82nd MSSA Senate
April 22nd, 2015
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Call to Order by 82nd Speaker Ben Shakespear
Roll Call
A. Presentations
B. Open Forum
 MSUSA – Joe Wolf, Vice Chair/Skeeter Rogers, Treasurer
 Bryan Schneider – IT Services
i. 2016 Objectives – handout
ii. Looking for your approval and comment for feedback and will
take back to the Technology Roundtable.
iii. Two years ago MSSA voted for the Microsoft Word package.
During the past year Microsoft changed some of their rules and
won’t be giving it away. Cost would be $19,000 a year. Need to
decide by July 1st whether to continue or drop.
iv. Looking at the Pro Plus as the replacement. A student will
download it. After a year, it deactivates.
v. Savings would mean $215,000, which would go towards replacing
the current campus network. Student tech fees and M & E dollars
will help pay for the upgrade. In addition, IT is looking at taking
out a $1.6M loan.
Schieler: Thank you for your honesty, however, having to now purchase what I have been
using for free for four years, I am not supportive of this.
Hanson: I move to move this to next week’s first meeting of the 83rd MSSA as it should be their
position to take.
C. Approval of Consent Agenda
Appointments:
Commission on Ethics & Standards:
Recognized Student Organizations: Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Minnesota Beta
Student Allocations Committee:
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Recommend allocating up to $115.36 to the School Psychology Society to support the doctoral
graduate celebration (including food) and poster event to be held on-campus May 9, 2015.
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President Haffield
Vice President Wolf
Speaker Shakespear
Senator Reports
Old Business
New Business
82 MM 01 04 22 15 MSUSA Delegates – Jacobson/Wegscheid
Move to approve the actions of the MSU-Mankato delegation at this past weekend’s MSUSA
Delegates Conference.
Motion passes.
Aye: 24; Nay: 0; Abstain: 0
82 MM 02 04 22 15 -- Ratification of Runoff Election -- Jacobson/Malloy
Move to ratify the runoff election of Grace Smith and Eric Bender.
Motion passes.
Aye: 25; Nay: 0 Abstain: 0
82 MM 03 04 22 15 -- Jacobson’s Photo Wall -- Haffield/Wolf
Be it resolved: The 82nd MSSA names the photo wall the, Elizabeth Jacobson – “Let’s Take a
Selfie” wall.
Motion passes.
Aye: 25 Nay: 0 Abstain: 0
82 MM 04 22 15 – Schieler’s Soap Box -- Haffield/Wolf
Be it resolved: The 82 MSSA names the soap box the, “David Schieler’s Speak Up or Get Out”
soap box.
Motion passes.
Aye: 25; Nay: 0; Abstain: 0
Announcements
Roll Call
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned @ 4:35 pm.
** Inauguration of the 83rd Student Senate – 5:00 pm., Hearth Lounge
2015 STUDENT TECHNOLOGY FEE SUBCOMMITTEE
Objectives for FY 2016 (DRAFT)
The ITS Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan for Information and Technology Services includes five elements:
Student and Faculty Success:
ITS will be leveraged to enhance learning outcomes, improve retention, introduce new teaching
models, and further our applied research mission across a diverse faculty and student
population.
Please list focus areas here:
 Create a mobile app that focuses on student success. This could show meal plans,
printing information, time to graduation, reminders for papers and homework.
 Create a student and faculty technology resource center. A place where students and
faculty can go for technology help that is focused on the key technologies used in
education and business.
 As we already have tech resources for faculty, I'd recommend wording the above
bullet to focus only on students, and then add a bullet along the lines of 'Continue to
support faculty technology needs and Academic Tech Services through the Faculty
Development Center.
 Encourage every college tech director to reach out to teachers in their college and
ensure that they are all using the great technology we have available on campus.
 Increase the use of cutting edge technology such as 3D printing and make it more
available for students and faculty in order to ensure we are ahead of the curve. (We
have the technology lets use it)
 Explore ways to eliminate the $90 Service Desk charge to install Windows on PCs and
Macintosh. Provide self-help instructions for doing this, provide at no charge or lower
the cost.
 Provide ongoing commitment for technology checkout to students and increase the
number of laptops available for checkout. Look into other technology available (such
as chargers for various devices).
Service and Process Improvement:
ITS will be leveraged to create more efficient campus business practices and improve services
to Minnesota State Mankato stakeholders.
Please list focus areas here:
 Develop a Green Plan or Campaign that help to reduce resource consumption on
campus. This could include more efficient technology or the use of technology to
reduce the use of paper and other resources.
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Start a partnership with RHA to encourage incoming students to use ITS services and be
aware of what we have available.
Make information easily available to students and faculty about paper use/electricity
use/other efficiency information on campus and by buildings, to encourage reductions.
Explore moving some help-desk functions into specific campus buildings-- more out-reach of
services.
Increase printing allocation to 400 complementary pages per semester to students and
monitor for substantial increase in waste and abuse. Meanwhile, promote alternatives to
printing and waste reduction (green plan or campaign).
Continue assessment on all services that are offered to students to determine if they are still
needed or changed to make better and resource new services that are needed.
Integrate services such as AgileGrad, DARS, eStudent Services, etc.
Professional and Effective Staff:
ITS staff will be courteous and well-trained, familiar with state-of-the-art technologies and best
practices, and provide best-in-class service and support. ITS staff will support campus diversity;
promote cross-cultural understanding and thrive in a diverse campus environment.
Please list focus areas here:
 Staff will be knowledgeable and trained in best practices to provide exemplary service
to the students.
Relationships, Partnerships, and Communication:
Minnesota State Mankato ITS will build strong working relationships with Minnesota State
Mankato academic and business units; help form strategic partnerships with industry and sister
schools; provide an infrastructure for campus safety; and communicate effectively with campus
stakeholders.
Please list focus areas here:
 IT should work to develop an effective communication plan that is multi-faceted. This
should include email, brochures, trainings, key partnerships (RHA and First Year
Experience, Social Media, and more) Students need to be aware of the available
technology and how to use it.
 Promote Qualtrics and specific tools we have on campus.
 Do a much better job of marketing and promoting the tools and services that are
available to students. Plan for social media with regular relevant updates and tips as
well as new information displayed on screen backgrounds of campus computers.
 Reach out to grad students, off-campus students and part-time students In order to
ensure that they are aware of all the tools that are available for them without
necessarily being on campus.
 Ensure that campus technology resources are accessible to students completing
online courses and programs, and create market materials directly targeting those
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students.
Create opportunities for faculty, staff, and/or students who are using tech resources
in creative and effective ways to share their projects and/or procedures with others
on campus.
Promote our campus successes and interesting/useful tech projects via the public
relations office; consider publishing an e-book highlighting the use of technology in
different programs and courses as another way to market and communicate what we
are doing.
Provide Student Technology Fee report card once in the fall and once in the spring.
Superlative Access to Data:
Minnesota State Mankato students, faculty and staff will have ubiquitous, high-speed, secure
and reliable access to their individual data and top-quality decision support regardless of device
or platform. This Element is foundational to the success of all ITS initiatives.
Please list focus areas here:
 Support the expansion and speed increase of the wireless network.
 Increase security awareness on campus in order to ensure that our network is secure.
 Ensure that all staff that have access to sensitive information is being properly trained
and held accountable.
 Examine electrical power needs in classroom (WH, PA, Edina and others) and
throughout campus to provide charging stations for all devices.
 Continue to increase security and performance of networking infrastructure including
wireless technology. Blank or dead spots still remain.
 Investigate and provide better cell phone reception service within buildings.