I agree with Kathy that the draft questions ask most of the quanitative
questions. Perhaps a question about the employee-computer ratio would
round out this section, although I doubt that it would be very useful.
It would be easier to evaluate the questions if we knew why they are being
asked. It is difficult to relate these questions to the current ABA
accreditation standards except in the most general way.
Standards in the 600 series require a law school to maintain a library that
is adequate to its program (601), to have a collection with specific items
(Annex II) plus whatever else is necessary for the schools program (602)
with a reasonable level of completeness and current supplementation (603)
and to have an adequate staff (605). Rules which require and adequate
physycal plant (701) may also be marginally relevant here.
It seems to me that a law school could define its mission in such a way that
the level of computing resources (hardware, software, support staff, etc.)
could be relevant to whether that school is in compliance with the
accreditation standards. On the other hand, I can't see how the failure to
provide for e-mail or an internet link *per se* would cause a school to be
out of compliance. Certainly ample computing resources are an advantage to
law school community. However, I'm not certain that, say, internet based
legal information sources are sufficiently well developed to conclude that
their absence is detrimental to legal education. On the other hand, I
would conclude that a failure to provide WESTLAW or LEXIS services would be
detrimental (and undoubtedly, this is why Annex II requires at least one such
service.)
Anyway, to conclude: the draft questions seem adequate as a quantitative
check on service levels. Nevertheless they also beg the question of what
level of computing services is appropriate for an accreditated law school.
I'm not sure that there is a consensus on the latter point.
ear to contemplate new standards for accreditation.
And, this may well be a good idea. However,
_____________________
James Leonard
Professor of Law
Law Library Director
Ohio Northern University
jleonard@crassus.onu.edu
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