Pepperdine's 'Electronic Campus' Taking Computer Literacy Course

Communications News, July, 1984

Some innovative universities are making plans to confront the information revolution. Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, California, is committed to "computer literacy" in a way that goes beyond a responsibility to prepare students for the electronic technologies of the business world. Pepperdine's commitment puts the computing network into the hands of students, faculty and the surrounding community. Enormous resources and a great sense of adventure are speeding the institution toward becoming a model "electronic campus" that other institutions should consider.

The thrust started in June 1982, when Dr. Howard White, president of Pepperdine University, made a commitment toward computer literacy for the institution. In a speech made to participants at Pepperdine's First annual Computer Literacy Institute, White surmised that the computer revolution was presenting an immense challenge to educational institutions. He said universities that expect to attract economic assistance and provide academic quality would need to make the transition to the "electronic campus." Pepperdine announced that it would accept the computer challenge and use it as a competitive edge to position it with the likes of a few large and highly technical schools that were contemplating similar commitments.

Over 10 years ago, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education predicted learning would be transformed by a fourth revolution. The first revolution was the shift of educational responsibility from the home to the school. The second was the use of the written word to facilitate passing information from one person to another. The printing press represented the third revolution, and the fourth is the impact of the electronic media--television, radio and now the computer.

Already the proliferation of personal computers in homes and in the secondary schools is exposing many students to information processing. With their appetites whetted, students should and do expect a heavier dose of electronic learning in college. Computer applications in business administration, research and the sciences are becoming a regular part of course work.

At Pepperdine, White predicted students would soon have access to computer terminals in their dorms, in the classrooms and laboratories. Said White, "It is evident that the wave of the future demands that all students graduating from Pepperdine University become literate in the usage of information technology." He went on to say, "Students should understand computing, word processing and communication devices, and the integration of these to the extent that they can use this technology to solve problems, thus enabling them to compete in and contribute to the world in which we live."

To bring about this massive undertaking, the University set up a task force, which in turn appointed committees consisting of representatives from various departments. The committees helped to define the goals, timetable and parameters of the program. A supporting budget was developed and the university published a mission statement. The strategy was to develop a university-wide decision support system and the academic goal of information technology literacy by 1984.

At the same time, Pepperdine reorganized to bring all information resource functions together. Academic computing, administrative computing, telephone communications, word processing, photocopying, data administration, institutional research and strategic planning were lumped under one umbrella of information resources. This new organization is called the Systems Division.

The move to action was propelled by three things: Pepperdine's recognition of the computer challenge; the ubiquitous commitment from the president on down the administrative line; and the consolidation of communications and computing resources. The catalyst to begin the implementation, however, was an outdated PBX that had been filled to capacity. In efforts to extend the life of the switch, a variety of features had been "Band-Aided" on, at best a temporary solution for service that continued to deteriorate.

It was during the process of finding a replacement for the telephone system when the possibilities of an integrated network were fully explored. "The task of replacing the switch hardware opened a window of opportunity for Pepperdine," explains Peter Quan, assistant vice president for systems and planning. Quan, who has been instrumental in the planning and implementation for computer literacy, feels the switch changeout allowed the university to transform itself into a new generation of technology.

As initial proposal to install a small, voice-only system for the administrative campus was soon discarded. Instead, Pepperdine's plans were escalated to incorporate all needs on campus as well as those of a new off-campus center located 20 miles away. "Networking benefits became attractive and the task at hand was expanded not only to bring in new hardware, but to put into action the whole concept of integration--voice, data and video," Quan adds.