A technology survey now available on Ball State's Web site allows students to express their general technology needs and suggest ways the university can enhance its resources throughout campus.
The Students Technology Preference Survey, which has been online for a little more than three weeks, is accessible from www.bsu.edu/advising and www.bsu.edu/library.
The survey was developed by the Environmental Scanning Committee and the Information Technology Advisory Group, whose mission is "to assist and provide valuable feedback for shaping the technology-related support on campus."
O'Neal Smitherman, vice president for the Office of Information Technology, said the Students Technology Preference Survey will help the university decide how it can most effectively improve the resources it provides to students each semester.
-á "We hope to be able to accurately address some of the students' most important technology needs," Smitherman said.
-á-á-áPeter Osborne, media relations manager for University Communications, said the 13-question survey is anonymous and should take no more than three minutes to complete.
-á-á-áGeneral survey questions center on each student's major and year in school, while more specific questions focus on how frequently each student uses university computer labs and software such as Microsoft Word, Osborne said. Another part of the survey allows students to rate the importance of campus resources such as video conferencing systems and e-classrooms, he said.
-á-á-áStudents also have the opportunity to suggest whether providing a computer lease opportunity for students and developing more partnerships with technology companies will help to enhance Ball State's technological resources in the future, he said.
-á-á-áSmitherman said the idea for the Students Technology Preference Survey came after a similar faculty technology survey was administered in November, during which 700 of the more than 900 campus faculty members responded. The Office of Information Technology is currently reviewing results from November's survey as it plans its technology purchases for the summer and fall.
Smitherman said researchers within the Information Technology Division are also analyzing incoming results from the Students Technology Preference Survey, which will remain online until the Office of Information Technology receives a representative number of the student population. Thus far, more than 2,000 students have responded to the survey.
-á-á-áSmitherman encourages all students who have not completed the survey to take the time to provide their input as soon as they can.
-á-á-áOnly when more students respond can progress be made in effectively enhancing campus technology for next semester, he said.
-á-á-á"This is a great way for students to engage in the decision-making process for the technology on campus," Smitherman said. "I'd love it if every student gave us feedback. The more input we get from them, the better they will influence the kind of decisions we are making even now."
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