Office of Information Technology

Technology Advisory Board (TAB)
Minutes of Meeting of March 26, 2003

Location: 4th Floor Conference Room, Andy Holt Tower
Time: 2:00 - 3:00PM

Attendance:

Members: Bill Britten, Stephen Esposito, Jim Gehlhar, Marcel Grubert, Ray Hamilton, James Hughes, Matt Johnson, Lori Jones, Bryce McKenzie, Faye Muly, Marla Peterson, Stan Pinkleton, and Fred Tompkins

Others: Michael Burke, Bill Dunne, Nancy Gnilka, Robin McNeil, and Judy Travis

Co-Chair Matt Johnson opened the meeting at 2pm.

Distributed Technical Support for Colleges and Departments

Since the inception of the technology fee much of the funding in the academic departmental lab area has been focused on upgrading hardware. This year, in response to the many requests by Deans and Department Heads for technical support in their budgetary meetings, advisory groups, etc. it has become apparent the technology fee should refocus on departmental lab technical and software support needs.

Ms. Faye Muly presented an outline of a proposed distributed technology support program where OIT would provide technical support for classroom support, instructional project development, and departmental computer labs funded through the technology fee. A pilot project combining elements of the START proposal and departmental computer lab support would be undertaken whereby four areas would be selected to receive on-site technical support. Since each college or academic department has different technology support needs, the Provost would set the college selection priorities similar to the process where the Deans currently set the priorities for the yearly technology fee funding proposals submitted by their colleges. The program’s intent would not be to provide permanent technical support for a college, but rather would run for a period of time determined in conjunction with the Provost’s office depending on the particular technical support needs of a college and their ability to provide and sustain technical support on their own. For instance, as expertise grows within a college, the support may be shifted to another college where the need may now be greater.

Also an accountability function will be built into the program. At the end of each year an assessment will be made in which the personnel and services provided will be evaluated for appropriateness and effectiveness.

In order to be able to able to provide services starting in January 2004, an aggressive schedule needs to be set. We are recommending that a needs assessment survey be sent out to the dean of each college in April to solicit input for defining the various levels of technical support needed. The survey would be evaluated in May. By June the proposal process would be developed. It would be similar in structure to the procedures used to govern the current departmental lab technology fee funding process. In July we would have a call for proposals which would close early in September. Awards would be made in October. The goal would then be to hire and place personnel in the colleges by January.

Dr. Michael Burke indicated any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning the START proposal should be directed to him. (Email to mburke@utk.edu or telephone 974-8893)

Enhanced Departmental Lab Software Support

Next, Ms. Gnilka reviewed the enhanced departmental lab software support project which was discussed in earlier TAB meetings. In previous meetings it was established the technology fee funding would be expanded for departmental labs on a continuous basis so that departmental labs could be assured of continuous support for much needed software for the teaching and learning environment. One of the concerns was how to gather information about departmental labs software needs. The survey being put together for the distributed departmental lab support project will also include a section on software needs for teaching and learning and departmental labs.

FY04 Technology Fee Departmental Lab Funding Recommendation

Ms. Gnilka handed out a spreadsheet which summarized the FY04 Technology Fee Departmental Lab Funding requests and this year’s recommendations. There were approximately seventy proposals received. Six were requests for new labs with three being for fixed lab environments and three for mobile labs (laptops on a cart). Ms. Gnilka also noted the spreadsheet this year reflects the new emphasis on supporting departmental lab software by splitting it out and putting it in an award category of its own.

Every year there are more and more pockets of small departmental labs appearing on campus with each requiring a great deal of technical support as well as hardware and software replacement every two or three years. This represents an enormous investment on the part of the university. Such growth is not sustainable by the colleges and departments under the current and most likely future budgets. Many of these colleges and departments request technology fee funding to either start up a new lab or to fund it entirely.

Ms. Gnilka asked the TAB members to think about the ever-expanding new lab phenomenon, and suggested perhaps the guidelines for the FY05 Technology Fee funding be revised to reflect emphasis for the next few years on sustaining and enhancing current departmental lab environments.

General

The next meeting of the Technology Advisory Board will be Wednesday, April 16, 2003, at 2:00PM in the Andy Holt Tower 4th floor conference room. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.