Auburn’s technology investments provide faculty and students a robust suite of services that enable faculty to engage students effectively. These services make it possible for faculty to incorporate new paradigms such as “flipped classrooms” and hybrid teaching models. IT provides innovative technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence that faculty may use to help stimulate learning. The technical community will provide the tools. Faculty will have a clear path to engage the IT community when leveraging technology.

Technology supports Auburn’s growth in distance education. Network bandwidth enables Auburn’s professors to simultaneously teach classes at multiple, perfectly synchronized locations. Students in professional programs have the ability to interact with commercial patient and prescription management systems, gaining valuable hands-on experience. Auburn’s Outreach, Online, Global, and International programs have the services they need to support joint college/distance education content development and delivery. Robust network connectivity means faculty and students can connect from different locations across the globe. A faculty member doing research in Antarctica can still provide face-to-face advising to students located on campus.

Finally, Auburn IT provides students with an engaging, robust set of technology services that provide real-world experiences. IT leaders offer student workers on-campus jobs that provide practical experiences and augment their studies by building career expertise.

Sub-goals Supporting Academic Excellence

• 2.1 OIT will coordinate with the Provost’s Office to modernize a minimum of ten percent of centrally scheduled classrooms per year over each of the next three years. This equates to approximately 50 classrooms per year. Classroom technology will be upgraded to include High Definition audio-video and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) displays that elevate the classroom experience while simultaneously reducing costs and extending the refreshment lifecycle.
• 2.2. Researchers need the ability to collaborate across the globe to achieve their goals. Just as researchers collaborate internationally, Auburn’s teaching faculty will be able to leverage relationships with colleagues around the world and bring those colleagues into their classrooms “virtually” and securely via a robust set of communications platforms and services.
• 2.3. OIT will lead an effort to redesign campus portal strategy. By CY2022, a modern portal will provide a set of services that improve parent and student experiences. These services will include student safety, way-finding applications, voting, and more robust information sharing with parents and professors.
• 2.4. The Biggio Center provides the expertise and training faculty need to leverage technology that improves the quality of their instruction. OIT will work in support of the The Biggio Center by providing classroom technology that operationalizes the training and tools Biggio provides faculty.
• 2.5 OIT will continue to offer student employment opportunities that provide operational IT experience. Cybersecurity, Campus Web Solutions, the Audio/Visual Team, and the IT Service Desk will hire at least 30-40 students per year. Students will be provided access to the same tools used in industry for similar jobs.

Corresponding Goals from the Auburn University Strategic Plan:

Goal 4: Exceptional and Engaged Faculty and Staff

Goal 6: Operational Excellence