Uk Data Centre Cleaning commercial cleaning technicians have a reputation for being highly professional, pleasant and very efficient in the way they perform their duties.

1. THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
COMPUTING & LEARNING TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 2005
CONVENER: Dr David Dewhurst (Director of Learning Technology)
PRESENT: Ms Fiona Brown, attending for Ms Irene McGowan (College Librarian)
Dr Mayank Dutia (School of Biomedical & Clinical Laboratory Sciences)
Mr Mark Hay (School of Biomedical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences)
Dr Tudor Jones (Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies)
Mr David Perry (School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine)
Dr Richard Phelps (School of Clinical Sciences & Community Health)
Dr Jeff Phillips (Computing Services)
Mr Pete Smith (Computing Services)
Ms Ruth Stewart (College Office)
Dr Stephen Vickers, attending for Ms Nora Mogey (MALTS)
Dr Pat Warren, attending for Dr Helen Cameron (Director, Medical Teaching Organisation)
Mr David Williamson (Learning Technology Section)
Mr Allan Woods (College Office)
IN ATTENDANCE: Dr Paul Caban (Management School and Economics, College of Humanities and Social Science)
Dr Neil McCormick (College Office, Secretary)
APOLOGIES: Dr Paul Allan (School of Clinical Sciences & Community Health)
Professor Klaus Ebmeier (School of Molecular & Clinical Medicine)
Ms Rachel Ellaway (Learning Technology Section)
Mr Iain Fiddes (Management Information Services)
Ms Gill McConnell (Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies)
Dr Susan Rhind (Director of Veterinary Teaching)
Dr Steve Yewdall (Learning Technology Section)
1. Welcome and Apologies
The convener welcomed Ruth Stewart, Assistant Secretary (Academic Administration) who had joined the committee to
increase representation from senior MIS users. He also welcomed Paul Caban, Senior Computing Officer in the
Management School and Economics, College of Humanities and Social Science, and reported that he and David
Williamson had attended a meeting of the College of Humanities and Social Science computing committee and had been
invited to attend a meeting of the College of Science and Engineering computing committee.
2. Minutes of previous meeting (27 April 2005)
These were approved subject to the addition of the following to Section 7.6: “The committee supported Computer
Services’ intention not to allow Windows 98 machines to be connected to the University network after the current
Windows 98 security update lapsed at the end of June 2005.”
3. Matters arising
3.1 Computer cleaning (Item 4.3).
It had become important to ensure computers and particularly I/O devices in public labs were clean enough to be fit for
assessment purposes. The convener had raised this issue and the issue of who was responsible for general cleanliness of
computing equipment at the Information Technology Committee. Computing Services reported that they were now
considering the matter but that the likely solution would be “mid-life” (i.e. two-year) cleaning by contractors over the
summer vacation. Labs run by the Learning Technology Section would be cleaned by LTS staff as the cost for contract
cleaning of these labs had been estimated at around £1,600 per annum. LTS and Computing Services were asked to
consider the casual employment of students for this task and also whether it would be possible to schedule cleaning
immediately prior to the assessment period. The matter would be raised at the forthcoming meeting with ISG/CSG.
http://www.ukdatacentercleaning.co.uk/computer-cleaning/
Action: David Williamson
5. School Reports
5.1 Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
The School had now replaced 60 staff machines and would, finance permitting, commence its rolling 4-year PC
replacement programme in the next financial year.
Page 1 of 4

2. 5.2 School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine
The School raised concerns about the usability of a number of portal-delivered central services that did not allow users to
manage relevant data easily, and suggested the formation of a user testing group consisting of staff not within MIS portal
services. The School were asked to provide specific examples of problem areas that would then be taken forward by the
College MIS representative.
Action: Dave Perry, Allan Woods
The School were also advised to raise the matter at the forthcoming meeting with ISG/CSG.
Action: Dave Perry
It was noted that an MIS service board did exist for the IDMS, with David Williamson as the College’s representative.
5.3 School of Clinical Sciences and Community Health
The School’s concerns that there may be disruption during the move to the Research Institute were allayed by
Computing Services who reported that 85 machines were now in place and that there had been no significant problems
with installation so far.
It was noted that the School would need to raise problems with the link between the University and the hospital networks
with the College Strategy Group for this issue to be taken further and that the School had not yet done so.
Action: Richard Phelps
5.4 School of Biomedical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences
A major move between buildings had been accomplished successfully.
6. Computing Issues
6.1 Planning cycle for computer, server and audio-visual replacement
Paper 0405/CLTC/08 was presented, detailing costs for the equipment replacement plan projected until 2010. The
estimated costs of replacement would be £156,000 in 2005/06 and £84,500 in 2006/07.
Public lab PC replacement would continue on a four-year basis with a small-scale cascade of those machines not
obsolete after four years to staff within the Schools and any internal income from this would be allocated by the
Teaching Facilities Steering Group or the R(D)SVS as appropriate. It was not considered prudent to move to a five-year
replacement cycle at this stage because of the difficulty in predicting the impact of software upgrades.
The intention for server upgrades to take advantage of Storage Area Network and other new technologies being acquired
via Computing Services was reported. It was expected that the College would initially purchase file storage space on
these services and then incur a recurring support cost.
It was noted that the SPSS/Minitab licences in the Paper only covered public lab machines and not other machines within
the Schools. The use of different statistical packages by different areas of the College was noted and the costs and
benefits of this discussed.
Concern was raised through the MTO that Year 1 and 2 medical students were having difficulty in finding computing
facilities at Chancellor’s Building, particularly with the majority of provision still focussed in the Central Area. It was
expected that this would be resolved by raising awareness of the locations of Chancellor’s labs among these student
groups.
6.3 Feedback to ISG/CSG
A feedback session from the College to the heads of Information Services Group and Corporate Services Group would
take place on Tuesday 28 June 2005 and College representation would be coordinated by David Williamson.
Action: David Williamson
6.4 Computing Support
6.4.1 Support Staff
Jonathan Naysmith had been appointed as a Computing Support Officer and would, in line with normal practice, initially
be given two-month rotations working at different College sites.
6.4.2 Renewed Microsoft Campus Agreement
Page 2 of 4

3. It was agreed that, unless circumstances changed before renewal due in August 2005, then the College would continue
its current Microsoft Campus 3.2 agreement (currently £52,000 pa) for the coming year while arrangements for a
University-wide Campus 3.4 agreement were worked out.
The current status of open access software (e.g. open Office) and its support was discussed and it was reported that
Computing Services were working towards increased support for this. The IT Working Group was asked to consider the
requirements, implications and timescale that would be required for supported open access software to be introduced
within the College.
Action: IT Working Group
6.5 EUCS User Support Team Report
6.5.1 Server migration
New printers were being installed on server mvm2 but it was expected that migrating existing printers to this server
would be a major task.
6.5.2 Supported (formerly Managed) Desktop
It was reported that 720 machines out of 1526 in the College now had the Supported Desktop. Computing Services were
asked to issue clear and easy-to-understand explanations of how to make this transition to encourage more staff to make
the move.
Action: Pete Smith
6.5.3 Information Services Helpdesk
The IS Helpdesk project and vision statement were presented and discussed. It was believed that the current phase of the
project was aimed solely at undergraduate students but concerns about the impact of future phases of the project on
computing support teams, particularly in a dispersed College, would be raised at the meeting with ISG/CSG.
Action: Allan Woods
6.6 MIS Report
The Supported Desktop had now been rolled out to MIS users in the College. The MTO noted with some concern that
the timing of the rollout had resulted in MBChB assessment information being temporarily unavailable at a critical time,
although it was pointed out that this issue had been exacerbated by continuation of obsolete practice in holding some of
the assessment information involved and that it had been resolved quickly.
6.7 Information Technology Committee Report
The last meeting of ITC had been cancelled so there was no report. The next meeting would take place in October 2005.
6.8 Reports from Working Groups
6.8.1 IT Working Group
Meetings had taken place on 20 May 2005 and 14 June 2005.
The Government’s Home Computing Initiative had been discussed but the University was not willing to implement the
complicated financial arrangements necessary. Computers could however be purchased outright from the University’s
suppliers.
Concern that inadequate provision was being made for computing support costs in research proposals had been
discussed. Part of the grant application proposal process should involve a discussion of costs between principal
investigators and the appropriate Computing Services support team but often this did not happen. The convener would
raise the matter with the College’s Director of Research.
Action: David Dewhurst
Compilation of a wireless network inventory and wish-list by computer officers was ongoing.
Concern had been expressed about lack of space for computing support in the proposed new Veterinary facilities at
Easter Bush. The convener and School representative reassured the meeting that the current level of planning contained
gross space estimates and not this level of detail yet.
7. e-Learning Issues
7.1 Learning Technology Committee
This committee had met in late May. Four main issues:
a. e-portfolios and PDPs were discussed. A meeting of interested parties had taken place in March 2005 and there was
general (though not unanimous) agreement that a cross-University proposal would be submitted to the Principal’s e-
Page 3 of 4

4. learning fund (PeLF). Subsequently, CHSS and CSE had decided that they were not ready to maximise the gains from
such a project and the anticipated proposal was dropped. MVM and MALTS (ISG) decided to submit bids of their own
and both of these had been funded. The two projects would run synergistically and cross-University applicability would
be optimised.
b. A MALTS-led Change Academy project aimed at providing computer-based assessment from conventional
examination rooms had received funding from PeLF and the MBChB Online System for Clinical Assessment (OSCA)
would feed into this.
c. The e-Learning Conference held in March had been worthwhile but unfortunately less well-attended than hoped.
d. An audit of e-learning platforms and tools was currently being undertaken by a small group convened by Rachel
Ellaway.
7.3 Veterinary Medicine
A steering group for the Electronic Veterinary Curriculum was now running with Tudor Jones as convenor.
7.4 Principal’s e-Learning fund
The convener reported that five of the College’s 16 proposals had been funded: e-assessment; e-portfolio; MSc
International Animal Health; virtual farm; and Breeze (IP video conferencing). A further £30,000 would be available to
the College from the fund and the convener would ask the Head of College to match this funding to then cover an
amalgamation of six of the remaining proposals. It was expected that £400,000 would be available from the fund the
following year.
7.5 Disaster Recovery Plan
Paper 0405/CLTC/07 was presented, detailing disaster recovery plans for the College’s virtual learning environments
and other associated web services hosted by LTS.
7.6 e-Learning Manager’s Report
It was reported that anticipated problems with ISS/EASE compatibility were not confined to the College and were now
in the process of being resolved.
The Visitor Registration bulk upload application was due to be delivered in late June 2005, although it was reported that
MIS were already able to perform one-off bulk uploads by other methods. Work would be required to reconcile staff
lists held in the Identity Management System, the Visitor Registration System and the College’s VLEs.
Action: Neil McCormick
8. Teaching Facilities
8.1 Medicine
8.1.2 Greenfield Suite
It was expected that the new Greenfield Suite would be completed and available for use from 28 June 2005. It would
close on Friday 25 June to enable the computers to be moved.
8.1.4 Chancellor’s Building, RIE
Sufficient Little France identity cards would be available for staff moving to Little France over summer 2005 but the
Division and the PFI contractor were still working on the database primary key issue that was preventing sufficient cards
becoming available for Year 1 and 2 medical students.
8.2 Veterinary Medicine
The School was in the process of appointing a design team for the new build project at Easter Bush. Gill McConnell
would coordinate requirements specification for computing, IT and related teaching facilities.
11. Date of Next Meeting
Next meeting would be arranged to take place after the 12 October 2005 Information Technology Committee meeting.
Page 4 of 4