Present: Evelyn Talbott, Sam Conte, Tom Metzger, Kerry Holzworth, David Crossman, Catherine Bender, Rebecca Prosser, Jason Somma, Chuck Ritz, Bruce Steele, Deborah Aaron, Ellen Baylis, Tony Silvestre, Elizabeth Baranger

Dr. Talbott opened the meeting and welcomed the new students.

I. Review of minutes of Sept 24, 2002

Dr. Thomas Metzger made a motion to approve the minutes of Sept 24 and Dr. Kerry Holzworth seconded them.

II. Old Business:

a. VA IRB Wording change for GSR research assurances IRB form

Elizabeth Baranger has not been able to contact the parties involved as yet. The individual she had been working with has left the University. She will follow-up on the issue.

b. Computer Blackboard Training for part-time faculty ­ follow-up plan?

The Provost has asked CIDDE to augment their mailing list to include part-time faculty for all instructional offerings.

III. New Business

Dr. Talbott thanks Dr. Conte for attending the meeting and for providing an overview of space allocation for classes.

Dr. Sam Conte: Registrar overview of space allocation for classes at the University of Pittsburgh

Sam Conte reported that there are a total of 315 classrooms, with 214 classified as classroom (68%), 52 as Seminar rooms (16.5%), and 49 auditoriums (15.5%).

In any given Semester there are a total of up to 7000 course sections.

Scheduling and control prioritizes by School and Department: then they backfill

Capacity - less than 20 = 16% Course offerings 25%

20-35 36% 51%

36-50 23% 14%

51-75 8% 3%

76-99 3% 2%

100-150 7% 2%

151-200 3% 1%

201-300 2% 1%

larger 2% 1%

All information related to classroom audiovisual and size needs are entered into a special computer algorithm. Matches that do not appear to be appropriate are dealt with on a one-to-one basis.

Chuck Ritz noted he has Saturday Classes in the Cathedral of learning where it can be very noisy from students waiting for a class to be dismissed. Sam Conte suggested he ask the instructor of the class to notify the Registrar's Office.

Over a ten-year period Pitt has allocated $12.5 million ($1_ million per year) to update classrooms; i.e. wiring, larger chairs that make for less room in the classroom (for example: can change a class for 35 into a class for 32).

Out of 315 classes over 100 rooms are wired for internet and multimedia; mobile media supplies are available in unwired classes. Deb Aaron noted that media will not deliver to Trees Hall. Sam Conte suggested talking to Diane Davis or Mike Arenth at Media Services. The other suggestion was to purchase the equipment and keep it at Trees.

The new Sennott Building has 4 classrooms. The Lab Computer Service on the 5th floor, everyone agreed was state-of-the-art.

Other Business

Next meeting November 19, 2002, at Noon in 109 Parran.