The Student Guide to Evaluating Information Technology on Campus
- check admissions status
- pay bills
- apply for and view financial aid awards
- register for, add, and drop courses
- learn course grades
- view and print unofficial transcripts
- check progress toward completion of degree requirements
| The Guide to Evaluating Information Technology on Campus contains MCCC's answers to the questions posed by Educause. It is designed to help students and parents learn more about the information technology environment in institutions they are contemplating attending. We hope you find this document helpful and welcome your review of the rich information technology resources at MCCC. |
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Academic Experience
Active learning with technology: bringing students, faculty, and information togetherYou will be joining a community of people devoted to creating and sharing information. Finding answers to the following questions can help you understand how technology is used to support learning and collaboration in your areas of interest or possible major(s).
Coursework - in and out of class
| How does the campus use technology to enhance teaching and learning in your areas of interest? |
Every MCCC course has an online site on Blackboard, our web-based course management site. The majority of courses use other forms of instructional technology as well, including faculty web pages, CDROM's, presentation technology, Smart classrooms, or video on demand. Consequently, the College was named one of the top two "digitally savvy, cutting edge" suburban community colleges in the nation by the Center for Digital Education and American Association of Community College's based on the organizations' second annual Digital Community Colleges Survey. |
| Is there technology in the classrooms? |
MCCC has made a major commitment to classroom technology by installing Smart classrooms in over 75 classrooms on the Central Campus and 32 at the West Campus. Almost all classrooms that do not have Smartboards do have a computer and projector available. We also provide support for faculty and students who use these resources. |
| Will you use technology to collaborate with other students in both your introductory and advanced courses? |
Every course has an online site automatically set up on Blackboard, which includes group tools for collaboration. |
| Does the school give credit for courses taken online from other institutions and sources of instruction? |
Yes, as long as the course is from an accredited institution. The College's transfer credit information details how a student can transfer credits into the College. |
Support services
| Does the school have multimedia labs you can use to work on projects? Is there help available? |
Student have access to multimedia resources such as video cameras, sound recording devices, mixing equipment, digital editing software and more through the Communications labs. Scanners and professional quality printers are available in various computer labs. Help is available for using all the equipment. |
| Are library collections and resources—such as catalogs, research databases, special collections, course reserves, full-text electronic journals, books, and streaming media—available online and accessible off campus? |
The online catalog and all databases are available online, both on and off-campus, to current students and staff via their network login. Databases consist of full-text journal, magazine, newspaper articles, and e-books. |
| What technology resources and help are available to students with special needs? | Students with special needs are encouraged to contact our Disability Services Center (DSC) for information on assistive technology and other services. |
| Can the library deliver documents to you electronically, either via e-mail, file transfer, or through Web posting? Is there a cost associated with that service? |
While the library does not currently deliver documents electronically, you can request the documents electronically. Normally, there is no charge for requests, but a patron is charged if the lending library charges the College for the materials. |
| What kind of help does the library provide for research assistance, and when is the help available? |
The Library provides research assistance in a variety of ways. The reference desk is always staffed by a librarian during open hours. This person is specifically available to answer any manner of question about research (in-person reference). Students can also Instant Message (IM) a librarian. There is also phone reference, where a patron can call in and talk to a reference librarian, and email reference, where a patron can email a question to the reference librarians. The Library web site contains pathfinders to guide patrons to information on their research topics, tutorials on how to follow the research process, and links to various subscription and free resources such as databases of full-text newspaper, magazine, and journal articles. There are also in-person Library Instruction classes. In-person, IM, phone, and email reference services and Library Instruction
classes are only available during the open hours of the library, but
the resources on our web site, such as the catalog and the full-text
databases are available 24/7. |
Looking toward graduation and a career
| Does the campus offer general or profession-specific training programs that will ensure you are fluent in current information technologies when you graduate? |
In addition to both for-credit and non-credit computer courses, most of our courses have a technology component, so students learn computer skills as part of the course. Students who meet certain requirements may take a free program called ACT101 which has a computer skills component. One-on-one help is available in the Learning Assistance Labs at all times. |
Administrative Experience
Taking care of business online
Your campus experience will include some time spent taking care of practical matters, such as registering for classes, requesting transcripts, and paying tuition. Find out which transactions and the services that support them can be handled online and at a distance.
Managing your personal information
| What personal information can you view online—your contact information, grades, degree progress, financial status, or other information? | Students can access their contact information, grades, degree progress, financial status, class schedule, transcripts, payment information, and student educational plan online via WebAdvisor. More services are added on a regular basis |
| Can you update any of this information online yourself? | Students may change their contact information and passwords online. |
Conducting business
| Which of the following can you do online? |
All of these and more, including transcript request and application for graduation, are available online through WebAdvisor. |
| What campus and community services are covered by debit-card, smart-card, or one-card systems? | All of the services for which there is a charge are payable via credit card on WebAdvisor. |
| Are the school catalog—including course descriptions, degree requirements, and academic policies, and the semester/term schedule of classes - available on the Web? | Course descriptions, degree requirements, and academic policies are all available on www.mc3.edu, while the semester/term schedule is on WebAdvisor In addition, campus wide events, including the daily course schedule and classroom assignments, are broadcast on large screen TV's via the AxisTV system |
Privacy, security, and usage rules
| What security and privacy policies are in place to protect student information? | |
| How does the campus educate students about and protect them from identity theft? | The college has a web page on Phishing Scams with links to identity theft help sites. Personal information is never given to unauthorized parties. |
| How does the campus notify students of their rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)? | FERPA information is distributed at student orientation and is available online. |
| How does the campus manage e-mail spam and spyware? | The college manages spam through the use of a spam firewall. This firewall uses several methods of tagging and blocking spam. It uses Bayesian filters, blacklists, as well as accepting and blocking based on various characteristics of the email message. This server also serves as the colleges main email anti-virus scanner, which blocks listed extensions, as well as scanning all attachments for the presence of viruses. |
Student Life
Enriching your extracurricular experiences with technology
Whether you will be a full- or part-time student, living on campus or commuting, the school's social, extracurricular, and career services activities will be an important part of your educational experience. Find out about the technology tools that facilitate different communities on campus, allowing for communication, personal development, and getting together (in person and virtually).
Accessing computer services
| What public access for computing is available to students? Examples include computing labs, cyber cafes, residence hall computers, and wireless access. | 100% of MCCC students have access to personal computers on campus. The College provides access through the Learning Assistance Lab, which has over 80 computers and is available for all students to use. Each building also has public access computers in the lobby areas as well as wireless access |
| Does the campus provide institutional email accounts for all students and use email as an official medium of communication? | All students are given an email account and are expected to use it. The college uses email to send alerts regarding registration, billing and more. |
| Does the campus provide and support electronic space for personal student Web pages? | In web development courses students are given space to post their work. All students are not automatically given web pages. |
| Is network bandwidth limited for peer-to-peer software, gaming, Web cams, or other programs requiring high levels of network resources? Are Web pages filtered? | Students are expected to use all computing resources, including bandwidth, responsibly, but we do not limit bandwidth. Web filtering is enabled for public access computers in the lobbies only. Computers in the library, LAL and computer labs are not filtered. |
| Is there a campus code of behavior about using computer resources? | We have an Acceptable Use Policy and all users are expected to abide by it. |
| Does the campus have policies addressing peer-to-peer file sharing, virus software, and copyright? | Students are expected to use all computing resources responsibly. Systems that are disruptive because of the type or volume of network traffic they generate will be removed from the network and investigated. Read our Acceptable Use Policy for more information. |
Connecting with others
| Is contact information for students, faculty, and staff readily accessible electronically? | The student email system has an online directory available. There is also a phone directory of College staff and full-time faculty on the Web site. |
| Does the campus make online communities available (for example, forums, bulletin boards, and so forth)? | Yes, with permission of the Student Activities Office student groups can have an online discussion forum. |
| Are there Web sites for student organizations and clubs? | Student organizations and clubs are online and accessible from the MC3 homepage. In addition, each organization has the ability to create an online discussion board. This enables the organizations to communicate with members who cannot participate on campus, through email, discussion, and posting minutes. |
| What technology-supported career-planning services are available to students? | Students have access to an online Job Search database as well as Career and Counseling services. |
Services and Fees
What you pay for and what you get
There is a strong connection between the quality of technology services and the associated costs. There is also a wide variation in the ways campuses charge for these services. To evaluate the benefits you will receive and to compare costs, you'll need answers to these questions.
Fees and expenses
| What, if any, technology fee is charged by the campus? What does it cover? | All students taking credit courses are required to pay a technology fee which is used to upgrade and enhance student related hardware, software, infrastructure, Internet access, and network storage. |
| Will you be required to purchase your own computer equipment and software? | Students are not required to purchase their own computer. |
| Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment? | Computer access is available to all current MCCC students. The access cost is covered in the technology fee. There are discounts available for student purchase of Dell and Apple computers. |
Technical support
| What hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support? | Information on deciding on what computer to buy is located on the Purchasing a Computer web page. |
| What kinds of services (help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and when are they available? | The Help Desk is the central point of contact for all IT services. It is open 8:00 A.M. - 11:00 P.M. Monday-Friday and 9:30-1:30 Saturday. The LAL provides one-on-one training and assistance. Information Technology also offers detailed information in the students' section of its web site. |
| Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement cycle? | All student computers are replaced every 2-3 years. All software is replaced with current versions at the start of each fall term. All printers are replaced every 4-5 years. |
| If you bring your own computer to school, what kind of technical support can you expect from the campus? | Students will be assisted in connecting to the network. |
Other services
| How does the campus support printing for students, and is there a charge for this service? | Students have access to laser printers in all computer lab areas. Currently there is no charge for printing in the computer labs or LAL. The Library does charge for printing. |
| Does the campus provide wireless network coverage? If so, how much of the campus has wireless connectivity? | Wireless connectivity covers approximately 100% of the academic areas on campus. |
| What security measures are provided by the institution’s IT department and what will be the student’s responsibility (for example, antivirus software)? | All campus computers are protected with antivirus software. The network is secured via firewalls. |
| Does the campus include the cost of technical accessories (for example, a technology-enabled note-taking pen that provides an interface to a CMS) in its technology fee, or are students required to purchase these items separately? | Most required equipment are provided by the college. Technical accessories based on course requirements may be purchased separately. |
| Does the campus support the purchase and use of e-textbooks? Do the baseline hardware and software standards support this technology? | eBooks (Digital Textbooks) can be purchased online through the college bookstore. They are in pdf format and can be read on any electronic device. |
Check IT out
Use this checklist to make sure you cover important questions about information technology—IT—on campus
