Department Interviews - 1997

Interview with:  Galen Pletcher, Dean
                 School of Arts and Sciences

Interview date:  2/13/97



Questions:

   
1. How satisfied you (and your school) are with technology support and 
   services?

   * Exchanging files via email is a very good service.

   * Computing at SUNY Potsdam is good and one does more with technology as
     a result.

   * Very satisfied with how the department handled the Winterim 
     classes/Flagg 162 upgrade.

   * The Mac Duo is freezing up periodically and it is important to know
     that someone is working on a fix.  The Dean had to do without it for
     several months in Summer and Fall, greatly complicating his work 
     schedule.

   * The School appreciates the purchase of the new Pentium in the large 
     Kellas classroom for support of the Nuwer computing course, and
     we hope to encourage other faculty to use it.


2. What services and support could be improved?

   * Responsiveness to problems needs to improve

     Many times, calls to the HelpDesk are not productive, since the one 
     answering seems not to know how to deal with the problem, and those
     who do know are too busy to return calls.

   
3. Is your division considering any new technology initiatives for the next 
   year?

   * Still interested in a smart classroom for Dunn Hall.

   * An MIS-like minor in Economics may be proposed and it will need 
     appropriate support if approved.

   * Would like to encourage and support students to be technologically 
     savvy within their major.

   * Would like to encourage and support paperless classes, particularly
     for English courses.

   * Pat Turbett is offering a "Computer Applications for Social Sciences" 
     course which needs support.

   * Sociology and Psychology courses can be expected to become more 
     technologically dependent.  In addition to Turbett's work, Steve
     Sweet is being given reassigned time Spring, 1997, to develop a 
     textbook on the use of SPSS in the social sciences.


4. What are your most important concerns and priorities for the next
   year?

   * Need a place to call when faced with a problem with an application.
     The Helpdesk is a viable option.

   * Share departmental technology interviews as they are completed.