PROPOSAL

All Marshall University students will be required to complete a computer literacy/competency requirement as a condition of graduation from an undergraduate program. The requirement is as follows:

1. All students will gain experience with word processing through computer use in English composition classes.

1. Each college or school will define the competencies necessary for majors and designate the method for acquiring these competencies. A college or school may adopt uniform requirements or may allow units within the college to adopt individual requirements. When the appropriate requirements have been met, a student's transcript will note that fact.

1. Colleges and school which do not currently have computer competency requirements must create such requirements and report to the Task Force and the Faculty Senate within two months of the adoption of this proposal.

RATIONALE:

In today's world of rapid technological advances the prevalence of computers in the home and the office increases the demand for computer literacy and competency. The challenge for Marshall is to define what levels of computer skills are necessary for undergraduates to compete in the market place. It is essential that our graduates be competent and comfortable in using computers to achieve professionalism in their chosen field of endeavor. Literacy, knowledge or word processing and basic computer operations, and competency in use of discipline specific computer technology are the expectations for all Marshall University undergraduate programs.

Many computer competency requirements already exist at Marshall. Colleges and school will be required to create requirements if none are currently in place. Following is a summary of the status of computer competency requirements.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Every student in the College of Education is required to take CI 102, an introduction to computers. Covered in this course are the following skills: defining the essential components of a computer, distinguishing between hardware and software, familiarity with work processing, data bases, spreadsheets, graphics and utilities programs, computers as instructional tools, writing simple programs in BASIC and Logo, computer assisted instruction, and the use and evaluation of software for public classroom teaching. Students are also required to take ITL 365.

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President Gilley Approved 11/7/94

SR-94-95-(4)111(EC)

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Every student is required to pass a computer literacy exam consisting of three distinct tests: Basic DOS, use of spreadsheets (Lotus 1-2-3) and word processing (Word Perfect). Students have the option of taking the three separate tests or enrolling in a course that substitutes for the exam. The computer literacy exam can be fulfilled by passing the following courses taught only at Marshall: CT 105 DOS (1 hr) CT 106 Spreadsheet (1 hr) and CT 107 Word Processing (1 hr) or by passing CSD 101, Computers and Data Processing (3 hrs).

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

The College of Fine Arts is in the process of defining its computer literacy requirements which will be discipline-specific in each department and will be appropriate to the major. We are requesting that the College of Fine Arts report to the Task Force and Faculty Senate within two months on these courses.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

The College of Science assumes computer literacy for all students, but there is no pre-testing for literacy. We are requesting that the College of Science either develop a computer literacy requirement or list requirements for assessing certain computer skills and report back to the Task Force and the Faculty Senate within two months.

SCHOOL OF NURSING

All students in nursing during their first year take Nursing 221 of which a component of the class covers a basic understanding of computer hardware and software, a basic understanding of how a computer works, word processing, use of spreadsheets, and an ability to use software programs for CAI. Additionally, within every course in the nursing program students have a computer component involving the use of CAI, using hospital information systems to access patient data, conduct library searches through discipline specific searches, and using spreadsheets as a management tool.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Students in the College of Liberal Arts will gain specialized computer literacy within their major field, either by a required computer course CI 102, CSD 101, CT 105, CT 106, and OT 107; or a major-specific course with computer components (such as GEO 430, JMC 201, or SOC 345). Among the requirements for computer competencies in the College of Liberal Arts are the following skills: familiarity with data bases, spreadsheets, graphic and utilities programs, advanced work processing, use of internet and computer-aided specialized searches.

COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE

All students in the Community and Technical College take CT 105, CT 106 and OT 107. Covered in these courses are the following skills: fundamental knowledge of DOS concepts, knowledge of spreadsheets, awareness of spreadsheet packages, knowledge of word processing skills, utilities programs, data bases, and use of various software. In addition, LEXIS and other computer classes are required for certain specialized courses.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

All students in Social Work take SWK 340 and SWK 475. In these courses students acquire SPSS, a statistical package for social science. Additional skills are acquired in SWK 340, a research course, and 340, a capstone course.