SIUC Computing Advisory Committee

 

Meeting Minutes of 1 May 2001

 

Those present: Phillip Chu, James Duggan (recorder), JP Dunn, James Fox, James Fry, Susan Logue,Andrew Lumpe, Don Olson, ex-officio, Kerry Sandberg, Larry Schilling, Richard Steffen, Kelly Thomas, Chih-Fang Wang.

 

James Duggan reported on the successful Internet2 Day held Wednesday, April 25, 2001 in the Student Center.Doug van Houweling, President of Internet2, spoke about the realities and potential benefits that will accrue to the University as a result of joining Internet2, and forecast how Internet2 will be used in the future.Don Olson reported one benefit of being an Internet2 member: when someone at an Internet2 university uses the internet to connect via the web/e-mail with another Internet2 university, the internet2 is actually being used (and connection speed should be improved/net traffic minimized).

 

James Duggan also reported that the initial meeting of the Undergraduate Student Technology Fee Committee met on Friday, April 27.Larry Juhlin, Geoff Nathan, Don Olson, and James Duggan (representing the CAC) talked about guidelines and deadlines.September 1 has tentatively been set as the deadline for receipt of proposals that request funding from the funds collected under the Undergraduate Technology Fee. The Committee plans to meet thereafter to decide funding priorities.At present, four undergraduate students will be asked to serve on the committee (the students will be identified primarily through a request to the new USG President).The Request for funding proposals will be distributed through Deans and Department Heads during early May.

 

Don Olson reported 1) The Microsoft site license for the University has been signed (at a cost of approximately $160,000).The site license will allow for a copy of Windows and Microsoft Office Professional to be placed on every university-owned computer.Departments can purchase disks and documentation (for loading purposes) for about $20 per disk.The license also means that the company chosen to provide various model of computers on campus at a discount (i.e., similar to the contract the University currently has with Dell), may load the software on new equipment being delivered to the University; 2) Don hopes to have new contract agreement with a computer vendor (similar to the one currently with Dell) in place by July 1; 3) IT is lease/purchasing for 3 years a new mainframe server, this server has the student information system on it and some ASIS functions. The tape backup drives will remain the same.The new server will be tested over the next few months; 4) The CAC Strategic Plan Subcommittee has met a couple of times over the past months and hope to meet in earnest in the Fall, with a draft plan being written by Spring 2002; 5) Plans are now being made to upgrade the 100 megabit University backbone to a gigabit system.Projections call for upgrading buildings in the Faner area beginning in May, with eventual campus completion by December 2002.Note: this change will require new IP addresses for individual computers.

 

James Duggan distributed a memo from Margaret Winters, Interim Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research, to the CAC, that contained a request for forming a subcommittee of the CAC focusing on Academic Computing.The memo contained a number of issues that Margaret identified that she would like the subcommittee to investigate, including, handed-down computers, application training needs, "guru" recognition, site licenses; faculty/staff connectivity, lab maintenance, and web pages/portals.James Duggan distributed a proposed listing of members of the Academic Computing Subcommittee.IT will include five members of the current CAC (Philip Chu, James Fry, Susan Logue, Don Rice, and Kelly Thomas), Don Rice (ex-officio), and three outside members (Geoff Nathan, Tom Thibeault, and James Tyrell).James will appoint one member of the subcommittee as Chair.

 

James Duggan also distributed an e-mail from Jim Allen, Director of the University Core Curriculum, requesting information regarding the CAC's thoughts on surveying students regarding student computer literacy and the need for a potential computer literacy requirement in the Core Curriculum. After discussion, the CAC decided to refer the matter to its newly formed Academic Computing Subcommittee.

 

The next meeting was set for Tuesday, July 25, 2001 at 8:30 am in the American Heritage Room (305) of Morris Library.