Mission

The Office of Academic Computing (OAC) strives to create an interactive learning environment for students, faculty, and staff, through the use of Information Technology (IT), which fosters personal and professional development, while emphasizing a high level of ethical behavior. The learning environment of Frostburg State University places particular emphasis on a broad educational background while encouraging the exploration of new ideas and development of a strong system of personal values. The collaborative learning environment, emphasizing a close relationship among faculty and students, creates unique opportunities for the personal and professional development of all members of the campus community.

The role of OAC in developing such a learning environment includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• advising academic departments on specific strategies for incorporating IT into the curriculum;
• integrating planning initiatives with other campus entities for efficient, effective implementation of IT across campus;
• providing modern, well-maintained facilities to support academic IT initiatives;
• provide superior training opportunities for all members of the campus community in the use of diverse technologies;
• developing outreach opportunities to meet the University's goal of becoming a regional resource center;
• providing help-line support to all members of the campus in the use of academic technology; and
• developing the necessary plans and programs to insure academic IT initiatives will succeed after they are implemented.

OAC Vision
Successful accomplishment of the mission will create an environment where every member of the University community will be able to communicate easily with colleagues on campus as well as with the global educational community from his or her place of residence, work, or study.

Frostburg State University will become the technology resource center for the region, providing ever expanding opportunities to the educational, business, government, and individual partners in the area.

Though the integration of IT into the curriculum, graduates of FSU will develop an advanced set of skills in the areas of critical thinking, information synthesis, and decision making, which will enable them to succeed in the Knowledge/Communication Age.

Faculty will develop diverse collegial relationships with peers throughout the global educational community, thus enriching their areas of interest, knowledge, and expertise. Such expansion will have influence on the quality of education they can then offer to students, as well as to other members of the University.

OAC will become the coordinating body of all academic IT initiatives to insure their success over time.

OAC Guiding Principles
1. Imagination and Creativity: The ever increasing ubiquity of IT in both higher education and society demands constant attention. As the brief history of IT clearly reveals, what is state-of-the-art today will be obsolete tomorrow. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that all plans and programs incorporate a vision of the future if they are to produce successful results.

2. Technical Competency: Keeping up with the rapid advances in IT requires the continuous pursuit of education, training, and professional development opportunities by all members of OAC. Adequate resources must be provided to ensure everyone within the office has the opportunity to acquire and maintain the competencies so necessary for successful support.

3. Communication: IT is a highly technical arena with a language all its own. Unfortunately, the majority of those who require our services do not speak that language. Therefore, it is essential that all members of the department develop an ability to communicate effectivley with their non-technical colleagues.

4. Flexibility and Adaptability: Technology, by its very nature, is constantly changing. Moreover, there are usually multiple ways to solve most problems, accomplish most tasks, and design most systems. Each member of department should develop an ability to devise a non-standard solution, accept differing viewpoints, and support diverse technologies.

5. Candor: IT tends to involve substantial resource allocation, thus leaving little room for error in times of fiscal constraint. Each member of the OAC team should be encouraged to engage in honest, candid discussions of all issues within the department. Each member of the group possesses specific skills and knowledge unavailable to the others but which can serve to enrich and broaden any process of planning, development, problem-solving, or evolution.

6. Collegiality: OAC is a service organization whose constituency includes the students, faculty, and staff of the University.