Dr. Chrystle Ross, Professor of Business Information Technology at Abraham Baldwin College, has been selected as the first Director of the Office of Information Technology and Services (OITS), effective Aug. 1. Ross has served as the Interim Director for the past nine months.
ABAC President Mike Vollmer said the cabinet-level position for technology allows for greater emphasis on technology through increased communication, ensuring that technological needs are being recognized at the highest level within the institution.
"We hope this position will move the institution to the next level of technological advancement, creating a campus that embraces the value of technology," Vollmer said. "Chrystle and the entire Information Technology staff have done a tremendous job over the past nine months, and, in my opinion, they have just begun to implement some exciting new projects."
Ross holds an M.Ed degree and a BBA degree from Valdosta State University and an Ed.D. degree from Florida State University. She has completed several computer institutes from the University System of Georgia that provided a strong technical background in microcomputer applications. She also received Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) training for Microsoft networking and was among the first faculty members within ABAC's Division of Business Administration to offer web-enhanced course materials and on-line courses.
Ross, who has been at ABAC for 23 years, worked as the college's first full-time Director of Institutional Research, a position that allowed her to learn about the entire college as well as the need for recognizing the relationship between planning and budgeting. She also served as the first Coordinator of Academic Computing. This position provided an opportunity for her to see first-hand what it takes to support the numerous labs on campus with a limited staff. In addition to these positions, Ross has also taught in ABAC's Division of Business Administration since 1981, moving up the ranks from instructor to professor.
Ross said she feels very privileged to have the opportunity to see where and how far new teaching and learning technologies will take ABAC and its students."
Having served in this position on an interim basis for the past nine months, I've learned just how knowledgeable and dedicated the staff is in supporting technology," Ross said. "Technology is constantly changing and requires constant learning. The staff is up to that challenge."
Ross said her overall goal as the Director of OITS is to broaden and deepen appreciation and enthusiasm for technology.
"Today's students expect to see technology being used in their instruction, whether it is for communicating via e-mail, getting assignments and schedules from the web, or having a group debate in a chat room," Ross said. "Students learn at different times of the day--and night. For traditional students, to be able to review their professors' class presentations on the web at 1 a.m. is a real advantage. To be able to take a practice quiz on-line at 5:30 a.m. when the house is quiet and the children are still sleeping is a plus for non-traditional students. We need to be able to offer these advances in technology to all of our students."
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