2025-2026 MELA Minutes

are strategically aligned with accreditation requirements, state authorization standards, and/or applicable federal and state guidelines and must include clear justification and demonstrate systemwide value. (d) Budget Approval (i) The Presidents approved the budget through Fiscal Year 2028 based on service pricing at that time. Dr. LeBrun will present an updated budget projection through Fiscal Year 2029 at the next MACC meeting. (ii) Presidents raised questions regarding additional services, vendor negotiations, and the justification and rationale for continued use of specific services, emphasizing the need for alignment with systemwide priorities and available funding. (iii)Dr. LeBrun noted that, in prior budget presentations, a return on investment (ROI) analysis was conducted for Canvas to demonstrate the value of consortium-based procurement. That analysis indicated that Canvas generated over $5 million in savings during the initial five-year contract period, reinforcing its position as a strong investment for the consortium. (e) Fiscal Planning (i) Dr. LeBrun reported having a spending authority of $5.4 million. To better distribute expenditures across the fiscal year, contracts are being transitioned to a January 1 and July 1 start date to spread spending more evenly. (f) MELO Services Update (i) Dr. LeBrun provided an update on MELO services, noting that services have been approved for three years and that three-year contracts are now in place. The Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) exempted library database services from competitive bidding requirements, allowing independent contracts to be processed through MCCB with EBSCOhost, ProQuest, and Infobase. (ii) SpringShare was not exempted by ITS, as it is categorized as a chatbot service and must follow the competitive bid process. Institutions may continue operating under the current contract; however, annual usage reports are required to monitor and justify continued funding. (iii)During Year Two, decisions must be made regarding continuation into Year Three, and usage data will be required to justify procurement decisions. SpringShare funding has been approved through Fiscal Year 2028 as part of the overall budget plan. (iv) Procurement planning should begin approximately 15 months prior to contract expiration. For contracts expiring in 2028, discussions should begin by March 2027. All renewal and procurement decisions must be data-driven and supported by documented usage and institutional need. (v) Librarians work directly with vendors regarding service needs and support, and Dr. LeBrun should be informed of any technical or operational issues that arise. The MELO website is managed by Glenn McDowell, and his contract was increased slightly to accommodate accessibility updates and compliance improvements. (vi) Because ITS did not exempt SpringShare, it must undergo a competitive bid process at renewal or one of the colleges, such as ICC, will need to maintain the contract. The Presidents have approved the current budget structure. (g) SmarterServices Contract Executed (i) The SmarterServices procurement was approved within the existing budget projections. The contract required more than 100 days to execute through ITS.Because SmarterServices is classified as a sole-source procurement, a formal business case was developed and presented to the ITS Board for approval. Significant discussion occurred regarding the sole-source designation prior to approval.SmarterServices has been utilized since 2007, and the contract amount remains relatively modest. (h) AspireEDU Procurement Request