We do not make a specific recommendation about technology, even though issues of technology are highly significant to student learning and the administrative operations of the College. Our understanding of the current state of technology at Carleton, especially in the academic sphere, is that we are moving into the next century from a position of strength and national leadership among our peer colleges in the innovative use of technology to enhance student learning. Our Academic Computing and networking Services operation is a model that has been studied and emulated by other schools.

In several places in the report we note the importance of technology in accomplishing particular goals. We also make two general suggestions here. The first is that the College ensure campus-wide communication and coordination among technology-rich areas, especially in our administrative operations. The second is that we address four questions together in deciding whether to acquire new technology. 1) What is our best choice in terms of benefits and costs, and will this technology be flexible enough that it can adapt to varying configurations both now and in the future? 2) Will this choice integrate effectively with technologies in other areas of the College? 3) Can we provide continuing technical support for this choice? 4) Will we be able to provide suitable instruction to ensure effective implementation and use? We anticipate that latitude will need to be given some academic departments with respect to these suggestions to allow them to innovate and experiment freely in their classes and research. Technological change undoubtedly will continue to have a major impact on all of our operations for the foreseeable future and the College must continue to provide a high level of technology support. But we believe our primary focus for the education of our students will be built on quality interpersonal experiences-working face-to-face with people. Our goal with respect to technology is to provide the necessary tools and resources that will enhance student learning and the basic relationships between students and teachers, not to substitute technology for those relationships. Decisions about resource allocation should carefully weigh technology needs in the context of our other needs.

In several places in the report we note the importance of technology in accomplishing particular goals. We also make two general suggestions here. The first is that the College ensure campus-wide communication and coordination among technology-rich areas, especially in our administrative operations. The second is that we address four questions together in deciding whether to acquire new technology. 1) What is our best choice in terms of benefits and costs, and will this technology be flexible enough that it can adapt to varying configurations both now and in the future? 2) Will this choice integrate effectively with technologies in other areas of the College? 3) Can we provide continuing technical support for this choice? 4) Will we be able to provide suitable instruction to ensure effective implementation and use? We anticipate that latitude will need to be given some academic departments with respect to these suggestions to allow them to innovate and experiment freely in their classes and research.