CTAG Minutes from May 24, 2000

The meeting was called to order at 9:05 in President's Conference Room

Members present: Chichester, Simon, Haley, Johnston, Blood, Rivenberg, Baldwin, Schmidt, Caren, Sancilio, Phillips, Cook, Shanahan

Guests: Provost Dixon, Kirk Anne, Paul MacLean

I Printer Accounting Team, Power point presentation by Chichester and Anne

The history of costs and venues for printing and xeroxing was explained; Vendacard system was removed when the Technology Fee was levied in 1997.

The need for a new method: enormous waste, allow for better service (more printers, color printing), more now on-line, control our cost

Software (Printer Accounting System from Software Metrics) bought and tested 99-00 school year. Kinks have been ironed out.

Median no. of copies for all students who printed was 171.

Propose 250 free copies per semester for fall 2000, after which students pay 10 cents per page. Color copies are 1 dollar. Also propose student education for cutting down on waste.

69 percent printed less than 250/semester

Research on policies of other campuses presented: 250 free would be fairly generous by comparison

Discussion: Cook expressed concern that the software could be inaccurate, Chichester said they'll be flexible with the appearance of difficulties.

Several people though 250 was low, given that 31 percent used more copies. Chichester said it's easy to adjust the number up, hard to adjust it lower. The committee expects waste will drop and printing for non-academic matters will drop, or students will know they're paying for it.

Vote: the proposal passed with one vote opposed

Provost Dixon was asked what she'd like from CTAG once we've voted to pass a recommendation.

Dixon's response:

Recommendation sent to her, she'll pass on to the President and Vice Presidents

Include recommendation and summary of pros and cons

Include future needs/actions the committee forsees (checking the students' use of printing in December to reevaluate 250 as number for free prints, for example)

Include ideas for education of students (or others) to use or learn about whatever is recommended

II. Subcommittee Reports

A. Universally Available and Maintained Software (Baldwin)

Click to view recommendation

Baldwin presented the committee's recommendation for the entire committee to adopt.

Discussion: Should we include Outlook Express in our recommendations for web browsers given the rash of virus problems? Is this the kind of decision this committee should make?

Provost: yes, to the 2^nd question

Simon asked if we need to deal in specific monetary figures.

Provost: yes

Chichester: add a discussion of the legality issue we currently face: many illegal copies spread around campus, but difficult to determine what's legal and what isn't now. TSP's will attempt to determine what we have currently (of Microsoft Office, in particular). Simon will find a mechanism for counting. Chichester said the big cost is moving all the labs at once to a new package.

Vote: Unanimously adopted

B. Replacement and Purchase of Computers (Haley)

Haley reported on committee's ongoing work to create a central database of what we have in all divisions. They are looking at how trickle down of machines has worked, and looked at purchase vs. lease of new machines

Chichester added that some people always need new machines, others don't, so setting up an effective way to trickle down machines is important.

Haley: computers are now "toxic waste" so the committee is investigating the best ways to get rid of our oldest machines.

Laptop initiative: consider setting up for certain programs or for all students in the future (the committee went to SUNY Morrisville to see how their laptop program works). Benefits include students getting to keep something post-graduation and decreasing hardware costs.

C. Network infrastructure (Chichester)

The committee's first step is not yet complete, but should be by fall: we need to know what wires are in the ground now before we can plan into the future. All wires are now being found and labeled. This has involved gathering disparate data from Facilities, CIT, and Telecommunications. Members of these divisions have served on the committee, and the committee will continue to work through the summer.

D. Web presence (Johnston)

Click to view recommendation

Provost and Caren have met and plan to hire a graphic designer for Geneseo's web site this summer.

The committee recommends a new committee on Intellectual Property Rights, to include legal representation as needed. Cook agrees to chair the committee.

Provost: concern with developing our intranet: what is not or should not be visible to outsiders.

Recommend a Wed Editorial committee to oversee standards of technology and design.

III. Sub committees

Simon asked which subcommittees have completed their tasks, which should continue and what new issues should be addressed by formation of new subcommittees.

The Universally Available and Maintained Software committee will disband

The other three existing committees will continue.

Three new subcommittees will form for fall 2000:

1. Distance learning (Blood) 42/64 SUNY campuses participate in the SUNY Learning Network (SLN); Geneseo should consider and come up with a recommendation. Can we serve our own students and/or serve non-Geneseo students? SUNY wants to see general ed classes in distance learning format. What of our commuting MA in Education students -- it seems we could serve them through distance learning. The Senate discussed synchronous distance learning and Policy committee created policies for its use, but no one has addressed asynchronous distance learning like SLN.

2. Teaching spaces (Chichester) Consider scheduling, hardware and software, updating

3. Intellectual Property Rights -- recommended by the Web Presence committee in their report.

IV. Governance

Simon presented a potential governance document which the committee read. A few minor revisions were suggested. It is clear this should be a college wide (not Senate) committee. The Provost raised the issue of whether or not this is a standing committee, and the committee said yes. It was agreed that no decisions should be made this year because the committee is too new (Rivenberg's suggestion).

Chichester announced Geneseo has been selected to host the 2001 SUNY-wide FACT conference.

The Provost thanked the committee for its work this year and Rivenberg, on behalf of the committee, thanked Simon for his leadership.

The meeting was concluded at 12:10.

Respectfully submitted,

Melanie Blood