Educational Technology Team
Terms of Reference
UA Goal:
Significantly broadening the academic degree and workforce training
opportunities we offer to our Alaskan students by enabling our students at any
location, to be served the best the University has to offer, from any location.
UA Strategies:
 Maximize effective use of modern educational technology to improve faculty
productivity, course quality and ensure cost-effective educational opportunities
are made available to the largest number of students throughout the state.
 Align business processes, information technology developments, and student
services in ways that are fundamentally student-centric.
Purpose of the Educational Technology Team
To ensure that UA fully implements these strategies to meet its goal, President
Hamilton chartered the Educational Technology Team (ETT). The ETT is
charged with:
 Directing concerted and coordinated actions in the incorporation of educational
technology in our teaching and training programs, in both distance and oncampus offerings.
 Ensuring that policies and procedures associated with distance education are
aligned with on-campus support and delivery, and with other academic program
development and student service efforts.
 Broad oversight and support of the UA Distance Education Steering Board.
ETT Membership:
VP for Health Programs (VPHP) has been designated the Chair the ETT by the
VP for Academic Affairs (VPAP). The ETT will include members of VPHP staff
and other members as appointed by the VPAP/VPHP. Standing membership seats
will include: UA VP Student Services & Enrollment Management, UA Chief
Information Technology Officer, and MAU representatives from UAA, UAF and
UAS. The Chair of the DESB will be an ex-officio member.
Draft prepared for ETT 2006 Business Meeting
Juneau
March 29, 2006
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ETT Chair Responsibilities:
The Chair will set the ETT agenda, report on ETT actions to the AVAP, direct
ETT activities and ensure that it operates in accordance with the principles
outlined for the ETT by President Hamilton. The ETT Chair will also oversee and
support the efforts of the Chair of the Distance Education Steering Board. ETT
meetings will operate on a consensus basis.
ETT Responsibilities:
 Formulate technical, policy and budget recommendations with respect to the
use of educational technology within the University of Alaska system.
 Prioritize educational technology resources and investments to meet the
program needs identified by the UA Academic Planning Committee and the
MAU academic priorities as defined by SAC.
 Promote efficient collaborations across MAUs.
 Promote efficient business practices to support and enhance distance education.
 Develop robust, efficient and consolidated distance delivery systems. Does this
mean to specify the details of a delivery system? That seems like it would take
a lot of work.
 Ensure that instructional design and distance delivery resources be located at
campuses close to faculty.
 Promote faculty development at each campus to enhance the integration of
learning theory and instructive practice using advanced educational technology
and distance education techniques.
 Promote best practices for the administration, design and delivery of distance
education.
 Ensure development of metrics that adequately reflect the success of distance
education as a strategy for access on all campuses.
 Encourage statewide distance delivery through fair and equitable incentive
practices.
 Analyze and inform key stakeholders on educational technology trends
nationally and internationally.
 Advise the AVP on opportunities for innovative applications of educational
technologies to advance the teaching, research and outreach mission of the
university.
Draft prepared for ETT 2006 Business Meeting
Juneau
March 29, 2006
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 Pose and prioritize research questions relevant to improving distance education.
 Form and task working groups as necessary under the direction of the DESB
Chair.
ETT Implementation: Annual work plans, annual report, annual budget, and
quarterly meetings.
 Meet quarterly or as needed. Could we add that ETT will meet once a year in a
Summit with the Distance Education Steering Board?
 Keep and distribute written records of meeting proceedings.
 Create an annual work plan that promotes and advances the priorities of the
committee for distance education.
 Propose an annual budget and implement a spending plan to support the work
plan.
 Write an annual report on the status and impacts of educational technology
within the UA System.
 The ETT will provide a liaison member to participate in the UA Academic
Planning Committee meetings to provide cross-communication on issues and
priorities of mutual interest
 ETT will create staff positions to carry out its mission.
Draft prepared for ETT 2006 Business Meeting
Juneau
March 29, 2006
Page 3 of 3