2025-2026 MELA Minutes

(i) The AspireEDU procurement request has been submitted to ITS and approved as a sole source purchase. A formal business case was developed to support the justification, and Intelligent Insights was reviewed as a potential alternative vendor. (ii) The current cost for AspireEDU is $4.75 per student. It was noted that the usage analytics provided by AspireEDU are not as robust as typically desired, and the group should be prepared to respond to questions regarding the continued use of the service. (iii)It was discussed that an RFP may be issued during the next procurement cycle to allow for broader vendor comparison and increased contract oversight. (i) Brainfuse – Action Requested (i) The current agreement for Brainfuse Virtual Tutoring Services will expire on August 22, 2026, or when the contracted hours are exhausted, whichever occurs first. The platform provides on-demand tutoring across a wide range of subject areas, ensuring that students, particularly those enrolled in online and hybrid courses, have access to academic support beyond traditional campus hours. (ii) Brainfuse was originally procured through a competitive RFP process and continues to honor its awarded rate. The current pricing model is $23.00 per tutoring hour. Usage trends reflect sustained and growing demand across the consortium, with institutions billed based on actual usage. (iii)The proposed renewal maintains the usage-based pricing model of $23.00 per hour, with an annual allocation of 15,000 tutoring hours, resulting in an estimated annual cost of $345,000, or $1,035,000 over three years, with no price increase. The requested renewal period is August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029. (iv) The motion was made by Michele Mitchell from Pearl River Community College and seconded by Kim Harris from Northeast Mississippi Community College. (v) Voting results were as follows: 1. 13 votes in favor 2. East Mississippi Community College – absent 3. Coahoma Community College – present, but did not vote (j) Turnitin Update (i) MCCB has maintained a contract with Turnitin since 2003. The current agreement, administered through ITS, is set to expire on June 30, 2026, with a 60-day non-renewal notice required by the end of April 2026. The current intent is to renew if acceptable terms can be reached. (ii) The most recent contract iteration contains over 300 comments and is under extensive legal review by MCCB’s and ITS’s legal team. Turnitin wants MCCB to sign off on the proposed Master Registration Agreement (MRA). The primary concern centers around non-compliance of state procurement laws. Additional concerns include state procurement compliance, accessibility requirements, and student data use and privacy. Turnitin has indicated it will only agree to WCAG 2.0 standards, while federal regulations require WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. (iii)Alternative Vendor and Procurement Strategy (iv) Copyleaks is being evaluated as a potential alternative vendor, and MCCB is awaiting a copy of the executed agreement from Grand Rapids Community College. (v) MCCB is pursuing a piggyback procurement strategy to prevent service interruption. A formal vote may be required to discontinue Turnitin and proceed with an alternative solution. (vi) Copyleaks is estimated at $2.05 per student with no increase for the first three years, while Turnitin is approximately $3.73 per student with annual increases. (vii) If a consortium agreement cannot be secured, institutions may need to enter into independent agreements. A decision will be required soon to ensure continuity of services. (k) Procurement Procedures