Officers:

Chair: Rhonda Conlon, NCSU
Vice-Chair: Kappie Mumphrey, LSU AgCenter
Secretary: E. Jenell Sargent, TSU
PLC Rep: Nina Boston, Arkansas, Michael Bratcher, NC A&T State University

 

Attendees:

Dwayne Hunter, Oklahoma State University
Michael Bratcher, North Carolina A&T State University
Fred Piazza, Lousiana State University
Ken Pruitt, Clemson
Jamie Proffitt, University of Kentucky,
Jenell Sargent, Tennessee State University
Nina Boston, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Kappie Mumphrey,  Lousiana State University
Dan Brook, Mississippi State University 
Lalit Rainey, North Carolina A&T State University
Anne Adrian, Alabama Cooperative Extension
Ray Kimsey, North Carolina State University
Karen Craig, Tuskegee University
Rhonda Conlon, North Carolina State University
Larry Lippke, Texas Cooperative Extension
Dustin Hiatt: Breeze Tech Support - Email Address dhiatt@iastate.edu

Agenda Items

I. Roll Call

Rhonda: Introductions. Utilizing Breeze for this conference call is a first for us. Would like suggestions about the layout of the agenda in our SR PLN IT Committee space in the eXtension Collaborate Wiki (http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Southern_PLN-IT_Meetings). Referred to the minutes that covered the last meeting in San Juan Puerto Rico.

II. Update on 2006 PLN Meeting

Rhonda: Good attendance at Puerto Rico meeting. Minutes will be posted at http://srpln.msstate.edu/rc/it/it.htm.

Jenelle Sargent was elected as our new Secretary. Nina Boston will remain as our PLC representative.

Nina: Louisville Kentucky will be the host for the next PLN meeting. The rate and wireless availability were the deciding factors. Next year we will focus on Urban Programming Programs.

III. Report from PLC Representatives

Nina: PLC has opted to use Centra to meet in December instead of flying to Louisville. The convenience was a deciding factor. Nina will be setting up trainings for the PLC members to learn how to use Centra effectively. Brief report from the evaluations. CECP was discussed mostly in relation to there not being a clear understanding of what will happen with it. Not a lot of communication about the role of the steering committee in finding the soluton for whatever CECP becomes inside of eXtension. Nina volunteered to help pass on information from Larry and Fred, our CECP Steering Committee members.

Larry: Brief conversation with Kevin and Dan to discuss the logistics in relation to CECP. The idea of the CECP committees to become internal communities of practice within eXtension that can utilize eXtension wiki's and so forth. Related to the Learning Management System, CECP Steering Committee to take active role to identify the features and functionality of an appropriate system that will benefit existing CECP programs. Training sessions are going to be developed on how the eXtension platform community of practice works and how to interface with CECP.

Fred: Agrees with Larry. Reiterated the concept behind CECP and the role it is going to play with eXtension. The new learning management system will target both internal audiences like CECP has done and also public audiences. In the very early stages of defining needs in this.

Nina: Should the August meeting be the time and place for training? They are in the planning stage.

Larry: Unsure of timing at this point. Training would be a great idea for those who are not familiar, but the timing is still unknown.

Nina: Looking for ideas for the conference next August. Do submit them to her as soon as possible.

IV. Review Plan of Work (POW)

Kappie: Identified someone on her staff to get information about the Information Security CECP module. Have a pretty extensive PowerPoint already. Will be putting it into CECP format.

Rhonda: John Toman had a conflict with the meeting today. He emailed that there was not anything new to add to that yet with the Acrobat module. He did mention that they have hired an Instructional Designer for University of Tennessee and that the person hired will be able to work on at least one CECP module.

Rhonda: Next item is the CECP.

Fred and Larry: Plan to conduct an in gathering to find information about LMS and what functionality it should provide. Looking for others on IT team to assist, as well as people currently using CECP.

Rhonda: One of our goals was to become more actively involved in participating in eXtension. We had planned to discuss our involvement with eXtension during these calls.

Nina: Has set up an ATOM feed to automatically download eXtension news. Has not participated in the web conference meetings but plans to in the future. Has looked at the Collaborate Wiki. Looks great.

Rhonda: Find it very helpful that 30 minute sessions are recorded. That helps when other events interupt our schedules.

Kappie: Also attended one of Beth Raney's 30 minute sessions. Easy to make those short sessions. Very helpful.

All: The Collaborate wiki was beneficial with the agenda posted to it for upcoming meetings.

Rhonda: Trying to figure out how to get a more active iTeam together to get more involvement with eXtension at NC State. Would like to see more involvement in my state and I need to figure out how to lead that.

Dwayne: Concerned about the comment that was posted in the evaluation forms. wondering if that comment was directed to eXtension. eXtension web site can at times be confusing. Received direction from his director to look at comments that were posted by Dr. Brown that eXtension had made some changes in how the institutional logo displayed. Wondering why Oklahoma State is not seeing that in Horse!uest.

All: Each university who is a part of eXtension will have their logo posted on this website. It is posted under their HorseQuest site to find the Logos.

Larry: In some cases, the institutions did not get their logos submitted initially. May be the case. Recommends following up on that. May be that it needs to be emailed so that it is posted at the proper place.

Rhonda: Had to login on the public side for the logo to display.

Dwayne: Will check with Kevin Gamble on this.

Rhonda: Any feedback about having our agenda and working items posted in the Collaborate Wiki space? Everyone agrees that it is a great idea. Feedback states that it encourages us to use the tools. The minutes will still need to be posted to the PLN site once they have been submitted.

Nina and Rhonda: CSREES Information Systems update. Nina added him to Extech at his request. Possibly interested in inviting him to upcoming meetings.

Disaster Planning Survey:

Rhonda and Nina: Referred to the minutes from the last meeting in relation to Disaster Planning. We did receive approval to develop and conduct a regional Competency Survey with regard to Disaster Management. An example survey was submitted by John Toman.

Nina and Rhonda: Competency Survey displayed.

Issues about Security we need to add; Number 17 needs to be reworded; Number 23 reworded. Survey that was completed in Arkansas asked several additional questions.time of year best for training.what type of training do I feel I need.asked the questions directly related to the skills that they would need in case of a disaster and if the person who typically did all their work for them was gone. Asking for volunteers to serve on a sub-group to take on this project. Nina has volunteered to make changes then submit it to the IT team in order to review it.

Anne: Has worked on several surveys and has several questions. The purpose of the survey is to let people know where they stand if they are weak and can we address training to enhance their skill-level. Who will do the training?

Nina: State-wide training as well as cross-training among each of us. Anne has agreed to help with the Competency Survey.

VI. Additional Items:

Rhonda: June meeting date in Albuquerque, NM - face-to-face meeting during June 14. Mixed feelings about this meeting.it seems that it was half and half.

VII. Meeting Adjourned at 9:56 a.m.