Office of Information Technology

Technology Advisory Board (TAB)
Minutes of Meeting of July 20, 2005

Location: 4th Floor Conference Room, Andy Holt Tower
Time: 2:30 PM

Attendance:

Mark Alexander, Carmen Bandy, Victor Barr, Brice Bible, Bill Britten, Barbara Dewey, Bruce Downsbrough, Stephen Esposito, Judy Huddleston, Julie Little, Mike McNeil, Robert Osborne, Robin McNeil, Daniel Murray, Dave Roberts, Curtis Sanderfer, Akan Udoeyop, Gretchen Whitney, Brandon Williams, Kerry Witchel

I. Welcome and Introductions

Stephen Esposito (TAB co-chair) welcomed everyone, especially the new SGA President, Curtis Sanderfer, and student representatives.

II.  FY06 Schedule

III. The TAB meeting schedule along with a proposed agenda for each meeting is available on the Tech Fee website. In addition, there is a calendar of important dates such as the submittal period for Tech Fee funding. See oit.utk.edu/~techfee.

IV. FY05 Caryover Topics

The carryover topics of Volprint, Napster, and alumni email were discussed.
Current plans are to provide a mechanism for UT graduates to maintain a UT email account. Details are still being worked on to determine the best way to accomplish this goal given that there are over 25,000 UT alumni at the present time.

The Volprint system is still achieving a 70% reduction in printing on the OIT and Library printers. Statistics show that only 1% of the printing is by faculty or staff and that students account for 99% of the printing volume. In addition, the Volprint system is currently being evaluated for copy service in order that students may be able to use their All Star accounts to pay for copy service through Volprint.

The Napster pilot will continue through this Fall with an evaluation at the end of this semester.

V. Proposed FY06 Project Areas

An update was given on the Email consolidation project. Current plans are that a test system will be in place soon with test users being migrated to the new Exchange system in late fall. The current schedule, subject to change, is that students would begin migration sometime Fall 2006.

A status update of the new upgrade of the Student Information System was given which included a new schedule builder as well as an online grade entry and viewing feature.

Through the efforts of OIT and the University Libraries, there will be a new Info Commons on the second floor of Hodges Library that will be open 24 hours beginning Fall Semester. The goal of this area is to be a “one-stop” area for students that will contain fully-loaded computers, librarian services such as reference help, laptop checkout, and password resets among many other services.

This fall there will be a pilot program for a student personal response system called “clickers”. The goal is to identify a standardized clicker so that students enrolled in classes needing a clicker, would not have to purchase multiple clickers. Results will be presented in the spring.

A new, secure wireless network, NOMADX, will be operational this fall. Students wishing to be on a secured, encrypted network will register for the NOMADX service.

There will be subcommittees formed in order to work on long-range planning goals for the Tech Fee Program. Stephen Esposito will be contacting members to assign them to specific committees. Members should let Stephen know if they have specific areas of interest.

Online@UT-Blackboard will be upgraded in September.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting of the Technology Advisory Board will be Wednesday, September 21, 2005, at 2:30 PM, in the 4th Floor Conference Room, Andy Holt Tower.

Minutes by: Karen Tadlock