2003-10-24: Fall 2003

Minutes, SSRIC Meeting, Sacramento Oct. 24 2003

 

Present: Bettinger, Campbell (SSDBA), Chico, Lascher, MacIntosh, Nelson, Reibel, Ross, Shaffer

 

1) Conference call with Ilona Einowski of UC Data (Berkeley) re: Access to Field Poll data via UC Data. She proposes two options:

 



Option:


Cost/Year


Commitment


Limited Access


$3000


1 Year


  • FTP Access to all Field files

 


 


Full Service


$28,000


3 Years


  • FTP Access to all Field files

 


 


  • Question Item search utility (from UCSD)

 


 


  • .sda format versions of all Field files going forward

 


 

 

Council determines that password access to UC Data-housed Field files is not practicable from a security point of view; IP authentication would be less trouble and far more secure.

 

Council decides to request intermediate service level, which would provide FTP access and item search via IP authentication access but not .sda file conversion.

 

Council called Ilona back and requested a quote for this intermediate service level. Informal Council estimates are that Ilona’s quote will come in at approx. $10,000. The informal consensus was that a quote in this approximate range for this level of service would be acceptable.

 

Council also authorized Randy MacIntosh, together with a representative of UC Data, to negotiate an agreement with Field to provide all future files in .sda format at no additional charge.

 

 

2) Presentation by CSUSF computer team led by Andrew Roderick to present their projected DataCenter and propose it as a possible alternative to SSDBA.

 

Planned interface has excellent search and book marking functionality, will have good metadata, but is still on the drawing board. Will not be ready in time to replace SSDBA next academic year. It was not clear to all present that the service would add enough value to justify the cost.

 

3) Spring student research conference

 

Reibel reported space is reserved and budget is committed for all expenses except prize money for award winners. Council decided that, in keeping with precedent, SSDBA will fund one prize of $100.

 

Reibel asked for suggestions for a keynote speaker. Members suggested Gray Davis, legislative analyst Elizabeth Hill, Jack Pitney (Political scientist at Claremont Colleges), and Susan Pincus (L.A. Times pollster). Reibel and Korey had come up with Joel Kotkin (Pepperdine futurist), Dowell Myers (USC demographer), and our own Gene Turner and/or possibly his research partner, Jim Allen, as possible speakers. Council left the arrangements to Korey and Reibel’s discretion.

 

4) Future of SSDBA:

 

Council members present agreed that no repository would be necessary for data available to SSRIC affiliates, provided the following are in place:

 

a) access to ICPSR Direct

b) arrangement for access to Field data, presumably via UC Data

c) Chancellor’s Office to handle bookkeeping and IP authentication issues

d) Chancellor’s Office support for SSRIC

Chancellor’s Office to be advised that Council will remain valuable in the absence of SSDBA in its role promoting quantitative teaching and research; maintaining and expanding the Teaching Resources Depository, and promoting training initiatives on CSU campuses. Specific requests to the Chancellor’s Office to include travel funding and release time for a faculty TRD Webmaster.

 

Those present expressed optimism that arrangements could be made for continued access to Roper data, but also a general consensus that Roper data considerations should not delay planning for a transition away from SSDBA.

Lascher, MacIntosh and Nelson will draft an SSRIC proposal for academic 2004-2005 that does not include the SSDBA but does include continued data subscriptions, as well as support for the data access, administrative and SSRIC services detailed in points a through d above. This draft proposal will be circulated to Council members before the February meeting of the SSRIC. If necessary, proxies will be solicited so that if the membership supports the proposal it can be officially adopted at the February meeting.