The Academic Technology Steering Committee is soliciting student input as it begins the process of replacing the MyCourses site, said Catherine Zabriskie, director of academic technology services and vice chair of the committee, at the Undergraduate Council of Students' general body meeting Wednesday.
The current version of MyCourses will not be supported by its vendor beyond 2013. As a result, it must be replaced, either with the new 9.0 version of the Blackboard system — the program currently used by the site — or with a new system altogether. Given the technical need for a transition, Zabriskie said, the committee can now also address the "fact that everyone hates the system we're currently offering" and decide if it wants to move away from Blackboard altogether.
The committee should serve as the voice of the University community in the realm of technology, said Butch Rovan, associate professor of music and the committee's chair. Feedback and assessment will be a vital step in the transition, he said.
Students can fill out a survey, available on MyCourses until Nov. 12, to provide their own visions of change. One will win an iPad, Rovan said.
Zabriskie said complaints range from a simple dislike of the interface to frustration with its limited interactive capabilities. Professors have expressed interest in a system that facilitates interaction with other universities and between classes, Zabriskie said.
MyCourses also does not currently have the capacity for to incorporate Brown's various technology systems, she added. For instance, grades entered on MyCourses must be entered separately for official documentation on Banner.
Several council members expressed support for adopting a system that is not solely based around courses. Some suggested a more central site designed to coordinate events, groups and general life on campus with academia.
The committee plans to collect feedback this fall and will move to evaluating the options over the winter. It hopes to make recommendations in the spring and move to implementation by next summer, Zabriskie said.
There is potential for the new system "to evolve into something much more" than is currently offered, Zabriskie said.
UCS also discussed its many semester-long projects at the meeting. The Admissions and Student Services Committee will be conducting an audit of satellite gyms next week, based on input from Assistant Athletic Director Matthew Tsimikas. The Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee is also working to see if more seminars should be added in the morning to accommodate athletes.
The council will release its fall agenda on Friday, encompassing all its goals for the semester, said Molly Lao '12, the council's communications chair.
Next week, UCS will hear a presentation from Kelly Garrett, coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center.
