Narrative:  

Troy University is in compliance with this Comprehensive Standard.

Troy University provides appropriate academic support services consistent with the University’s mission statement that states that “Academic programs are supported by a variety of student services which promote the welfare of the individual student.” The various academic support services at Troy are appropriate to enhance the educational experience, contribute to the achievement of teaching and learning outcomes, strengthen academic programs, and ensure the success of students and faculty in meeting the goals of the educational programs. Troy University’s academic support programs include, but are not limited to, libraries, advising, disability services, tutoring, labs/learning centers, and information technology.

Troy University is a complex institution serving several different types of learners including traditional college-age students, international students (a mix of some 650 undergraduate and graduate students) who study on the Troy campus, graduate students, full and part-time students, adult students working on undergraduate and graduate classes primarily at night and on weekends, adult students primarily working on graduate degrees at Global Campus locations across the country and in some foreign countries, and students working on undergraduate and graduate degree programs online through eCampus who live inside and outside of Alabama.

Troy University's Institutional Effectiveness Review Winter 2007 - 2008 provides an overview of Troy's diverse student body. Only 20 percent of Troy students fit the definition of the traditional age, full time college student, and these students are concentrated on the campus in Troy, with some in other locations.

Libraries

Troy University libraries consist of the main library at the Troy, Ala. campus, the Montgomery, Ala. campus library, and the Dothan, Ala. campus library. All libraries operate under the aegis of the Dean of University Libraries and support the students located on their respective campuses as well as students at the various sites that comprise Global Campus, including the eCampus (distance learning) students.

While the Troy, Ala. library forms the nucleus of these services, its services are augmented by the Dothan and Montgomery libraries, not only for the students at those campuses, but also for Global Campus students, through interlibrary loan. In addition, within Global Campus, there are currently three librarians who support the students and faculty.

The Troy, Ala. library occupies most of Lurleen B. Wallace Hall and with its print, non-print, and electronic resources serves as the primary learning resource for the students, faculty and staff of Troy University. Print and non-print resources are available to those users located at the Troy campus. The resources are also provided in a variety of ways to students, faculty, and staff located at sites that are distant from the campus in Troy, Ala. The institution has recognized the necessity and importance of library resources for all of the employees and students of Troy University.

The Troy, Ala. has a collection of nearly 400,000 bound volumes, 50,000 media items, 200,000 government documents, 2304 current periodical subscriptions, and more than one million items in microform. All Troy campus library materials are selected based on the curriculum that the library supports at the Troy campus and at regional sites within Global Campus, including courses offered through eCampus.

In addition, the library subscribes individually and through a variety of consortial arrangements to more than 100 electronic databases that provide more than 20,000 full-text periodicals and approximately 50,000 books, all covering the spectrum of curricular subjects that are taught at the University.

All Troy University students, faculty, and staff have 24-hour access to the online library resources including the Global Campus Library. Access to these resources is available on the Troy campus and electronically from remote sites, including the Montgomery, Dothan, and Phenix City campuses, Global Campus sites, and the locations of eCampus students worldwide. Thus, Troy University provides access to each instructional location, and this access is sufficient to support the educational, research and public service programs of the University.

Additional library resources are available at the United States Air Force on-base libraries at Misawa Air Base and Kadena Air Base in the Global Campus Pacific Region and at the United States Army library on-base at Yongsan Army Garrison in the same region. All three bases also utilize the Troy online library services, as well as interlibrary loan. Holloman Air Force Base in the Global Campus Western Region uses the Troy University online library, as do the sites in the Global Campus Southeast Region where the link is placed on all syllabi.

Academic Advising of Undergraduate Students

Troy University recognizes that academic advisement is critical to the success of students, and considers academic advisement to be an integral part of the educational process and a logical correlate of classroom teaching. In this spirit, Troy University has established a systematic and effective program of undergraduate academic advising based on the institutional definition that academic advising stimulates students to form good relationships with their advisers which, in turn, will enable them to succeed academically. Under the guidance of the Coordinator for Academic Advising, Troy University publishes a guide for student advising. The Troy University Guide for Academic Advisers provides faculty with pertinent information on current aspects of advising. Copies of the guide are provided to all faculty members on the Troy campus and made available to records and related personnel throughout the University.

Troy University believes that good academic advisement involves a committed adviser helping a responsible student to understand the nature and purpose of higher education; clarify personal values and goals in order to maximize potential; plan an educational program consistent with interests and abilities; acquire accurate information about educational options, requirements, policies and procedures; and monitor educational progress.

All Troy University students have the opportunity for academic advisement, and advising delivery modes are appropriate for the students’ needs. Troy campus incoming students are assigned advisers during their initial orientation sessions. Those students who are undecided about their majors or are conditionally admitted to the University are advised by professionals in the Student Development division. New students with disabilities who meet documentation guidelines are assigned to Adaptive Needs staff to determine appropriate accommodations and for initial academic planning. All other students are assigned advisers in the academic departments housing their majors.

Because of the traditional student population on the Troy, Ala. campus, Troy campus students have a restriction in the Trojan Web Express system that will prevent them from registering without first contacting their adviser. These restrictions or “adviser holds” were developed to ensure that students contact their advisers in order to choose appropriate courses and develop a plan to achieve their academic goals.

Distance learning (e-Campus) students and Global Campus students, as well as students enrolled at the Dothan, Montgomery and Phenix City campuses, are provided advisement by professional staff members and/or faculty members as appropriate. Both faculty and professional advisers are expected to meet with students individually each term to determine the students’ career interests, needs, and goals, and to plan course schedules.

The University continues to allow the academic discipline to determine an adviser’s load. Individual departments determine the system for assigning students to advisers. Faculty advisers in the most popular disciplines (i.e., business and education) continue to have heavier advisee loads. In such cases, advisers are encouraged to use small group advising and on-line sessions. The system for assigning advisers through e-Campus and Global Campus sites are determined by the particular location, but closely parallel the system used at the Troy campus. Students in a particular discipline or location may possibly be assigned in alphabetical order of last name. The methods of advising for all locations and disciplines are continually monitored to ensure that the number of advisees is reasonable for each adviser. A current roster of faculty advisers and assigned advisees is available in individual departments. In addition, all faculty advisers may access their advisees’ academic information such as academic evaluations through Trojan Web Express (also known as WebAdvisor), the Web interface of the Datatel academic information management system.

Troy University studies and seeks to improve its advising processes by using comparative assessment data found in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and through surveys designed specifically to understand student opinions regarding advising.

The NSSE data suggests that Troy University's advising practices are viewed by students as better than those at most other institutions in the survey.

Students Views on Advising 2007 NSSE - Percent Good and Excellent
NSSE Survey	First-Year Studies		Seniors
Question 12	TROY	NSSE	TROY	NSSE
Overall, how would you evaluate the quality of academic advising you have received at your institution?	77%	75%	76%	68%

Although the comparative data suggests that Troy University’s advising practices are viewed more positively than those of its national peers (particularly among the seniors), the University has an project underway to parse data from two advising surveys conducted in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 to identify specific areas - either by college or by location - where further improvements can be made.

Disability Services

The Troy University Adaptive Needs Program provides accommodative services to students throughout the University with physical, psychological, learning, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Prospective students must provide recent documentation of disability from a qualified professional to determine eligibility for the program. Reasonable accommodations are afforded each eligible student based upon individual need. The Adaptive Needs Coordinator prepares an accommodation letter to inform instructors of the students’ academic needs.

Services for students with disabilities may include the following: extended time for testing, private testing areas, oral testing, test reading, scribing test answers, tutorial assistance in basic skills areas, pre-registration assistance, housing modifications, tape recording classes, assistance in acquiring note takers, adaptive aids and equipment, and books on tape.

During Spring Semester 2008, 183 adaptive needs students on the Troy campus were enrolled in the program. Of these,

• 52 were identified as ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder),
  
• 47 were identified as LD (learning disabled),
  
• 31 were identified as LD&ADD/ADHD (learning disabled and attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
  
• six were identified as hearing impaired,
  
• two were identified as vision impaired,
  
• two were identified as suffering from TBI (traumatic brain injury),
  
• 13 were identified as mentally ill, and
  
• 30 were identified with other disabilities.

On average, if each student has a semester course load of four classes, the Adaptive Needs office has the potential to proctor 732 finals (excluding other tests during the term) within a five-day exam period. This could equate to 146 four-hour tests daily. The Adaptive Needs staff includes two professional staff positions (one coordinator and one adaptive needs specialist who counsels students in the program) and one shared classified staff position on the Troy campus.

Students are made aware of disability services through multiple avenues including

• course syllabi, each of which must contain the adaptive needs policy statement as stated in the Faculty Handbook
  
• IMPACT pre-college orientation,
  
• brochures,
  
• TROY 1101 University Orientation course,
  
• The student handbook, the Oracle, and
  
• The Adaptive Needs Web site
  

Information related to adaptive needs for Troy's eCampus is available online.

Tutoring

Tutoring at Troy University is provided by a variety of sources to meet the needs of different students. Each tutorial service at Troy University publicizes to reach student users. Each service is housed in an easily accessible location and is conveniently located for students and instructors. All services are handicapped accessible and provide a variety of resources to assist instructors. Some maintain texts and teaching materials to which instructors have access. Troy University evaluates tutoring services each year by including this area in the graduating student survey.

The following examples demonstrate the University’s commitment to tutoring across academic areas and locations.

Sorrell College of Business

The Department of Business Programs and Information Systems and Quantitative Methods provides tutoring for undergraduate and graduate quantitative methods students and for finance students. Tutoring is typically on a peer basis with graduate assistants providing the tutoring. Special group sessions are held when requested by faculty members. Tutoring is generally held in a computer lab which is accessible most of the workday. If possible, tutoring is also available at least one evening per week. This service is located on the Troy campus.

College of Education

The College of Education offers LiveText individual and group tutoring. Within the College of Education, the LiveText program is an integral part of program effectiveness through data collection associated with both state and national accreditation. Tutoring for LiveText is usually offered within computer labs that are designated for both faculty and student use. LiveText tutoring is available on Troy, Montgomery, Dothan and Phenix City campuses.

College of Health and Human Services

Athletics Training Education, headed by a chair assisted by an assistant professor and a staff of tutors, provides tutoring in anatomy, chemistry, and physics as applicable to athletic training courses. Tutorial services are provided twice weekly at night while school is in session. Athletic Training Education is located on the Troy campus.

Gene Elrod Center

The Gene Elrod Success Center provides individual peer tutoring and group tutoring, with the emphasis on individual tutoring. The Center provides tutoring in basic skill development in English, reading, writing, mathematics, computer science, and accounting. For mathematics, computer science, and accounting, the primary focus is on tutoring in courses at the introductory levels. Writing tutors help students with requirements for any courses from freshman through graduate level. Also, computerized tutorials are available for student use. The Gene Elrod Center, located on the Montgomery campus, provided 849 tutorial sessions during the 2006-2007 academic year. Photos of the Gene Elrod Success Center are provided.

Instructional Support Services

• The Writing Center provides both individual and group tutoring designed to help students improve their writing skills. Also, the Writing Center coordinator conducts workshops for faculty and students in various areas of writing. Books, videos, DVD's, and computer software are available in the Writing Center for student use. Located on the Troy campus, the Writing Center provided more than 2,000 one-to-one tutorials during the 2006-2007 academic year. Photos of the Writing Center are provided.
  
• The Natural Science Center located on the Troy campus provides tutoring in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology. The Natural Science Center uses individual tutoring as well a computers and video programs, practice tests, and learning modules. The Natural Science Center maintains a library of supplemental texts for student and faculty use. By providing these services, the Natural Science Center seeks to enhance the student's learning experience. The Center also provides a grading machine and other equipment for instructor use. The Natural Science Center recorded 47,329 student contacts during the 2006 – 2007 academic year. Photos of the Natural Science Center are provided.

Student Support Services

Student Support Services is a federally funded undergraduate retention program designed to help first generation, low-income and disabled students. Student Support Services provides professional tutoring services, including academic mini-workshops and academic peer tutoring. In addition to peer tutors, a mathematics specialist and an English specialist assist with the tutorial services provided and supervise the tutoring. Student Support Services documented 882 instances of tutoring during the 2006-2007 academic year.

These tutoring sessions in 2006-2007 occupied more than 1000 hours of staff time. In 2007-2008, Student Support Services documented 863 instances of professional one-on-one tutoring that took almost 1052 hours. Details of specific support services provided by this program show a rich and diverse collection of activities. Assessment of the Student Support Services occurs annually and at the time of programmatic renewal of the grant which supports these services. The Dean of Students, the Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Director of the University’s TRIO programs (which includes the Student Support Services program), and the Dean of First Year Studies are all engaged in oversight and regular assessment of the Student Support Services program, its personnel, and budget.

Global Campus

Global Campus students have access to the tutorial facilities on the Troy and other campuses, including the Writing Center and The Natural Science Center. Both of these centers have Web pages describing the services offered by the centers and advising students of the means to access the offered services. Global Campus students may personally visit the Writing Center and The Natural Science Center if proximity permits. Students located too far away to visit the centers personally may access center services by the Web pages for the centers, by e-mail, and by telephone. Additional information about the tutorial services at Troy University may be accessed through the Instructional Support Services Web site.

Tutoring is also available at Misawa Air Base, Kadena Air Base, and Yongsan Army Garrison in the Global Campus Pacific Region and is provided by faculty. Holloman Air Base provides faculty tutoring online and face-to-face in the Global Campus Western Region. The Global Campus Atlantic Region provides tutoring by faculty, as well.

Labs/Learning Centers

Troy University maintains a variety of laboratories and learning centers to support the curriculum of the University and to enhance the learning experiences of the University's students. The labs and learning centers at Troy University are adequate and appropriate to achieve the institutional objective of providing educational programs that enhance students' ability to read, write, compute, speak effectively and think critically. The University is continuously evaluating, enhancing, and improving the labs and learning centers at the University in the interest of ensuring these locations contribute in the fullest to the effectiveness of student learning.

The labs at Troy University are designed to meet the needs and requirements of a varied student population. Photos of various labs are provided. A brief description of the labs at Troy University follows.

College of Arts and Sciences

• The Department of Science maintains an Anatomy and Physiology lab utilized in the teaching of biology classes. Located on the Montgomery campus, the lab consists of nine tables with three chairs per table. The tables are used for note taking and to hold models. There are also eleven computers with anatomy and physiology-related software in the lab with student access. The anatomy and physiology lab assisted approximately 180 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences has a lab equipped with two sinks and a "prep" room. Emergency equipment is located strategically to the lab. The purpose of the lab is to provide laboratory experiments in Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II. The anatomy and physiology lab was utilized by approximately 350 students during the 2006-2007 academic year. The Anatomy and Physiology Lab is located on the Troy campus.

Biology Labs

• The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences maintains two labs equipped with two sinks each. The "prep" rooms also have a sink. Emergency equipment, including eyewash sink and emergency shower, is strategically located near the labs. The labs are used to support the biology courses and have as their purpose to provide laboratory experiments in biological science. Approximately 1,300 students used the biology labs during the 2006-2007 academic year. These labs are located on the Troy campus.
  
• All in-class biology labs are conducted at a single location at the Florida central office to ensure uniformity. The laboratory is equipped with the general lab facilities and equipment as required. The labs are located at the Florida site.

Chemistry Labs

• The Chemistry Department operates chemistry labs located on the third floor of the Math and Science Complex (MSCX) on the Troy campus. The labs are designed to provide students with hands-on experience with the tools used in chemistry and to provide students with exposure to some of the concepts taught in chemistry. The labs supplement every chemistry course taught. The labs have hoods and a one-pass air system that minimizes the effects of noxious fumes. Safety showers and eye wash stations are in close vicinity to each lab. The chemistry lab that is located on the Troy campus was used by 675 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Computer Science Labs

• The Computer Science Department maintains four labs with 16, 24, 34 and 22 computers respectively. The labs are designed to support the courses taught by the Computer Science Department. The computer science labs were used by 1,000 students during the 2006-2007 academic year. The labs are located on the Dothan campus.
  
• The Department of Science maintains the General Biology Lab with two long lab benches with seating for 24. The tables are used for note taking and for conducting experiments. Lab equipment, including beakers, hot plates and other equipment, is stored in the lab. An experiment preparation room is attached. The lab is used for biology classes and for science classes. Between 600 and 700 students used the general biology lab during the 2006-2007 academic year. This lab is on the Montgomery campus.
  
• The Geomatics Lab, housed under the Department of Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science and Geomatics, provides access to hardware and software used by the geomatics profession. The lab provides Internet access along with access to the hardware and software tools students need to do their assignments. The lab is equipped with 14 computers, one server in a secured cabinet, two laser jet printers, and two large format plotters. The Geomatics Lab was used by approximately 75 students during the 2006-2007 academic year. The Geomatics Lab is located on the Troy campus.
  
• The Computer Science Department operates a computer science lab on the Maxwell/Gunter Air Force Base. The purpose of the lab is to supplement the instruction in the computer science courses taught at the site. The lab supports a variety of classes, including data structures and software engineering.
  
• The Microbiology Lab supports the microbiology class. The seating of the lab consists of two long lab benches with seating for 16. The lab has storage space for beakers, hot plates and other equipment with an attached preparation room. The microbiology lab, located on the Montgomery campus, was used by approximately 120 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• The Department of Natural Sciences maintains lecture/laboratory classrooms for the subjects of organic chemistry, physical and earth science, physics, general chemistry, instrument lab, analytical chemistry, and biology. The labs are strongly integrated into the lecture/laboratory classes taught on the Dothan campus.
  
• The Department of Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Geomatics maintains a lab to provide experiments in physical science, earth science, and physics lab courses. The lab is equipped with easily accessible student stations and is furnished with all of the required safety equipment. The lab is equipped with two sinks within the lab and eyewash equipment and an emergency shower strategically located near the lab. The Department of Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Geomatics physics lab was used by approximately 800 students during the 2006-2007 academic year. This lab is located on the Troy campus.

Sorrell College of Business

• Computer labs are located on the second floor of Bibb Graves Hall on the Troy campus in rooms 215, 244, 247, 248, and 249. These computer labs are designed to support the basic computer course IS 2241 as well as all upper level information systems concentration courses, accounting courses, and geographic information systems-related courses in the international economic development major and Master of Business Administration concentration. The labs have graduate assistants available for tutoring during scheduled hours.
  
• The Sorrell College of Business Computer Labs on the Phenix City campus consist of three labs in different rooms. Two have 17 computers each while a third lab has 31 computers. The labs are open at various times during the week. Two of the labs are open on weekends for student use. The purpose of the labs is to provide computer hardware and software support to Sorrell School of Business students.

College of Communication and Fine Arts

• The Hall School of Journalism and Communication Lab on the Troy campus is a primary classroom for journalism classes. In some cases, classes are taught within the lab setting itself. In other cases, various journalism classes have components that students must complete using the facilities of the lab. The lab contains twenty up-to-date Macintosh computers used by students and faculty. The central faculty computer is connected to a projection system, and all of the computers are connected to the Internet. Printers are also available. The number of student visits to the journalism lab during the 2006-2007 academic year exceeded 25,000.

College of Education

• The Department of Instructional Design and Technology has an Education Lab located on the Troy campus. The purpose of the lab is to promote the integration of technology into the teacher education curriculum in order to facilitate student development and to meet requirements for teacher education and accreditation. The lab supports a number of education courses. Approximately 200 students used the education lab and the psychology lab during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• Maintained by the Department of Instructional Design and Technology on the Troy campus, the Psychology Lab meets the purpose of promoting the integration of technology into teacher education curriculum in order to facilitate student development and to meet requirements for teacher education accreditation. The lab supports psychology classes. The psychology and education labs were used by a total of 200 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.

College of Health and Human Services

• The Athletic Training Room has as its objective rehabilitation. The lab supports various athletic training courses. The lab meets all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. It serves as an out-patient rehabilitation center for champion rehabilitation. The Athletic Training Room, located on the Troy campus, assisted 160 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• The Master of Science in Nursing program has labs on the Troy, Montgomery, and Phenix City campuses. The labs are housed under the School of Nursing and include a computer lab and a nursing skills lab. The nursing skills labs are designed to aid in the development of the skills necessary for the delivery of patient care. Computerized simulators are available to create realistic patient care scenarios for the Associate of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing programs on the Montgomery and Troy campuses. The lab gives the opportunity for nursing students to practice health assessment skills with instructors. The computer labs supplement all the core courses in the Master of Science in Nursing program. The nursing skills lab supplements all the clinical courses in the Master of Science in Nursing program. The nursing arts labs were used by approximately 60 students during the 2006-2007 academic year. The Troy lab had a total of 12,737 hours of use. The Montgomery lab had a total of 7,182 hours of use. The Phenix City lab had a total of 720 hours of use. These labs are located on the Troy, Montgomery, and Phenix City campuses.
  
• The Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion on the Troy campus maintains the KHP Computer Lab to provide kinesiology and health promotion students with computers and printers for class assignments and to provide innovative ways in which to include technology within kinesiology and health promotion assignments. The KHP Computer Lab was used by approximately 300 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• The Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion maintains an Exercise Physiology Lab to increase learning experiences by application activities that are relevant to exercise physiology. Approximately 65 to 70 students used the Exercise Physiology Lab during the 2006-2007 academic year. This lab is located on the Troy campus.

Interdepartmental and/or University-Wide Labs

• ComputerWorks. As part of Instructional Support Services program on the Troy campus, ComputerWorks is a general-purpose computer lab. The desktop computers in ComputerWorks support current technology. A staff composed primarily of graduate students assists students with computer software and hardware needs. Support is always available to individuals who visit ComputerWorks. ComputerWorks also maintains a web page with many useful links. Designed as a general purpose academic lab, ComputerWorks supports students’ academic
  
• Fort Rucker Location Computer Lab. The Dothan campus Information Services Department maintains a computer lab at the Fort Rucker location. The lab supplements all courses offered on the Troy University Fort Rucker location. Instructors may schedule the lab for class meetings. Students needing to use the Internet or needing to print out assignments for a class also have access to the lab. Particular courses that regularly utilize the lab as a classroom are IS 2241, IS 3300, TROY 1101, and TROY 1103. The computer lab was utilized 186 times during the 2006-2007 academic year. These figures do not include usage by students as part of a class.
  
• Gene Elrod Center. The Gene Elrod Center provides individual peer tutoring and group tutoring. The Center covers the subject areas of writing skills, math, and the sciences. Students may set up appointments. Students on all campus sites have access to the Gene Elrod Center via email, phone, and face-to-face contact. The Gene Elrod Center on the Montgomery campus provided 849 sessions of student assistance during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• Instructional Support Center. Housed within the Dothan Campus Library are two rooms having 50 computers with Internet access. The computer lab is open 64 hours per week and always has a staff member present. The Instructional Support Center was used 9,873 times during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• Phenix City Campus-Wide Computer Labs. Five computer labs exist on the Phenix City campus that are not specifically affiliated with a particular campus department but are considered to be campus-wide. The objective of the labs is to give computer and software access to students who may not have access otherwise. The labs are supervised by the Director of User Support and Training. Approximately 600 students used the Phenix City campus-wide computer labs during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• Student Support Services Lab. The Student Support Services lab is provided through the Student Support Services program. The lab has desktop computers that provide Internet access. The purpose of the lab is to provide instructional, tutorial, and counseling support technology for Student Support Services participants. The Student Support Services lab was visited by 177 students during the 2006-2007 academic year with some of the students having multiple visitations. Location: Troy campus.

Global Campus

• Global Campus Atlantic Region Computer Labs. The Global Campus Atlantic Region maintains computer labs at the Norfolk Region Office as well as at the Arlington and Fort Bragg sites. The labs are used for testing and for graduate student Internet course work. The Arlington and Norfolk, computer labs consist of laptops that are secured when not in use. The Fort Bragg computer lab consists of desktop computers situated in a classroom setting. All three of the labs were launched within the last 18 months. These labs are located at the Norfolk, Va. /Arlington, and Virginia/Fort Bragg sites.
  
• Global Campus Southeast Region Computer/Conference Room. Managed by the Information Technology department under the Department of Arts and Sciences, the Computer/Conference Room has as its objective to provide access to computers for computer classes and to facilitate student registrations. The Computer/Conference Room supports a number of computer science courses. The Computer/Conference Room was used by 150 to 300 students during the 2006-2007 academic year.
  
• Global Campus Pacific and Western Regions. Computer labs are available to students at Misawa Air Base, Kadena Air Force Base, and Yongsan Army Garrison in the Global Campus Pacific Region. In the Global Campus Western Region, labs are available at Holloman Air Force Base, Malmstrom Air Force Base, and Ft. Lewis. Labs are available at all sites in the Global Campus Southeast Region.

Academic Support Services for eCampus and Global Campus

Students

The primary mission of the eCampus student services department is to provide services to students that support and enhance their educational experience at Troy University. To an increasing extent, the department relies on electronic information resources to manage the large amount of information necessary to help students. The department seeks to provide each student with the resources needed for success in achieving his or her academic goals. Each student is assigned to his or her nearest Troy University geographical location for personal access to student services. Below are services offered online that students have access to when taking on-campus courses.

• Adaptive Needs
  
• College tests information (CLEP, Advanced Placement, DANTES, etc.)
  
• Library
  
• Student Forms
  
• Writing Center
  
• Trojan Web Express student pages (grades, academic evaluations, etc.)

Through SmartThinking, tutors are available up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a variety of subjects.

Faculty

• Writing Center
  
• Faculty Forms
  
• Blackboard Training (Troy University utilizes Blackboard for its online and Web-enhanced courses. Faculty members have online access to training modules and course development tutorials. Faculty can also utilize online mentors to assist with course design issues.)
  
• Trojan Web Express faculty pages (Trojan Web Express is the Datatel interface that provides faculty with access to the student information system. Faculty can view class roles and a list of advisees. Faculty can also view a student’s academic history and academic program evaluation for advisement sessions. Web Express also provides tutorials to provide basic training.

Information Technology

Information technology enhances students’ learning experience and provides faculty with the technological means to support classroom teaching. By providing access to various electronic products, Troy University ensures that students and faculty on the all campuses are informed of available services. Since the merger of the separately accredited institutions all information technology is now routed through the Troy University System Server so that a network analyst can monitor the network in order to make certain that information is being delivered to Internet users. Troy University’s Department of Information Technology supports 43,000 active, global users; 64 supported sites: 17 states and 11 countries; facilities in 16 time zones; and 1,570 total lab personal computers.

Each campus (Troy, Dothan, Montgomery) has a main Web site that students and faculty can access from any Internet-ready computer. Once connected to the Internet, students and faculty can go to the Troy site or a specific campus web site. to login to Blackboard; check official Trojan e-mail; login to the Trojan Web Express, the online student accounting system for Troy University; and access the Troy University WebCat, an online public access catalog that provides access a multitude of database.

Another service provided by the Department of Information Technology is the SOS Emergency Communication Tools. As part of Troy University’s efforts to provide accurate, timely information to our University community, a mass communication system is available. Troy University contracted with E2Campus to provide an efficient mechanism for expedient delivery of emergency notices to a variety of electronic devices (mobile phone [via SMS text message]; Blackberry; wireless PDA; text pager; personal portal [My Yahoo, iGoogle or My AOL page]; RSS reader. The University can swiftly notify its constituents of a number of unexpected events, including emergency broadcasts, alerts, weather advisories, school closing, class cancellations, and significant maintenance events.

Other centralized online sources available to students and faculty include undergraduate and graduate academic catalogs, a Web page for graduate studies; eCampus, and International Studies. Faculty web pages are maintained on Spectrum.

Assessment of Academic Support Services

Troy University assesses the quality and effectiveness of academic support services in several ways. Institutional effectiveness information for academic support services is maintained and evaluated in the Dashboard system described in Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1 as Performance Effectiveness Reports (PERs). The Performance Effectiveness Reports for Student Development and for Instructional Support Services illustrate how the University establishes expected performance outcomes and tracks the actual outcomes based on a variety of sources.

In some cases the assessment data comes from locally developed surveys that offices administer directly to the students who are come to them for support services. In other cases, support services are evaluated by all students through the annual Graduating Student Survey.

The Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness conducts the annual survey of all graduating seniors) that includes questions pertaining to student perceptions about academic support services.

Using a five-point, Likert-type scale, Troy University tracks student views related to library services, advising, laboratories, and information technology support. Data from 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 show consistent levels of student satisfaction in all of these areas.

The data are broken out to compare feedback from the individual Alabama campuses, the Global Campus locations, and eCampus, and show very little difference in responses from students on the residential campus in Troy and those enrolled in eCampus or at Global Campus teaching locations.

Feedback from a similar survey conducted just with international students (residing on the Troy, Ala. campus) has identified concerns that some international students have and has led to focus groups with students from Nepal to better understand their needs.

Conclusion

Troy University provides a variety of academic support services that are appropriate to the mission of the institution. Troy University is in compliance with this Comprehensive Standard.