MEETING MINUTES

LOCAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (LOC)

CENTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY PLACE IN IDAHO FALLS

Thursday, December 12, 2002

Present: Ann Meikle-Howell, Bob Stiger, Larry Branen, Carol Baldwin,

Guests: Joy Fisher, Jim Fullerton, Greg Horton, Carol Spain, Connie Gomez

ITEM 1: Approval of Minutes – Due to the lack of a quorum, the minutes from November 14, 2002 minutes were not approved.

ITEM 2: Call for Additional Agenda Items – UI Spring Semester Timing.

ITEM 3: Tanberg Codec Cameras in Distance Learning Room – The process has been underway to convert the distance learning rooms in the CHE to Tanberg Codec so that everything can go out as IP rather than on the T1 phone lines. ISU had allocated funding to upgrade the joint rooms 313 and 314, and either did not have more funding or had overlooked room 303, which is also a joint room. UI has come up with the funding for room 303 and is now in the process. The Codec has arrived; the support equipment is on order. As soon as it arrives room 303 will be upgraded. All the rooms will ultimately have IP capability, due to MCU issues in Pocatello, it won’t happen immediately. The upgrade should take place during spring break. This upgrade will enable the rooms to be both analog and digital. Once the room has digital capability, then anyone on the web will be able to pick up the class. This will increase the potential sites that can be reached.

ITEM 4: Parking – Permission has been received from both universities and the City of Idaho Falls to change and move the entrance to the parking lot. The fees have been paid, which was only $10. Mountain River Engineering is finalizing the change to the drawings that have been asked for. The bid should go this spring and have the work done during the first of the summer, end of May, first of June. The other on going discussion related to parking is resolving on where to house the people who will be selling hangtags and taking money for tickets. The suggestion was made to move the people who will be selling the permits into the cashier’s office. Kym Anderson said that there would be no problem with that, with the exception of the first week of each semester. During that time both cashier windows are open for students who are paying their fees. During that week we will have to relocate the parking permits to a table out in the foyer or possibly in the traveling office. The location will remain at the information desk for another month or two. Using the front desk in the TAB was considered, however there were some security issues. The idea was proposed of having the public safety officer sit at the front counter in the TAB.

ITEM 5: ISU Public Safety Letter – Bob stated that there seemed to be a problem with towing letters being sent from Pocatello to people in Idaho Falls who have received parking tickets, telling them that they were going to have their cars towed. Ann stated that she felt sure it was a programming issue and that she would get with Steve Chatterton to resolve this problem.

ITEM 6: Student Activities – In December there were 900 movie tickets distributed, due to the increase there will be a limit of 500 tickets each month on a first come, first serve basis. There was a guest speaker on campus, speaking on the Importance of Decision Making; there were 31 students in attendance. There will be a student organization recognition dinner, funded by the SUB, student organizations and leadership program. Campus Support Organization held a fund raising event, they raised $120. Finals week stress relief station will be set up in the multipurpose room. Rivers Edge Café will close Friday, December 20 and will reopen on Monday, January 6, 2003. As the spring semester begins the Welcome Week Passport will be used again.

ITEM 7: UI Spring Semester Start Date – The spring semester is longer than the fall semester. The UI faculty voted to change the start date to January 15. This does present some problems with classes being taught from Idaho Falls. Classes will begin on Monday, January 13 here in Idaho Falls, but Moscow will not begin until Wednesday, January 15.

ITEM 8: Card Reader – Postponed until the next meeting.

ITEM 9: Miscellaneous – Bob wanted to mention that a two day seminar on Project Management in the CHE building. He wanted to mention that working with the staff and equipment and teaching the room was a great experience. There was an equipment problem, but was resolved quickly. The two other instructors were also impressed. Bob wanted to thank Greg and his staff for the excellent efforts. Ann also brought up another miscellaneous item, which will be addressed more fully at the next meeting. The Center for Teaching and Learning is housed in TAB 165 and has the tutoring lab in CHE 306. They have out grown their space; consequently there was a tour and some discussion on how to help them. The new proposal is to take a tiered room, built platforms to change the room from a six tiered room to a three-tiered room. This change could increase the desirability of these rooms and make them more useable. Greg will be working on getting an estimate on the cost to make these changes. The idea was agreeable to everyone, so Greg with pursue getting a cost estimate.

ITEM 10: Adjourn – meeting was adjourned.