DRAFT
SIUC Computing Advisory Committee
Monday, March 22, 2004 –
10:00 am
Administrative Offices
Conference Room, Morris Library
In attendance: Alice Noble-Allgire, Bob Baer, Ruth Bernhardt, David Carlson, Howard Carter, Tom Furby, Stephanie Graves (secretary), Duke Koch, Don Olson, Amy Sileven, Bonnie Stoffel, Chih-Fang Wang, Lichang Wang, and Neil Young
David
Carlson opened the meeting at 10:00 am.
An agenda was distributed.
Don
Olson reported several general items for Information Technology.
A
new firewall has arrived but is not yet installed. Don is working with IT’s new staff member to investigate the best way to
install the firewall. The firewall will
hopefully catch more incoming viruses.
There
are two projects that are in progress for the remainder of the fiscal
year. First, Don is investigating the
purchase of the commercial Sendmail email
system. Sendmail
is one of the top three e-mail systems currently available. The University currently uses the freeware
version of Sendmail.
The freeware is becoming taxed by heavy use and does not offer many of
the amenities of the commercial version.
Don reported that IT has received requests from many of the academic
deans and other departments on campus to generate mass e-mails. Only the commercial Sendmail
will facilitate mass e-mailing. It also
comes with MacAfee. The hardware will
cost approximately $120,000. The
software could cost as much as $280,000.
The hardware would need to be upgraded even if IT continued to use the
freeware Sendmail product. Annual fees for the commercial Sendmail product are assessed on the number of users. Don estimated that the University would pay
approximately $100,000 per year. Don
reported that the last virus cost the IT department
roughly $200,000 in staff time and equipment.
It is his hope that the virus software for the commercial Sendmail would dramatically decrease the number of viruses
that IT encounters.
Bob
Baer asked if the commercial Sendmail product would
be site licensed. Don Olson indicated
that he would check into that issue.
The
second project that Don is investigating is the installation of wireless
antennas at various locations across campus.
The antennas are 80211b compliant and would provide wireless coverage in
most places around campus. The antennas
could be installed as early as this summer.
The cost for this project is approximately $150,000. Don is working on the security issues related
to the wireless network.
Amy
Sileven inquired about the cost and source of funding
for both projects. Both projects will be
funded with year-end funds from IT’s
budget.
The
committee discussed the use of wireless technology in the classroom. Several members expressed concern that
students would spend time surfing rather than paying attention to
lectures. The committee also discussed
the legitimate uses of technology in the classroom. Don said that the wireless access would not
replace wired access in terms of bandwidth and speed. Wireless access is meant to compliment, not
replace wired connections on campus.
David
Carlson reported for the Undergraduate Student Technology Fee committee. A final report will be presented to CAC at a
later date.
The
committee has expended/awarded all the money available. After purchase orders were finalized, there
was roughly $35,000 left over. The money
was then redistributed to three or four more projects. Very few requests were funded 100%,
especially if the request asked for complete replacement of all computers in a
lab. The committee felt it best not to
replace all the machines in a lab because that lab would have to encounter 100%
replacement again in a few years.
Don
has received reports from some faculty members that they are dissatisfied with
the spam folder that collects spam in the current email system. These faculty would
prefer that the spam not even come to their email at all. Don asked the committee how they felt about
the current spam system. Don would want
any changes to the current system discussed and approved by CAC.
The
committee discussed how the current spam system operates. The spam filter ascribes a value to each
email depending on a number of factors.
It is then marked as spam.
Several committee members reported that valid emails were often marked
as spam and many spam emails are left unmarked.
Listserv messages are often marked as spam. Don is concerned that important messages
could be lost if the system were set up to just delete messages marked as
spam.
The
commercial Sendmail product that IT may be purchasing
has a spam filer in it. David Carlson
also suggested that IT design and offer spam and viruses classes that could
teach users how to avoid unwanted emails.
He also suggested changing websites so that email addresses were not
listed in the traditional format so that automated systems could not read them
and use them for spamming.
The
committee discussed virus site licenses.
IT has a site license for MacAfee, but departments are using other
products also, such as Panda. IT will be
negotiating the license with MacAfee this year.
Don said that IT would look at some of the other products on the market.
David
Carlson asked the committee if they were interested in making a statement about
SIU’s new web presence. Many of the committee members have opinions
about the new sites. It was suggested
that these opinions be collected and shared with Sue Davis at the next CAC meeting. David Carlson asked that the committee send
their thoughts regarding the web site to him via email within the next few
weeks. He will compile the comments and
share that list with the committee before the next meeting. The committee supported inviting Sue Davis to
the next meeting to discuss their concerns.
Dean
Carlson adjourned the meeting at 10:57 a.m.
Minutes
taken by Stephanie Graves
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 25, 2004--JPD