05/20/2009
Paula N. Warnken of Cortland, N.Y., who served SUNY Cortland for 16 years, will retire on Aug. 27. She has been designated associate provost emerita for information resources.
Since joining the College in 1993, she has been responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for all technology and library services, developing policies, setting priorities and providing resources to fulfill the institution's instructional and administrative goals.
Warnken has had administrative oversight of the College's Center for Advancement of Technology in Education (CATE), Memorial Library including its traditional library services as well as its Learning Commons, information and computer literacy instruction, media production, faculty technology training and instructional design support; Academic Computing Services including distributed technologies, computer labs, technology help center and database development; Classroom Media Services including media system development and services, Web and video conferencing; Administrative Computing Services including ERP systems and networking including the IP Phone System and information security. She has overseen a staff of 75 and an annual budget of $6 million.
Warnken's tenure encompassed an era where the slide projector and traditional teaching equipment were replaced in the classroom with successive generations of more sophisticated digital equipment. A faculty training and resource center was opened in Sperry Center in 1994 to help professors make the transition to using computer technology in the classroom. She oversaw a major funding initiative that in 1995, for the first, time provided a desktop computer to all faculty members. In 1995, the first technology (SMART) classrooms were built, one each in Sperry Center, Bowers Hall and Park Center along with eight computer carts for classrooms. That year, two interactive video distance learning classrooms were completed. Today, there are 63 technology classrooms and 18 teaching labs on campus.
By 1998, in terms of SMART classrooms and the completion of the campus-wide network, the College technology infrastructure was more than adequate to host with pride the annual SUNY-wide Conference in Instructional Technologies. A year later, the Hallnet program delivered online technology to students inside the residence halls.
In recent years, Memorial Library reclaimed its role as a campus hub through the development of expanded late-night study hours in 2001; the 2004 opening of The Bookmark as a café for students to relax and collaborate on projects without leaving the building; and the 2006 completion of the Learning Commons offering students personal assistance with eLearning, Web 2.0 and Social Media, and other academic projects. Warnken was especially pleased with the 2007 reopening of Sperry Center, the College's primary classroom facility, featuring cutting-edge technology.
On the administrative side of the College's information systems, Banner began replacing the outdated Triton computer database in 1999. The new system would eventually make student records management a paperless process for faculty and professional staff working with the Registrar's Office while the students registered for courses and checked their grades online.
The College was awarded the 2003 National EDUCAUSE Excellence in Network Award for network integration and innovation of the converged data, voice and video network, validating one particular area of Warnken's administrative efforts.
At SUNY Cortland, Warnken serves on the President's Council, the Provost's Cabinet, the Academic Affairs Council and the Facilities and Master Plan Oversight Committee. She chaired the Academic Reorganization Committee in 1996 and the Education Building Steering Committee in 2005. Among other committees, she was on the Alterations Projects Committee, the Art Collection and Exhibit Committee, the Title III Steering Committee, the Emergency Preparedness Committee, the Auxiliary Services Corporation Board of Directors, the Auxiliary Services Executive Board and the Auxiliary Services Operations Committee.
A founding member of the Council of SUNY Chief Information Officers in 2001, she was on its Executive Board from 2001-08. At the state level, she also served on the Chancellor's Advisory Group on Capital Technology Equipment, the Council on Educational Technology, the I-81 Distance Learning Consortium, the Advisory Council to the SUNY Office of Educational Technology, the Provost's Distance Learning Council, the Student Information and Campus Administration Systems Governance Board, the SUNY Distance Learning Advisory Council, the SUNY Training Center Advisory Board, and the Westnet Distance Learning Consortium.
Warnken has given national presentations in her field. She served as a peer reviewer for Library and Information Science Research from 2006-2008.
Warnken was editor of the "Managing Technology Series" of The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 30 (from January-December 2004), and wrote a series of articles that appeared in the publication.
Before joining SUNY Cortland, she was director of libraries at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1984-1992. From 1983-1986, she was also an instructor in Xavier University's Department of English.
Warnken served as head of reader services in Xavier University's library from 1980-1983.
From 1976-1980, she was assistant public services librarian for the Ohio University-Zanesville Campus. During those years, she also taught business communications as an adjunct instructor in the Business Division of Muskingum Area Technical College in Zanesville, Ohio.
From 1973-1975, Warnken was a reference assistant at Bowling Green State University.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature from University of Wisconsin, Madison. Warnken also has a Master of Library Science from Kent State University and a Master of Education in Personnel Training, Education, and Development from Xavier University.
She and her husband, Cliff Warnken, will reside in the greater Cincinnati area where they lived for 13 years before coming to Cortland. She plans to spend more time with her three young grandchildren, Nolan, Emmett and Theo, as well as reconnect with old friends and colleagues. She will do part-time consulting and enjoy more unscheduled time. Her two sons, Devin Warnken and Jonathan Warnken, both live in Cincinnati.