Academic Computing Committee
Meeting Minutes

September 13, 2004



Members Present:
University Senate Representatives: M. Heller

Faculty Representatives: A. Adarkar [CHSS Faculty Rep.], A. Koeller (CSAM), S. Shapiro [Library Faculty Rep.], J. Youn [proxy for M. Kruge, CSAM Administrative Rep.], R. Xing [SBUS Faculty Rep.],

Administrative Representatives (Academic Deans): A.J.Kelton [CHSS Administrative Rep.], M. Mallery [Library Dean Administrative Rep.], J. Hunt [Library Dean], L. Jenkins [CEHS Administrative Rep.], R. Salomon [Proxy for Dean Alan Oppenheim]

Non-voting Members Present: E. Chapel, Associate Vice president for Information Technology
Absent: A.  Pemberton [SART Faculty Rep.], M. Davidson [CEHS Faculty Rep.], J. Gaynor [University Senate Rep.], K. O’Halloran [Graduate School Administrative Rep], R. Julian Robinson [SART Administrative Rep.], D. Stevens [Undergraduate Student Rep.], T. Devlin, Academic Coordinator of Education Computing Network; G. Klajman, Local 1904 Observer, VACANT, Associate Director of Information Technology, Student Representatives: VACANT (undergraduate), VACANT (graduate)

Guest:  J. Minier, R. Wolfson
  
Presiding: M. Heller, Chair Pro Tem;
Reporting: M. Mallery, Secretary
Distribution: ACC Web at http://frontpage.montclair.edu/acc
Convened: 3:07 p.m. [Library Special Collections
   Room]
Adjourned: 4:35 p.m.

1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 3:07 p.m.

2. Minutes: The minutes for May 10 were approved with amendments. 

3. Announcements:
     • Second Annual NJEDge.Net Conference will be held October 11 - 13, 2004 at Merrill Lynch Conference Center, Plainsboro, NJ. (See the Web site at: 
http://www.njedge.net/conference2004/).

     • EdTeXpo the 10th Annual MSU Technology Show and 3rd Annual Technology Conference will be held on Tuesday, October 5, 2004.  The morning speaker will be Jennifer MacDougall, Applications Coordinator at MAGPI GigaPOP at the University of Pennsylvania.  Luncheon speaker is David Pogue, CBS News technology contributor and the personal-technology columnist for the New York Times. Pogue will be speaking on "The Digital Generation Comes of Age."    (See the Web site at: http://frontpage.montclair.edu/edtexpo/

4. Reports
    • Chair's Report: Chair Pro Tem Heller welcomed Committee members and guests back for the new term.  Heller reported that Michael Davidson is out on disability leave, and ACC needs a new CEHS Faculty rep.  Heller noted that all appointees by University Senate 2003-2005 will end at the end of the Spring term.  Kelton asked if they weren’t 3-year appointments, and Heller said he would check with Saundra Collins on this point. 

    • OIT Report: Chapel called attention to the OIT Newsletter, Connections, which was distributed on MSU Opening Day at Kasser Theater.  It is also available on the OIT Web site at:  http://oit.montclair.edu/index.html .

Chapel highlighted three areas where funding is now in place due to budget increases: 1) the complete computer replacement program on a 36-month cycle (including new faculty equipment; 2) Classroom technology update and replacement; 3) wireless roll-out completion for the entire campus (ideally including open areas). 

Chapel reported that since Sept. 6, the Network Readiness Program has registered 2000 individuals, and 400 machines needed fixing.  He noted that student are accepting of the sometimes long scans that are required for ascertaining network readiness.  Youn noted that he heard some negative comments that the scans can take up to two hours and that maps are failing.  Hunt asked if students who use computers at home can get a Network Readiness check, and Chapel said that this program is only for computers on-campus.
Kelton asked if OIT has a deadline for reporting old machines that need to be replaced.  Chapel answered by the end of September.  Shapiro asked if OIT will be replacing the Optiplex 110s, and Chapel said that these should be replaced.

Xing asked if laptops will get updated to XP Service Pack 2 this year.  Salomon noted that most universities are still on Windows 2000, but XP SP2 will be dealt with in the School of Business

Xing also asked if there was a way in Blackboard to monitor what students are doing in class because a lot of them are surfing the Web during class instead of following the teacher.  Heller noted that faculty should work this question out with their School technical support staff.  Salomon noted that he can help School of Business faculty find programs to monitor student use of computers in class.

Salomon asked if there was any chance of increasing the wireless bandwidth on-campus.  Chapel said that OIT was considering options, such as redistributing access points, but there is no definite plan at this time. Youn noted that there were some problems with wireless signal degradation on campus, and Chapel said that this questions should be addressed as OIT finishes the campus-wide site survey.

• Ad Hoc Committee Reports:

   a) Mandatory MSU NetID Registration and Use: Heller (Co-Chair) and Youn (Co-Chair) will present the Committee's report at the February 7, 2005 ACC meeting.

   b) Wireless Implementation at MSU: Pemberton (Chair) contacted MSU Institutional Research Office about survey policies for proposed Wireless Survey.  Report will be presented at October 18th meeting.

   c) Student Technology Survey: Kelton (Chair) reported that he reached out to SGA members to develop a survey that addresses their concerns.  He is seeking help from all campus constituents to put together the survey.

5. Ongoing Business

   a. EDUCAUSE Representation Subcommittee: Kelton (Chair) noted changes to the list of EDUCAUSE representatives, and Chapel said that there were some  additions that still had to be made.  Kelton will forward the updated list to the ACC so that members can vote on the changes at the next meeting.  

   b. Technology Initiatives for Persons with Disabilities Ad Hoc Committee: Shapiro (Chair) posted the white paper approved at the May 10 ACC on the ACC Web site.  Heller will convene a subcommittee to write a cover memo for sending the white paper to the University Senate in hopes that it will inform next year’s budget.
 
   c. Discussion on "What is an Academic Computing Committee?" – Heller noted that this discussion was tabled until University Senate possible committee reorganization actions.  Wolfson reported that the University Senate has no current plans for reorganizing committees.  Minier said that a true academic computing committee would have an 80/20 mix of faculty/administrative representation and more discussion on classroom-oriented issues. Kelton agreed that more pedagogical issues could be discussed, but then where would the forum for the other issues be?  Wolfson added that the history of the Administrative Computing Committee was that it did not meet, so he does not recommend reconstituting this body.  Heller tabled the discussion until further action by the University Senate.
 
d. MSU Web Guidelines: Heller reported that the URL for the MSU Web Standards and Guidelines is: http://www.montclair.edu/msuweb/  .  Pemberton noted that in the current structure the School Web sites are seven or eight levels down, which is not helpful for students and faculty.   Youn pointed out that MSU might emulate Cornell U., which has two sites: cornell.edu, a site run by the Admissions Office and directed to outside users and cuinfo, an internal site used by faculty and students.  Heller asked that members send their comments to Cindy Meneghin.  There will be further discussion at the October 18 ACC meeting.

e. Meeting Dates and Times:  Heller reported that he had posted the following 2004-2005 ACC meeting schedule to the ACC listserv:

* Sept. 13 3-5PM: Library Room 110
* Oct. 18 3-5PM: Library Spec. Collections Room
* Nov. 8 3-5PM: Library Spec. Collections Room
* Dec. 13 3-5PM: Library Spec. Collections Room
* Feb. 7 3-5PM: Library Spec. Collections Room
* April 11 3-5PM: Library Spec. Collections Room
* May 9 3-5PM: Library Spec. Collections Room

 Heller asked that faculty make sure that they are not scheduled for the Monday 3-5PM class slot.

f. Election of Officers: Heller asked for nominations for the position of Chair. AJ Kelton nominated Jean Alvares to Chair the ACC for the remainder of the academic year, seconded by Adarkar.  Heller noted that if the University Senate appointed Jean Alvares as second University Senate representative to the ACC at its next meeting on Sept. 22, then Kelton and Adarkar could speak to Alvares about their nomination, and if he accepts the University Senate appointment to the ACC and the nomination to Chair, the ACC will conduct the election via email before the next meeting on October 18th.

6. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 4:35 PM.