DCS Advisory Group Meeting
Thursday, October 29, 1998
ITC Forestry Conference Room
12:00 - 1:30pm
The group welcomed its newest member, LaVahn Hoh, a faculty member in Drama. Polley McClure and Melinda Church, from the Office of Information Technologies, were welcomed.
2. Desktop Computing Initiative
Polley started by giving a summary of the project. The following summary of the project was provided by Polley. Additional comments by Advisory Group members are at the end.
Primary Issue To Be Addressed Through DCI:
First, we need to get our personal computers on a regular replacement cycle with budget to support it. Second, we need to make our hardware and software environments more consistent in order to improve user effectiveness and efficiency of support. The wide array of platforms and configurations currently used by faculty, staff, and students presents serious impediments to efficient and effective communications, document-sharing, technical support, and training. DCI's aim is to remedy these problems while still meeting the diverse personal computing needs of folks across the Grounds. The proposed program does not seek to address individualized research-computing needs.
Background About DCI:
As most of you know, the idea for the Desktop Computing Initiative grew out of several things, including concerns expressed over the past several years by the computing advisory committees, the escalating demand for computing support, and new state funds that have come our way this year. The last piece -- roughly $1 million in new, recurring state funds earmarked for technology -- made me believe that the time was right for serious examination of a voluntary program aimed at simplifying the technical environment here.
Under the proposed program, the new central moneys and existing departmental funds currently allocated to technology purchases would be combined to buy new standard hardware and software for state-funded faculty and staff on a regular cycle. (It now seems most likely that the program would include both Windows and Macintosh, laptops and desktops, power- and basic-user capacities.) To facilitate instructional technology development and to further streamline support and training, the same models would be strongly recommended for students.
Last spring, I appointed a study group http://www.itc.virginia.edu/fall98news/desktop.html#group, led by Anne Lind, to advise us on the feasibility of implementing such a program. Large and diverse, the study group was comprised of ITC staff, LSPs, a faculty member or two, and reps from Cavalier Computing and the Purchasing Department. The group completed most of its work in late August. (I say "most" because we've had some generous, late-stage help from the subcommittee that is drafting a potential RFP.) The study group's report is a superb summary of the technical issues involved in such a program.
The group has recommended that we begin with a pilot of the DCI next semester. The intention is to choose pilot departments based on proposals to a team of vice presidents. Pilot units would likely include both academic and administrative units. We're guessing that something in the range of 500 pilot faculty and staff machines (total) would give us a good idea about how we might need to tinker with logistics and other matters for a full, voluntary implementation of the program next fall.
What's Happened Lately:
While the study group went about its tasks and during the subsequent past couple of months, I've invited myself to various groups' meetings and have talked with deans and others about the DCI. Through these discussions, I've learned a good bit about what kind of program might best meet the needs of faculty, staff, and students. These meetings and the continued input of ITC staff, LSPs, and others have been a big help in refining the details of the proposed program.
A faculty advisory group -- appointed by Ed Ayers as chair of the Faculty Senate and Charlie Grisham as chair of UCIT -- has begun meeting. The members are discussing the proposed program and the RFP with their colleagues, and they are meeting with deans and others to draw up ideas for implementation at the school level.
Where Do We Go From Here:
The next major steps, which should happen during the next two weeks, are to finalize a proposed RFP and to determine a management mechanism for the program (Vice President Colette Capone and others in the budget area are working now on the latter issue). Once we have these two pieces in hand, I will seek the "go-ahead" from the vice presidents to issue the RFP. An important caveat: Issuing an RFP does not necessarily mean that DCI is off and running. We will need to determine whether the vendors' proposals adequately meet the University's needs. Helping us to review the bids will be both the faculty advisory committee and a small technical group comprised of LSPs and ITC persons.
Continuing the Discussion:
As always, I welcome and depend on your ideas. The process has been an especially enjoyable one because it has given me the chance to work closely with many of you to solve a particularly vexing problem. And watching the proposed program take shape has been satisfying because it incorporates good ideas from many sources. Please continue to keep me posted on your thoughts. I hope to see you at next month's session in Newcomb Hall (South Meeting Room at 1:00).
Additional Comments:
Polley talked about how the funding model has evolved. Basically, they tried to determine what a unit should be spending for computers on a 3yr cycle. As a basis, they used $2500 as the cost of a computer that would adequately serve most people for 3 yrs. Over 3 yrs, the cost would be about $830/yr. They then multiplied that by the number of state funded positions in the department. This is what departments "should" be spending. From UVa's accounting system, they were able to determine what units are actually spending. This figure is compared to what they should be spending. In most cases the gap was negative (meaning depts are not spending enough) but in some cases the gap was positive (meaning depts are spending more than $2500/state funded position/3 yrs.). The total of the negative gap for the University is approximately $1.19 million. The figures used were very conservative at Polley's request. UVa is working with the state to determine who ETF money can be used to fill part of the gap.
The current plan is for the DCI program to offer 8 different computers: a high-end and low-end desktop and laptop for PC and Mac. A small set of departments will participate in a pilot to begin this spring. Leonard and Peter will determine the pilot departments. Full implementation will likely be in the fall of 1999.
Randy stressed that we need to work closely with faculty and their schedules during the implementation so that there is minimal disruption.
Polley stressed that although depts will not have to replace all of their computers, they will not receive the benefits of standardization if they do not.
Some of the science depts have expressed their concern that even a high-end machine is not adequate for them over a 3 yr period. Most likely, they will be allowed to participate in a 2 yr cycle.
Departments do not have to participate in year 1 of the project, although they will be encouraged to do so. The program has to be rolling in order to be accessible to new faculty coming in. Some depts will not participate in year 1 because they will want to wait and see how the programs turns out.
Deans and VPs will be encouraged put any money saved through DCI into support for instruction.
LSPs will have a big role within their units as this project comes to fruition. A plan should be developed for those units without LSPs.
Polley has asked a group of folks to look at issues related to local and networked printers.
Upgrades for operating systems is a very important issue for DCI. It must be studied carefully.
Training will be made available at the time of implementation for LSPs and for end-users. The training will be negotiated into the contract. ITC cannot provide the volume of training that will be necessary.
Wednesday, November 25
ITC Forestry Conference Room
12:00 - 1:30
Tuesday, December 15
ITC Forestry Conference Room
12:00 - 1:30
In attendance:
Randy Smith, Aron Teel, Nancy Hopkins, Bill Woolfolk, Terry Lockard, Kathy Reed, Sue Ellen Breeden, Dave Drucker, LaVahn Hoh, Polley McClure, Melinda Church