“Communication is the key to advancing computer-based learning,” says the second candidate for associate vice president for academic affairs for technology, Dale E. Bower.

“We want to work together,” she told members of various university councils and senates during an interview Wednesday afternoon.

Bower said she would need to work closely with campus officers and faculty to meet everyone’s needs and insure that technology would be used to its fullest capacity.

Bower listed the goals she would aspire to if given the position:

First, she would like to see Eastern communicate together to figure out where technology is needed most.

Second, she hopes Eastern will develop a niche of its own. She wants everyone to see what the university is doing and realize [Eastern] did it first.

“Eastern could become a trend setter,” she said. “Eastern will be providing examples for the rest of the world.”

Bower made note of her ability to get faculty interested in technology-enhanced learning.

While working for University Colleges of Technology in New York, Bower started a program in which faculty members volunteered to tutor each other on computer based learning.

She said this brought technology to the campus’ interest, and hopes she can have the opportunity to get Eastern interested as well.

“We must expose people to technology to get them interested,” she said.

Bower also noted her ability to acquire external funds to support technology advancements.

“I’m one of those people who looks outside the box,” Bower said while explaining her work on bonding and grant committees. “I have always been good at requiring funds from the state.”

Bower said other ways to support advancements in technology exist other than through funding.

The use of communication and the importance of faculty interest are major assets in advancing technology on campus, and Bower would like to see Eastern become an internationally known institution.

“It seems as though there are a lot of opportunities for international partnerships,” she said of computer-based education.

The university has the opportunity to “open you up to the world with global admissions,” Bower said.

She said enormous marketing possibilities are available through the Web, and hopes to use those tools.

“We are still in the primitive stages of technology,” she said. “And one day we will look back at the primitive assignments we were giving students and laugh.”