25-APR-2006 Meeting Summary
Attendance: Art Acton, Yasser Ayad, Bob Balough, Joe Bodziock, Debbie Ciesielka, Dave Hartley, Terry Latour, Mike Phillips, Sam Puleio, Steve Selker, Debbie Sobina, Harry Tripp
Approval of Prior Minutes
The 28-MAR-2006 Meeting Summary was approved.
Tech Planning Subcommittee Updates
- Strategic IT Plan: As a follow-up to the process that was initiated via e-mail, the committee completed a final reviewed of a draft strategic technology plan. The document was based on the focus group sessions that were coordinated with each of the UTAC areas. It was also based on the tech-related items in the academic plans (and associated matrices) that are posted on the Blackboard Strategic Planning Forum for Employees that was announced by the Provost's Office.
- UTAC approved the plan. (Note: The plan is available at TechnologyPlann2006.pdf).
- Student E-mail Options: One of the issues identified in the planning process was the need for improvements to our current e-mail environment -- along with the possibility of offering lifetime e-mail to alumni. Microsoft recently announced a program to provide student e-mail services. Similar programs are rumored to be forthcoming from Google or Yahoo. The committee discussed the characteristics of the Microsoft offering and the potential roles and issues for such programs. The Microsoft offering includes a web-based e-mail program with 2GB of space along with related applications for Contacts and MSN Messenger. Accounts would be available to current students, and graduating students would be able to maintain their accounts as long as the accounts were accessed within a to-be-defined window (ex. once every 90 days). While the operation of the Microsoft service is “free”, a formal three-year agreement does need to be signed and we would have to purchase and administer a number of technical services (including server and identity management licenses). There are also provisions in the program for the vendor to provide advertisements to accounts once they move into alumni status. UTAC raised several concerns about the program including: student privacy implications, the university’s continuing ability to e-mail the students (i.e. spam or other blocks of university e-mail to students), ad’s to alumni, and eligibility of current alumni to join the program. UTAC endorsed a pilot program targeted at approx. 100 students to review the Microsoft offering. If a Google or Yahoo program is announced, it should also be included in the pilot. The UTAC recommendation will be escalated to PEC for approval. As the pilot is completed, UTAC will examine the open questions, evaluate student reaction to the pilot, and make a recommendation to PEC for the future direction of student e-mail at the University.
Tech Fee Renewals\Assessment Subcommittee Updates
The results of the wireless and smart classroom surveys were distributed to the committee. The committee also reviewed the report and recommendations for the tech fee renewals from the Tech Fee Renewal Subcommittee. UTAC endorsed the recommended renewal projects which included PC's in nine smart classrooms, maintenance for two ITV units, wireless laptop carts for Theatre, English, and Suhr Library, and the Nair and Givan labs/laptops. The renewal list will be escalated to PEC.
Technology Fee Proposal Updates
The committee reviewed the report and recommendations from the Tech Fee Review subcommittee. For 06/07, 38 proposals were received totaling over $906,000. Budget adjustments for the replacement equipment fund escrow and annual software fees for items such as Blackboard were noted, and the subcommittee's list of recommended projects was discussed. Wireless projects were proposed for two areas. Based on the recent technology planning discussions, UTAC supported additional allocations for wireless projects. Questions were raised about PASSHE guidelines related to the use of technology fee revenues to augment or supplement funds already expended on technology as they applied to prior projects and cascaded equipment. Questions regarding the interpretation of the PASSHE policy will be escalated to PEC. The projects endorsed by UTAC will be escalated to the Provost for further review.
