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A University-Wide Discussion of the Role of Information Technology: Reports

Some Reports Received: Architecture, Astronomy, Drama, Engineering, English, Environmental Sciences, Medicine, Nursing

In the fall of 1998 faculty senators surveyed their constituents on the role of information technology at UVa. Some senators sent out a brief questionnaire to their constituents via email, others distributed it on paper, and others held face-to-face conversations. Twenty six senators wrote reports from their units, representing the opinions of hundreds of faculty. In addition, several members of the Executive Council of the Senate, with the aid of residential staff, went into first-year residence halls to talk with students about their experiences and expectations with the new technology.

Many people noted apparently undeniable advantages of information technology. Over and over, people commented on the speed of communication, the ease of maintaining immediate communication with many people, and the quick access to libraries and other sources made possible by networks.

Just as many people listed the undeniable disadvantages of information technology. It clutters our lives, erodes personal contact, makes it difficult to keep up with its own innovations, and establishes one more set of expectations for us all to fulfill.

But dozens of respondents went beyond the obvious to offer enthusiastic endorsement and penetrating criticism. The people who offered the most thoughtful responses tended to be thoughtful about both the positive and negative aspects of computers and networks. Those who have worked most with the machinery best appreciate its potential but are also quick to acknowledge its cost.

Some people see great possibilities in the most sophisticated uses of the technology:

partnerships and joint authorship

instantaneous diffusion of the latest scholarship

the ability to have a virtual office wherever one goes

the visualization of vast amounts of data

deeper and more effective teaching

the promise of distance learning

Others saw great threats:

the draining of resources from the traditional library and other priorities

intellectual sloppiness and the erosion of the work ethic

the valuation of speed over depth, of searching over analysis

the undermining of intellectual property rights

the worry that the shots are being called by business, not by academia's own concerns

the neglect of fundamental computer sciences and high-performance computing in favor of the web

the anxiety that student expectations outstrip faculty's ability to meet those expectations

decreasing real productivity as we stay busy but get less done

the concern that pedagogy will continue to slip from faculty hands

the threat of distance learning

These dry lists of pros and cons do not reveal the great passion with which both kinds of opinions were offered. This topic animates a large a portion of the university community, since we all have dealings with the new technology. We hope you will join us to discuss how we might best shape that technology to our purposes.