Center for Information Technology Services

Blackboard Steering Committee
Minutes for 7/12/2001

Attendees: Brent Nickles, Kent Buckingham, Brook Botvin, Jeff Hawk, Dick Wynn, Russ Russo, Nola Stair, MJ Tooey, Alexa Mayo, Sarita Sanjoy, Carolyne Kasprzak

Blackboard Agenda

• Next Blackboard meeting is August 9th from 9:30-11:30 in the Richmond Conference Room.

• Distribution of Distance Ed Accounts:  Kent Buckingham
- The future is an online delivery mechanism, but for the upcoming fall semester, each individual school is responsible for delivering account/password information.   Please remember, we still need an application form to make them legally responsible for their computing conduct/actions.

• Version 5.5 Upgrade:  Brent Nickles
- Since classes begin on August 20th and Summer school doesn’t end until the end of July, we are looking at the first/second weekend for the upgrade.  When a firm date is set, I will send an email to the bbsteering list.

• CE Committee:  Brent
- The Continuing Education Steering Committee will hold a kickoff meeting at the beginning of August.   I will send meeting information out when I have things confirmed.  If you wish to be on that cesteering list, please subscribe.

• Sending problems to bbsupport@umaryland.edu is important!  Brent
- People are starting to get into the habit of sending emails to bnick001@umaryland.edu or bboard@umaryland.edu with blackboard issues.  Bbsupport was set up as a distribution
          list and is sent to the CCITI team in case someone is not available to address the problem.

• 3rd Party “enhancements” for blackboard. 
- Eyespy is a product that delivers high-resolution images at a very high speed.  Please check out the home page and demos at www.axstech.com  I will contact the sales team and ask for a live demo at the next bbsteering meeting.  We will be loading this on one of our servers in the near future as a demonstration product.
- In the future, I will continue to ‘filter’ the vendors and if I think it’s a valuable product, I will present it to the bbsteering committee.
 

Questions to/from the users:

1. Input of UMB academic calendars into Blackboard  (Nola Stair)

I will contact Wayne Allen to get important Campus dates and add this to the global calendar of blackboard.  Thanks Nola for the recommendation!