Council on Academic Computing

May 21, 2009

Meeting Summary

Next Year’s Agenda

Council members discussed activities that the Council could sponsor next year.  Suggestions included:

  • Bringing in world-renowned speakers to discuss the future of academic computing.  These individuals would meet with the Council and with other interested parties.
  • Meeting with faculty members from the Simulation and Modeling Center.  The Center hopes to sponsor an advanced degree in scientific computing.
  • Meeting with members of the Center for Molecular and Materials Simulations.  The Center has sponsored courses on multi-scale computing
  • Working with social scientists to determine how they could use the University’s parallel computing facilities.
  • Hosting a session during which the Council members brainstorm about the future of academic computing.
  • Sponsoring a seminar for graduate students, in which they learn how to create professional quality web pages.

Report from Computing Services and Systems Development

Jinx Walton, Director of Computing Services and Systems Development, discussed several changes to CSSD systems:

  • The University's IMAP e-mail system will be upgraded.
  • Blackboard was updated to version 8 earlier this month
  • CSSD will be launching a web-conferencing service.

Miscellaneous

The Council also discussed NSF infrastructure grants.