IN THIS ISSUE:

* New LMS RFP Recently Issued

* MiCTA Members Approve First Dues Increase In It's 23 Year History

* Blackboard Announces Dues Increase

* Washington State University's Grizzly Bear Research Program

* Welcome to New Members

* Request to Update Member Contact Information

* Monthly Specials From Brodart and Gateway

* Just for Fun!

MiCTA has been offering members Learning Management System Services for nearly two and a half years. Over the last few years technology has changed, prices have increased, and new services provide up-to-date technological assistance. There are currently three MiCTA contracts available for LMS. MiCTA has recently released a new RFP to assist members in staying current with the times. Issued on August 10th and running through September 23rd, the RFP will include an online review in October via Elluminate and a meeting in Madison, Wisconsin November 7-11. The following note from MiCTA Service Corporation President John Rathje to the MiCTA LMS listserv list explains the entire process:

Hello all

I thought it important to keep a communication channel and remind everyone that we have a forum for communication concerning eLearning.

We have released the RFP for the next eLearning project.  A number of organizations (37 in all) from the SREB region, MHEC region, and MiCTA membership worked to frame the functional requirements in the final RFP document.  We are primarily asking for a Learning Management System, but have included specific reference and functional needs for a Learning Object Repository as well.

In addition to those two key areas, we have asked for specific responses on help desk, hosting, and any third party tools that directly benefit the prospective supplier’s proposal and add value to an institution that purchases their services.  Our hope is to deliver quality products and contracts with consistent pricing models.

We have had a good response to the RFP by the vendor community to date and expect to see a very good pool for the evaluation team to review.  If all goes well from this point forward, we should have a completed process in mid November with contract negotiation taking us into December.  Our goal is to have contracts in place by the first of 2006.

Let us know if you have any questions and feel free to use this listserv thread to communicate any issues, ideas, or other matters relating to the eLearning programs in place!

Warm regards,
John M. Rathje

MiCTA Members Approve The First Dues Increase in its 23-year History

MiCTA has had the same dues ($75) since its founding in 1982 while inflation has eroded the "purchasing power " of the dues to less than half that amount. A dues increase was discussed at the May MiCTA business meeting. A ballot was sent out to the full voting membership for action in July and it passed. Now, institutions with an FTE under 300 will pay $100 annually and institutions with an FTE over 300 will pay $200 annually. The increase will take place on October 1, 2005. ACUTA members, who formerly received free membership, will begin paying dues at this time.

Recently Blackboard announced that they would be raising fees. This change will be effective October 1, 2005 on all new contracts. Existing contracts will not be affected until the end of the current agreement. While the percentage increase affects all Blackboard customers, MiCTA members can still take advantage of lower “MiCTA Savings” prices. Percentage discounts vary depending on products, eligibility, and volume of purchases. Call 1-888-870-8677 to discuss how MiCTA can help your institution cut down on expenses.

Studying Grizzly Bears in Captivity at WSU

Recently one of our members, Washington State University, was featured on MSNBC.com. Washington State University has a unique cutting edge program that raises Grizzly Bears in captivity in hopes of taming them, so that humans can study them up close. The program will be used to study behavioral tendencies, hibernation, and maturation processes. The article, written by Senior Editor Mike Stuckey is property of MSNBC.com. The article in its entirety along with slideshows and pictures can be seen by clicking this link.

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Northcentral Technical College
Pennfield Schools
SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc
Tampa Bay Housing Authority

To ensure useful and timely distribution of MiCTA communications, the staff is now working to update member contact information. We are asking that each member email Jeanne Rhode, jrhode@mictaservice.com at the office. Jeanne will return to you, the data sheet for your organization. We ask that you review the data sheet, update appropriately and return to Jeanne. If you have questions, please give Jeanne a call. Your help with this important effort will be greatly appreciated.

Jeanne Rhode
(888) 870 8677

Account Executive: Mike Shields Phone: 800-211-4952 ext. 56464 Fax: 775-898-5047 E-Mail: mike.shields@gateway.com

GW Quote #: 0830778

Gateway M460E

System Quote

Part Number: 1008351
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition (SP2)
Operating System Software Backup Media: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional (SP2) Backup CD
Drivers Backup Media: M460 Drivers and Applications CD
Application Software: Microsoft® Works 8.0
AntiVirus Software: Norton AntiVirus 90 day introductory offer
Processor: Intel® Pentium® M Processor 750 (1.86GHz, 533MHz FSB, 2MB L2 cache)
Memory: 512MB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2-256MB modules)
Hard Drive: 40GB 4200rpm Ultra ATA hard drive
Floppy Drive: Integrated 4-in-1 card reader
Additional Media Drive: Modular 3.5" 1.44MB diskette drive
Optical Drive: Modular 24x/10x/24x CD-RW / 8x DVD combo
Expansion Slots: One type II PC card slot
External Ports: (4) USB 2.0, VGA, TV Out, S-Video, IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Recycling Fee: My order is not shipping to California - no recycling fee required
Screen: 15.4" WXGA TFT Active Matrix (1280 x 800 max. resolution)
Video: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
Keyboard and Mouse: Full-Sized Keyboard and EZ Pad® Pointing Device
Multimedia Package: Integrated sound and stereo speakers, headphone/speaker jack, and mic jacks
Speakers: External speakers not selected
Battery: Primary 12-cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr. limited battery warranty (to accommodate additional cells, this battery extends beyond the end of the system—limited time promotion)
Modem: Integrated V.90 56K Modem
Network Adapter: Integrated Broadcom® 10/100/1000 Ethernet Adapter
Integrated Wireless Networking Adapter: Integrated 802.11b/g wireless networking card
Extended Service Plan Including Limited Warranty: Notebook Value Service Plan -- 4 year part/labor/no on-site/4 year technical support
Additional Software: Adobe® Acrobat Reader® 6.0
Standard Training: Intro to Mobile Computing
Carrying Case: Gateway Carrying Case

System Quantity: 1
Discounted Price (including S&H): US $1,449.21
Delivered Price (including S&H): US $1,449.21

Comments:

When placing your order, please attach this quote to your purchase order.
A copy of this quote will be held for a period of 90 days after 08/30/2005

Quote subject to terms of current Agreement signed by you and Gateway, or absent Agreement, to Gateway’s Standard Terms of Sale and applicable product and services warranties which are available by visiting gateway.com or calling 1-800-846-2000 for a free copy. Service agreements are issued and performed by third parties. May not be available in all locations. Accidental Damage Protection not available in all states. Phone charges may apply for tech support. If purchased, on-site service technician will be sent if necessary, following phone-based troubleshooting. Availability varies. Other conditions apply. YOU WILL BE CHARGED SHIPPING AND HANDLING OR RESTOCKING FEES TO RETURN PRODUCTS. All offers valid in US only and are subject to change without notice or obligation. Quoted product only available through Gateway.com or by calling 1-800-846-2000. Prices exclude shipping, handling, and taxes unless otherwise stated. FINANCE/LEASE CUSTOMERS: Financing and leasing provided by independent lenders to qualified US residents only. REBATE OFFERS: For more information about rebate offers, log onto http://www.gateway.com/rebate or call 1-800-846-4208. © 2005 Gateway, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks used here in are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gateway, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. See important Microsoft activation requirements at http://www.gateway.com/ms-req

Offer #2

GW Quote #: 0830816

Gateway M360SB

System Quote

Part Number: 1008476
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition (SP2)
Operating System Software Backup Media: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional (SP2) Backup CD
Application Software: Microsoft® Works 8.0
AntiVirus Software: Norton AntiVirus 90 day introductory offer
Processor: Intel® Celeron® M Processor 360 (1.40GHz, 400MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache)
Mobile Technology: Features Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
Memory: 256MB 333MHz DDR SDRAM
Hard Drive: 40GB 4200rpm Ultra ATA hard drive
Floppy Drive: Integrated 4-in-1 card reader
Optical Drive: Integrated 24x CD-ROM Drive
Expansion Slots: One type II PC card slot
External Ports: (4) USB 2.0, VGA, IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Recycling Fee: My order is not shipping to California - no recycling fee required
Screen: 15.0" XGA TFT Active Matrix (1024 x 768 max. resolution)
Video: Integrated Intel Extreme 2 Graphics w/ UMA Memory Technology
Keyboard and Mouse: Full-Sized Keyboard and EZ Pad® Pointing Device
Multimedia Package: Integrated sound and stereo speakers, headphone/speaker jack, and mic jacks
Speakers: External speakers not selected
Battery: Primary 6-cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr. limited battery warranty
Modem: Integrated V.90 56K Modem
Network Adapter: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet adapter
Integrated Wireless Networking Adapter: Integrated 802.11b/g wireless networking card (does not qualify as Intel® Centrino™ if Celeron processor is selected)
Extended Service Plan Including Limited Warranty: Notebook Value Service Plan -- 4 year part/labor/no on-site/4 year technical support
Additional Software: Adobe® Acrobat Reader® 6.0
Carrying Case: Gateway Carrying Case

System Quantity: 1
Discounted Price (including S&H): US $989.10
Delivered Price (including S&H): US $989.10

Comments:

When placing your order, please attach this quote to your purchase order.
A copy of this quote will be held for a period of 90 days after 08/30/2005
Quote subject to terms of current Agreement signed by you and Gateway, or absent Agreement, to Gateway’s Standard Terms of Sale and applicable product and services warranties which are available by visiting gateway.com or calling 1-800-846-2000 for a free copy. Service agreements are issued and performed by third parties. May not be available in all locations. Accidental Damage Protection not available in all states. Phone charges may apply for tech support. If purchased, on-site service technician will be sent if necessary, following phone-based troubleshooting. Availability varies. Other conditions apply. YOU WILL BE CHARGED SHIPPING AND HANDLING OR RESTOCKING FEES TO RETURN PRODUCTS. All offers valid in US only and are subject to change without notice or obligation. Quoted product only available through Gateway.com or by calling 1-800-846-2000. Prices exclude shipping, handling, and taxes unless otherwise stated. FINANCE/LEASE CUSTOMERS: Financing and leasing provided by independent lenders to qualified US residents only. REBATE OFFERS: For more information about rebate offers, log onto http://www.gateway.com/rebate or call 1-800-846-4208. © 2005 Gateway, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks used here in are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gateway, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. See important Microsoft activation requirements at http://www.gateway.com/ms-req

Computer Workstations: 20% Off!

Make more efficient use of space with state-of-the-art Computer Workstations from Brodart!

Brodart leads the competition with all the top names in computer furniture technology – Balt, Smith System, Bretford, Paragon, Achieva and Luxor! We’re proud to offer our customers the latest in cutting-edge technology, including flat screen work centers, recessed monitor workstations, mobile stations, lab tables…in every space-saving configuration you can imagine. Whether you’re shopping for business, school or library, you’ll find the computer workstation to suit your needs and your budget. And that includes the latest accessories – from CPU holders to storage racks to pullout keyboard trays. See our complete selection of top quality computer workstations on pages 612 to 630 in our full line catalog. Or, go online at:

http://www.shopbrodart.com/shop/toc/toc.aspx?nodeid=420d3d731959424b96dbcceadc6c569a&page=3&toc=default

For more information on products and services for MiCTA members from Brodart:
Call: 1-800-233-8467 ext. 4338
Click: www.shopbrodart.com/pricing/micta/
Fax: 1-800-578-1064
E-Mail: supplies.quotes@brodart.com

Just for Fun!

1. The NBA's Washington Wizards were originally known as
1. Chicago Packers
2. St. Louis Hawks
3. New Jersey Americans
4. Baltimore Bullets


2. NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Dan Marino share the same middle name of:
1. Abraham
2. Julius
3. Constantine
4. Zeus


3. The Secret Service codename for George H. W. Bush was:
1. Eagle
2. Coyote
3. Timberwolf
4. Brown Bear


4. Rock group Pearl Jam was formerly named after this Atlanta Hawks basketball player; one of their albums was his number:
1. "Pistol" Pete Maravich
2. Dikembe Mutombo
3. Mookie Blaylock
4. Dominique Wilkins

For answers to the above questions, please visit the MiCTA member’s homepage

PREVIOUS MICTA ALERTS

• August 2005

• July 2005

• June 2005

Alert Index