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Steering Committee Minutes
CITIE MINUTES
March 20, 2002
Attendees: Melissa Mills, Mike Baptiste, Pat Halpin, Mike Pickett,
Tracy Futhey, Andy ?? for Roger Loyd, Lynne O'Brien,
Landen Bain, David Ferriero, Bertie Belvin
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Announcements and review of minutes
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Update from Academic Technology Sponsors
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Next steps: priorities and a draft model for presenting
where we are
Announcements and review of minutes
Mike Pickett asked if there were any changes that needed to
be made to the minutes before they are posted to the web. There
are two changes that need to be made (see Lynne O'Brien's email
to Mike).
Mike Pickett asked if there were any announcements. There were
no announcements.
Mike Pickett thanked Lynne O'Brien for leading the last CITIE
Steering Committee meeting.
Update from Academic Technology Sponsors
Mike Pickett explained that the Sponsors feel it is time for
a snapshot of where we are with the CITIE Initiative. To look
at how we are doing compared with the Academic Strategic Plan
and how to move forward. The core team met last week and discussed
possible ways to represent the information.
Mike Pickett handed out a summary of the information technology
initiatives in the Academic Strategic Plan "Building on
Excellence" dated 2/15/2001.
Tracy Futhey commented that during the Sponsor's meeting she
heard that they were pleased with the progress made to date
but they recognize the people around campus may not be aware
of what has been going on and where we are headed. They may
see the various activities and appreciate them but they most
likely do not have a sense of the whole. Peter stressed that
it is important that we articulate the underlying principals
for example, we don't have to do technology everywhere, there
are good reasons why we may not want to utilize technology just
for technology sake.
Mike Pickett suggested the steering committee look through
the summary of goal 6 of the academic plan and discuss what
has been completed, what needs more work, and what has yet to
begin. Keep in mind that this is a 5 year plan.
The CITIE Steering Committee discussed the summary. Below is
an outline of what was discussed.
Summary of Information Technology Initiative in the Academic
Strategic Plan "Building on Excellence" 2/15/2001
1. Create a Campus Environment Where All Students and Faculty
are Connected t the Resources They Need When and Where They
Need Them.
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Create a mobile laptop computing proposal.
Comments: This was discussed and rejected.
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Extend wireless network access in selected
areas. Comments: Bob Currier reported that there are over
150 access points out there. Mike Baptiste suggested that
we consider working with vendors to get discounts on wireless
cares to help speed up the adoption of wireless by users.
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Set a baseline level of hardware and software
that students will be equipped to use. Comments: We haven't
fully accomplished this. Lynne O'Brien asked if we want to
limit this to students. Mike Pickett said we need to think
through this. There is a common understanding some minimum
toolsets supported and used, for example, turning in assignments
using Word. Someone suggested that we set a baseline of exposure
faculty need to have or it needs to be conveyed to faculty.
Shared toolset ñ core set of tools to be used on public
desktops, classrooms, clusters, etc. Pat Halpin questioned
if this could be tied to assessing the skill levels.
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Make effective use email and the web, word-processors,
spreadsheets and database. Comments:
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Create technology frameworks and support that
make it easy for faculty to integrate web pages, online curriculum,
and discussions, testing, and e-mail lists in their teaching
efforts. Comments: Mike Pickett explained that we have created
a framework through the use of Blackboard. We have made substantial
progress. There is still a way to go.
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Incorporate these efforts into the curriculum
and make sure they are tied to pedagogy, not just IT. Comments:
Lynne O'Brien commented that there are particular faculty
who choose to do this, it is not necessarily a broad effort.
David Ferriero commented that he recently had to read through
a number of teaching award and teaching philosophy statements.
He is interested to see how widely this is discussed. It would
be great to have focus groups to discuss how technology plays
a part. Melissa Mills commented that Joe Harris has a breakfast
meeting/get together to discuss such topics. Someone commented
that Joe's group may be the appropriate place for this to
hold these types of discussions.
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Respect the fact that the use of information
technology is highly discipline-specific, not "one-size-fits
all". Comments: Mike Pickett commented that there has
been some good debate about his one. Pat Halpin commented
that he is worried about tabling this idea. Should we not
look at the areas/locations where these programs would fit
in? For example, the laptop initiative. There are places where
this would/could work. Shouldn't we make such recommendations?
He commented that the professional program at NSOE would be
a great place to have a laptop requirement. But communication
isn't getting out, maybe the steering committee should help
promote. It may not be appropriate for all but we should give
individual schools the opportunity to receive help/guidance.
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Assess the outcomes of our efforts to ensure
that we are having a positive impact. Comments: Mike Pickett
said that we definitely have not done this and we really need
to think this through.
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Involve a wide-range of faculty and students
in the discussion to clarify the appropriate hardware and
software tools we will employ. Comments:
2. Provide Adequate Support to Students and Faculty in the
Use of Information Technology.
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Assess incoming undergraduate students' information
technology skill-sets. Comments: Mike Pickett explained that
Bob Thompson has initiated this for undergraduate students.
Someone asked if we should be including graduate students
in this program? Lynne O'Brien explained that there is an
initiative in the graduate schools to determine skill sets,
and put the appropriate training and support in place.
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Employ a training coordinator and arrange
for students to receive web-based, hands-on, and extended
computer lab assistance to bring them up to the desired skill
level. Comments: Mike Pickett explained that there is currently
a pilot program.
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Identify emerging training needs and create
a process to pilot some of those new training efforts and
integrate into the curriculum where appropriate. Comments:
Mike Pickett commented that this is currently in progress
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Develop a set of strategies to provide tools
that simplify students and faculty use of information technology
in high interest areas. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that
this spans across a number of programs/initiatives we have
been doing over the past few months.
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Promote the integration of research into teaching.
Comments: Mike Pickett explained that there was a lot of discussion
on this at the last meeting ñ Blackboard, visualization,
mass storage. We need to discuss them at another level.
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Ensure that tools are widely available, easy
to use, and highly reliable. Comments:
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Create University guidelines concerning fair
use and intellectual property and plan to identify a single
office for consultations regarding copyright questions (located
in Perkins Library and closely associated with the Center
for Information Technology). Comments: Mike Pickett commented
that this fell through the cracks and it is back on the table.
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Address policy and support issues rapidly
as new technology emerges
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Provide students and faculty with on going
opportunities to learn what is possible with new teaching
and learning technologies. Comments: Mike Pickett explained
that this is the work that Lynne O'Brien and CIT has been
doing. We need to talk through the student piece.
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Develop and information technology infrastructure
plan to support academic technology. Comments:
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In support of research, develop a strategy
to support parallel computing, data storage and visualization.
Comments: Mike Pickett explained that we have made progress
in this area. We have been working on data storage with brain
imaging and computer science folks. We have not fully tested
the lab for parallel computing. Bill Rankin is working on
this as part of course.
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Create a student web portal. Comments: Mike
Pickett commented that we have talked about this quite a bit
and there are a number of options.
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Strengthen our traditional model of departmental
support staff providing first-line technical support for faculty
with close alignment with central University support groups.
Comments: Mike Pickett explained that Melissa Mills wrote
a paper on this last year, the relationship of Arts and Science
Computing and OIT, out of which came some action items. This
is in progress.
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Create guidelines and training on best-practice
research and teaching tools to help departmental and central
university support staff provide better services to faculty
who are not knowledgeable in information technology. Comments:
Mike Pickett commented that this has not been done.
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Increase the number of academic technology
assistants to provide faculty support with contextual understanding
of given disciplines. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that
we need to go around and find out what resources are out there.
Pat Halpin asked how do we actually increase the number ñ
how do we turn it into an action item? How do we raise awareness?
Anything other than brow beating? Someone commented there
is one-shot money that could be used to help break the inertia.
Lynne O'Brien commented that it would be the department's
responsibility to then add monies to their budget in order
to pick up the ongoing costs. Tracy Futhey commented that
one possible scenario would be to have CITIE pick up the costs
for the first year, the second year the department could pick
up 1/3rd of the costs, the third year the department could
pick up 2/3rd, and on the fourth year they pay the full costs.
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Reshape and equip teaching spaces to support
the use of new technologies. Comments: Mike Pickett commented
that this is being done on a school basis. There isn't a coherent
plan across Duke. There is a good opportunity here. Pat Halpin
commented that with the teaching lab spaces there is a huge
opportunity. We should get the campaign folks to go out and
get money for endowment opportunities. David Ferriero commented
that there is a disconnect with the development folks and
the real needs. We need to meet with the central development
folks and make them aware of what is going on. Mike Pickett
commented that we should get some key folks in the central
development to come to these meetings.
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Provide ongoing opportunities for faculty
to learn what is possible with new teaching and learning technologies
and to provide staffing and funding to support instructional
technology projects that have significant impact. Comments:
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Identify information technology leaders among
the faculty in every department and provide special support
to their efforts in order to create models for other faculty
members. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that his sounds
like the CIT fellows program.
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Continue to support the decentralized research
support model, but increase resources where needed for all
research computing. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that
this builds on an earlier comment from Pat Halpin. How do
we develop?
3. Incorporate Online Learning into Instructional Programs
Where Appropriate.
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Enable all courses at Duke to provide a web-presence
for each course. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that this
feels like Blackboard.
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Provide assistance for faculty to take advantage
of more advanced online course services if they feel it is
appropriate. Comments: Mike Pickett explained that we had
discussions with the Provost at one of the steering committee
meetings about automatically generating course websites in
Blackboard. And it was decided that it wouldn't be pursued
at this time ñ there needs to be more discussions.
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Upgrade the pilot Blackboard system and make
it capable of supporting the whole institution. Comments:
Mike Pickett commented that this has been done.
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Provide training opportunities for faculty
on a regular basis. Comments:
4. Support the Expansion of Distance Education in Appropriate
Areas. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that this is one of
our weaker areas. There are some schools like Fuqua are doing
this.
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Develop and market online courses in graduate
or professional schools, courses for alumni, and continuing
education courses where appropriate
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Evaluate the possibility of utilizing distance
education courses developed by the University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill and North Carolina State University in our own curricula
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Support schools and faculty in identifying
resources to help develop courses online
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Develop agreements with outside firms to provide
course development assistance and marketing support where
appropriate
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Provide guidelines concerning the ownership
of intellectual property so that faculty are rewarded for
their efforts and schools see their investment in support
and information technology rewarded
5. Create an Innovation Information Sciences and Information
Studies Certificate Program. Comments: Mike Pickett commented
that ISIS has been approved. It is in the developmental phase
and is quickly making progress under the leadership of Eddie
Shanken. The key will be to keep the funding going. Pat Halpin
commented that he is disappointed with the scope of ISIS. It
looks like it is a multimedia art program not at all what he
thought it would be. Will it evolve or always be multimedia
art? There seems to be a disconnect between the name and what
they are doing. Mike Pickett explained that there have been
a number of programs centered on public policy, law, etc. David
Ferriero commented that as the ongoing assessment takes place
we must keep our eyes on the original intention. What computer
skills will Duke students leave with. Mike Pickett asked if
Pat would be interested in sitting on the faculty board.
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Establish the ISIS certificate program
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Help with the Digital Divide in the Local
Durham Community Through a Community-Servicing Requirement
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Establish internships in industry, government,
and non-profit agencies and allow "virtual" internships
and distance collaborations that spring from those internships
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Create a capstone experience which requires
students to rely on one another's different intellectual expertise
and skills
6. Further Explore the Potential for Teaching, Training, and
Learning in the Areas of Information Technology Entrepreneurship.
Comments: Mike Pickett commented that there are three or four
university efforts taking place. This has to be addressed in
a coherent fashion, don't dilute what we are doing, not much
more to say.
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Explore how best to support teaching, training,
and learning in entrepreneurship especially in the area of
information technology
7. Create a More Effective Organizational Structure for Information
Technology Support. Comments: Mike Pickett commented that now
Tracy is here we will be paying more attention to this.
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Build on the initial efforts on the Special
Assistance to the Provost on Academic Technology to provide
an academic information technology champion, coordinator,
and facilitator for the planning process
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Develop a detailed plan that builds on this
document and addresses instructional and research technology
across Duke
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Create central consulting resources to guide
and assist faculty in the use of academic technology
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Establish a facilitated executive roundtable
to garner external guidance in the use of information technology
8. Monitor our progress. Comments: Mike Pickett explained that
we have talked about this but we haven't done it. We need to
measure if we are succeeding. Lynne O'Brien commented that we
have agreed that we will use the 10 items from the last meeting
as a commonality to begin assessing faculty use of technology.
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Create benchmarks and a full assessment procedure
for CITIE. This will be a major element of the implementation
procedure for CITIE that will be worked out in the months
before it begins in fall 2002.
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Create benchmarks for ISIS that include student
and faculty interest, student satisfaction, national attention
and rankings, placement of ISIS students in careers, and usefulness
of ISIS asa tool for recruiting student to Duke. We will build
a five-year sunset clause into the program, and allow its
renewal only if it is serving its constituency with innovation,
encouraging excellence, and modeling intellectual entrepreneurship.
CITIE Blueprint document - discussions
Mike Pickett handed out a document - CITIE Blueprint.
He explained that the core team put together a pictorial representation
of the initiative. The diagram starts at the lowest level and
addresses the infrastructure needs. The middle box is where
we need to think about the programs and services that are being
offered or will be offered. There programs and services are
provided by central organizations, schools, departments, and
some are outsourced. The next layer is where we need to make
users aware of the programs and services, give them access to
these services and programs, and help them develop proficiencies.
And at the top we have fully enabled users.
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