An Alternative Organizational Structure for Learning Resources at Virginia Highlands Community College

by Neil F. Murphy, Virginia Highlands Community College
An Abstract from the Sixth Annual Convention of the VCCA, November 17-18, 1988

from VCCA Journal, Volume 4, Number 1, Spring/Summer 1989, 45-48

© Copyright 1989 VCCA Journal

The staff of Virginia Highlands Community College believes that academic and instructional support services are and should be pro-active, not reactive--the hammer, not the nail. Ideas should flow from the division; the division should not wait passively for educationally innovative ideas and technologies to be brought to it. In academic support services, our responsibility is to demonstrate how instructional services can improve the quality of teaching and the efficiency of teachers within the college. When the teaching faculty view academic services as an area that improves their instruction and, at the same time, makes their work easier, the success of the division in the overall framework of the college is assured. If the division does not achieve this and becomes or remains a passive service, it should probably no longer exist as a division with a director answering to a dean.

Conditions prompting divisional reevaluation of Learning Resources at VHCC

• Reduction in use of the library.
• Increase in electronic information resource availability and use.
• Reductions in budget for both operation and staff.
• Observation of the weakening and extinction of Divisions of Learning Resources (at other Virginia Community Colleges.)
• Rapid expansion of telecommunications use at the college in all academic, administrative, and community service areas.
• Increasing need to measure and validate skills in entering and exiting students,
• Twenty-year history of expanding comprehensive learning resources and instructional support, not just an expansion of the library, is exemplified by the fact that the Director of Learning Resources does not have a degree in Library Science, the Coordinator of Library Services does, hence the degree and the skills are at the appropriate functional position.

Actions taken to broaden the services given to the college

• Telecommunications responsibility moved into the division, which includes: (1) telephones; (2) conference phones, speaker phones; (3) satellite reception; (4) on campus video distribution, including electronic bulletin board; (5) video projection for teleconferences serving up to 270 people; (6) servicing phones, modems, etc. owned by campus including the units on faculty desks; (7) installing new extensions on campus; (8) pay phones for student use; (9) specialized office intercommunications units for library, bookstore, administrative networking.
• Evening management of the college. The part time faculty mail boxes and lounge are located in the LRC and directed by the Director of the division. The PBX is answered in the division at night. All college administration in the evening shifts to the LRC and its director and staff.
• College publicity, TV spots, radio spots, and many newspaper stories are produced by the LRC and staff.
• All intake diagnostic testing is done by the LRC staff in the LRC. Computerized test scoring with item analysis is centered in the LRC. The equipment may be run by the faculty or the LRC staff.
• All instructional use of computers is coordinated by the LRC, and the computer laboratories are maintained by the LRC staff. A repair technician who is also responsible for the telephone system is part of that staff.
• All typing for part time faculty, all test and course outline reproduction, and overflow typing from divisional offices is done in the LRC with modern word processing equipment.
• Annually held competition in academic areas between high schools in the service region (9) with sizeable academic scholarships to the winning and token scholarships to the losing schools is sponsored by the division. This competition is conducted cooperatively with the instructional divisions, but the center of planning and execution of this event is the LRC. This program has been so well received that a local businessman this year endowed the competition with a single donation of $10,000. TV, radio, and print media coverage has expanded each year of this competition.
• The LRC staff members are evaluated by faculty and students as to satisfaction with personnel and services. This involves risk taking on the part of the staff. Real and measurable changes and improvement in service is achieved through a knowledge of the perceptions of those being served.
• LRC staff members instruct credit courses on a limited basis in areas of their specialty, as compatible with VCCS policy. Areas include psychology, health, biology, physical education, motorcycle safety, and photography. It broadens the base of contact with other aspects of the college.
• The attitude that administrative services, supportive services of all kinds, exist so that teachers can teach is fostered by all division members.
• An annual three-day information booth is maintained in the largest local shopping mall prior to fall registration by the LRC and assisted by other classified staff, faculty, and administration.
• VHCC became the second college in the system to install a FAX machine and initiate use of this technology.
• Outcomes assessment activities are channeled through the division with the Coordinator of Academic Support Services serving as permanent committee chair.

Results

• The divisional staff has increased.
• The budget has increased.
• Faculty appreciation of service has increased as demonstrated by annual surveys.
• Competition between divisions for computers, equipment, services has decreased.
• Public service through offering free teleconferencing has increased the numbers of people on campus, and in turn the enrollment in credit classes. We get an ad in every teleconference.
• LRC staff are recognized as campus and community leaders. For example, the director was the first and only administrator to be elected president of the Faculty Senate and the only person to serve as two term president (maximum under the constitution). The Coordinator of the Learning Laboratory is the Vice Chairman of the Washington County School Board.
• The name of the division, at the suggestion of a college wide committee, was changed from the Division of Learning Resources to the Division of Academic and Instructional Support. This reflects the new and expanded responsibilities and services. The Director's title and that of the Coordinator of the Learning Laboratory were changed. The Coordinator of Library Service maintained the same title, since it was felt to be sufficiently descriptive.
• Library circulation in and of itself is up 20% from last year.
• College enrollment, usually increasing at 3% to 5% a year was up 11% in 1987-88. Figures for fall 1988 are at a record high.

Staffing

Staffing and responsibility under the new organization is as follows:

• Director of Academic and Instructional Support (Responsible for entire division)
• Secretary to the Director
• Evening Clerk-Typist-PBX operator (30 hours a week)
• Coordinator of Library Services
• Circulation LTA
• Reference LTA
• Electronics Repairman (Telecommunications, Computers and FAX operation)
• Audio Visual Technician
• Computer Laboratory Instructional Assistant (26 hours a week)
• Testing technician (15 hours a week, contract GAT-B testing for V.E.C., other testing)
• Coordinator of Academic Support Services
• Learning Laboratory Manager
• An army of excellent work study students