Minutes of First Meeting

October 19, 2009

Members in Attendance:  Christine Wolfe, Giorgi Shonia, Donald Hutcherson, Deb Smith

The meeting convened at 3:15 p.m. 
Agenda:
1.  Create a committee charge
2.  Choose 1-3 major objectives for the academic year
3.  Establish a meeting schedule
4.  Request an updated list of available software and other IT requests

Deb Smith explained that the committee was formed at the request of the Acting Assistant Dean, Candice Maddox-Thomas to give faculty a voice in the development of online course development and training in the various ways of offering curriculum using technology.

The committee then discussed individual visions of the purpose of the committee and their individual concerns regarding the use of technology by faculty and students.

The following emerged as themes:
1.  The committee expressed a need to survey the campus community regarding - instructional technology in the classroom,  web services available to the campus community, current IT services available, needs of both faculty and students.
2.  Faculty training in Blackboard and other technologies
3.  On line curriculum delivery and best practices pedagogically
4.  Review of and feedback on new or emerging technologies - i.e. Bb 9.0, social networking, etc.

The committee agreed that it was important that the Director of Computer Services, Paul Allen, be informed of the committee and invited to attend or send a representative to the meetings.

Girogi Shonia presented the committee with an example of one of the services that provides online tutoring to students, NetTutor and the committee discussed the advantages/challenges of online tutoring.

Deb Smith shared that there was an effort on campus to improve the OUL website using outsourcing.  The particular company who has quoted the work has been used on other OU websites including

Ohio University Alumni Association


http://www.ohioalumni.org/


College of Health & Human Services
http://www.hhs.ohiou.edu/chhs/


Foundation/Board of Trustees
http://www.ohioufoundation.org/


College of Communication
http://www.scrippscollege.ohio.edu/


School of Visual Communication
http://www.viscom.ohiou.edu/index.phtml


School of Communication Studies
http://www.coms.ohiou.edu/


Y.E.S.S. Program at Ohio U
http://www.psych.ohiou.edu/projects/yess/


OU Nanospintronics
http://nsnm.phy.ohiou.edu/


Communication Studies -- MA Program
http://www.comsma.ohio.edu/
 
 
The committee discussed the pro/cons of using outsourcing for web services, but agreed that an easily accessible website was important for appropriate service delivery. 
 
Giorgi Shonia had mentioned the importance of an up to date and easily accessible software inventory for faculty reference.  The committee discussed the issue and agreed that this question should be put to the Computer Services Director for comment.
 
The committee also discussed addressing the digital divide on the campus.  Christine Wolfe noted that laptops are available for borrowing in the library, but few students know of this service.  She also mentioned print services and described the strategies that are used at Athens to allow students to print using their OAK ID with the charges going to their student account.  Deb Smith mentioned other printing access strategies used at OSUNewark and COTC.
 
The committee decided to create a blog for committee communication and to individually work on a committee charge.  Each member will suggest or comment on a committee charge on the blog.
Deb Smith will approach Computer Services Director, Paul Allen and discuss the purpose of the committee and the desire to have Computer Services input and participation.
 
Deb Smith will call a meeting when all members have worked on the charge and she has met with Mr. Allen.
 
The other agenda items were postponed until the charge was developed and the committee could prioritize the objectives of the committee for the academic year.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Deb Smith