University of Minnesota

Institute of Technology

Minutes of ITICC Meeting

February 3,2000

3:30 p.m., 133 Physics

Present: Bance (ADCS), Barnes (CE), Belik (Math), Carlson (ADCS), Chase (ME), DeLaney (Astro), Du(CS), Flanders (BIN/BNA), Garrett (Math), Hudleston (IT Stud Aff), Kachelmyer (ADCS), Larson (ADCS), LeMay (ADCS), Li (ECE), MacDonald (CSE&ITlabs), MacEwan (Chem), Runzel (CE),

1) Report from CSci and ADCS

MacDonald said this was the smoothest start to a term he could recall. Accounts were up and running smoothly. Password generation is very good, only 18 out of 3000 were found to be vulnerable and had to be changed. Larson also reported things had gone smoothly with consultant scheduling. Plans were in place to leave ME308 open for longer hours starting after spring break, and Lind 26 (and hopefully Lind 24 also) will be open 24 hours for the last half of the semester.

Lind 24 needs still a whiteboard and ceiling projector, but otherwise is up and running as a computer class room for Math on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and is currently used by the TAs on MWF. It should be possible to use the room both as a place for Math TAs to run help sessions and as regular lab on MWF. The thought is to set up a TV camera so that the attendant in Lind 26 can watch both rooms. Security overnight will be helped by the fact that there is a security monitor in the hallway.

Chase reported that students had reported to him a problem with ProEnginer in ME 308, which crashes on the new Suns. He thought it was an installation problem. MacDonald said he would check this out with Muno's help. [Added later: on investigation this does not appear to be a problem.] Chase also report a problem with the Calcomp plotter in ME 308.

Runzel reported that at onetime recently 12 machines were down in CE 230. Bance said that he was aware of the problem, was working to fix the machines, but that he was also responding to many last minute requests for software installation by faculty. Hudleston said that he would remind faculty that these requests should be made well in advance. Kachelmyer sends out a notice each term on this. It appears faculty need to be reminded often.

2) Status of lab improvements this year

Hudleston reminded the committee that we have been implementing improvement this year in stages. The first round was based on the proposal presented last spring. The second round came during the fall, following a second set of proposals prepared by the Technical Committee. The final part of the Tech Committee proposal has yet to be implemented. Also, part of the second round proposal has not yet been done because of the problems associated with fee collection and attribution.

Hudleston said he was concerned by the way the fees were being collected and credited to the lab accounts. First, it papers that fees for both lower division and upper division students are being credited to the college, but so far have all been placed in the Upper Division Account. Hudleston said he was also concerned that the total of the fees credited for fall semester seem to be low. He wanted to get an understanding of when the fees were credited to the account and how this was being done. This would need to be done before we completed all improvements in the 99-00 budget year.

3) Lab usage

Hudleston handed out charts produced by MacDonald showing usage of all UNIX and NT machines during the fall (the months of September through December). They showed that NT machines, especially in CS, get very high use, as do the new Suns. The old SGIs are being used much less heavily. Use also increases through the term.

4) Other Business

None