2014 09 29

2014-09-29 6:12pm OCF Board of Directors Meeting

Directors in attendance: - Abhi Kalakuntla - Ajit Unnam - Brian Sang - Chris Kuehl - Giulio Zhou - Han Wang - Jonathan Melville - Kevin Peng - Matthew McAllister - Michael Beery - Nick Impicciche - Takeshi Mochida - William Ho

  • Administrative stuff
  • Welcome to new staff!
    • Sign up for staff hours (see the Google Doc in your email)
    • If you want Google Apps for your @ocf email, contact Chris
  • Card-key access
    • If you've been staff for at least one semester, you're eligible
    • Process is complicated; Chris will send another with details
  • Blue & Gold (yearbook) use of OCF lab
  • In the past, space was shared because of close relationship via Dara (GM of OCF, B&G staff member)
    • Shared before Dara too, but in a much larger space, and not to the same extent
  • Last year, significant problems with B&G lab use
    • Garbage/trash left in lab despite warnings
    • Computers/scanners/equipment moved or unplugged
    • Lights left on, door left open
  • Other problems
    • Disruptive to OCF staff who want to use the lab for OCF-related work, often unscheduled
    • Security concerns
  • Considered cutting off lab access entirely over the summer
    • Probably better to allow some use, but need to set guidelines
  • Two times lab might be used:
    • Scheduled meetings (Thursday nights)
    • Lots of people (estimate 35+) in lab for some time
    • Unscheduled meetings
    • Working in lab
  • Due to miscommunication, B&G was using the lab without our knowledge (but in good faith, and they thought we were aware)
  • BoD consensus after lengthy discussion:
    • Use of lab Thursday nights is ok
    • At least one EIC must be present at all times
    • Lab must be left clean, lights off, etc.
    • Permitted times 6pm-11pm (not before lab closes, not after 11pm)
    • Cannot exceed legal max occupancy (need to check what it is)
      • Safety (only one exit, small space, etc.)
    • Unscheduled ad-hoc use of lab is not ok
    • Security concerns are too significant (even first-semester OCF staff don't get this access)
  • Nick and Chris to meet next Thursday to discuss and relay BoD decision to B&G
  • Lending out OCF resources to student groups
  • Good idea, but tricky to implement
  • Primary concerns
    • Maintenance of servers
    • Who is responsible for updates?
    • Do groups get root?
  • Try it on a trial basis
    • Will discuss next meeting with a (hopefully) more concrete example
    • Groups will be required to renew after some term (e.g. every semester, but might vary by group)
  • Vote to amend the Constitution with amendment presented last meeting
  • Updates discrimination and membership language to be in-line with university requirements
  • Passes unanimously
  • Allocate $700 to buy dual monitors
  • Purchase 2 new monitors, move existing monitor to another PC
  • Creates 2 computers with dual monitors
  • Passes unanimously
  • [annotation by ckuehl: actual cost was $557]
  • Ideas for new services/projects
  • Setting up Hadoop or Spark?
    • Good for students/groups who want to run something, but don't want to set up the infrastructure
    • Probably need to clear requests (to avoid people mining bitcoins...)
    • Could run it on the powerful desktops
  • Purchasing a large-format printer
    • Lots of students, especially outside of CS, have to print large posters
    • Painful, difficult, expensive
    • Would be a useful service
    • Likely to be expensive and difficult to manage
  • Next time
  • Discuss building staff computer, more lab improvements

Meeting ended at 7:01pm