Contents
Nick McHard Academic Secretary (Chair)
Robert Bowyer
Rosie Candy
Graham Gerrard
Pam Price
David Walker
Kay Brough Secretary
To consider and bring forward proposals for the introduction of the electronic circulation of documents within the University with particular reference to committee papers, and to discuss the related issues and technical difficulties associated with such an undertaking.
The University's Strategic Plan states our aims to be innovative in the provision and handling of information and at the forefront of using all appropriate means to meet the information needs of all staff. One of the ways in which we might hope to fulfil this aim is to increase the use of the University computing network. It was recognised that this would reduce the amount of paper documents circulated, reduce pressure on the internal post system and considerably increase the speed with which documents were circulated. Use of electronic circulation would also mean that electronic archiving of many documents would be possible. Members discussed the increased use of the network with those advantages and the following issues in mind:
Access to computing facilities varies widely across campus in terms of both physical accessibility to hardware and the ability of existing hardware to run appropriate software. The Working Party recognised that the circulation of University committee papers and documentation often included members outside the University and that, at present, many external members did not have the easy access to network facilities enjoyed by the academic community. However, access to suitable technology is increasing rapidly on and off campus and members felt that regular reviews of such issues would be required to assess the changing situation.
Papers distributed by the Academic Registry are often produced in other departments on campus. Members felt that it was important to ensure the existing quality of service provided by the Secretariat was maintained should electronic circulation be introduced. It was noted that some papers would be unsuitable for electronic circulation and that mixed mode delivery of committee papers would adversely affect the presentation and ease of management of agendas. Therefore it may be necessary to revise the method by which papers produced outside the circulating department are collected. Externally produced and hand written documents leaflets and reports would present difficulties although technical solutions to some of these issues were reported to be in development .
The different standards of computer software currently in operation across campus present difficulties for the effective implementation of electronic circulation. Most noticeably both Apple Mac and IBM standard computers are in use across campus. Although standards of transfer between systems are improving differences are still such that electronic transfer of documents will prove problematic and time consuming. The age range of machines on campus also presents compatibility problems. Similar problems have been experienced with information from external bodies such as the funding council. The Working Party felt that insufficient experience had yet been gained in routine file exchange and this would constrain an immediate transfer to electronic circulation without further development work.
The Working Party noted that the degree to which documents were considered to be confidential would have implications for electronic circulation. For example it would perhaps be inappropriate to mount certain discussion papers on the Loughborough Information Gateway prior to Committee discussions without some measure of restriction of access. Committees often provide a forum for a wide range of informal ideas essential to the free flow of discussion within a given grouping. Restricting access to documents published in this way is becoming easier but members recognised that implementing such measures would add to the time scale and so cost of electronic publications.
It is anticipated that moves towards electronic circulation of documents would have quite major resource implications particularly with regard to improving access to and proficiency with new technology. The adoption of electronic means of circulating committee documents would increase distribution costs and result in a transfer of costs from the centre to departments. As the printing and collation costs were moved away from the centre, the economies of scale currently seen would be lost and committee members or their secretaries would need to find time to print and collate the papers in order to take them with them to meetings (Annex 1).