Faculty Reviews Technology Recommendations

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) asked few questions and received few answers concerning a recently released report by the Standing Committee on Information Technology at yesterday's monthly meeting.

The comprehensive report, titled "Information Technology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences: Strategy for the Next Few Years", details recommendations for the Faculty's computer needs in areas such as equipment and infrastructure, access to research databases and organizational accountability.

Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Diana L. Eck questioned whether FAS would be able to fund the minimum computer standard proposed in the report.

Under "Technical Objectives," the report declares that "every member of the faculty and every member of the administrative staff should have (or at least have access to) a net-worked computer through which the [World Wide Web] is accessible" by June 1997.

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, who will ultimately decide the fate of the specific expenditures in the report, was never directly asked about the fiscal feasibility of the report's recommendations.

But Knowles assured The Crimson after the meeting that the FAS Resources Committee had "already discussed the financial implications of the report" last spring.

"We shall certainly implement as many of these recommendations as our resources allow," Knowles said.

Other faculty members expressed concerns about the availability of technical support to help them take advantage of new technology.

For example, Eck described her own frustrations in developing a World Wide Web site for the Committee on Religion.

Professor of Government Gary King emphasized the need for making the Faculty aware of support services that already exist.

"Some questions asked in the [Faculty] meeting have already been answered," King said. "For example, FAS has a Web page on how to make a Web page, but obviously we need to get that information out."

King, who serves on the information technology committee, related his own experiences this summer of negotiating the purchase of a $2,200 electronic database only to realize that the University already owned the necessary license for the service.

Mellon Professor of History Edward L. Keenan, who also sits on the committee, said the Faculty's discussion only touched upon some of the issues in the report.

"The issues involved are far more complex. It's a cascading problem," Keenan said. "This is not a stable universe. During [yesterday's] meeting there have probably been two [corporate] mergers and one bankruptcy.

Professor of Government Gary King emphasized the need for making the Faculty aware of support services that already exist.

"Some questions asked in the [Faculty] meeting have already been answered," King said. "For example, FAS has a Web page on how to make a Web page, but obviously we need to get that information out."

King, who serves on the information technology committee, related his own experiences this summer of negotiating the purchase of a $2,200 electronic database only to realize that the University already owned the necessary license for the service.

Mellon Professor of History Edward L. Keenan, who also sits on the committee, said the Faculty's discussion only touched upon some of the issues in the report.

"The issues involved are far more complex. It's a cascading problem," Keenan said. "This is not a stable universe. During [yesterday's] meeting there have probably been two [corporate] mergers and one bankruptcy.