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Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes for November 13, 2003

A meeting of the University Information Technology Advisory Committee was called to order at 3:05 p.m. on November 13, 2003 in the 4th floor conference room of Cabell Library. Dr. James Shultz, co-chair, presided. Members present were Dr. Henry Rozycki, Dr. Dianne Simons, Ms. Fran Smith, Dr. Robert Mattauch, Mr. Rahul Khanna, Mr. John Ulmschneider, and Mr. Mark Willis. Dr. Lynn Nelson, Ms. Veronica Shuford, Mr. Charles Anderson, Mr. Carl Gattuso, and Dr. Phyllis Self were absent. Mr. David Litton (Director of Information Technology for the Health Systems) represented Dr. Gattuso, and Mr. James Bostick (Director, Web & Research Computing) represented Dr. Self.

I. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 23, 2003
Minutes were approved as prepared

II. NEW COV STANDARD ON DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS COMPUTERS
Mr. Willis distributed a copy of a new State requirement (COV ITRM Standard SEC2003-02.1, Removal of Commonwealth Data from Surplus Computer Hard Drives and Electronic Media Standard). It is effective immediately and it applies to all computing devices with electronic memory (personal computers, PDAs, routers, switches, etc.) In summary, the standard requires that all Commonwealth data be securely removed from electronic storage media before a computer is surplused, transferred, traded-in or otherwise disposed of. The process must be certified by attaching a certificate to the hard drive or device and keeping a copy in a central location for audit purposes. There are three approved methods of removal:

1. Electronic “wiping” or overwriting
2. Degaussing
3. Destruction

Our central and departmental staff have been notified of this requirement. Staff members are developing procedures for compliance with this requirement. These procedures will be presented to the Vice Presidents.

III. IT STRATEGIC PLANNING, PHASE 1
Mr. Willis distributed several handouts related to the IT Strategic Planning. At the last meeting, the committee began to discuss the Strategic Plan and decided to talk about different areas at the next few meetings with the hope of developing a “straw man” IT plan for the University by next March or April. Environmental Issues, VCU IT Vision, and Core Planning would be the topics for discussion at this meeting.

- ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN
The first step of IT planning is to recognize what kind of environment we are in. It is characterized as a broad, general, public environment, diverse and rich in applications.

Some of the trends and issues that we are facing and will need to address are:

1. Movement of applications and services to the Web
2. Increasing bandwidth capabilities yet demands for even more throughput
3. Mobile computing
4. Expectation that technology is always there 24/7
5. Commerce is now being conducted by the internet. ESS, MSS getting away from people based services.

After much discussion, it was determined that the committee would be providing guidelines. The plan has to have flexibility and not be cast in stone. We need to have a flexible document that provides guiding principles, not tactical projects and activities.

A suggestion was made that we may want to develop different standards for administrative, faculty, students, interactions and networking, etc

- VCU IT VISION
Mr. Willis also distributed a graph from the Gartner Group (Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies).
Concern was expressed about trying to predict what will happen 4 years from now because it is changing quickly.

Academic Technology recently held a Visionary Retreat. Among other things, AT was trying to find out what VCU will need to look like in the future from a student and faculty support perspective. The goal is to take the scenarios that came up at the retreat, get other groups of students and faculty to look at them and try to decide what we need to do to prepare for them.

- IDENTIFY CORE PLANNING TOPICS
Copies of articles from the EDUCAUSE Quarterly magazine about IT issues were distributed. Mr. Willis or Mr. Bostick will provide each member with a copy of the EDUCAUSE magazine.

At the next meeting we will draft an IT Vision Statement and staff will prepare some ideas for IT infrastructure strategies.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:25 pm.