Strategy and Management

Issue

There has been a trend towards devolving central services to departments. With regard to the facilities being discussed at this meeting, the group agreed that there are clear benefits to be gained by provision of effective central services.

Recommendation

Central services can be effective in supporting teachers. Sites need to set standards of service — what is supported as a minimum and what can be provided beyond that — through Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Sites need to be increasingly visionary while leaving some space for pragmatic decisions. Irrespective of the level of convergence of service departments within an institution, there is a need for services to pull together, foster the relationships and provide a seamless service. Sites need to decide what level of self sufficiency is expected of individuals, departments and faculties.

Issue

Lecturers need to be confident in their use of equipment and this is often not the case.

Recommendation

Support lecturers by:

• • individual support initially — staff tend to be at institutions for some years and thus one-to-one may be effective
• • have a strategy towards self-drive of equipment

Issue

We are often unable to justify the cost of the additional equipment — we must be able to do this. We need to be able to measure costs, effectiveness and cost recovery mechanisms

Recommendation

Procedures need to be put in place in institutions to measure cost benefit. Case studies of good practice and examples of business plans could be very usefully exchanged.

Issue

Equipment goes out of date very quickly (almost immediately it seems) and we need to plan for change.

Recommendation

We cannot plan for periods of equipment stability much beyond 3 years. One possible model of funding is to lease equipment. Leasing equipment should be investigated.

Issue

There is a need for a strategic approach to the use of technology in teaching and learning.

Recommendation

JISC should develop/acquire some sample business plans for implementing best practice in the provision of lecture room services.

A portfolio of management-persuading quotations and strategic statements should be put together.

Issue

Capital (windfall funding) can be easier to obtain than ongoing maintenance and support costs which must be met if the technology is to be effectively used. How do we manage to make effective cases for funding on ongoing costs?

Recommendation

A series of case studies reflecting different institutional approaches to solving the problem of equipment provision should be commissioned so that we can learn from each other and share experience.

Issue

Facility booking in institutions can be a major problem with different organisations handing AV, computing and room allocations.

Recommendation

Sites should have this issue highlighted as a potential blockage to the takeup of IT in teaching and learning.

Issue

Are learning resource centres the answer to problems?

Recommendation

There are examples of these and a study should be conducted. The one-stop-shop may be a useful model depending on the nature of the institution. There are territorial issues and a culture change is needed.

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