OIIT update, Spring/Summer 1998 / Office of Information and Instructional Technology, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

Office of Information and Instructional Technology Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

Spring/Summer 1998

News
Flash
Faculty Development Institute
Distance Education and Academic Innovation kicked off the 1998-1999 session of the Faculty Development Institute from July 13 to 15 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education on the University of Georgia campus. Sixty participants drawn from all 34 institutions received an orientation to the staff and components of the program. After these first

Articles in this Issue
q GALILEO: The Next Phase Interconnected Library System
q Enterprise Application Systems Staffing Complete q New Executive Director for Enterprise Technology
Infrastructure Support Selected q Financial Aid and Business Office Directors Meet
as A/R Users Group q CT&T Grant Recipients Showcase Success Stories q Making the Connection q Jimmy Carter Presidential Library Moves Website
to GALILEO q OIIT Executive Forum Report q 1998 Summer Oracle DBA Camp q Personnel Notes

three days of orientation, workshops, and team-building activities, they will take online courses and participate in web conferences, returning to Athens at intervals throughout the year to acquire basic and advanced skills in instructional technologies, complete project work, and deliver final presentations.
New GALILEO Databases
The Lexis-Nexis' Academic Universe database is now appearing on the GALILEO menu, multiplying the number of fulltext titles available to System students, faculty, and staff. Daily national and international newspapers, legal

documents, and general interest and academic research journals are among over 5,300 publications contained in this rich information resource.
The Collier's Encyclopedia database has been replaced with Funk & Wagnall's Encyclopedia.
Annual Computing Conference
Planning for the 1998 University System Annual Computing Conference is now underway. Mark your calendars for October 21-23, 1998. For further information visit the Rock Eagle website.

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Spring/Summer 1998

GALILEO: The Next Phase Interconnected Library System
As a result of a successful RFP, the University System of Georgia has selected Endeavor Information Systems, Inc. for the statewide interconnected library system. Their Voyager system met the criteria developed over many months by System librarians. Endeavor, recently selected by the Library of Congress, is considered by many to be the most innovative company in library automation. According to Endeavor President Jane Burke, Endeavor is "proud to be working with the group that developed the GALILEO project. Their vision of resource sharing in a consortium is a perfect fit with Voyager's current and future direction."
The Voyager system will offer a gateway to information resources held in University System libraries. The University System already has a sophisticated system in GALILEO which provides access to databases and full-text of journal articles. The addition of a single integrated library automation system to GALILEO will make online access even easier for patrons and staff. The new Voyager system will integrate in one system a web-based online union catalog of all

1998 University System Annual Computing Conference
October 21-23, 1998 Rock Eagle
Visit the Rock Eagle Website

the book collections of the University System (over six million volumes -- 60% of the titles are unique), a circulation system with self-service options, fund accounting, cataloging, and check-in and control functions. Users will be able to initiate requests for books from other libraries directly from their computers at home, residence halls, or within the libraries. Users will be able to go to any library within the system and check out materials using their own ID cards, and each library will easily be able to validate that the user is a legitimate patron of the University System.
In addition, librarians will be able to gather data on the growth and use of the collections that will guide future decision-making and cooperative collection development.
The planning and implementation of the multi-year project has begun. During the first year, the three initial server sites will be the Medical College of Georgia, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia (UGA). The Medical College will be the first site to become operational, closely followed by Georgia State and UGA. UGA will host Coastal Community and Bainbridge Colleges and Columbus State University while Georgia State will be the host site for the existing PALS libraries: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Clayton College and State University, Dalton College, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Southwestern

State University, Gordon College, Macon State College, Middle Georgia College, North Georgia College and State University, South Georgia College, and Southern Polytechnic State University.
While the timeline for implementation of the first group of libraries has not been finalized, it is expected that the libraries will be phased into the system from late 1998 to late 1999.

Enterprise Application Systems Staffing Complete
by Beth Brigdon, Executive Director Enterprise Applications Systems
With the appointments of John Graham as Director of Technical Services and Marie Steed as Director of Consulting Services, staffing of the director positions for EAS is complete. Graham brings a unique combination of functional experience with data and business processes and technical skills with tool sets used in financial applications from his work in Information Technology at Georgia Perimeter College (formerly DeKalb College) over the past twelve years. Steed's nineteen years experience with the Board of Regents in the integration of business and technology are illustrated by skill in negotiations with hardware and software vendors, previous development efforts in the business systems area, supervision and management of contracts, and staff supervision.
John Graham and Marie Steed complete the EAS leadership team needed to meet the goal of improving services to institutions and the central office through integrated development and support. Adding their skills and experience to those of Lina Brennan, Director of Financial Applications Development, and

Spring/Summer 1998
First Annual Georgia Summit
Banner Users Group Meeting September 16-17, 1998
Visit the Summit Web Site

Debora Exum, Director of Student Applications Development, will provide full leadership for the four service groups to support the use, implementation, and on-going enhancements of the University System's centrally recognized information systems.
The new directors join EAS at an exciting time in our growth. We have defined our long-term goals and operating principles to provide better support services and improved responses to System institutions and the central office. Four major principles guide the operations of EAS. The foremost issue is quality, both in systems and support. Second, all systems development and implementations must adhere to functional policy and technical standards. EAS assists with the communication of standards and with development of links between locally developed software and centrally supported systems. Third, information management must conform to centrally mandated policies and allow institutional self-direction within those policies; at the same time, EAS considers the greatest benefit for the most institutions when determining expenditures. Fourth, USG realizes significant economies of scale by providing centralized support for standard systems so that institutions concentrate their resources on local needs.
With the staffing of the division complete, Graham, Steed, Brennan, and Exum will coordinate services and provide information for decision-making that upholds these principles and propels the division toward accomplishing its goals.

Spring/Summer 1998

New Executive Director for Enterprise Technology Infrastructure Support Selected
Dr. Tom Maier recently joined the OIIT as the Executive Director of the division of Enterprise Technology Infrastructure Support (ETIS). Formerly the director of Information Technology Services at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Dr. Maier managed the development and implementation of all information technology resources on the campus. His experience will be invaluable as the newly organized ETIS division centralizes support for the University System's technology infrastructure.
In assuming the position of Executive Director of ETIS, Dr. Maier will oversee the management of PeachNet, the network for education and research in Georgia, as well as Technology Systems Support, charged with the support for workstations, servers, and campus networking throughout the System and in the central office. From the desktop up, networking is the infrastructure which supports the use of many technologies used in the System, such as Internet access, e-mail, GALILEO, centralized information management

1998 University System Annual Computing Conference
October 21-23, 1998 Rock Eagle
Visit the Rock Eagle Website

applications, and distance learning technologies. The mission of ETIS is to safeguard and augment the infrastructure upon which such services depend by supporting and managing existing resources and planning for future development.
Currently, ETIS is seeking solutions for improvements to the technology infrastructure of the Regents' central office, completing the K-12 and public library connectivity project, and upgrading the PeachNet backbone. In addition, advanced networking research and development will help OIIT plan for increased PeachNet bandwidth to support educational applications which are still in the planning stages. Dr. Maier expressed his belief that service for the System is the ultimate goal for these activities, stating that their mission is in support of education and that the network and associated technologies are not just an end to a means, but a means to an end for education.

Financial Aid and Business Office Directors Meet as A/R Users Group
EAS facilitated a first-time meeting for almost seventy Financial Aid Directors, Business Office Directors, and others who work with student accounts at Augusta State University in April. The meeting provided a forum for the two groups, both of which share specific data within the Banner system, to discuss issues related to their common use of Banner. The idea for the joint A/R users meeting arose from the Georgia A/R "birds of a feather" meeting during the SCT Summit conference in San Diego in March. Kim Thompson, Controller at Georgia Southern University, and Donja Enfinger, Director of Student Accounts at Georgia Southwestern State University, set the agenda and planned the meeting.
A primary focus was the implementation of procedures for both areas that facilitate operations, making it easier to meet objectives and accomplish officespecific tasks. After an A/R subcommittee report, SCT representatives, OIIT personnel, and institutional end-users led sessions on year-end issues,the appearance of financial aid awards on student bills, new features in Banner that allow more flexibility and less setup work, Crystal Reports, and special situations regarding

Spring/Summer 1998
First Annual Georgia Summit
Banner Users Group Meeting September 16-17, 1998
Visit the Summit Web Site

student fees and refunds. Additional topics of discussion included the need for generic scripts to perform some A/R functions and for joint training by SCT, OIIT, and end-users.
The meeting provided an opportunity for institutions to exchange information, concerns, and ideas about common problems and to obtain information from other institutions, SCT, and OIIT. According to meeting organizer Enfinger, one of the major benefits of the gathering was sharing problems and resolutions. Meeting evaluations and comments were very positive, and the two groups plan to meet together again.
Expanding on the success of the A/R users joint meeting, the OIIT has scheduled the first annual Georgia Summit Banner users group meeting for September 16-17, 1998.

Spring/Summer 1998

CT&T Grant Recipients Showcase Success Stories
Recipients of Connecting Teachers and Technology Adoption Grants showcased their technology-infused course development at the Georgia Conference on College and University Teaching held at Kennesaw State University on April 16-17. Grant recipients presented a complete spectrum of instructional technologies across a variety of disciplines at the conference, which was organized to share strategies for incorporating innovative and productive teaching methods in college and university instruction.
The Adoption Grants funded ten competitive proposals to package and disseminate either the contents or the models of Course Development Grant projects, with the goal of encouraging other System faculty to utilize the results of their work. Six of the original projects were presented at the conference in partial fulfillment of the Adoption Grants' focus on dissemination to other System faculty.
Dabney Dixon from Georgia State University demonstrated how she and her colleagues at five USG institutions were able to enhance

1998 University System Annual Computing Conference
October 21-23, 1998 Rock Eagle
Visit the Rock Eagle Website

their instruction of chemistry and biochemistry through the use of a free computer visualization tool called RASMOL. They developed a major set of files which can be used by other faculty to assist students in their ability to visualize the threedimensional structure of molecules.
Image-dependent courses in areas such as art history raise issues about copyright and access to images that become more complex in a distance learning environment . Maria Phillips of Georgia State University shared the model for her class, The Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, in which she developed a prototype for obtaining permissions, organizing the presentation, and providing security for copyrighted images via the web and GSAMS.
From the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine, Denise Bounous collaborated on the development of the first veterinary course in the country to be taught using distance technologies. She explained how the course was delivered to post-DVM students and residents in clinical pathology at UGA and Virginia Tech via interactive teleconferencing. The class has become a model for adoption in other areas, and the concept has been extended to teleconferencing between the College and small animal specialists in Atlanta to share medical information about cases, including radiography, ultrasonography, and

cytology from the animal patients.
The use of the T1-92 computer/ calculator over the distance learning network GSAMS was a key element in a Calculus/Analytical Geometry course developed by Cindy Gonzalez and the mathematics department at Georgia Southern University. Attendees were introduced to a model for the provision of course content without a text book, including plans for future web-packaging.
In a project which models computerbased methods for instruction as well as provides content to other System colleges and universities, Tom Padgett has utilized the Authorware interactive software package to develop a new approach to teaching basic computer literacy. He explained how the interactivity and self-pacing provided by Authorware are supplemented with lectures and Internet-based activities. A package of software and other course materials developed to supplement the selfpaced portion of the course will be made available for use by other colleges and universities within the University System.
Pamela Gore from Georgia Perimeter College (formerly DeKalb College) has enhanced her instruction in geoscience through the use of online course notes, assignments, and quizzes, webbased course materials, and GSAMS. Her complete set of course

materials for physical and historical geology, illustrated with original images, is available online for adoption by other institutions in Georgia.
Outreach and dissemination through presentations by these Adoption Grant recipients at the Conference on College and University Teaching will encourage other faculty to utilize their groundbreaking work and to break ground of their own. Through this strategic use of grant programs, development opportunities, and outreach, the Distance Education and Academic Innovation division is building a community of mentors who are leading the way for all System faculty grappling with new instructional technologies.

Spring/Summer 1998

Making the Connection
by Michele Estes Distance Education and Academic Innovation
In April, educators and support staff across the state of Georgia participated in a two-hour satellite program about technology, terminology, and "Making the Connection" between computers and peripheral devices. Expert panelists addressed questions regarding purchasing and technical issues, and technology success stories were shared by faculty at three institutions in the University System of Georgia. Questions and answers addressed by panelists have been archived on the "Making the Connection" program website, available at http://asdl.peachnet. edu/dlearn/connected.html, along with satellite coordinates, program details, and online resources.
For those who missed the live, interactive program or who would like to make a copy of the videotape, "Making the Connection" will be rebroadcast in June, July, and August. The rebroadcast has been edited for delivery as an enhanced, standalone program.

1998 University System Annual Computing Conference
October 21-23, 1998 Rock Eagle
Visit the Rock Eagle Website

This project was a very successful collaborative effort involving not only OIIT staff, but also significant participation from Valdosta State University, PeachStar Education Services, and representatives from other University System institutions, other state education agencies, and the private sector.

Spring/Summer 1998

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library Moves Website to GALILEO
The University System of Georgia announces that the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library has moved its website materials to GALILEO, the statewide virtual library of the University System. The GALILEO Steering Committee is excited about bringing this new resource to the citizens of Georgia. The agreement was reached in May to host the site, which enables visitors and researchers to access information about the library prior to visiting, as well as to utilize digitized resources from the collection.
One of the first projects to be undertaken as part of the partnership between GALILEO and the library will be to digitize President Carter's Presidential Daily Diary. As monthly pages of the diary are made available, links to photographs of events from the time will be implemented. In time, the site will develop into a multimedia web presence with video and audio clips of events such as the Camp David Accord. The library further anticipates providing

1998 University System Annual Computing Conference
October 21-23, 1998 Rock Eagle
Visit the Rock Eagle Website

a copy of every document in the President's Out Box for each day of his administration and linking the documents to the daily diary.
Another potential project is the provision of CDs for sale to teachers. The Jimmy Carter Museum currently provides teaching materials and lesson plans that coordinate with site visits. The CDs would more efficiently provide comprehensive K-12 educational materials and lesson plans to help teachers plan and develop student visits to the Carter Library.
Dr. Donald B. Schewe, director of the Carter Library, believes that the new partnership with GALILEO will greatly expand the library's ability to provide high quality and timely teaching materials, especially to the classroom teacher. He remarked that when "I started in this business many years ago, we were talking about what Xerox copies of documents could do for education in the classroom. How much more exciting this is both for students and for us."
The URL for the project is http:// carterlibrary.galileo.peachnet.edu.

OIIT Executive Forum Report
The initial meeting of an OIIT and SCT Executive Forum, which evolved from discussions between Vice Chancellor E. Michael Staman and SCT President Rod Everhart, was held in May. Mr. Everhart and several senior vice presidents from SCT met with senior OIIT managers to expand the critical partnership between the University System of Georgia (USG) and SCT.
The agenda included a variety of topics not restricted to the current Banner project. SCT will involve System representatives in customer focus groups as new products and directions are discussed. Examples include tools for faculty development related to distance education, user authentication, and data warehousing. OIIT will review the Banner Web for Executives module, including integration of data from different source systems.
Forum attendees also discussed the need to implement standard best practices across the USG for Banner and the effect of national examples and/ or defined procedures of working groups such as NACUBO and ACCRO. Forum participants explored partnering to provide training modules via distance education to address the need for user training across the USG for Banner. However, since SCT's estimate is that

Spring/Summer 1998
First Annual Georgia Summit
Banner Users Group Meeting September 16-17, 1998
Visit the Summit Web Site

this project is at least eighteen months from completion, another short-term strategy will be developed.
SCT and OIIT will collaborate to hold this type of forum on a regular basis to improve understanding, exchange ideas, and further the strategic goals of both organizations. In addition, the OIIT has scheduled the first annual Georgia Summit Banner users group meeting for September 16-17, 1998.

1998 Summer Oracle DBA Camp
Sixty-six database administrators (DBAs), OIIT staff members, and technical support staff responsible for ORACLE installations at USG institutions participated in a twoday workshop sponsored by OIIT in early June at the University of Georgia. General sessions included ORACLE Version Migration Issues for Banner 3.1, ORACLE Name Server Requirements, Managing the ORACLE Environment, ORACLE Enterprise Manager, Copying a Database Using Export/Import, Object Access, ODBC (16 bit vs. 32 bit), and Security Forum. OIIT presenters led most sessions, with the exception of the Object Access session led by Rick Coker of the Information Technology Staff at Gainesville College.
This year's evaluations provided useful insights, specific recommendations, and numerous requests that OIIT will use to plan the next DBA camp. The overall response from participants was positive, with average ratings for all sessions ranging from "helpful" to "very helpful." Coker's session garnered outstanding reviews. New DBAs reported that the camp was a very valuable experience, but experienced DBAs, while praising the opportunity for networking, noted that sessions repeated from earlier camps were of less value to them.
Among the top recommendations for

Spring/Summer 1998
First Annual Georgia Summit
Banner Users Group Meeting September 16-17, 1998
Visit the Summit Web Site

future camps were a beginners group, more hands-on experience, mentoring or "birds of a feather" sessions, and focus sessions on PeopleSoft, Banner, and PL/ SQL programming. OIIT will solicit additional topics and presenters from the DBAs to facilitate a more campus-led approach to the next camp, as recommended by this camp's participants.
In order to continue discussions begun at the camp, DBAs should subscribe to the listserv ORA-INFO@LISTSERV.UGA. EDU. To subscribe, send email to listserv@listserv.uga.edu with this message in the body: subscribe ora-info first name last name.
Presentation materials are available at http://www.peachnet.edu/oiit/dba/.

Personnel Notes
Enterprise Technology Infrastructure Support announces the addition to their Athens staff of Ed Maioriello as a Systems Support Specialist III.
Phil Williams will join Virtual Library, Customer, and Information Services for a one year appointment as Director of Virtual Library Support. In this new role, Mr. Williams will coordinate the implementation of the new interconnected library automation system.
Philip McArdle has joined OIIT Customer Services as a Help Desk Specialist.
Administrative Manager II Lisa Striplin has assumed the coordination of Athens and Atlanta OIIT administrative and secretarial support staff. She announces the hiring of several new staff members. Administrative Coordinators Karen Christenberry and Gwendolyn Brame, Receptionist Erika Triplett, and Administrative Secretary Sherrye Willett are joining the OIIT staff in the Regents' central office in Atlanta. Administrative Secretaries Linda Midcap and Deborah Shackelford are joining the OIIT staff in Athens.
John Scoville has been named Acting Director of Technology Systems

Spring/Summer 1998
First Annual Georgia Summit
Banner Users Group Meeting September 16-17, 1998
Visit the Summit Web Site

Support for ETIS.
Tom McMullan, Manager of the GALILEO/PeachNet Service Center, has retired from the OIIT after thirty-one years of service to the University System.