More efficient path to educational goal; and
More consistent support systemwide for technology enabled initiatives to all campuses.
Next steps include:
Forming a governance body;
Performing inventory/landscape analysis to establish baselines;
Developing user stories to create standards and metrics; and
Identifying cost components and funding.

11. “Implement system-wide data management and governance.”
Important because:
It promotes operational effectiveness – capacity to produce system/college dashboards etc. to facilitate data-driven decision-making;
Potential to provide academic insights for instructors, counselors and college decision-makers focused on student success;
Design of a system data infrastructure from the beginning facilitates a maintenance friendly environment; and
Promotes transparency; data helps to tell a story
Next steps include:
Establish a data governance committee – outline charter/membership;
Begin project scope and planning
Inventory of current data dictionaries

12. “Establish a fully-funded and sustainable instructional technology infrastructure.”
Important because:
Technology is embedded in 21st-century learning and instruction!
Next steps include:
Performing system inventory and needs assessment;
Identify user expectations;
Outline vision of technology enabled infrastructure;
Assessing other successful examples, e.g. Florida CC; and
Finding funding.

13. “Enable students to seamlessly navigate and enroll in courses.”
Important because:
Students must be able to find and enroll in the courses they need.
It will help determine availability of prerequisites offered by other departments.
Clearer expectations and path resulting in shorter time to achieve student educational goal.
Next steps include:
Learn from other national models
Conduct user interviews and focus groups to better understand needs, behaviors and challenges of each constituent group
Engage in catalog research; consider an online course catalog

14. “Define accessibility standards and implement technology standards to ensure access.”
Important because:
It is a matter of equal opportunity.
Compliant with State and Federal requirements.
Next steps include:
Forming a system-wide workgroup of CCCCO accessibility experts, DSPS campus reps, and members from the Hi-Tech Center Training Unit;
Identifying the workgroup’s scope of work;
Producing a guide that operationalizes accessibility standards; and
Creating training materials to upload to the PLN.

15. Discussion Time – Pros and Cons of Standardization of Technology and Data Across the System
Where can this help colleges and where can this unduly infringe upon local control and needs? 
What are the potential benefits for faculty of systemwide standardization, and where might standardization infringe upon academic freedom?
What are your concerns about the veracity and application of quantitative data used to make decisions at the local, regional, and state levels?
Is technology enhancing faculty professional practice or is it driving it?  In what ways?

16. 2017-18 Budget Change Proposals
Technology Upgrades.
Online Education Initiative (OEI).
Integrated Library System (ILS).
Open Educational Resources (OER).

17. Technology Upgrades Proposed increase of $50 million.
Borne out of a system-wide challenge to meet increased technology costs.
Investment in technology enabled student success initiatives has resulted in increased IT workload to implement.
In addition, colleges are impacted by increased technology infrastructure costs of updating computers, software, and servers.

18. Online Education Initiative (OEI)
Proposed increase of $10 million ongoing:
$8 million for continued support of Canvas learning management system for course delivery across all 113 colleges.
$2 million for online test proctoring and plagiarism detection tools, online tutoring and counseling platforms.

19. Integrated Library System (ILS)
Proposed $2.5 million ongoing; $6 million one-time.
Will eliminate the current costly practice of individual colleges investing in their own databases.
Will provide all CCC students access to a much larger, statewide, cloud-based database of information, and reduce overall costs as a result.

20. Open Educational Resources (OER)
Proposed $20 million.
Intent: to substantially cut students’ cost of attendance by offering low to no cost resources to be used in lieu of expensive traditional textbooks.

21. Questions? Thank you! John Freitas – freitaje@lacitycollege.edu
Bill Scroggins -
Theresa Tena –
Thank you!