Aligning Service to Mission: Managing Technology in the Language Center and Across Campus

Abstract

At a time when we are all being asked to do more for less, when we're feeling the pressure to be on top of the latest and the greatest while still providing the best from the past, and when someone is pushing yet another new technology but not giving sufficient time to digest it thoroughly, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, stretched short, run ragged and burned out. Similarly, mycolleaguesand I wondered why we were constantly finding ourselves reacting to each individual crisis as it arose, rather than being able to influence the outcome and create change before crisis hit. We were struggling to maintain every traditional language lab service, while exploring and taking on every tool, trend, and technology just so the LRC would appear to be on edge of innovation and, thus, still be relevant to the 21st century universitynot to mention be able to justify space, staff lines, and expenditures. Too-often we were ending up in contentious conversations with administrators trying to explain why a mere "language lab" should be involved in a cool new initiative. Seem familiar?