Institutional Technology Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes

May 19, 2010

  1. Call to order

The CIO called to order the scheduled meeting of the Institutional Technology Advisory Committee at 1:05 PM on May 19, 2010 in the IT Conference Room.

  1. Roll call

The following were in attendance: Steve Vieira, Carl Toft, Rich Coren, Cody Houghton, Karen Allen, Ruth Sullivan, Peter Woodberry and Kay Johnson. Guest: Mike Kelly

  1. Approval of minutes from last meeting

Minutes were approved previously through email response.

  1. Priority List of Projects

The CIO offered that the priority list of projects that had been voted on and approved in December 2009 is progressing. Specific details on significant projects will be presented during the body of this meeting. The projects will be displayed on a web site also to be discussed later in this meeting.

The priority list of projects and descriptions will be attached to these minutes in order to remind everyone exactly what was decided.

Action Item 1: The CIO to attach list of projects and descriptions to these minutes.

  1. Project Management Web Site

IT has plans to create a new project management (ITPM) web site describing every project, all accompanying documentation, objectives and timelines. The new ITPM site would enable transparency in detailing how project management is occurring within IT and how progress is being made.

Action Item 1: The CIO to get the ITPM in production.

  1. Summer Plans

This summer looks to be a busier than normal one. The CIO is planning a comparative study of the various administrative roles as described by SunGard HE and the accompanying roles assigned at CCRI in the Banner ERP system. The CIO explained that, similar to many Banner implementations, initial security settings for folks setting up the database system are designed to allow flexibility and fewer restrictions. This enables the fastest and least restrictive method of getting Banner into production.

Also similar to other sites, when Banner is in production, a comprehensive look at security and roles naturally takes a back seat to the business of the college. At some point, it is in the best interest of the College to review the current security schemas and evaluate whether they need to be adjusted.

During this summer, the CIO will be reviewing the current roles at CCRI and establish a proposal for bringing the security schemas in line with those suggested by SunGard HE. No loss of functionality will be proposed and only adjustments of editing versus reading of table data will be suggested except in extreme cases.

Action Item 1: The CIO to evaluate security schemas.

Action Item 2: The CIO to propose amendments to existing roles based upon SunGard HE suggested schemas.

Action Item 3: The CIO, to work with individuals to ensure no loss of functionality while adjusting unnecessary permissions.

  1. Student Accounts

The CIO explained the use of domain accounts for all students in September 2010. Each student will be required to login to any computer they use in any Academic Computing lab on any of the four campuses. Student logins to computers are used in almost all colleges and universities across the country. Bringing this function to CCRI allows better service to students sitting in the various classrooms and labs at the college.

Student logins will enable IT to track software usage to ensure that enough licenses exist for classroom use and homework assignments. Having a username and password allows a student to participate in the print management system when it is instituted. Students log in every day to the portal (MyCCRI) and so this is not very different from that activity.

Student usage of labs can also be tracked to determine whether additional resources are necessary. By having student logins, only students at CCRI will be allowed to use the labs and the resulting computing resources (software, hardware, peripherals, etc.)

  1. Microsoft Live@edu

The CIO discussed the September 2010 offering of new email accounts for all active student accounts as recorded at CCRI. Microsoft Live@edu, also known as Outlook Live, is a comprehensive email package designed for students in mind. Besides the active mailbox and the ability to read email from the web, logging into Outlook Live or through Microsoft Outlook, students also get additional disk space for storing files (called SkyDrive), full calendaring features and other Outlook-like functionality.

The email account would be able to be accessed from within the portal, MyCCRI, as well as directly through other applications (browsers, Outlook, etc.) The CIO elaborated on the sharing of email directories from Outlook Live to the college’s Exchange system enabling easier email name lookups.

The increased capabilities and ease of use for the new email system will far exceed the iPlanet email system currently in use. To top it all off, students get an email account for life even after they have left CCRI. This feature, more than any other, is one that CCRI cannot sustain for our students.

  1. Print Management

The CIO stated that the print management system is going to be rolled out to all Libraries and Academic Computing labs in January 2011. This has been delayed from its initial planned implementation date due to slow arrivals of hardware and the belief that the communication flow would work better during the fall semester rather than during the summer.

Despite the fact that the print management system will be delayed, as soon as the new MFDs are delivered (late June or early July), they will be installed in the various locations. Though the print/copy/scan device will not be setup for scanning of ID cards and not outfitted for print management, they will be the default device for all printing in the Libraries and Computing Labs. Having these MFDs in place will get people in the habit of using the new printers and potentially understanding their capabilities.

In early August 2010, a working model of the print management system will be setup in the Warwick Academic Computing lab for all faculty and staff to try during the month. ID cards and guest logins will be functional and demonstrated. Print release training will be shown and all campuses will be invited to attend several informational sessions with a hands-on exercise for each participant.

During the fall semester, opportunities will be afforded students and others to try the print management system at events specifically designed to demonstrate the capabilities and ease of use of the system. Giveaways and prizes will be featured at each of these events which will be at each campus.

When the winter break occurs, the MFDs will be outfitted with the print management hardware for ID card scanning and for purchasing “guest” print cards (similar to the copy machine access granted today). Training, IT monitoring and plenty of documentation will be featured at all these sites during the first few weeks as students and guests get accustomed to the new management system.

  1. Adjournment

The CIO adjourned the meeting at 2:05 PM.

Minutes submitted by: Stephen A. Vieira