R350, Master Plan for Educational Telecommunications

---

 

R350-1. Purpose

To provide guidelines for educational telecommunications in the Utah System of Higher Education.

R350-2. References

2.1. Policy and Procedures 351, Educational Television - KUED

2.2. Policy and Procedures 353, Telecommunications for Off-campus Learning

R350-3. Policy

3.1. Operations center at University of Utah - To accommodate the operational requirements of the educational system's developing multiple-option telecommunication system, a state "educational telecommunications operations center" shall be established at the University of Utah in connection with KUED and related telecommunication services currently centered at - or allied with - KUED and the statewide television system. Further, the operational center shall be designed and equipped to accommodate a statewide interconnection system through which to provide a variety of instructional and educational administrative services and materials in a variety of media formats.

3.2. Conditions of role assignments - Responsibility for the state operations center is assigned to the University of Utah as a "role assignment" that carries with it the terms, conditions and accountabilities that are inherent in all role assignments by the Board of Regents to institutions in the system. However, in the instance of the state educational telecommunications operations center, the University of Utah's assignment is to:

3.2.1. Develop and operate facilities which would be used by all eligible institutions and agencies in carrying out their unique roles and functions including cooperation with existing or future production facilities within the system to assure adequate dissemination for their programming within appropriate standards.

3.2.2. Develop formalized mechanisms for providing public and institutional input in carrying out operations center assignments from the Regents.

3.2.3. Carry out the assignment in accordance with a mission statement and a priority-of-use, funding and accountability framework prescribed by the Regents as part of the role assignment. Within such a framework, the University of Utah (or any other institution receiving a comparable role assignment) would receive authority to carry out the assigned mission subject to periodic reviews, evaluations and role modifications as the Regents deem it appropriate for accountability purposes.

3.3. Access criteria - To facilitate the development of appropriate programming and other inputs from public institutions and agencies, the University of Utah and other eligible institutions and agencies collaborate in creating a mutually satisfactory board or committee for developing fair and equitable criteria by which users may gain access to the system for carrying out their unique institutional missions.

3.4. University of Utah to operate KUED - In response to historical precedent, current statutes and the unique requirements for holding the license for an educational television station, the University of Utah continues to operate KUED with consideration in its programming and management decisions of input from its present advisory board, the proposed user board/committee and such other groups or committees as required or appropriate.

3.5. Public FM radio stations system - A system of public FM radio stations be established in Utah using a combination of existing and contemplated regional/local stations and translators interconnected into a statewide network using existing and developing microwave systems or other technologies. That through sharing of program resources on a statewide or regional basis, higher education institutions, public schools, public agencies and the citizenry of various regions be empowered and encouraged to develop a well-rounded radio service tailored to the unique interests and needs of the people of each region. That, in areas where there is little or no public radio, these areas be served with FM radio translators in sufficient numbers to provide a variety of programs from nearby stations and from stations located elsewhere in the state. Further, that institutions or agencies having FM radio systems with fairly extensive coverage patterns be encouraged to give extended distribution to at least some programs from institutions and agencies having limited coverage through their own facilities.

3.6. Surveys of needs, interests and concerns - Programming on the state's educational broadcast stations and other available electronic delivery systems be developed and distributed on the basis of regular surveys of the needs, interests and concerns of current and prospective patrons or constituents. Also, that data from such surveys and other appropriate sources be used in arriving at priorities for future system development and operational plans.

3.7. Telecommunications facilities - With completion of the statewide FM radio system -- and the Salt Lake to Cedar City leg of the broadband microwave system (scheduled to become operational in November), the University of Utah and the Regents shall recommend to the State Legislature the earliest possible arrangements for the proposed new building to house KUED, KUER and related telecommunication facilities. A minimally satisfactory state operations center can be accommodated in existing, geographically separated facilities at the University of Utah. However, extending to users from a variety of institutions and agencies the full range of benefits promised by a multiple-option telecommunication system will be greatly hampered, unless existing and contemplated operations are consolidated in a single location with sufficient space (and the right kind of space) to handle, on a cost-effective basis, the greatly increased "traffic" that is envisioned.

3.8. Educational telecommunications administration and coordination - In light of the above enlargement of the Regents' and the University of Utah's role in statewide telecommunications, KUED shall enter into a substantial credit telecourse program, and other contemplated activities that will require increased liaison by Media Services at the Utah System of Higher Education with the Office of the Commissioner, sister institutions and other potential users and the Regents' and Office of the Commissioner's educational telecommunications administration and coordination function shall be redefined in accordance with current requirements.