Computer Committee

Meeting Minutes

Meeting: 16 April 2004

LC 115, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

PRESENT: C. Scott (Chair), W. Dorin (Guest), R. Kini, J. Knapp, T. Stabler, and M. Uncapher , C. Wood and D. Steward, ex officio.

ABSENT: N. DeLeon, J. Gerzema

• The first item addressed was a proposal by the Chair to begin investigating the applicability and acquisition of classroom management software for the teaching laboratories. Several faculty have asked for the ability to view/project/interact with their classroom students from the instructor’s workstation, thus enabling them to both respond to student problems with assignments during class, and to monitor the actions of the students while taking examinations online, doing online assignments, and while course lectures are being conducted. Dorin and Knapp indicated that there were many potential uses for the software. Uncapher indicated that this feature was built into the Mac operating system, but not into Windows. Therefore, it was agreed that the committee would begin investigating the feasibility of the idea, starting with contacts with English and Graphic Arts, heavy Mac users, to see if they have any experience with such software, and their evaluations of it.
  
• The Chair also proposed that wireless microphones be acquired to allow better sound capability for faculty members when teaching in laboratory classrooms. RH211 appears to be the worst one, due to the A/C system, and others also due to raised monitors between the student and the instructor. Again, desirability was indicated to help overcome communication problems. It was also concluded that a system working through the instructor’s workstation was not the most desirable, as it used computer resources. The Chair was recommended to contact Dr. Lukas of Instructional Media to determine a method that would integrate with the sound system of the room, and not be based upon the computer. It would be more generally available, and could probably be used in a number of other rooms and facilities that do not have computers. The Chair will contact Dr. Lukas and proceed to collect information.
  
• The third agenda item was Microsoft security patches across campus. IT now has the capability to “push” security patches to all campus PC’s, not Macs, that are part of the ADS domain. This practice has been in place for some time for all the STC’s and teaching laboratories. A process has begun to deliver these patches to campus PC’s for faculty and staff. It will be started slowly with Business as one of the initial guinea pig groups, as most of their PC’s are ADS domain.
  
• The fourth agenda item was the Mac software build for Fall 2004. New machines have been purchased and are on campus to install in the Mac teaching labs on the 4 th floor of Hawthorn Hall and Raintree 212, if needed. These machines are configured with OS X, at the request of J. Gerzema and others. Some of the existing Mac software will NOT run on OS X. At present, the intended laboratory build for the Mac machines will include the following software:
  
• • a. Office X b. Quicktime c. Adobe Acrobat
  • d. Calculator e. Internet Explorer f. Norton Anit-Virus
  • g. Safari

Currently the following programs are present on the Macs running OX 9, but will not be available for OS X:

• Kaleidagraph (v3.08) - version 3.62 would be needed for OS X
• Mathematica (v4) – version 5 would be needed for OS X
• Hyperstudio (v4) – no new version for OS X is being made
• Sketchpad – no new version for OS X is being made
• All other graphics software, used for Graphic Arts classes, etc., is being ported to PC’s from Mac and will be available only on the PC platform.

• As J. Gerzema is retiring and was not present at the meeting, the Chair, along with VC Steward will seek a new representative from the English department to work with IT to assure that needs are met. Mathematics will also be contacted regarding Mathematica, which has been available on both platforms, but will be available only on the PC platform.
  
• In order to accommodate the memory needs of the graphic arts software being ported to the PC platform, the Committee recommended to IT that all new/replacement PC’s for STC and teaching laboratory use will be configured with 1 Gigabyte of RAM.
  
• Lengthy discussion pursued involving the moving of graphic arts software and classes out of RH 212 (Mac) to a PC classroom. Many issues were involved including displacement of classes currently using the PC rooms, where to relocate them, and whether laboratory space was available to do so without refitting RH 212 to PC’s. The Committee had recommended last meeting to convert Marram 134 to PC’s from Mac in order to accommodate increasing pressure on “open” STC’s. The faculty has been sending groups of students (some entire classes) to the STC’s to take tests together or to complete other assignments as a group. This has displaced many students from open lab space during crucial times of the day and prevented them from completing assignments on time. The problem is generated as a result of occasional needs that cannot be met through existing lab spaces. Other means are being sought to remedy the problem, but none are in place at this moment. The Chair, along with VC Steward will address the problem with the Registrar.

The meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m.