Revised

Information Technology Committee Minutes
April 18, 1997

Present: Max Bassett (chair), Alison Baker, Arnie Bradford, Tom Butler, Fran Emory, Yitna Firdyiwk, Dan Himes, Gail Kettlewell, Laura McCullough, Paul McVeigh, Vince Pizzurro, Evelyn Potts, Neil Reynolds, Steven Sachs, John Sener, Lionel Sylvas, Charlotte Wilhelmi
Others Present: George Duffy, James Van Dyke
1. Minutes Approved

Minutes of the March 14, 1997 meeting were approved.

2. Technology Training Plan - Mr. Van Dyke and Ms. Potts

A handout summarizing recommended changes to the Technology Training Plan was distributed and discussed. Many of the changes were editorial in nature. The following changes to the plan were approved:

The training plan and training budget will be reviewed at the October, January and March ITC meetings to insure that the plan activities and funds are being appropriately targeted.

Pg. 7 - references to a specific training camp will be changed to reflect that each campus will conduct on-going training events as part of an annual training plan.

Pg. 10 - clearly define the role of the training coordinator as providing back-up and coordination of training activities with Human Resources, the Associate Dean for Information Technology, the CITG Training Committee and others as appropriate.

Pg. 13 - indicate that the Mentoring Network was part of the TLTR mission and not a separate group.

Pg. 23 - an additional trainer to support Annandale and Alexandria will be hired, but the total budget for trainers will remain the same. The trainers will report to the campuses.

Pg. 24 - the plan will reflect that the training funds can cover credit and non-credit courses offered through the college.

Pg. 25/26- training manuals are not needed for every person and the plan should specify that sets of manuals should be easily accessible. A specific decision on which manuals and what type of distribution is appropriate should be determined as part of each campuses training plan. Dr. Bradford will convene the CITG Training Committee for a specific proposal.

This training plan is not designed to address the need for IST faculty to upgrade their technical skills.

The Technology Training Plan was approved by the ITC and will be forwarded with the approved changes to the Administrative Council with the notation that it intended as a framework and that all activities may not be fully implemented since only $700,000 is actually available.

Pg. 27 - the plan should provide some courses that are transitions between software packages rather than assuming all users are starting at a basic level.

3. Report from the Operations and Applications Technology Committee - Mr. Pizzurro

a. Cabling - cabling of labs and large bullpen office areas will be completed by mid-July. Architectural drawings will be completed for each campus to guide placement of cable drops. Each campus will designate a campus contact to coordinate with CIS. Campuses will continue to assign priorities. All cabling of offices and classrooms is planned for completion by August 1.

b. Computer repair - there is an existing state contract based on time and materials for PC repair at a rate of approximately $30/hr. Work will continue to develop options that will best meet campus needs. A funding plan is also still under development.

c. Facility upgrades - power and other infrastructure upgrades to the physical plan are being reviewed by consultants and will be made as needed and will be made as quickly as possible. All new power required may not be installed at the same time computer cabling is completed. Some HVAC needs will have to be met with stop-gap measures until funds for major upgrades are provided to the College.

4. New computer purchases - Dr. Sachs

The Gateway computers have been ordered and are scheduled to arrive over the next several weeks. The College warehouse will work with the campuses to coordinate delivery. A survey was distributed to Provosts and Deans to identify existing Pentium computers and the specific 486 computers that will be upgraded to be sure they have CD ROM, sound card, network, Windows 95 and MS Office for Windows 95 capability. The results of the survey will be used to order the upgrades to take place in July.

5. VCCS Network Plans

The VCCS web pages provide extensive information and details on the VCCS plans and directions for technology. The VCCS is planning an on-line directory to allow easy creation of IDs and passwords and provide appropriate security for access to applications; however, no bids for this software were received in response to the initial RFP. Beginning July 1, the new VCCS Information Utility will take over operation of the mainframe computers and will run NVCC's SIS and existing mainframe. Nine of the existing CIS staff will become staff of the new VCCS Utility. The College will have to redesign its College-level CIS and staffing prior to July 1. The new College CIS will primarily be responsible only for technical services.

6. VCCS SIS Plans

Plans are still underway by the VCCS to have a new system-wide Student Information System in place prior to the year 2000. A decision will be made in January 1998 on whether to spend any resources on updating the current SIS to deal with the Year 2000. The VCCS decision will hinge on whether a new SIS can be implemented prior to the need for a Year 2000-compliant system.. Dean Bassett is co-chair with Phyllis Malloy of Tidewater Community College of the VCCS SIS Stakeholders Group that will be heavily involved in this project. The first meeting of the group is planned for early May.

7. Status Report on College Technology Plan Activities

Overall, except for cabling, all activities are within a month of the timetable established in the Technology Plan.

Cabling infrastructure upgrades were due to be completed by mid-March and now are scheduled to be completed by August 1.

Roll-out of Year 1 PC's was due at the end of April, but now will begin in April and extend through mid-May.

Installation and testing of the new NT-network servers was scheduled for April with conversion scheduled for mid-June, and is currently on-going with installation expected this Summer.

Training which was scheduled to be on-going in conjunction with new PC roll out, and has been on-going and will increase as new PC's are installed.

Conversion to MS Office and the NT network was scheduled for June/July, and is progressing for conversion during July/August.

8. Topics for Next Meeting

At the next ITC meeting, the Committee will review its functioning as a committee and discuss the need for the Operations and Applications Technology Committee as compared to establishing separate task forces as needed. In addition, the Committee will review how it can improve communication about technology issues, especially with faculty.

9. Announcements

The Committee was reminded of the web sites for the ITC, OATC and Office of Information Technology as sources of information on technology.

Dr. Bradford reported on the VCCS statewide student computer literacy task force. The Chancellor has called for the creation of very specific standards for all certificate and degree students. Dr. Bradford and Dr. David Williams are both on the task force and would welcome suggestions.

10. Summary of Pending Items

a. Update on Technology Plan activities - Dr. Sachs/Mr. Pizzurro
b. Update on VCCS SIS plans - Dean Bassett
c. Update on reorganization of CIS responsibilities - Deans Baker and Bassett
d. Discussion of roles and operations of ITC and OATC - Deans Bassett and Baker
e. Update on staff and student e-mail - Dr. Sachs/Dean Baker

11. Next meeting of the ITC - Friday, May 16, 9:30 a.m., Board Room, Brault Building, Annandale Campus.

cc: Dr. Ernst

Notes prepared by:

Steven G. Sachs
Associate Dean for Information Technology

Committee Chair:

Max L. Bassett
Dean of Academic and Student Services

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This page maintained by Steven G. Sachs, Associate Dean for Information Technology
Last update: 6/3/97
nvsachs@nvcc.edu