1. The meeting was called to order by Lewis Ulman, Chair.

2. USAC Membership on Council (Lewis Ulman)--The Rules Committee rejection of the proposed addition of a support staff member to the Council was discussed. The issue may be reopened at some point in the future; for the time being a representative of the University Staff Advisory Committee will continue to be a welcome attendee at Council meetings.

3. OSU Web Accessibility Policy (Lewis Ulman)--The University's Web Accessibility Policy document is still in draft form, and a revision is due soon. The current draft contains references to U.S. Code which are not applicable to universities, and it would be helpful if the policy addressed issues of providing guidance and assistance to units in complying with the policy. The Council would stand ready to assist with the implementation of the policy, however it would be helpful if there were a software product that could be used to determine if Web sites were in compliance with our Minimum Web Accessibility Standards.

4. PlanIT Update (Cathy Bindewald)--Pages 9 and 95-98 of the Information Technology Strategic Plan 2004 draft final report, which identifies the Strategic Initiatives and their potential funding sources, were distributed.

5. Microsoft Contract (Ilee Rhimes)--The current agreement with Microsoft expires on June 30. OSU has agreed to continue with the same product package and coverage, but the cost will be higher; the new pricing should be in place by July 1. Some of the IUC schools have opted for a smaller package that will cover only the Operating System and Office and support only faculty and staff.

6. New Funding Requests (Bob Kalal/Betty Sawyers)--A summary of the overall budgetary process was provided, followed by a summary of the funding requests sent forward by the CIO's Office and University Libraries.

7. Main Library Renovation Update (Betty Sawyers)--The Libraries is currently awaiting a decision from the University Administration as to which design alternative is to be followed for the renovation of the Main Library. The slide presentation that was used outlines the decision points that remain to be made; the temporary locations being discussed for the location of collections, services, and staff while the renovation is underway; and the expected project schedule.

8. Knowledge Bank/Faculty Expertise System (Tom Cetwinski)--In a collaborative effort, the Knowledge Bank and the Medical Center plan to pilot a Faculty Expertise Directory that could become a single source for faculty information, whether for personal CV’s and P&T dossiers or for department reports. All information is leveraged from existing data sources such as OSUHR, OSURF, or the Community of Science. Tim Cain of the Medical Center has developed a prototype. The pilot should begin late spring or early summer with at least three departments as volunteers.

9. Teaching and Learning Styles (Tom Cetwinski)--The Libraries is currently undertaking a project to determine the impact that changes in how students learn and how faculty teach have had, and will have, on the use and design of library space. A working group in the libraries will initially work with Scott Bennett, Yale University Librarian Emeritus and a strong proponent of learning and teaching in library design, to discover what information is available on campus on learning and teaching, and to identify and interpret current literature on the subject as it relates to library use and space design. In addition, a series of programs that focus on the topic will bring national figures as well as local talent, on campus to share their ideas.

10. Digital Union (Susan Metros)--Those present were taken on a tour of the Digital Union, which is located on the Third Floor of the Science and Engineering Library. The Digital Union will serve as a place for Faculty to both test and receive guidance in the use of new technology for use in their teaching and research. Betty Sawyers for
Joseph Branin