|
Instructional Support Committee |
|
Attending: Erin Hurley, Jon Chenette, Ian Athanasakis (STAC), David Romano, Shuchi Kapila, Laura Lienemann (SGA), Roger Vetter, Bill Francis, Monty Roper, Cecilia Knight, Richard Fyffe, John Kalkbrenner Minutes of 5 December approved. Report on fast track approvals:
CTS Search Update We have received 23 applications, and the Committee meets tomorrow. Several of the applicants have disciplinary background in the Social Studies or Arts, and few were focused on distance learning. We are optimistic about concluding the search successfully. Google Apps Discussion continued from last two meetings. Google’s security practices are based on the College’s continued ownership of the data. None of that data would be released without the College’s permission. Students find GoogleApps calendaring to be user-friendly, and SGA now uses it to schedule meetings. Google now provides POP access to email, which improves access for the disabled. Committee members commented that GoogleApps seem interesting but that we need greater detail about the legal arrangements governing Google hosting and use of College data. We also need to know what other options are available for addressing the problems students have identified, such as Yahoo’s solution or Microsoft’s enhancements to Exchange and Outlook Web Access. To what extent can the new Blackboard content system serve the need for collaboration on shared documents and other desires for increased collaboration? A peer school survey reveals that Exchange is the platform of choice for colleges such as Grinnell. It is in use at Amherst, Bowdoin, Colgate, Davidson, DePauw, Kalamazoo, Occidental, Pomona, Rhodes, and Whittier, for example. Out of 16 schools that have changed email systems in the last five years, eight indicated that they moved to Exchange. Most of our peers are sticking with integrated systems that work with software faculty members are familiar with. A wholesale swapping out in favor of a new system would be a major undertaking and would require wide buy-in from all parts of the campus community. The student initiative primarily was aimed at improving possibilities for collaboration. It is easier to collaborate if everyone is using the same system, although running two systems might be OK. One of the big problems for students is the limit on storage space. Another is lack of ubiquitous access to data: calendar, email, contacts. Students cant’ access calendaring on a Mac without Entourage in academic buildings. Making appointments in Outlook Web Access requires too many clicks. ITS doubled the default student storage, replaced the spam server, and is expanding bandwidth. ITS will look at opening Outlook and Entourage to student use from the dorm network. Students want access to data anywhere and anytime, but it is important to define what is meant by “data” and “access.” Our licensing for the Office suite is less expensive than many people think. It’s also easy to find employees who know Office products. We will consider a proposal at our next meeting for how to prioritize student needs and proceed. Respectfully submitted, |