IRC News Minutes provided by Sue Ellen Richey, Recording Secretary

IRC Regular Voting Members: Ginny Anderson, Fiscal Affairs; Donna Asher, Administrative Affairs; Walter Bowen, Academic Administration; Bill Buntain, Communications Program Group; Sue Byron, Faculty Senate; Carolyn Cunningham, Student Affairs; Don Grose, Libraries; Jenny Jopling, Instruction Program Group; Joneel Harris, Administrative Program Group; Allen Livingston,Graduate Student Council; Dennis Mueller, Research Program Group (on Sabbatical); Ramu Muthiah, School of Community Services; Jon Nelson, College of Music and Standards & Cooperation Program Group; Robert Nimocks, Director, Information Technology,UNTHSC; Steve Oeffner, UNT Health Science Center Russ Pensyl , School of Visual Arts; Patrick Pluscht, Distributed Learning Team; Jim Poirot College of Education; Mark Rorvig, Research Program Group (acting for Dennis Mueller who is on Sabbatical); Kathleen Swigger, College of Arts and Sciences; Neal Tate, University Planning Council; Philip Turner, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for Distance Education and Dean of the School of Library and Information Resources (Chair, IRC);; Virginia Wheeless, Chancellor; John Windsor, College of Business. IRC Ex-officio Nonvoting Members: Leslie Bowden, Telecommunications; Wil Clark, GALMAC; Jim Curry, Microcomputer Maintenance Shop; Michael Forster, UNT Health Science Center; Richard Harris, Computing Center; Coy Hoggard, Computing Center; Maurice Leatherbury, Computing Center; Sue Ellen Richey, Computing Center (Recording Secretary). [As of 1/99]

June 15, 1999

Distributed Computing Support Management Team

Maurice Leatherbury reported for the Distributed Computing Support Management Team that the committee is still looking at position descriptions in an attempt to lower the educational requirements for most computer support positions so that student employees who have experience working in hourly LAN support positions can apply for those positions. The changes the committee is proposing will have to be approved by Human Resources. The committee has also discussed the issue of dorm and lab support and will soon take a recommendation to the Standards & Cooperation Program Group for presentation to the IRC.

Y2K Compliance

Coy Hoggard reported that the new Voice Response system equipment that was ordered for Y2K compliance has arrived. There are some issues regarding pricing of digital lines that are having to be worked out with GTE. Some testing for Y2K compliance is still being done, but they are essentially finished testing on the centrally supported applications. Ginny Anderson’s committee continues to work on contingency plans for the year roll-over.

Instruction Program Group

Jenny Jopling reported that the Instruction Program Group is looking into the possibility of a license for Macromedia’s Shockwave so that it can be stored on a local server, rather than having to be downloaded for use in general access labs.

Communications Program Group

Paul Schlieve reported that the Communications Program Group is working on three initiatives:

1) trying to determine whether the planned firewall implementation is going to impact the academic and research community, and if so, trying to figure out a way to avoid that;

2) continuing to study the impact of using caching servers to make more efficient use of internet bandwidth to the outside world; and 3) campus wiring project to move everything to 100mb switch ethernet. Mike Maner added that the Computing Center is collecting best offers and design proposals from several vendors.

Research Program Group

Mark Rorvig reported for the Research Program Group that they are preparing for the second round of proposals to the National Science Foundation for an Internet 2 grant. Proposals are due July 31^st and Mark asked IRC members to send him any information they might have on meritorious applications that could be included in the proposal.

Standards & Cooperation Program Group

Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner reported for the Standards & Cooperation Program Group. She distributed a draft of a University Computing Assessment and Resource Guidelines document. The committee has assessed different levels of users and machines needed by those users to accomplish many different tasks. The document is based on the collective experience of the program group members as well as on surveys taken of the computing staff in all areas of the campus. User categories and processes have been devised and hardware and software recommended for those processes to aid departments when making purchasing decisions. The guidelines are not designed for use by students in making their decisions to purchase computers or software. Elizabeth pointed out that the guidelines reference the existing policy regarding the 3-year computer upgrade plan. In the discussion that followed, there was a concern expressed that these guidelines may become policy. John Windsor commented that some users don’t really fit the user categories. Elizabeth responded that the guidelines are to help those who need help in making purchasing decisions. Elizabeth asked that members send comments to ehinkle@music.unt.edu, or call her at 3766, prior to the July IRC meeting.

There was some discussion regarding developing similar guidelines for students. Since many students take web-based courses now, it is important that they know what level of hardware and software is needed for the various courses. There was some concern that minimum requirements are not presently communicated to students before they enroll in these courses. Jenny Jopling reported that she is working with the Distributed Learning Steering Committee to develop a template Web page that will provide hardware and software requirements for each web course. It was suggested that when students first visit UNT, even prior to their enrollment, their orientation include some basic computer recommendations for courses that require computer work. Maurice Leatherbury reported that the Computing Center Help Desk currently helps students who ask for advice on what computer hardware and software they need to buy.

Elizabeth also distributed a draft Policy and guidelines for Student E-Mail, and Maurice Leatherbury discussed the document. Plans for a bulk e-mail system have been in process for quite some time. There are many messages that need to be sent to all students, which this proposed system will enable.

The plan is to provide a user ID and an e-mail address for every student in the UNT system, and to put a bulk e-mail system in production by Fall. Maurice pointed out that the system will only be used for official communications. The student database will be provided through SIMS and updated daily. The draft guidelines include a grid showing who has authority to send bulk e-mail messages.

In the discussion that followed, a question was raised regarding the provision of additional help desk staff when the system is first offered. It was pointed out that the system can be used by faculty sending e-mail to students in their classes, possibly on a daily basis. It is anticipated that e-mail to the entire student body would be occasional, rather than daily. It was pointed out that it would be useful for an instructor to be able to send e-mail to students enrolled in a class, even prior to the beginning of that class. Maurice said he would investigate that possibility.

David Griffiths stated that he would bring this issue up at the next Student Association meeting and report back to the IRC. It is possible that when students are required to log into the e-mail system at least once a week to check for messages, there may be an overload on the General Access Labs. Maurice noted that the University Union is planning to install some e-mail workstations in computer Kiosks just for this purpose. Students can forward their e-mail from their UNT-assigned ID to their own personal internet service mailbox. Phil Turner suggested that some incentive program be used by the Student Association to entice students to use the new e-mail system. This proposed Student E-mail policy and guidelines will be presented at the July IRC meeting for a vote. IRC members may send their comments to Maurice Leatherbury prior to the July meeting.

Distributed Learning Team

Patrick Pluscht reported for the Distributed Learning Team that they have recently been awarded a grant for a one-year connection to the Region 11 network, including line charges and hardware. Region 11 is the education service center that is based out of Tarrant County, a 10-county region that is north and west of Tarrant County. They are a provider of internet services as well as video-conferencing access. With the grant UNT was awarded, DLT can provide two-way interactive video courses to the ISD’s. In years two and three of the grant period, UNT will have to pay a membership fee and the line charges. UNT will also have to offer two concurrent enrollment courses to High School students in advanced science, math and/or foreign languages. Patrick also reported that the Center has a marketing person working with them full time during the summer to develop a publication describing what is available through the Center for Distributed Learning, in all the different colleges and schools here. That person will also serve as liaison to the individual units to help with their marketing efforts. Patrick also announced that there are some grant opportunities coming up and they have someone working with them to help in writing grant proposals.

Microsoft Campus Agreement

In response to a question from David Griffiths, Maurice Leatherbury explained that the Microsoft Campus Agreement is now being reviewed by the University Attorney, and in its current form, it will not include students for the first year. It will be necessary to get Student Association approval prior the end of this first year of the agreement if students are to be included in the second year.