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Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes for November 2, 2000

The first meeting of the University Information Technology Advisory Committee was called to order at 1:55 p.m. on November 2, 2000, in Ginter House, Room 221. Mr. Mark Willis presided. Members present were Dr. Timothy Broderick, Dr. Judyth Twigg, Ms. Dianna Chinnici, Dr. Robert Mattauch, Ms. Veronica Shuford, Dr. Phyllis Self, Mr. John Ulmschneider and Ms. Barbara Baldwin. Dr. David Sarrett, Dr. Gary Tepper, Ms. Lauren Russell, and Ms. Seema Kumar were absent. Mr. Paul Timmreck, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, Dr. Roderick McDavis, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Hermes Kontos, Vice President for Health Sciences, were also present.

I. INTRODUCTIONS
Each committee member introduced himself/herself to the group, provided background information about themselves, and stated their interest in the application of information technology to academic and/or administrative activities at the University.

II. REMARKS OF THE VICE PRESIDENTS
The three vice presidents addressed the committee regarding its charge and initial activities.

Dr. McDavis thanked everyone for agreeing to be on the committee. He stated that he would like to see the committee focus on the big picture and not get bogged down on details and procedures. The committee should begin with the information included in VCU’s IPA (Institutional Performance Agreement) proposal and find the best way to communicate that information to the broader campus community. He indicated that the IT Strategic Plan should be a top priority for the committee.

Mr. Timmreck also referred to the IPA request and the proposed $58 million for IT initiatives over a 5-year period. He stated that the purpose of this group should be to prioritize among all the initiatives. He referred to the draft IT Strategic Plan and that it should be looked at again. Mr. Timmreck indicated that this committee will be very important in formulating technology plans for the future. He also suggested that facilities for IT programs and staff, including the VCU Health System IT operations, should be examined with the goal of consolidating into common and fewer locations.

Dr. Hermes Kontos agreed that the committee needs to determine where the University needs to go with its IT activities and how to prioritize among the many proposed initiatives.

III. ORGANIZATION and MEETING SCHEDULE
a. The charge to the committee calls for selection of a Chair by a vote of the group. A decision was made to defer selection of a Chair until the next meeting. At that time, a proposed slate will be brought before the committee. Committee members were asked to volunteer for the position or nominate someone from the group.

b. The schedule for future meetings of UITAC was left open. The committee will decide later whether to meet at a standing time or on an ad hoc basis. However, the group agreed to a meeting in early December and another in mid to late January. At the December meeting, the committee will begin to work on the IT Strategic Plan as well as IT policies and standards issues.

IV. BACKGROUND on INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY at VCU
Mark Willis distributed a University Information Technology Advisory Committee notebook to each committee member. Ms. Baldwin, Dr. Self, Dr. Ulmschneider, and Mr. Willis gave a brief explanation of the documents already in the notebook.

The first paper, immediately in front of the tabs, is the charge to the committee.

The next three tabs, committee members, agenda and minutes are self-explanatory.

IT Plans contains two plans: 1. the draft Office for Information Technology Strategic Plan 1999-2004: Integrating Libraries, Information Technology, and the University and the other is University Library Services Strategic Plan 1999-2001 Integrating the Library and the University.

IPA Initiatives contains the nine separate initiatives that were proposed

Goals & Objectives contains the Administrative Information Technology, Academic Technology and VCU Libraries operational objectives for the upcoming year.

Organization Charts contains the organizational charts for the Organization for IT Services at VCU: Administrative Information Technology, Academic Technology, VCU Libraries, VCU Health System Corporate Functions Structure, and VCU Health System Information Services.

Mr. Willis described for the committee the history and evolution of the organizational structure for IT services at VCU, including the creation of the Office for Information Technology in 1994 and its dissolution in 1999.

Dr. Self stated that Academic Technology consultants would be arriving on November 3 and would work into December to decide what to do about reorganizing the unit.

Other IT Groups & Committees contains membership lists of other Information Technology Committees and work groups. The I2 Committee was left out of this list but will be added. The Information Technology Coordinating Council (ITCC) meets weekly and represents the four groups - AIT, AT, Libraries and VCU Health System. The ITCC will report to UITAC, and UITAC will report to the three Vice Presidents who appointed the committee.

It was suggested that it would be worthwhile if each of these committees would make a brief presentation to UITAC so that members would be informed as to what the committee does and what is currently going on. Mr. Willis stated that the chairs of each committee would be asked to attend future meetings to brief UITAC on their activities.

VCU Health System – VCUHS was created effective July 1, 2000. Although UITAC is focused on the University, the Health System that is also planning for IT services on the clinical operations. They are renovating or replacing all old systems and are focusing on family, patients and care providers and how new technology will simplify and improve clinical and administrative services.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.