Ramapo Magazine

Ramapo and the ’Net

By: Dr. Robert A. Scott, President

Whether it is Super Bowl advertising, reports of dot.com bonanzas or e-mail with relatives, we cannot escape the Internet phenomenon. Your alma mater is no different.

We hired a Web administrator to manage our Web site; design and construct a system for course registration on the Web; teach faculty and staff the intricacies of using the Internet for advising, Web page construction and other uses; and assist us in planning future uses of the ’net.

Students, faculty and staff routinely communicate via e-mail — without losing sight of the fact that human interaction is a necessary ingredient for a liberal education — and administrators, faculty and trustees use e-mail as an immediate and convenient means of communication. The College e-mail system processes an average of about 28,000 messages a day, provided by a T-1 connection and 1440 network drops in offices and classrooms on campus.

“This emphasis on technology does not mean that we have abandoned our commitment to a humanistic approach to education. After all, students must be introduced to ethics and an ethical perspective. They also must be introduced to the various ways of examining the truth.”

I plan to have Board of Trustees’ material on a Web site during the Year 2000 so that Board agendas are made available to even more people with an interest in the College, and so that we can speed communications and save on paper and mailing expenses.

There is much discussion these days about distance learning and the use of various communications technologies for continuing and lifelong education. Whereas some institutions, such as New York University, Columbia, the University of Maryland and other mega-universities have developed new enterprises using distance learning technology, we do not plan to enter this form of academic marketplace. Instead, we plan on doing what we do best.

We offer programs on the Internet, and want our students to know how to use the tools and technologies necessary for distance learning because they will need them in graduate school and careers. The capacity to offer distance learning is more a by-product of our fundamental approach to undergraduate education rather than a superordinate goal all by itself. Nevertheless, the Master of Science in Educational Technology and the MBA both make use of the Internet for delivering courses, and the MBA has a track in e-commerce. Students may access the Internet in any of the 25 computer facilities located on campus, housing a total of 375 microcomputers and Macs. In addition, faculty and staff offices contain another 420 units. Most are on the new College Giga-bit Network.

Communications technologies in use are broader in range than simply the Internet, but surely it is the fundamental route for distance learning. However, we also make use of audio and video teleconferencing to connect students, scholars, officials and artists from around the world to our classrooms in Mahwah.

Today we must think in terms of the “pillow to port” ratio in residence hall rooms, making sure that each student “at each pillow” has access to voice, video and data lines. This is a substantial challenge and requires a major investment of funds. Currently, there are 828 network connections in the halls (Pine, Linden and Oak); the next phase of voice, video, data wiring will include the apartments.

Colleges and universities must make funds available for the continued professional development of faculty and staff and they must constantly learn new systems, new languages, new techniques and consider new questions.

This emphasis on technology does not mean that we have abandoned our commitment to a humanistic approach to education. After all, students must be introduced to ethics and an ethical perspective. They also must be introduced to the various ways of examining the truth. There is much on the ‘net that is uncorroborated, opinion, belief, and wrong. We must ensure that students who use the Internet for research know how to question the sources and validate the knowledge they gain.

The professional development of faculty and staff is a critical element in Ramapo’s goals for endowment, just as any enterprise must invest in its people to ensure that the organization is as strong as it possibly can be. In like manner, a college must ensure that adequate opportunities are available to faculty and staff to keep up to date. This is a major challenge for Ramapo and one that is high on our list of priorities.

The Internet has become a new means of communication for me with students, faculty and staff, trustees, governors, alumni, friends and parents. I was interested to note early this fall the number of parents who wrote to me by e-mail following a mass mailing to them regarding campus developments. Their response was immediate, helpful, and — fortunately — positive.

Why don’t you send me your thoughts at rscott@ramapo.edu?