APPROVED – July 18, 2000

IHETS Management Committee

May 16, 2000 – 10:00am

IHETS Conference Room

PRESENT

Mike Baumgartner, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Ray Ewick, Indiana State Library
Keith Howard, Ivy Tech State College
John Huie, Purdue University
Lou Jensen, Indiana State University
Dennis Kramer, Ball State University
Chris Peebles, Indiana University
Joe Misciewicz, Indiana Public Broadcasting
Robert Ruble, University of Southern Indiana
Phyllis Usher, Indiana Department of Education
Ellen Watson, Indiana State University

STAFF
Tim Fisher
Dave King
Nancy Millichap
Tim Ping
Susan Scott
Ed Tully
Julie Wheeler

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the March 21 and March 31, 2000 meetings were approved as distributed.

IMPORTANT PENDING ISSUES

King reported that he sent out a set of documents for the 2001-2003 IHETS Budget.  These documents are a culmination of the feedback that he and staff have received since the last Board meeting.  The Working Group and Integrated Technologies Committee have met to discuss the documents.  King highlighted meetings he has held in the past few weeks with representatives of several key stakeholder groups, including several Board members unable to attend the last meeting. Nearly all have been very interested in and supportive of the directions outlined to date.

King worked through each of the segments of the budget information.  The document includes $3.9M recurring costs and $2.25M in one-time costs with a base budget of $7,313,618 plus 4% making a total of $7,605.520. 

King went on to review each segment of the budget proposal.  They are:

• Enhance Network Connections
• Enhance Network Reliability and Service
• Continue Testing Network Applications
• Additional Satellite Channel
• Learner Data and Analysis
• Improved Learner Access
• Awareness for Indiana’s Electronic Learning Space
• Improved Response to Learner Needs

The group discussed each segment and Ruble suggested that the base budget be prioritized.   He stated that in the event we don’t get the amount requested, the funds could be reallocated based on priority.  The group agreed that we need to give options for a lower request rather a package budget.

The Management Committee’s rankings in priority order fall into recurring and one-time categories:

• Recurring:
  • #1 Enhanced Network Connections and Reliability
  • #2 Improved Learner Access
  • #3 Continued Network Application Testing
  • #4 Additional Satellite Channel
  • #5 Learner Data Gathering and Analysis
  • #6 Module Development Grant Program
• One-Time:  #1 Network Reliability; #2 Improved Learner Access; #3 Improving Learner Awareness.

Following discussion, Jensen moved that the Management Committee adopt the recommendations for the budget request and forward to the Board of Directors for approval.  Misciewicz seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.

IPSE Working Group:  Jensen reported that there is some support for IHETS to participate in MERLOT.  Scott reported that she talked with Ken Sauer and there was interest in a cooperative membership with the Commission for Higher Education.  Commissioner Jones is expected to send a letter to college and university presidents about the project and Indiana’s participation asking for some assurance of institutional readiness to commit faculty resources to the project. MERLOT has extended the deadline for proposals from May 22 to June 16.

Jensen added that there are about 200 registered for the Community Learning Conference scheduled for May 18. 

The meeting adjourned at 12:40pm.