- conducting a study to evaluate methods for improving quality of, and
manpower utilization in support of, distributed computing platforms;
- considering some formal central coordination of decentralized computing
units to provide a higher and more consistent level of service across the
institution; and
- developing guidelines or standards for computer support staffing levels in
groups such as a department or a network group. The goal of the ad hoc
committee will be to bring an interim report and recommendation to the IRC at
its March meeting, in time to affect the upcoming budget cycle, then come back
with a final report in April or May.
- the system's amplifiers should be replaced or upgraded;
- that responsibility for managing the channels allocated to video
applications should be assigned to the same unit charged with the distance
learning initiative with interim responsibility being assumed by CIS;
- that the backup head-end equipment be moved to the Information Sciences
Building to improve the University's disaster recovery position; and
- that the amplifier which services Crumley and the Music Annex be moved
from a manhole into Crumley and an amplifier be added to service the Music
Annex. The total estimated cost of the proposal is $42,000 and has already
been included in the Computing Center HEAF budget. Bill explained that the
purpose of his bringing the proposal before the IRC is to help the committee
see that the broadband is still useful and may be more important as UNT moves
into distance learning more. Virginia Wheeless suggested that Bill talk with
the Provost about the proposal prior to a vote on this proposal by the IRC.
- Bring the staffing levels of computer support up to a ratio of 100 users
and/or machines per support person. This will require an addition of up to
seven full-time and 4.25 FTE part-time positions to support.
[A prioritized list of positions was presented, showing where the positions
will be allocated.]
- Computing support positions should continue to be organized by
colleges/schools and administrative departments. Campus units with fewer than
100 users should consolidate support teams to insure a critical mass of
support personnel.
- A Distributed Computing Support Management Group composed of support
managers from units across campus should be formed that would meet monthly and
recommend policies and procedures for computing on campus.
- The Computing Center should review existing operations and make
recommendations to the IRC on staffing and organizational structures that
would adequately support 24-hour computing support for central computer
operations supporting distributed computing platforms.
Information
Resources Council News
Minutes provided by Sue Ellen Richey, Recording Secretary
IRC Regular Voting Members: David Shrader, College of Music (Chair);
Douglas Allen, Student Association; Walter Bowen, Academic Administration;
Bill Buntain, Communications Program Group; Cengiz Capan, College of Business;
Carolyn Cunningham, Student Affairs; Paul Dworak, College of Music; Brian
Forsman, UNT Health Science Center; Chuck Fuller, Fiscal Affairs; Don Grose,
Libraries; Joneel Harris, Administrative Program Group; David Hartman, School of
Community Services; Jenny Jopling, Instruction Program Group; Sam Magill, UNTHSC
Director of Information Technology Services; Sharon Marek, Graduate Student Council;
Steve Miller, Human Resources; Dennis Mueller, Research Program Group; Russ
Pensyl, School of Visual Arts; Paul Schlieve, College of Education; Kathleen Swigger,
College of Arts and Sciences; John Todd, Faculty Senate; Virginia Wheeless, Chancellor;
IRC Ex-officio Nonvoting Members: Jim Curry, Microcomputer Maintenance Shop;
Richard Harris, Computing Center; Coy Hoggard, Computing Center; Maurice
Leatherbury, Computing Center.
February 20, 1996
GroupWise Status Report
Paul Dworak reported that the E-Mail Project Managers had met on January
26th and had gone over a project outline. Prior to conversion of the
Administration Building to Netware 4.1 and GroupWise, several software
applications written in Clipper have to be converted. The current schedule is
to convert the Admin. building before Spring Break; datacom changes are in
progress; and student workers who will constitute a "sweep team" going from
work station to work station are being trained. He reported that the
committee also discussed "Everyone" mail and the pros and cons of moderated
lists and unmoderated lists. In addition, the committee discussed resource
naming, as well as the fact that at the present time the Computing Center is
not supporting E-mail running under Windows 95.
Bill Buntain reported that his group is in the final stages of establishing
the asynchronous gateway which will give dial-up access to the GroupWise
E-mail system for faculty and staff using that system. He explained that this
will be accessible to only those students whose department has given them a
GroupWise E-mail account. The Computing Center is in the process of making
Simeon E-mail available for students so that they can access their E-mail
through a Jove account.
Strategic Planning Committee
Richard Harris distributed minutes of a February 13, 1996 Strategic
Planning Committee meeting as well as a Draft Charge to a proposed Ad Hoc
Committee on Distributed Support Issues. Harris reported that the SPC had
met to review the NCHEMS Consultant's report, with particular attention to
technical support issues. The committee agreed to recommend the establishment
of a task force and offered a suggested membership list for approval by the
IRC. Susan Pierce developed a suggested charge for that committee which
includes:
There was some discussion of the proposed membership list, resulting in a
motion by Don Grose to add one faculty member and one staff user to the
committee membership and establish the committee with the recommended charge.
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Administrative Program Group
Joneel Harris reported that the Administration Program Group has two meetings
scheduled, one on Feb. 29th for the purpose of a presentation by the Automated
Purchasing and Accounts Payable Task Force for an overview of their
recommendations of a new system. A presentation by People Soft of a very
interesting software product is also planned for March 7.
Communications Issues
Bill Buntain re-introduced the proposal to extend the fiber optics
backbone; which had been presented at the January IRC meeting. Discussion
followed. Richard said this proposal has been discussed at a IRC Steering
Committee meeting and they requested more information. Richard stated that
he believes the Steering Committee is now ready to act on this proposal.
Bill stated that less money had been allocated for wiring of the new Student
Services Building because it is so close to other buildings that are already
wired; explaining that the farther away a building is from the main conduit,
the more it costs to get the wiring to it. The Chair asked for a
recommendation that extension of the fiber optics backbone be considered a
campus-wide building project and deserves to be considered in the same manner
as utilities. A motion was passed that the proposal be forwarded to the Vice
Presidents as a construction request.
Bill presented a proposal to upgrade the campus broadband/catv system
recommending that:
Bill Buntain reported that a memo describing Premium Dial-up service has
been approved by the Provost's office and will be distributed to all faculty
very soon. He offered a set of overheads and the services of his staff to
make presentations to any group on campus who wishes that.
Bill also reported that the 10BaseT wiring already installed on the campus
does not conform to current industry standards so a project is going to be
initiated to switch the wall jacks wiring and associated computer cables so
that they will conform. It was noted that the current industry standard was
not established until after UNT had wired several buildings using the new
10BaseT technology.
Standards and Cooperation Program Group
Paul Dworak reported that the Standards and Cooperation Program Group met
and discussed the Supported Items List; he said the committee plans to compile
a table showing a minimum machine configuration for using the types of
applications people most frequently use, giving the minimum amount of memory
needed for running those applications under Windows, OS/2 and Macintosh. The
table will be made available to anyone planning to purchase a new computer.
The committee also discussed questions for the Strategic Planning
questionnaire as well as an Acceptable Use Policy they are drafting.
March 26, 1996
GroupWise Status Report
Paul Dworak reported that the ABN conversion to GroupWise has been completed
with minimum difficulties. The Computing Center staff is working on the
continuing process of implementing backup products and, as a result of the way
that process is going, there is an evaluation of RAM increases for servers across
campus which is being costed out at the present time. The group discussed the
minimum 180-day auto deletion of E-mail messages, which is tied to the
reliability of the product and to the ease of backing up servers successfully.
Planned future migrations were discussed, noting that SCS and Library have
organization in terms of staffing now but will need to coordinate with
Computing Center. Some other areas will need extra support so the time table
is being planned in such a way that everybody's needs get met effectively and
in a time frame when faculty and staff most want the conversions to be done.
There is a calendar being put together to show when each academic and
administrative unit will be converted. There was also discussion of the
dialup access to E-mail to determine what kind of support that would be
needed and how to make that service available gradually.
Strategic Planning Committee
Richard Harris reported that the Strategic Planning Committee had met on
March 5 with the major items discussed being the NCHEMS Final Report and the
Strategic Plan. There was a tentative plan to conduct a user survey in
connection with this current planning process but it has been decided to
postpone that to the second year of each biennium. It was decided to ask the
Program Groups to bring their comments on the NCHEMS recommendations to the
IRC. Susan Pierce stated that Program Groups need to provide an assessment
about what has been done since the last report sent to DIR and their
assessment of what still needs to be done to meet strategic goals. These
reports need to be presented to the IRC in May.
Distributed Computing Support
Bill Buntain reported on the activities of the ad hoc Committee on
Distributed Computing Support. The group was charged to bring an interim
report to this IRC meeting with a final report due to the IRC in May. The
committee opted to focus on those issues that have a budgetary impact and to
deal with management practice, and standardization issues between now and
May. The group's report was distributed. The committee conducted a survey on
the various distributed computing areas to determine their user base, the
type of machines they support, type and quantity of support; and the
group came up with four recommendations, as follows:
The consensus of the committee is that the support problems on campus are a
result of a shortage of resources, rather than a need to change the basic
support structure. Bill pointed out that to provide adequate support, a
service fee of $.60 per credit hour could be assessed. Discussion followed.
If that degree of funding is not approved, the committee will have to
re-evaluate their proposal and either scale back the number of staff positions
requested or the level of the positions requested. The consensus of the IRC
members was to send the report to the Vice Presidents and ask for their
feedback on the possibility of such a funding request.
Automated Purchasing/Accounts Payable Project
Joneel Harris introduced Ginger Heiman, who made a presentation to the
council on the proposed Automated Purchasing/Accounts Payable project.
Joneel explained that the presentation was for information only and that IRC
approval was not necessary, but endorsement would be welcomed. A motion was
passed to endorse the project.
Communications Program Group
Bill Buntain reported for the Communications Program Group that no
feedback had been received from the Vice Presidents regarding the funding of
the fiber project. He also reported that at the last IRC meeting, he had
brought a proposal for upgrading the broadband system. He asked if the IRC
wanted to take some action on that even though it was not necessary, since
the project is already funded through the Computing Center's budget. Hearing
no objections, the Chair asked Bill to proceed on that project.
Bill also reported that the Communications Program Group has looked at the
wiring projects that still need to be done (Matthews Hall Annex, Highland
Hall and Coliseum). The total cost of the three buildings will be $11,000.
Edwards & Chestnut Hall will be wired on an "as needed" basis, because the
future of those two buildings is uncertain. It was agreed to defer re-wiring
of the Sullivant Center until remodeling is completed.
Instruction Program Group
Jenny Jopling distributed a Preliminary Proposal for small classroom
upgrades, which she asked members to read prior to the April IRC meeting, at
which time she will make a more formal presentation.
April 16, 1996
Paul Dworak reported that in the April 9 meeting of the Project Managers,
several issues were dealt with, such as "Everyone" E-mail messages being
moderated by PAIS; using the World Wide Web as news sites and for discussion
groups. He reported that the few problems incurred in the ABN implementation
have been resolved. Future planned conversions are the DSA server in May, and
then SCS in the summer.
Bill Buntain reported that the ARCserve software has been received, which
will enable backup of mail servers. He confirmed that the DSA server has been
scheduled for GroupWise implementation, and SCS' conversion to Netware 4 will
be done at the end of Spring semester, with implementation of GroupWise later
in the summer.
Richard Harris distributed a copy of the home page that Susan Pierce set up
for the Strategic Planning Committee discussion of the Information Resources
Strategic Plan. When asked if this is a facility that can be used by other
discussion groups on campus, Doug Bateman explained that this particular home
page was set up as a test and that he is not yet convinced that the software
used to accomplish it is the best vehicle for this type of discussion group.
He said he didn't want to make it widely available for use at this time.
Virginia Wheeless invited IRC members and guests to take a look at the
University Strategic Plan and comment about it on their web site.
Comments on NCHEMS Report
The Chair introduced the subject of the Program Groups' comments on the
NCHEMS report findings and copies of their comments were distributed. There
was general discussion of the report findings which revealed divergent
opinions on some findings, and agreement on others. It was suggested that
all of the Program Groups' comments be pulled together in one document, given
to Richard Harris for discussion at a Strategic Planning Committee meeting
before being E-mailed to IRC members prior to the May meeting.
Carolyn Cunningham asked Coy Hoggard to make a report on some new
application software. Coy stated that they are looking at new software for
on-line report viewing which has some cost savings potential.
Instruction Program Group
Jenny Jopling announced that Bill McCarter has agreed to Co-Chair the
Instruction Program Group. She distributed that group's proposal for the
upgrade of small classrooms. The proposal is to set a campus-wide standard
for technology by permanently installing in each classroom basic equipment
such as monitors or projectors with screens that will accommodate viewing of
video, data and slides; multimedia computers, VCRs, speakers (all enclosed in
secure cabinetry), as well as provide live data jacks for connection to the
LAN. The proposal also provides for the purchase of additional laser disk
players and overhead projectors, as well as additional staff for maintenance
and repair of equipment. Jenny stated that the proposal does not include
Wooten Hall, because it is assumed that basic equipment will be included in
the already planned renovation of that building. Jenny explained that the
implementation of the upgrade would take place over 3 years with a funding
request of $689,500 the first year, $714,000 the second, and $758,500 the
third. Jenny stated that surveys of departments and faculty focus groups
provided the data for this proposal, regarding what classroom users would
like to have available in the classroom. Discussion followed. The Chair thanked the committee for its report; stating that it looks at
what the minimum equipment is for a classroom for broad spectrum usage. The
consensus of the discussion was that one-size-fits-all is a starting place
but it is not what's going to be the ultimate solution; a room by room
investigation of usage needs to be done and then taylor the equipment to that
usage. It was suggested that a management system of identification, and
assessment of need be set up so that classroom scheduling is done according
to faculty technology needs. The Chair asked that the Program Group take the
comments of the IRC back to the committee, modify the proposal accordingly, if
it wishes, and present it for a vote at the May IRC meeting. He asked that if
modifications are made to the proposal, that it be distributed to members a
week prior to the May meeting. Bill Buntain reported that at the last meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on
Distributed Support Issues, the committee recommended that rather than it
continue to function, the larger distributed computing support management
group be established to broaden the base of representation on the committee
to deal with how to change management practices. The ad hoc committee will
meet one more time and then pass recommendations on to the on-going management
group. There was consensus in the IRC for the ad hoc committee to proceed as
recommended. The ad hoc committee will draft a final report and forward it
to the IRC prior to the May meeting. Dennis Mueller reported that the Research Program Group had met to address
issues surrounding strategic objectives in the area of research. They have met
with vendors and research computer users regarding the purchase of a new UNIX
machine and there is agreement now to purchase the SUN machine; it will be
acquired and installed this summer. It was noted that the funding of this
acquisition has already been approved by the IRC, but the Program Group asked
for support of their choice of machines. It was so granted. Ginny Anderson asked the council to approve a computer use fee increase of
$1.00; half of which is needed to cover the increased cost of allowing payment
of tuition and fees with credit cards, and the other half to support the
General Access Labs. Ginny explained that since enrollment continues to
decline and lab usage continues to go up, a fee increase is essential to
enable the general access labs to continue providing high quality equipment,
software, and service in the labs. It was pointed out that the IRC had
previously approved this increase, but that it was not approved by the
Chancellor and Vice Presidents. IRC rules requiring matters to be voted on at
a meeting subsequent to their presentation, were suspended and a motion was
passed to approve the fee increase. If you have problems or questions about this server, please
contactme as soon as possible. You can send mail to the following
address:www@unt.eduDistributed Support Issues
Research Program Group
Computer Use Fee Increase Request
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