Office of Information Technology

Technology Appropriations Board
Minutes of the meeting May 1, 1997

Location: International House Dining Room
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM

In attendance:

Proposed initiatives to be funded by the Student Technology Fee for FY 97-98 were presented and discussed, followed by a general discussion of special issues.

Computing and Academic Services:

• Train Station - A small installation of PCs (7) will be installed in the 4th Floor computing lab in Hodges Library to offer hands-on "getting started" assistance to new users.
• Aconda Court Service Center - The new DII Customer Services Center at Aconda Court will provide a one-stop shopping interface to computing and data networking services provided by DII.
• Microsoft Office - Negotiations have been completed for a Microsoft Education Select Master Agreement that will provide Microsoft desktop products for students at a reduced cost. Faculty and staff will also have access to the products at a higher price than for students.
• Support Line - The support line has been expanded to include responses to questions via E-mail, the Web, and by telephone.Tracking software will be installed to monitor the response process and to gauge the improvement in service.
• CBT Courses - Based on the very favorable reception of the CBT courses available, the distribution of this instructional material will be expanded.
• Computing Lab Upgrades - The Academic Deans have submitted prioritized requests for upgrades of departmental computing laboratories and CAS has submitted requests for upgrade of open computing laboratories. These will be reviewed and funded within the limits of the resources available.
• Increase in UNIX Disk Quota - The individual disk quota for the universal UNIX account may be upgraded beyond the current 2.5 Megabyte quota with the acquisition of an additional file server and disks. Currently, approximately 300 individuals have paid for additional disk space ($25/100 Megabytes/year). Based on this relatively small demand the Board recommended delaying the expansion of disk quota.

Telecommunications and Networking Services:

• Circuit Installation - Install new circuits in Perkins, Dougherty and the University Center.
• Construction - Cost to cover any miscellaneous construction needs during rewiring.
• Network Equipment - New electronics to activate 75% of the new circuits being installed in Perkins, Dougherty, and the University Center.
• Intra-Building Fiber - Fiber to interconnect equipment rooms within a building.
• Cabinets - Cabinets to house new electronics and circuit terminations.
• Backbone - Electronics to upgrade the backbone to support the increased bandwidth within buildings.
• Inter-Building Fiber - Fiber to support the upgraded electronics.
• Dialup - Install new electronics to increase the number of users that can be supported by the modem pool as well as ISDN capabilities to the pool. This will allow users to have 64 Kbps digital connections at the same cost as analog modem users.
• Generator - This will be installed to provide permanent power the Dialup electronics as well as UTK's connections to the Internet.
• Internet Access - This will upgrade the amount of bandwidth UTK has to the Internet to support the additional demand that will come from the dorms.
• NIC/TA - This will significantly drop the cost of Network Interface Cards and Terminal Adapters to students. This will allow students to connect to the network in dorms at a reduced rate. It will also allow off campus users to move up to ISDN connectivity at a greatly reduced rate.
• FTE - Personnel to support the service centers. This will include Technical as well as administrators to help students get connected and solve student problems.
• Wireless Network in the Library - This will purchase and install electronics in the library that will allow users to sit anywhere in the library and be connected to the network with just an antenna. The logistics of distributing the antennas have not been worked out.
• Network Stations - This will purchase and install five network stations in strategic points across campus. This will allow authorized users to get access to network resources like the web and E-mail.
• Engineering Consultant - The engineering consultant designs the physical plant aspects of the rewiring projects.
• Equipment Maintenance - The equipment maintenance provides for next day delivery of replacement components in the event of hardware failure. It also provides access to all new releases of software.
• Port Fees - This will pay the recurring charges associated with academic ports.
• Service Center Equipment/Supplies - This pays for the equipment and operating supplies for the service center. This includes the PC that is used as well as copying and paper supplies.

Innovative Technology Center

• Classroom, Lecture Room, and Auditorium Upgrades - The UC Auditorium, McClung Museum Auditorium and the A&A Lecture Hall have been upgraded and a plan is being implemented for the support and maintenance of these facilities. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs will be requested to provide new input for prioritizing upgrade projects. This information will be brought back to the Board at a summer meeting.
• IT Center - A multi-platform demonstration laboratory has been established and partially staffed.
• Workshops - Over 45 presentations and workshops have been provided for faculty members, graduate teaching assistants, and the UTK community directly engaged in teaching.
• Mentor System - A student assistant program will be initiated to create mentor teams for faculty who are developing technology enhanced courseware.

Special Issues

• Wireless Communication - There is significant interest in the utilization of wireless technology, however wireless performance is not currently equal to wired performance. If mobility is the main issue, as it is for the Hodges Library laptop loan project, wireless communication is the preferred method. In addition to the wireless pilot project, additional ports will be added in the library for the connection of personal laptop computers.
• Engineering Design for Dougherty, Perkins, and the University Center - The design has been completed and the project will be put for bid in June.
• Plans for remote service centers in Clement, Hess, Reece, and Morrell Halls - Beginning in Fall 1997, dormitory residents may obtain assistance in connecting personal machines to the network in four of the dorms. This will include the purchase of a Network Interface Card, installation of the communication software, and arranging for the activation of a network port.
• Plans for funding recurring costs for network ports - There was a discussion of appropriate funding for recurring costs for network ports for graduate students. Currently all academic ports are billed at a subsidized rate.
• Continuation of support for upgraded academic laboratories - This is recognized as a significant problem for all academic computing laboratories, and continued hardware and software maintenance will be addressed in future allocation of student technology fee funds.