Meeting Minutes: December 17, 2015

Present

  • Stephen Blosser, Chair
  • Al Puzzuoli
  • Angela Sebald
  • Ben Howell
  • Brendan Guenther
  • Colin Fulton
  • Danielle Fowler
  • Emilia Marcyk
  • Heidi Schroeder
  • Jo Silsby
  • Nate Evans
  • Paul Heberlein
  • Sarah Swierenga
  • Sherief AbouElSeoud
  • Stephanie Rosen
  • Todd Ring
  • Tyler Smeltekop
  • Virginia Martz

Minutes

  1. Blosser called meeting to order at 1:00 PM
  2. Sherief AbouElSeoud presented plans for updating the MSU computer laboratories
    • Computer labs will move to Windows 10 by next fall.
    • AFS space will be eliminated and websites will move to other hosts. Blosser pointed out the loss of msu.edu to your web URL if this happens.
    • Puzzuoli pointed out problems with Windows 10; hopes they will be repaired before fall.
    • AbouElSeoud suggested students and faculty use Dropbox and OneDrive to replace AFS. Office 365 will bring other options as well.
    • Discussion of current accessibility apps to be included on Computer Laboratory image will include JAWS, NVDA, Zoomtext, Kurzweil 3000, and Natural Reader.
    • It was suggested that the unlimited Kurzweil 3000 package be purchased for $5,000 per year.
    • Sarah Swierenga and Brendan Guenther discussed problems with Adobe Acrobat Pro and its move to the cloud.
  3. December 3, 2015 Minutes were approved and voted to be posted.
  4. Discussion of electronic text (e-text)
    • Angela Sebald presented the process of creating the e-text for students.
      • Sebald trains approximately 70 Tower Guard volunteers who each donate 120 hours of service to the RCPD to prepare e-text books and other materials.
      • Sebald expressed need to update the aging STAR database where these books are currently stored on campus and delivered to students.
    • Discussion of the use of Bookshare and other methods to distribute books. Each possible solution had problems.
    • Virginia Martz explained who needs e-text and what it means to have a print disability (including students with learning disabilities as well as those with quadriplegia). MSU has several hundred eligble students.
    • Guenther explained Mechanical Turk and how it, or something like it, may be used to manage the training and processing of e-text production. Guenther agreed to help promote more collaboration between RCPD and IT Services on this effort.
    • Todd Ring and Jo Silsby offered to assist with the training of Tower Guard members in the use of Abby in the processing of electronic textbooks.
    • Phil Deaton mentioned the possibility of using Desire2Learn, but noted that it would be limited in its ability to distribute e-text and books.
    • Heidi Schroeder discussed the possible role of CIC in e-text book distribution systems.
    • Guenther mentioned a group (Internet2) that could help in e-text distribution. The need for DRM by publishers needs to be dealt with.
    • Nate Evans (a CIC IT Accessibility Group member) agreed to present this topic at the next CIC meeting.
  5. Nate Evans was elected by the ATC to be our representative to the CIC.

Respectfully submitted,
Stephen Blosser