MERC

Nov. 1, 2005, Institutional Representatives Meeting Notes

Welcome – Dr. Rita Gulstad, Chair, MERC Board of Directors

Rita Gulstad welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the FY06 MERC Board of Directors. Gulstad then asked that attendees stand up and introduce themselves around the room.

Reports

MERC Budget Update – Nancy Piringer, Higher Education Program Manager, MOREnet

Nancy Piringer presented the MERC Financial Report. The FY06 projected fund balance currently stands at $322,506 for the Year Ending June 30, 2006. There will be a mid-year re-projection in January. Piringer reminded everyone that there was no increase in the MERC member fee structure for FY06.

She also reminded the attendees that last year the MERC board voted to use part of their reserves to discount member fees that were paid in FY05. Due to the shortfall in funding of HB3 in FY06, there was an assessment levied on each institution based on total bandwidth. The funding shortfall assessment of $626,982 listed on the Financial Report is the total assessment for MERC members. The Board voted to use a portion of reserves to minimize the impact of this FY06 assessment on members.

A revenue transfer not to exceed $20K was approved at the June 22nd MERC Board meeting to support HELIX 2006, and that revenue transfer is reflected on the report. MERC FY06 billing statements were sent out to members in late September and early October. Almost all the MERC members have paid their fees, but a few remain to be collected. A question was asked of Piringer: is she aware of any resistance to the funding shortfall assessment fee? Piringer replied that she is unaware of any complaints, but mentioned that the billing department has fielded several calls from people asking about the purpose of the assessment.

HELIX Conference Update – Russell Helm, Chief Information Officer, Central Missouri State University and Chair-Elect, MERC Board of Directors

Russell Helm announced that the HELIX 2006 conference will be held March 22-23, 2006 at Tan-Tar-A at the Lake of the Ozarks. The conference theme will be “Collaborations and Partnerships: Communities in Action”. The conference will have four tracks: Collaborations and Partnerships; Energizing Teaching and Learning (sponsored by MoTEC); Security/Networking/User Support; and Web Development (sponsored by Missouri HigherEd Web Developers group). The request for presentation proposals has been announced and the deadline has been set for December 14th, 2005. Helm announced that the keynote presenter will be Paul Hagner, Associate Director of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. Helm also reminded all that the MERC Board has approved funds to support the conference and encouraged everyone to participate and also to spread the word about the conference.

Helm also announced a Banner Users Group Conference hosted by Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg on November 9-10, 2005. There is no registration fee for the conference.

MOREnet Security Updates – Randy Raw, Network Security Services manager, MOREnet

Randy Raw presented an update on security issues to the attendees. Raw spoke about CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act). Raw stated not a lot is known about CALEA and how it will affect data networks at this point in time. The FCC has not said exactly how institutions are to be compliant with it, or when institutions would need to be compliant. Raw explained CALEA was implemented in 1994 and it provided law enforcement agencies access to telephone network for Federal wiretap capabilities. . The new regulations would extend CALEA to computer networks, including the networks of K-12 schools, libraries, and higher education institutions. The American Council on Education has filed an appeal challenging the new regulations issued by the FCC.

Raw reminded the attendees of upcoming MOREnet Security Web Seminar events including logging, bot networks, and Active ports/Seccheck. Raw also mentioned upcoming Technical Web Seminar events including securing and Linux training. Raw also mentioned that the Web Seminars are recorded and posted online for review by MOREnet members. Raw informed the attendees of the MOREnet Security Symposium, scheduled to take place December 7-8, 2005. The keynote speaker will be Marty Roesch, who is author of the SNORT IDS System. The MOREnet Spring Conference will be held March 22-23, 2006. There will be several security tracks throughout the conference. Raw also announced that SANS Forensics Training will be offered June 12-17, 2006 in Columbia at the Stoney Creek Inn.

Next Generation Network Update – Chip Byers, New Initiatives Director, MOREnet

Chip Byers presented an update on the Next Generation Network. Byers began by
describing Phase 1 – the NGN project goals, including: cost containment, to provide multiple networks and to provide fiber connectivity to national networks. Byers stated that fiber meets these goals because typically Fiber IRU sets the cost for 20 years and retains the latent capacity. In addition, preliminary analysis indicates that ongoing NGN costs would be largely fixed, and most of the expense would be maintenance and operation costs. Byers went on to explain that the primary strategy would be to consider three main options, and select the best option for the MOREnet and University communities. The three options are: private fiber, MoDOT fiber, or developing a managed service that behaves like dark fiber. The fallback position would be to extend the existing backbone contract with LightCore. Byers informed the attendees that MOREnet was continuing to work with MoDOT and the state to gain access to the fiber network and continuing to talk with vendors about a “managed service which behaves like dark fiber”.

Byers stated that member input has had an influence on the direction MOREnet has been heading with the NGN. Visits with MOREnet members have taken place, a feasibility study has been done, an engineering team is conducting a formal needs assessment and developing a request for bids, and there is an oversight committee to look at baseline projects and change control.
Byers explained further safeguards such as contracts structured as five year extensions, a public procurement process, MOREnet Council review and approval, a national comparison of rates, and talking with organizations like MOREnet in other states.

Major risks include the February 2007 expiration of the existing LightCore OC12 backbone, providing enough capacity for research and dedicated bandwidth projects, the possible LightCore protest of MoDOT fiber for educational use, and potential legislative action. To address these and other risks, MOREnet has a project plan which puts MOREnet on track for implementation in the fall of 2006. An extension of the current backbone contract is a possible fall back option. MOREnet is also trying to procure a written statement of LightCore’s position on educational use of MoDOT fiber. MOREnet’s members continue to work for the maintenance of MOREnet funding.

The overall project outlook is good. MOREnet is developing a stronger relationship with the state, MoDOT is accelerating fiber implementation, vendors are re-evaluating business plans to respond to the idea of managed service, and the State CIO views MOREnet as serving different customers and offering different services than the state and feels that the two networks should remain separate.

MOREnet Budget Update – Bill Mitchell, Executive Director, MOREnet

Mitchell began by discussing the FY06 budget. He reminded the attendees that MOREnet took a 30% reduction to its core appropriation. That appropriation provides support to the existing backbone, tail circuits to the K-12 schools, tail circuits to the public higher education institutions, and supports some MOREnet services such as videoconferencing. As a result of this cut in funding, a shortfall assessment fee has been included in member bills. This is the first time in eight years that a cost increase has been passed on to members. In order to cope with changes to the budget, the MOREnet Council is in the process of analyzing videoconferencing and training services. These services could be adjusted without directly affecting the core services MOREnet offers its members. The options for these services include but are not limited to: continuing as is, dropping the services, or moving to a fee-for-service plan. Mitchell stressed that these options are being looked at carefully and that any decisions could potentially affect staffing. The MOREnet Council is looking over data such as utilization statistics, and the discussion will continue into January when the governor’s budget recommendations are known.

The FY07 request for MOREnet has been submitted to the University and has gone through CBHE. The request that will be going forward to the governors office is for a flat appropriation to maintain the current appropriation of FY06, plus a mandatory cost to continue. There has been significant advocacy for MOREnet in the state legislature by MOREnet members. This will continue and in addition there has been some initiative among MOREnet members to continue that advocacy in the governor’s office.

Keynote Presentation – “Advocacy 101”, Tom Vansaghi, Associate Vice Chancellor, College and Community Relations, Metropolitan Community Colleges

Tom Vansaghi started his presentation with an overview of the legislative policy process and a review of the budget process. Vansaghi went on to speak about who the advocates for higher education are and what their goals are. He then spoke about the methods advocates use to connect with legislators and the ways in which advocates can connect among themselves in order to build networks. Vansaghi went on to address the topic of Missouri political trends and the ways in which they could affect higher education.

MERC Advocacy Task Force Update

Rita Gulstad began the MERC advocacy update by explaining that the main goal of the task force is to improve support for MOREnet and MOBIUS in the state legislature and governors office. Gulstad then introduced Dr. Terry Stewart, retired superintendent at Jennings School District and former Assistant Commissioner at DESE. MERC is collaborating with Dr. Stewart, who has been working throughout the state of Missouri coordinating a grassroots campaign among libraries, K-12 schools and higher education institutions to promote a consistent message in support of MOREnet. Dr. Stewart discussed the impact of MOREnet among member institutions and the individuals who make up those institutions, and the importance of their messages being heard in the legislature. Dr. Stewart also discussed the fact that MOREnet members would suffer a huge increase in costs if they were forced to seek services from other providers.

Birds of a Feather Breakout Sessions

Topics of interest identified by members before the beginning of the conference included wireless networking, CALEA, open source course delivery and distance education issues. Attendees broke into groups by topic and spent about an hour in discussion. There was some interest expressed by members in forming a task force to look into open source course delivery tools.

Meeting Attendees

• Gary Allen - University of Missouri- Columbia
• Don Doucette - Metropolitan Community Colleges
• Steve Earney - Missouri Southern State College
• Rita J. Gulstad - Central Methodist University
• Russell Helm – Central Missouri State University
• James Hisle – University of Missouri – Kansas City
• Dennis P. Kennett - East Central College
• Craig Klimczak - St. Louis Community College
• Rick Kubb - Maryville University
• Joel LaReau - Ozarks Technical College
• Mark Mabe - MO Western State College
• Justin Malyn - University of Missouri - Columbia
• Susan Maze - William Woods University
• Bob McGlasson - SW Baptist University
• Rick Mihalevich - Linn State Technical College
• Robert Paulson– State Fair Community College
• Jon Rickman – Northwest Missouri State University
• Theresa Rogers - Lincoln University
• John Rucker - Crowder College
• Robin Schraft - Drury University
• Chad Shepard - St Louis College of Pharmacy
• Terry Stewart – T Stewart Education Consulting
• Vansaghi, Tom – Metropolitan Community College
• Megan Barney - MOREnet
• Chip Byers - MOREnet
• Dave Byland – MOREnet
• Bill Giddings - MOREnet
• Joyce Herzing - MOREnet
• Jeremy Kintzel - MO Dept of Higher Education
• Bill Mitchell- MOREnet
• Nancy Piringer - MOREnet
• Randy Raw- MOREnet
• George Rickerson - MOBIUS