Advisory Council on Technology

11/6/96 Minutes

3:30 p.m. to 5:00.p.m.

Urban Conference Room

2^nd Floor Library

Present:

Murali Shanker for Catherine Bakes, James Boyd, Dave Cannon, Lowell Croskey, Peggy Doheny, Alan Evans, Paul Farrell, Barbara Hanniford, Myron Henry, Heather Auld for Alice Iden, John Kerstetter, Bob Griffith for Terry Kuhn, Dewitt Latimer (Chair), Pamela Mitchell, Bruce Petryshak, Pam Ramey, Ilee Rhimes, Roberta Sikula, and Darrell Turnidge

Absent:

Johnnie Baker, David Baumgartner, Helen Carpenter, Raymond Craig, Rosemary Du Mont, Larry Jones, Kevin West, Denise Zelko

Dewitt Latimer, began the meeting at 3:30 p.m. with a brief introduction of the members present along with their departmental affiliation. Latimer then introduced the President for her opening statements.

President Cartwright welcomed and thanked everyone for being on the council. She stated that this is a very important council and it will provided the intellectual leadership in the technology arena necessary to take Kent into the 21^st century. She expressed deep appreciation for everyone's willingness to serve and recognized the commitment necessary to serve on such a high level group.

Latimer then introduced Provost Myron Henry and Interim VP Ilee Rhimes to formally charge the Council. The formal charge is as given below:

The Council, serving as the University's advisory body for information technology, shall work in collaboration with the University community to lead the advancement of scholarship through the appropriate integration of technology. Along with its standing sub-committees, the Council will (1) take an inventory of present technology resources, (2) develop a coherent technology vision for the University, (3) propose policy to promote overall University technology development. The Council will make their recommendations to the Provost and to the Vice President for Business and Finance.

Latimer then moved on to agenda item 2, a brief review of the current state of technology on campus.

Academic Computing

• Dewitt Latimer gave the current state of academic computing as:
• Apparent shortage of public access & instructional computer labs
• 4 renovated computer labs in dorms (80 total PCs - no net increase)
• 1 renovated computer lab in Library (80 total PCs - no net increase)
• Talks in progress for other large 24 hour public-access labs
• Inconsistency of software holdings from lab to lab
• Dorm rooms being wired (discussed in greater detail by Bruce & Greg)
• Limited dial-up access (discussed in greater detail by Bruce & Greg)
• Limited LAN access by faculty (discussed in greater detail by Bruce & Greg)
• Estimated 10% of student body owning computers
• Estimated 50-60% of faculty with office computers
• Estimated 20-25% of faculty with appropriate computing
• Apparent shortage of research computing on campus, both computationally and for graphic visualization
• Early talks with vendors for student computer buying program
• Early talks with vendors campus hardware/software buying programs
• RFP for campus computer sales
• All faculty/staff & students with e-mail and web space
• Stable (for now) e-mail environment
• Stable listserv environment
• Transition to POP mail in progress
• Eudora being introduced to all Freshmen
• Eudora site license being investigated
• New KSU Web page rolled out October 31st
• Support services now available to departments for web development
• Staff of 7 support analyst + administrative assistant
• 25 students on staff
• Rent-a-Tech program in early stages - Several departments are strongly considering using Rent-A-Tech to provide technology support for their areas.
• House Bill money proposals out to Deans
• $200K matching money allotted for instructional computing
• Some Colleges/Departments with current technology plans in place
• University Academic Computing Study is dated (3 years old)
  

Administrative Computing

• Bruce Petryshak, stated that University Information Systems has the responsibility for technology infrastructure, hardware, software and network. Administrative computing is supported by the mainframe system UNIX and is PC based, COBOL, etc., C, HTML, etc.
• Progression is being made in the movement toward integration of all systems supported by TCPIP and the newly installed database ODBC compliant.
• The most recent project is the Integrated Student Information Systems working on the stabilization of all student services and regional campuses so that they can use the same systems. They are also working with clients to increase reporting capabilities.
• The new purchasing and budgeting modules have been installed and the remote backup recovery is now available for remote printing of administrative reports. Client Services has been established and is responsible for the help desk services and training.
• Active projects include enhancement/replacement of IVR system, WEB interface to University databases, expanded help desk, knowledge base accessible via WEB, Expand UNIX platform, imaging from COLD storage through process flow and system development methodology.

Networking

• Greg Seibert stated that the fiber optic backbone is being updated and that all buildings will be in a ring topology using ATM switching technology. KSU will be on of the first universities in the Ohio area to migrate its entire network backbone to ATM. This project has IBM as the general contractor and will be completed by April 1997.
• The newly created Network Services employees have increased from 1 full time employee to 5 full time employees and 3 students
• A committee is working on standards for the University to bring all cabling infrastructure to accepted commercial standards. A report on the work that is required will be issued in January 1997.
• 96 dial up lines will be added . Initially these lines will be configured for Pop mail service, after initial service is working they will reconfigure other existing dial up resources to allow for PPP service for Internet access for the WWW.
• As part of providing CATV service to each residence hall room, each room was also cabled to allow for an Ethernet data hookup for each resident. Network Services is working with Residence Services to evaluate the necessary electronics to activate all of the connections. Ethernet hubs from IBM and 3COM are currently being evaluated. A new switching hub from IBM will be tested this winter and 2 Etherswitches from Plaintree Corporation will be evaluated. Testing and evaluation will run through March of 1997. At that time selection of the technology that will be used and the number of necessary ports will be ordered. Installation will be during the summer of 1997 with students having backbone access for fall 1997.
• An all campus card should be implemented during the summer of 1997. This card will not use the social security number but an ISO number allowing the University to enter into agreements for multiple uses.
• Money has been allocated to bring Rockwell Hall up to industry standards. Cabling to the Fashion School has been completed and work will soon be underway at the University Museum. Rockwell Hall will have full backbone and Internet connectivity in April 1997.

Distributed Learning

• Rosemary Du Mont was detained on the road and unable to give a personal report. A status was submitted in absentee.
• The Following table reflects the current DL courses being taught or under development.
  

• Additional information can be found at the Distributed Learning Website http://www.dl.kent.edu

Latimer then moved on to agenda item 3, a review of the current bylaws (attached) by the members. As required by University policy, the bylaws will be submitted to the KSU Board of Trustees at the January meeting for them to confer council status.

• Barbara Hanniford asked if a person had to be a member of the Council in order to be on a standing committee. The answer is no. She felt this needed clarification.
• Dave Cannon noted that the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) is a University Council, chartered by the Board of Trustees, and does not need/seek approval of its committee assignments. GSS has an internal process under which they appoint graduate student representatives to University councils and committees. They report to Research and Graduate Studies for administrative purposes (primarily financial oversight), but are otherwise independent. He did not know of any University-wide council or committee where Research and Graduate Studies is involved in the appointment process for the graduate student representative as stipulated by the UCT bylaws. He went on to say they GSS didn't have a major objection to the language in the proposed technology council bylaws but just wanted the minutes to reflect that they were different from the norm.
• Barbara Hanniford questioned who was responsible for preparing the slate of members of the standing committees - the Chair of the Council or the Chair of the Committees. It is the responsibility of the chair of the committee to do so. Again, she felt further clarification was in order.
• Lowell Croskey noted that the bylaws needed to be done and approved one month in advance to permit inclusion in the Board of Trustee advanced packet of information. The next Board meeting is on January 16, 1997 meeting.
• Barbara Hanniford commented that no particular size was mentioned as to the establishment of the subcommittees. There is no size limit - it is the discretion of the chair.
• Dewitt Latimer said that the changes would be made and ready in time for both Council approval and inclusion in the Board packet.

Latimer then moved on to agenda item 4, New Business.

• Dewitt Latimer introduced the need for a Task Force on Instructional and Research Computing. He noted that it has been several years since a study was done to examine the computational needs of the instructors and researchers on campus and that possibly we were not meeting their needs with the current resources provided. Nominations are being sought for persons to sit on this task force (they can be external to this Council).
• Bruce Petryshak introduced the need for a task force on Remote Access and Dial Up Services. He noted that the demands for dial up services exceeded the resources available. He would like for this group to examine the remote access needs of the campus, identify the appropriate capacity and possible sources of revenue to fund the new lines, and the feasibility of outsourcing KSU's remote access needs all together. Nominations are being sought for persons to sit on this task force (they can be external to this Council).
• Barbara Hanniford raised the issue of having an ad hoc (or possibly standing) committee to deal with faculty and staff technology training. She indicated that a group of people had met informally this summer to discuss computer training. She felt, however, that with the establishment of the UCT, training would be more properly supported and received if the issue were considered within this group's considerations.
• Lowell Croskey reminded everyone that capital appropriation money is line item specific and not immediately available. It is necessary to plan and project 2 years in advance as to when capital funds are needed.
• Dewitt Latimer stated that that there is a lack of coordination in planning - none of the technology plans currently on campus are brought together under one common vision.
• John Kerstetter introduced a written motion that classroom technology is an integral part of this campus and that there should be a standing committee underneath the Council to address those needs. The motion was seconded and there was unanimous consent to consider it at the next meeting (as specified by the bylaws).
• Paul Farrell stated that, considering the important role that networking will play in the future within the Kent system, it should perhaps be a standing committee underneath the Council. A motion was introduced to that effect, seconded, and unanimous consent was given to consider it at the next meeting.
• Murali Shanker questioned where does the council fit into the overall agenda and priority of departments, and the different focuses that they may have. The was noted that with the heterogeneous makeup of the Council with representation from most areas, that this problem would be addressed.

Latimer then moved the Council onto the last order of New Business, the election of the chair of the Council.

• Paul Farrell, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science and Faculty Senate Representative to the Council, was nominated and seconded to be the chair. His election was by unanimous consent.
• It was decided to defer the nominations for vice chair until there was more representation in attendance.
• Dewitt Latimer will act as Secretary to the Council for the 1996/97 academic year.

Without further discussion, Latimer moved to close the first meeting of the University Council on Technology. He stated that the minutes would be distributed by fax , e-mail and web page. The URL for the Council Webpage is http://www.kent.edu/UCT

• It was decided to hold the next meeting on Friday, December 13 from 3:30 until 5:00 p.m.
• The location of the next meeting will be in room 319 of the Kent Student Center. Refreshments will be served.
• Designates are encouraged to attend if member can not be present.
  

The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.