Peer Institution Research: Recommendations and Trends 2017
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Peer Institution Research: Recommendations and Trends 2017 New Mexico State University Abstract This report evaluates the common technology services from New Mexico State University’s 15 peer institutions. Based on the findings, a summary of recommendations and trends are explained within each of the general areas researched: peer institution enrollment, technology fees, student computing, software, help desk services, classroom technology, equipment checkout and loan programs, committees and governing bodies on technology, student and faculty support, printing, emerging technologies and trends, homepage look & feel and ease of navigation, online schooling websites, information security websites, top IT issues, and IT organization charts. 2 Table of Contents Peer Institution Enrollment .................................................................................... 4 Technology Fees .................................................................................................... 5 Student Computing ................................................................................................ 7 Software ................................................................................................................ 8 Help Desk Services ................................................................................................. 9 Classroom Technology ......................................................................................... 11 Equipment Checkout and Loan Programs ............................................................ 11 Committees and Governing Bodies on Technology .............................................. 13 Printing ................................................................................................................ 15 Emerging Technologies and Trends ..................................................................... 17 Homepage Look & Feel and Ease of Navigation ................................................... 18 Distance Education Website Comparison ............................................................ 18 Information Security Website Comparison .......................................................... 19 Top IT Issues ........................................................................................................ 20 Appendix .............................................................................................................. 21 Appendix A: Software .......................................................................................... 21 Appendix B: NMSU's Peer Institution's Homepages ............................................. 27 Appendix C: NMSU's Peer Institution's Distance Education Homepages .............. 35 Appendix D: NMSU’s Peer Institutions’ Security Website Homepages ................. 43 Appendix E: NMSU’s Peer Institution’s IT Organizational Charts .......................... 51 3 Peer Institution Enrollment Below is the list of New Mexico State University’s Peer Institutions and their enrollment numbers from Fall 2012 – Fall 2017. Overall, the majority have seen an increase in enrollment over these years. However, some, including NMSU, have seen a steady decrease in enrollment. Also, to note, NMSU is among the lower enrolled universities within our peer group, however, you will discover throughout this report that while NMSU does not stand above all other institutions in any specific category, it does offer roughly the same and/or better technology services than many of our higher enrolled peers. See the chart below, Figure 1: Enrollment Numbers for Fall Semesters 2012-2017. Figure 1: Enrollment Numbers for Fall Semester 2012-2017 Universities 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Colorado State University 30,000 30,647 30,700 32,236 33,198 33,413 Montana State University 14,153 14,660 14,660 15,421 16,440 16,703 New Mexico State University 17,651 16,765 15,829 15,490 15,490 14,432 Oklahoma State University 18,197 25,544 23,459 24,551 24,387 25,930 Oregon State University 23,389 24,425 25,721 29,576 31,303 31,904 University of Arizona 39,086 40,223 38,727 43,088 43,088 42,595 University of Idaho 11,710 12,312 12,493 11,780 11,780 12,072 University of Nevada 18,004 27,389 18,227 20,898 21,535 21,657 University of New Mexico 29,100 28,644 27,889 27,353 27,353 25,015 Texas Tech (Lubbock) 32,300 32,467 33,111 35,158 36,551 37,010 University of Texas at EL Paso 22,106 22,749 23,003 23,397 23,397 25,078 University of Wyoming 12,920 12,992 12,873 12,841 12,607 12,397 Utah State University 16,857 28,786 28,786 27,662 28,118 27,679 Washington State University 18,232 28,307 24,810 29,686 29,686 30,614 Iowa State University 29,887 31,040 33,241 36,001 36,660 36,321 Kansas State University 23,863 24,378 24,581 24,146 23,048 22,795 4 Technology Fees There are four peer institutions that share academic, demographic, and geographic similarities with NMSU: Texas Tech, UNM, University of Arizona, and UTEP. The average technology fee, which is part of mandatory tuition and fees, is $531.80 per year based on the published technology fees charged to undergraduates. The technology fee charged to students is an estimation based on publicly available information from College Board and the institution’s websites. NMSU’s student technology fee, in comparison, is approximately $287.80 less than the average of its peer institution’s technology fees broken down on a per-student basis. The comparison between NMSU and its four peers is broken down below. Fall 2017 Technology fee Total Tuition and fees Calculated per year from undergraduate (year) from percent of institutions’ sites population College Board mandatory based on 15 from College tuition and credit hours Board fees NMSU $244 12,027 $7,122 3.43% UNM $460 20,215 $7,146 6.44% University of Arizona $560 34,823 $11,877 4.71% Texas Tech $645 30,737 $10,771 5.99% UTEP $750 21,341 $7,651 9.80% The average technology fee among NMSU peer institutions is approximately 6.07% of their mandatory tuition and fees. NMSU’s Student Technology Fee currently only accounts for 3.43% of NMSU tuition and fees. New Mexico State University continues to maintain a competitive advantage by being on the lower end for Student Technology Fees based on our peers. NMSU’s fee, also known as the Student Technology Fee (STF), is primarily used to help support student technology efforts. Technology Fees at NMSU’s peer institutions typically fund student technology related services including software, computer labs, printers, and instructional and academic support. Some universities apply an initial technology fee and charge additional technology fees based on the field in which a student enrolls. Other technology fees are applied not only by the central IT department for general computer and technology services, but also as part of the library and/or other departmental fees that support additional technology access. NMSU’s technology fee ranks seventh lowest among its 15 peers. Though the amount charged for NMSU’s technology fee has fluctuated over the years, our seventh lowest rank has remained unchanged since 2015. Colorado State University’s technology fee fell drastically in 5 2017, taking it from the second highest to the second lowest. On average, the technology fee across all institutions has lowered from $188 in 2016 to $159 in 2017. The funds provided by the NMSU Student Technology Fee are collected as part of the Las Cruces campus tuition and fees. Specific areas which benefit from the fund include student computing labs, multi-media enhanced classrooms and computer classrooms, campus-wide online course management system, lab and personal software, wireless areas, computer equipment rentals, printing services, digital signage advertising, student portal services, support staff salaries for student technology services, student staff, help desk, and core network infrastructure. Most peer institutions allocate the funds generated by the technology fee to projects comparable to NMSU. At Oklahoma State University, the fee defrays the cost of equipment, software, and other aspects related to operating the on-line computerized library service. These fees also provide student access to heavily-used electronic journals and on-demand information services despite escalating costs and the termination of services by outside library agencies. The Washington State University technology fee, proposed by students of WSU and approved in 2015, pays for wireless printing, improved Wi-Fi coverage on the Pullman campus and an increased number of smart boards in study lounges. Recommendation: ICT recommends the continuation of the Student Technology Fee proposal submissions to the Assisted Students of NMSU (ASNMSU) and the Student Fee Review Board (SFRB). The proposal will continue to include a detailed peer comparison analysis and fee rate requests, in order to ensure that NMSU keep pace with current and emerging trends and its peers use of technology fees. 6 Student Computing Among NMSU’s 15 peer institutions, two showed a decline in their student computer labs from 2016 to 2017. Eight institutions saw an increase from the same time period. The remainder retained the same amount of labs from 2016-2017. See the graph below, Figure 2: Student Computer Labs 2014-2017, to compare research done in years 2014-2017. Figure 2: Student Computer Labs 2014-2017 120 2014 100 2016 2017 80 60 40 20 0 *Data for Student Computer Labs for 2015 is not available at this time. Nine universities have computer labs that are open 24 hours a day. Colorado State University