Atlanta — October 5, 2000

Regent Martin W. NeSmith of Claxton will chair the Board of Regents’ new Informational and Instructional Technology Committee, which will hold its first meeting on Oct. 10 at South Georgia College in Douglas in conjunction with the October board meeting.

The committee is an outgrowth of the Board’s recent adoption of a System-wide Technology Master Plan. Regent Kenneth W. Cannestra of Atlanta, the Board’s immediate past chair, will serve as the committee’s vice chair. Regent Juanita Powell Baranco of Lithonia and Regent James D. Yancey of Columbus will round out the membership of the group.

“This is a very big endeavor, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of being involved in the start-up of the committee,” Regent NeSmith said.

“The formation of this committee is additional proof that the Regents are highly interested in and committed to the role of technology in higher education,” said Dr. Daniel S. Papp, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs with the University System of Georgia. “The University System is clearly demonstrating its commitment to integrating technology into its educational mission.”

“Technology is a significant expenditure for the University System of Georgia, and it’s important that the Regents focus their attention on the technological infrastructure the System uses to deliver higher education to the citizens of Georgia,” said Randall Thursby, vice chancellor for information and instructional technology and the System’s chief information officer.

According to Papp, the committee is going to get involved with a host of technology issues, both academic and administrative. There also will be significant interaction with other Board of Regents committees, such as Education, Research & Extension and Finance & Business Operations.

The University System’s Technology Master Plan, developed with the assistance of Arthur Andersen LLP, provides strategic direction and specific recommendations for improved usage of information technologies to support the System’s immediate and long-term goals and challenges.

A continuation of the Regents’ 1998-99 strategic planning focus on instructional technology, the technology master plan identifies the services best provided by the System, the appropriate technical architecture at the System level and the appropriate organizational structure for the Regents’ Office of Informational and Instructional Technology. The plan also provides master planning templates that USG institutions will use to create customized plans reflecting the unique technology needs of the individual campuses.

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