Learning and Technology Resources Committee
The Learning and Technology Resources Committee's responsiblilites include:
- assisting the Director of IT Services and the Director of Library Services in the review and implementation of policy and operations;
- reviewing library and technology resources; and
- making strategic recommendations regarding library and technology resources.
The Learning and Technology Resources Committee consists of five faculty members (one from five of the seven schools designated in a rotation schedule), a member of the library faculty, one member of the administrative staff appointed by the President, and one student elected by the Student Senate. The chair shall be elected from among the committee’s full-time teaching faculty. The Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director of IT Services, and Director of Library Services serve when needed as liaisons to the committee.
Library Endowment Competition Grants provide funding for materials which, because of their nature or cost, would normally be unavailable in Riley‑Hickingbotham Library. It is intended to provide for those special items which would enhance the academic experience, but which faculty have found too esoteric or too costly and have therefore rejected out‑of‑hand. These items may be course‑specific, interdisciplinary or research‑oriented in nature. The competition is inclusive rather than exclusive, with the primary feature being the individual’s ability to “make a case” for the particular item or items.
Proposals should be for library materials which, because of their price or nature, would normally be outside the library’s purchasing program. “Big‑ticket” items or particular sets or collections of materials are examples. These items may be in support of a faculty member’s research interests or for a particular class, especially one in which library holdings are weak. Interdisciplinary items may be proposed jointly by faculty members from different departments. No set number of awards will be made from this allotment, with the proposals being the deciding factor in how many will be awarded in any given year.
The Learning and Technology Resources Committee awards Library Endowment Competition Grants on a competitive basis with the approval of the university president. Funding is provided by income from the library’s endowment fund. The level of funding for the competition has been set at $2,000 annually, and awards will not exceed $2,000 individually or collectively, and will not be made to cover more than one year. The competition intentionally has no amount set as a maximum for proposals. The committee’s intent is that those proposing will justify the size of the requested award, and proposals will be judged on their respective merits regardless of the award size proposed.
The competition was conceived as a balance between the needs of the community and those of the individual. The Endowment’s primary purpose is to enhance Library holdings, and through those holdings the education we offer Ouachita students. To that end, preference will be given to those proposals which proffer materials most likely to see use by numbers of students.
Competition parameters include:
- Periodical subscriptions are specifically excluded, for they engender ongoing costs and the competition is an annual one.
- Requests which require multiple‑year funding will not be considered, unless the proposal indicates another source of funding for the successive year(s).
- All awards will be administered by the Library's aquisitions staff person and all materials purchased will be housed in the library.
Contact the committee chair for application guidelines.
There are times when an instructor or groups of instructors have ideas that can facilitate a better learning experience for our student body. These ideas may never be realized because of a lack of necessary funding to purchase equipment, software, and/or miscellaneous items. To help address this situation, the Learning and Technology Resources Committee makes Technology Innovation Grants available to the faculty.
Contact the committee chair for application guidelines and the grant proposal evaluation rubric.
