Information Technology Council

Minutes for the Meeting for Committee Organization, February 9, 1996

1. The meeting started with a note that the Student Congress had voted to oppose the Student Technology Fee. Members discussed the current level of Internet service and use, and most groups were currently satisfied. There was agreement that without the additional services and hardware the fee would provide, services would degrade and the time frame for establishing a fee and upgrading the infrastructure would result in several years of poor IT performance.

2. There was agreement that the standing committees should have approximately ten members and a suggested composition was developed (see the Standing Committee Guidelines document.) But we agreed that an exact breakdown would not be inappropriate, that it should be flexible to accommodate additional members from the campus groups more distinctly affected by the respective standing committees charge.

3. It was noted that the problems associated with passage of the Student Technology Fee were directly related to the short time frame and the breakdown in communication of the potential benefits of the fee to the constituents, particularly the student body. For the Standing Committees to be effective, a number of methods were suggested for disseminating, promoting and collecting information on their issues. These included "town hall" meetings, forums, listservs, web pages or other electronic media. Particular attention was paid to the role of the Oklahoma Daily in disseminating information. These suggestions included full-page announcements, weekly features and editorials. Additional print media include the different Staff newsletters and OU Update.