INTRODUCTION

          In its prime the agrarian society of the 19th century contributed
     much to the stability and wealth of the nation.  However, this culture
     experienced profound change that affected its very roots as large segments
     of the society were displaced by advances in machine technology and
     farming methods.  Continuous improvement in farming methods and
     technology brought multiple increases in productivity.  In effect, each farm
     could produce more with fewer hands in less time, and as farm size and
     productivity continued to increase, the cost of food commodities decreased
     accordingly.
          
          The manufacturing industry brought much wealth to the nation as
     well.  Recently, it too experienced similar sweeping technological changes
     and vast improvements in methods of operation.  Again large segments of
     the nation's society were disenfranchised or displaced by the enormity of
     these changes.
      
          Today the wealth of the nation rests with the brain power
     individuals bring to the work environment.  Just as agriculture, heavy
     manufacturing, and the service industry have changed, so too must our
     system of education.  Higher education is now a $146 billion national
     industry.  Federal- and state-level political forces have sought
     improvements in productivity by suggesting alternate methods of
     management and accountability coupled with opportunities afforded by
     advances in technology. 
          
          Kent State University has responded to these pressures and
     opportunities in many ways.  In January of 1994 the Strategic Plan for
     Academic and Student Affairs captured the salient actions that have been
     taken or will be taken in the near future to achieve significant
     improvements in methods of operation, delivery of instruction, and
     support of research.  Information services and technology are important
     components of this plan which potentially can bring positive change and
     improvement to the University's academic environment.
          
          In this climate of change the Academic Computing Study (ACS)
     was initiated by President Carol A. Cartwright and Provost Myron S.
     Henry as the second of two studies authorized to assess administrative and
     academic computing within Kent State University.  The ACS team
     received its formal charge during September 1993 and met frequently
     through March 1994.
          
          Provost Henry's charge for this second study focused on priorities
     and resource support requirements from the perspective of academic
     needs. Specifically, the team was asked to (1)  assess academic computing
     and information services provided to Kent's students, faculty, and staff at
     the Kent and Regional campuses; (2) examine the role and responsibility
     of both Computer Services and the academic departments, schools, and
     colleges in providing current and future computing and information
     services; (3) identify policy and other issues pertinent to the goals of
     meeting the needs of the academic community and improving the quality
     of services provided; and (4) make recommendations regarding objectives
     and priorities, and provide an implementation plan which discusses
     distribution of resources to support academic computing services and
     systems.
          
          The work of the ACS team has overlapped to some extent with the
     Network and Information Systems Study (NISS) completed in March
     1993.  The NISS team focused on administrative information technology
     and network infrastructure, whereas the ACS team has examined
     information systems and technology necessary to the work of academic
     departments, schools, and colleges (hereafter referred to as academic
     units).  Importantly, while developing priorities for the future, the ACS
     team endorses the critical NISS recommendation which stressed the
     network infrastructure needs of the Kent Campus and the importance of
     enhancing electronic linkages across Northeast Ohio that connect all eight
     campuses of the University.  The team supports computer resource
     integration, including the need for developing appropriate linkages to
     administrative data to better support advising and other strategic academic
     functions.  The team endorses the need for ongoing strategic planning for
     both centrally managed, university-wide computing services, and
     distributed systems more appropriately housed in academic and
     administrative units.
       
          One important central theme of this report is the need to provide
     significant academic input into the planning, priority setting, and
     distribution of resources that support both central and distributed
     information systems and technology.  The team also recognized the crucial
     importance of increasing both the accessibility and quantity of hardware
     and software available to students and faculty in academic departments. 
     Finally, the team recommends that each academic unit articulate its
     strategic vision for technology and incorporate this vision into the formal
     academic planning process.  As part of this process each academic unit
     must identify how it can contribute to the resource base required to meet
     future information system and technology needs.
          
          Other previous plans and studies contribute to the conclusions
     drawn here.  Complementing the work of the NISS and the ACS are the
     Network Plan for Kent State University submitted in October 1992 and the
     May 1992 Academic Support Systems Task Force (ASSTF) report.  The
     Network Plan report focused on inter-building telecommunication
     concerns while the ASSTF report identified issues such as the importance
     of connectivity to enhance communication and training.