Attendance:
Mary Duffy, Library, Brian Giza, Chair, Education, Frank Poblano, TIMS, Manau Manciu, Virgilio Gonzalez, Eng, Paulo Pinheim da Silva, CS, Ken Pierce, IT

Guests: None

1.  Minutes: Minutes will be approved by email starting with last months minutes.

2. Laptop Data Security Policy: 
The UT System security officers have decided on a system wide policy requiring all laptops employ encryption. The question is how should UTEP accomplish this? The new MS OS, Vista, has this feature built in (USB Key and 48 character password) but that doesn’t address older or special purpose laptops.  There are other options, such as Key Escrow and Dongol based solutions (these may be problematic). 

The IT view at the moment is to make it a simple and uniform (enterprise wide) policy such as: All laptops will use encryption. This doesn’t address the issue of older and special use laptops, not all of which can run Vista or else will encounter compatibility problems. There may be a few exemptions allowed but there might also be a requirement for the user to show due diligence in some other way. Brian suggested that this issue should be addressed at the Faculty Senate. The key is to be flexible enough to find alternative solutions.  Paulo pointed out that he has a special laptop.  The applications he runs are not / will not be compatible with encryption. 

Ken Pierce announced that the policy will be widely disseminated in draft form first and they will ask for concerns and suggestions. Brian suggested that we should encourage maximum participation when the draft goes out. Paulo said that he couldn’t respond until he knows what specifically is being proposed. He also questioned whether NSF and other grant/funding organizations will allow encryption since they have to scan the laptops acquired through their grants and programs. Ken Pierce suggested that a copy of the policy will go to ORSP and that they will poll their grant/funding organizations about problems, compliance, etc. It was suggested that this subject be a future agenda item.  Paulo pointed out that this policy should be well thought out and cover various operating systems and situations.

3.  FSIT Web Site:  The FSIT web site will allow committee members write access.  The URL is: https://mspace.utep.edu/FSIT/uploads
We will be able to upload and share files.

4.  IT Concerns: A subcommittee of the FSIT committee helped create a list of categories for IT concerns. It lists the area, a description and is populated with identified concerns. The resources are not listed yet because this section has the potential to have a campus wide impact.  
We need to determine if there will be areas of conflict over resources. This subject will therefore have to be discussed at higher levels. The categories are intended to help facilitate decisions.  Brian will create a powerpoint presentation for the Faculty Senate (3-4 slides). 

IT and the TIMS is already working on some of the items of concern. For example, it has been proposed that there be a software licensing committee.  It has been suggested that the TIMS form a software licensing committee to investigate site licenses, and other software related issues. 

The main drive regarding the list should be to identify resources (budget, equipment, manpower, etc). Paula said the categories should be used to create a discussion of a more global nature, for example, the issue isn’t goldmine. The issue is administrative applications as a whole. 

The committee approved a motion to use the categories in discussions with IT, the faculty senate, etc, and to use them as a reference point for future issue that may come up. It was also pointed out that the categories are not final, they will evolve as needed. 

February 13th is the next Faculty Senate meeting.  The FSIT Chair will report at that time (5 minutes or so) on what the committee has done so far (greater transparency, process for collecting and communicating concerns). Paulo suggested that the senate ask IT to address the concerns, i.e. identify resources. Brian also suggested that the faculty senate look for other concerns before proceeding, currently the list is only a limited snapshot of issues. Frank Poblano suggested that the committee create a survey to find out what concerns people have. That would almost certainly expand the list of issues.  Brian can create the survey using Survey Monkey.  He and Frank will work on the survey (3-4 questions and ask for priority). The goal is to setup and complete the survey before the next faculty senate meeting. 

Virgilio pointed out that we have created a process.  The idea now should be to create a method that will allow UTEP / IT to use this process to effectively manage IT concerns. 

The survey findings and categories should be sent to the upper level administration to help find solutions. Whatever is sent to the faculty senate should include a mechanism that would formalize the process. Solutions should become a budget item and part of an enterprise wise plan.

5.  Action Items:
Faculty Senate Presentation: Brian will send us all a link to his presentation. He would like our feedback and suggestions. This needs to happen before February 13th.

6. Next Meeting.  
The next meeting will be February 22, 2007, from 12:30-1:30 PM.  The location is Library room 410.

7.  Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at 1:05 PM.