MELA Meeting Minutes 2003 - 2017

level training sessions will also be created to provide different levels of training for the faculty. Terry will be sending out in the next couple of weeks a brochure that provides detail information about each training session that is being offered for the Fall 2011 semester.

Tanya Cridder is a contractual employee with the MSVCC. She will be helping with the day-to- day operations of the Academy.

j. Web Browser Support. Terry introduced a web browser support site that will test the browser and other plugins on a user’s computer. The site will indicate if the computer’s settings are compatible with our Blackboard system. If there are problems with a browser or any of the plugins, the site provides the user with links that demonstrate how to solve the issue. This site is available now for both Blackboard and D2L users.

k. New Grant Opportunity for Instructors. Terry will be announcing a new grant opportunity for faculty. He will send information about the grant this month.

l. Bootcamp. This year’s Bootcamp will be held at the Courtyard Marriott in Hattiesburg on September 27-29. Christian will need a count of how many will need room reservations. This year’s theme is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

m. Enrollment Tool Batch Process. The Administration(?) is onboard with the attempt to have the Enrollment Tool work with the colleges’ SISs. This process will hopefully be ready by the spring 2012 semester.

n. Textbook Meeting. McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Cengage, etc. presented at the textbook meeting. Christian will be creating an RFP committee that will find a solution for students to have access to textbooks the first day of class. The committee will be looking at both immediate and long- term solutions. The immediate solution is to try to create an alternative bookstore that would have all textbooks in-stock for quick shipping. This would be a back-up for campus bookstores and optional. The other option is ebooks. This option would allow the ebook to be uploaded to the online courses for students to view.

o. Blackboard Instant Message (IM). Holly Melvin is having issues with Blackboard IM. Blackboard Collaborate 11 is ready for us to begin implementing.

VII.

Committee Reports a. Quality Committee Report. Jennifer Leimer passed out proposed changes to the “Student Services Survey” and “Student Course Evaluation”. See attachments. The Quality Committee would like for the group to look at the changes that have been made to both evaluations and will need to vote on these changes at the September ELC meeting. Before the September meeting, Jennifer Leimer will email the group for changes and will bring the final version of the evaluations to be voted on. The questions will need to be updated in the Policy and Procedure manual. Christian will email Michele the new Policy and Procedure manual with the new evaluation questions. The manual will be updated in the Community site.

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