Computer Services Committee

October 14, 1999 Meeting Minutes
(prepared by Debbie)

Meeting called to order: 11am by Mei Chen
In attendance:
Michael Barrett, Rod Welch, David Allen, Peter Greim, Janette Moody, Karen Reichardt, Debbie Fisher, Tom Murphy, Maria Lynn Kessler, Mei Chen

Meeting agenda:

Election of a secretary. (Debbie Fisher elected.)
ITS report from Rod:
- Insufficient Internet bandwidth. Current load is saturating T1 line in mornings and evenings.
  Plan: Double bandwidth (to approx. 3.x mega bits/second) and watch performance. State and Citadel have responded w/resources to provide a permanent solution. (Currently at 10 mega bits/second to provide immediate relief.) MUSC and CofC utilize same route (InfoAve service provider) but have not complained about performance.
- Load on VAXs is very heavy.
  Plan 1: Swap out older VAXs with new Alpha models to increase speed. (Currently 4 members in cluster are VAX, 1 is Alpha.) Tentative Date: Dec 99.
  Plan 2: Utilize client-server arrangement to optimize performance/ease-of-use for SIS/FRS/degree audit systems. (Configuration: Browser interface - NT server - data from VAXs). Tentative date: Dec 99.
- New battalion lab. (Watts and Stevens now both have 10 computers.)
- Bond 251 updated. (Macs given to Physics and Biology) 24 Pentiums, overhead projector, VCR and audio speakers.
- Bond 258 converted to Multimedia center. Resources:10 computers, 500 or 450Mhz with expanded RAM up to 128 MB, DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drives, sound cards, internal ZIP drives, 2 color graphics scanners, slide scanner, film recorder, color laser printer w/duplexing Software: Netscape Communicator 4.05, Internet Explorer 4.0 or 5.0, Adobe Acrobat 3.0, Adobe Imageready 1.0, Adobe Photoshop 5.0, Microsoft Office 97, WinZip 7.0.
- Working to find new software: HTML editing tools, improved graphics tools, etc. After we select new SW, ITS will be offering more continuous instructional courses to help users learn it.
- Webserver - someone broke in and changed a few pages because of simple passwords. Contact Jackye Cocoros in MMS to set a new password if you can't access your pages. ITS will send out tips on selecting passwords. (Since we don't use a firewall, passwords are very important.)
Additional ITS topics:
- (Mei) Expand MMcenter hours? Include some nights and weekends? Rod will look into this.
- (Janette) Hold Open House to publicize MMcenter? Maybe in November?
- (Debbie) WebCT: If you (the course designer) have a problem with your WebCT password, contact Jackye Cocoros to change your password. (FTP passwords were changed about 9/26 and we blocked Telnet.) Students who contact the Help Desk about their WebCT passwords are referred to their professor.
- (Janette) Bond 251 comments. Insufficient cooling. Good lighting. Space available to walk around is nice.
- (Debbie) PPLT request filed to block radiator heat in C215 and C313.
- (Debbie) Monitor control: HW option - very expensive (35-40K); PPLT - can't provide it; LanSchool (limitations), NetOp School - looks good; installed test in Help Desk and will arrange for testing with new update.
- (Mei) About half of computers in C210 having problem w/Adobe reader. (Hotline: 39462)
- (Mei) Availability of multimedia rooms w/speakers in the evenings: Duckett and Jenkins auditoriums can be used - similar in setup as B165
- (Janette) Key in grades instead of bubbling? Web interface (Faculty-Web software) for entering grades is planned for the future. No tentative date at this time.
- (Karen) Electronic databases in library. This will cause problems if all faculty do not have access to Netscape.
- (David) Degree-audit on course not available for CGPS. (Rod) Large planning project for Dean Reilly, but not a programming problem.
- (Janette) First printout of schedule for freshmen does not align with column headings.
Status of proposals for new computers: 11 applications by 5:00 pm, Oct 13.
- Status of current faculty computers? (Rod)
  1 person uses old (non-networkable model); but does not want to upgrade
  approx 10 are 486's;
  approx 10 are below 100 megahertz (about 3 years old) 8-9 receiving new computers now (new faculty - some have been delivered)
  Discussion:
  - Should we approach some faculty members who are still using "old" computers and encourage them individually to apply for a new computer?
  - Is there anything we can do if some faculty members do not want to update their "old" computers?
  Karen pointed out that the library is implementing new article delivery services and online access to full-image web versions of academic journals. In order to take advantage of these new technologies, faculty must make sure that their computers have the necessary capabilities and configurations to open and read Adobe Acrobat PDF files as attachments to e-mail messages or from within web pages. She suggested to send a message to all faculty before the deadline for request for new computer and encourage faculty whose PCs will not read PDF file attachments to apply for a new computer.
- Review procedure and important dates:
  If more than 20 apply, rate everyone except yourself and submit the ratings to Mei on November 2 assuming that the copies of proposals will be delivered to committee members on October 21. Tentative meeting for making the final recommendation list for new computers (if it is needed) is scheduled at 11:00am on Thursday, November 11, 1999.
- Other things:
  - Once these 20 applications are approved, find out what kind of computer they want. (It is possible to request laptop, small/mini-monitor desktop model, etc.)
  - After computer requests, remainder of money can be spent on peripherals (i.e. scanners, printers, zip drives, monitor upgrades, etc.) Submit requests for these separately, maybe in the spring, 2000.
  - Revise the application form to allow for this kind of request in the future.

The meeting adjourned about five minutes after noon.