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Communities for Advising, Facilitating, and Enabling (CAFE’s)
Libraries, Computing, and Technology (LCT) encourages the development of a variety of Communities
for Advising, Facilitating, and Enabling (CAFEs). CAFEs are a resource to the Vice Provost for Libraries,
Computing, and Technology (VPLCT) and LCT units. They provide an understanding of the work of people
and their organizational units and programs at MSU and recommend appropriate actions as it pertains
to information technology (IT).
Purpose
The CAFEs undertake activities and provide communication mechanisms that help people with common
interests share ideas, challenges, solutions, tools, and strategic directions. CAFEs may provide a context
for joint planning. LCT will engage with CAFEs for consultation—a key product of community
communication is advisory content that helps LCT direct its efforts and investments in information
technologies, systems, and services.
The CAFEs, being communities rather than committees1, welcome participation by anyone, and tend to
have an informal structure (each CAFE will establish its own operating approach) with leadership
provided by volunteer faculty and professional staff.
Expectations
Community: CAFEs will be open to all members of MSU (students, faculty, and staff) with an interest in
the particular topic the CAFE has been charged with addressing. All meetings will be open and publicly
announced. Participating members should comprise a mix of volunteers that will offer diverse opinions
and represent end-users, especially faculty.
Advising: CAFEs will give counsel and offer opinions and suggestions to Libraries, Computing, and
Technology. Recommendations and information will be submitted on a regular basis. The VPLCT will
expect to be invited to at least one meeting of each CAFE each year, and may be invited to multiple
meetings at any time at the CAFE’s discretion and consult with the CAFE participants regarding issues of
interest to the CAFE or VPLCT. The VPLCT will expect that CAFEs provide written reports to LCT on
specific topics or in the form of annual reviews or strategic planning advice.
Facilitating: The goal of each CAFE is to raise awareness and share information from a broad range of
topics related to the area assigned. Members will support discussions and contribute in a variety of ways
to ensure progress and bring thoughtful consideration for change. Communities are encouraged to
solicit the broader community for agenda items and to raise awareness of a particular issue.
Enabling: CAFEs enhance the quality of services provided to the university community, increase
efficiency and productivity of the university's resources, and improve the collective work environment.
Recommendations provided by each CAFE will provide the means and opportunity for LCT to understand
potential solutions to IT issues.
1
Expanding and replacing the former “CCSAC” (Communications and Computer Systems Advisory
Committee) subcommittees, CAFEs address the growing desire for effective cross-University
communications and community that the CCSAC committees were not as effective in addressing.
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The facilitating and enabling functions of CAFEs may take a variety of forms, including organizing
workshops, demonstrations, communities of practice, joint planning and collaboration efforts, etc.
Establishing a CAFE
LCT works to support CAFEs in a variety of ways, and wishes to help the CAFEs to be well-organized and
purposeful. Groups interested in forming a CAFE should submit their request to the Office of the Vice
Provost for Libraries, Computing, and Technology. Requests should detail the following:
Topic: What subject area will the proposed CAFE address? Please give careful consideration to
topics currently being addressed within an existing community.
Membership: Who will initially serve on the CAFE and who will lead the activities? What
mechanisms have been identified to encourage the exchange of ideas, foster discussion from
members, and decrease barriers for entry and exit of the community?
Leadership: CAFEs must be led by an engaged volunteer from the MSU faculty or professional
staff. CAFEs can only be successful if their leaders invest the personal time necessary to recruit
participation, run effective meetings, elicit active participation by others, organize topical work
groups and events, document the CAFE’s proceedings and output, etc. CAFE leaders are
responsible for moderating public discussions.
Logistics: When and how will the community meet? (e.g. regular or periodic face-to-face
meetings, online, or both.)
Working groups: There will be times when a specific agenda items requires the focused
attention of a working group. Working groups will focus on particular topics, investigate all
possibilities, and document information found to report back to the larger community. A leader
for each working group must be assigned to schedule meetings, solicit topical experts, and guide
discussions. Topical specialists must represent all sides of an issue.
Communication: Reports and updates are to be submitted to the Vice Provost for Libraries,
Computing, and Technology regularly. Bi-annual reviews will be conducted to evaluate the
future direction of each CAFE.
Terminating a CAFE
When a topic or area has been sufficiently addressed by a CAFE and any applicable working groups,
CAFEs may be terminated. Leaders of the CAFE to be terminated must:
Obtain consensus from members.
Consult with VPLCT regarding the CAFE’s disposition.
Submit final report to Vice Provost for Libraries, Computing, and Technology with request to
terminate.
Send notification to all members thanking them for their participation.
Current List of CAFEs
The Accommodating Technology community explores ways by which information and information tools
can be rendered accessible to the entire University, regardless of specific abilities and disabilities.
Members continue to review tools that are available to students, staff, and faculty members for creating
and accessing learning materials and teaching materials.
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The Administrative Data Users Group (ADUG), which initially started meeting in the spring of 2003, is a
community whose activities are facilitated by the Office of the Vice Provost for Libraries, Computing and
Technology. The group provides the opportunity for users to share experience, expertise, and tools, and
for communication between data service providers and users of services. Instances of the online
systems, data stores and reporting files of interest include: Contracts & Grants, Human Resources,
Alumni Donor, CLIFMs (Course Load, Instruction, Funding and Modeling System)/LIN, SIS, and other
university data systems. Individuals encouraged to participate include all categories of MSU
administrative data users, such as administrators; unit personnel managers; unit budget officers;
computer support staff who assist in developing and producing queries, reports and unit applications;
other staff who have responsibilities for gathering data and using them in reports; and unit security
contacts.
Computers in Writing help identify needs and promote technology use in support of writing and writing
instruction on the MSU campus. The main focus includes the writing courses and degree programs
offered in the College of Arts & Letters, the Writing Center, and Tier I writing courses in WRAC. This
community broadly focuses on other technology uses related to writing and writing instruction across
campus (virtual writing courses, collaborative writing, etc.), including technology support for Tier II
writing courses. Computers in Writing invites members interested in the teaching of writing to help
understand those differences and identify models of technology use that support best practices for
teaching writing in online environments.
Health Education and Related Technologies (HEART) provides a venue for joint planning across MSU’s
health professions colleges (Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine) and
advises the office of the Vice Provost for Libraries, Computing, and Technology (LCT) regarding
technology use as it relates to these colleges. It has traditionally operated on a “consensus” model
rather than via a formalized and codified set of rules. Functions include:
Advising LCT regarding technology needs of MSU’s health professions colleges.
Coordinating joint college technology planning and submission of annual budget proposals.
Identification and promotion of best practices and standards involving technology.
Dissemination of college planning and implementation activities involving technology.
Evaluation of and recommendations for new technology implementations.
Identification and showcasing of innovations for technology application in support of health
professions education, patient care, research, and college/unit administration.
The Instructional Computing and Technology Community (ICTC) is responsible for matters relating to
instructional computing and technology on campus including: instructional development, instructional
delivery, support services for faculty and students, management of curriculum and instruction, and
advising.
MSU IT Exchange, a community for collaboration, was formed to bring people interested in information
technology at MSU together as a cohesive group. This group meets on a regular basis throughout the
year and is open to anyone interested in supporting the significant role technology plays at Michigan
State.
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The Network Communications CAFE provides advice to the Vice Provost for Libraries, Computing and
Technology regarding the University's networking infrastructure, including design, configuration,
networked devices and services, and policy.