Minutes of Meeting, 3/15/99
Attendance:
Mr. Luke Dowden, SGA
Ms Peggy Emmons, Cenla Campus
Dr. Bob Gillan, TEC-ETEC
Mr. Tom Hall, Science & Technology
Mr. Eddie Horton, Title III
Ms Sandra Mixon, General College
Mr. Deron Thaxton, Systems Administrator
Ms Susan Pierce, Nursing (Chair)
Dr. Anthony Scheffler, Academic Computing
Mr. Rocky Perritt, NSU Student
Dr. Ray Wallace, Language & Communications
Ms Susan White, Business
Ms. Dominique Hallett, Watson Library
Ms Marsha Zulick
Ms Juanita Darby
Absent: Mr. Phillip Gillis, Mr. Shawn Hornsby, Mr. Dennis Kalina, Ms Mary Edith Stacy, Mr. Joe Rollins, Mr. Douglas Baitz, Dr. James Picht, Ms Joyce Barnes, and Ms Melanie Bedgood
The Information Technology Advisory Council met on Monday, March 15, 1999 at 10:00 am in Kyser Hall Room 429.
Ms Pierce called the meeting to order and turned the chair over to Dr. Scheffler for the remainder of the meeting.
Mr. Deron Thaxton proposed a new student email and dial-up system. He explained the benefits of the system to be: more reliable dial-up access (no "black screens", "jumbled characters" or "endless ringing"), more dial-up lines (82 for students and 36 for faculty), faster connection speeds (up to 56k), less down time, ease of future expansion, more disk space per student, and Microsoft FrontPage support for creating web pages. He further went on to say that some things would change for the students, such as: email addresses, passwords, and web page addresses. The estimated cost of the system was broken down in to email and dial-up servers - $111,000.00; dial-up access hardware - $44,000.00; software - $17,000.00; Equipment to get PRI lines to Roy Hall - $6,000.00; miscellaneous items (cabling, connectors, etc) - $2,000.00. The total initial cost of the system would be $180,000.00, with a recurring cost of $3,600.00/month for the extra 69 telephone lines. The council decided to table the proposal until the next ITAC meeting, so members can have time to think about spending so much money and to see what other universities in Louisiana are doing with there student email and dial-up systems.
Ms Marsha Zulick approached ITAC for funds to upgrade the Cenla Compressed Video (CV) room. The tables in this room are currently on loan from ITAC, and are to be used in a 4th lab to be opened soon, so they will have to be returned, leaving the CV room without. New tables are needed to provide adequate places to hide/place wiring and to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for CV students. Dr. White made a motion for ITAC not to fund the upgrade/replacement of tables and chairs, until the council had more information on the direction of the compressed video system. A second motion was made for ITAC to go to the University and tell them that they need to come up with tables and chairs for Cenla. This motion was made by Dr. White and seconded by Dr. Hall. The motion carried.
Dr. Scheffler gave the members an update on the 4th computer lab to be opened soon. The goal of this lab is to be an after hours lab for students. He explained that the biggest hold-up was finding a location, which could be safely accessed during late hours of the night. A location in the Health and PE Majors building was being looked in to. An external door was all that was needed to make this an ideal location. This location would also provide a lab for students on the south side of campus. Dr. White suggested the use of room 101D in Russell Hall. She explained that the location was designed for after hour usage and would prove to be a better place for such a lab. Dr. Scheffler was concerned with the safety of the location, due to the many places one could hide. Dr. Scheffler further explained that there should only be access to the lab and there should be no corners where someone could hide. Dr. Wallace made a motion that the issue be tabled until Dr. Scheffler had a chance to look at the location in Russell Hall, seconded by Ms. Hallett. The motion carried.
Mr. Dowden asked members to possibly fund a mobile projector and screen for Career and Conciliating Services. He explained that they already had the laptop and just need a way to project it on to a screen. After group discussions it was decided that ITAC should buy the necessary equipment to provide a mobile projection unit (laptop, projector, screen) to be available for "checked out" by other many organizations, instead of buying one for everyone who needed one. Dr. Wallace made a motion that this issue be tabled until it has been brought before the group going through all the proper channels. Ms. Mixon seconded the motion and it carried.
The next meeting will be held on April 12, 1999 at 10:00 am in room 429 Kyser
With no other business the council was adjourned at 11:15 am.
Respectfully submitted,
Rocky Perritt, Acting Secretary, Guest of the Information Technology Advisory Council
