[GRLUG] Learning System (Blackboard) job opening

[Szymon Machajewski]

Please hold the torches and pitchforks ...

Grand Rapids Community College is an organization dedicated to
innovation.
We've been running BB before the open source solutions were mature. 
Also a final choice of enterprise software is a complex set of
requirements and strategic goals.

Just today I attended a Sakai conference in Lansing (how appropriate). 
Along there was a GRCC executive, two directors, and an instructional
professional.  

I'm not sure what BB branding is being referred to.  Maybe the BB key
access transnational system we also own (different than a learning
system).



Szymon Machajewski

Solutions Engineer / DBA
Red Hat Certified Engineer
Oracle Certified Associate
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
www.grcc.edu/smachaje 


>>> "Tim Schmidt" <timschmidt at gmail.com> 10/3/2006 4:40:08 pm >>>
On 10/3/06, Michael Mol <mikemol at gmail.com> wrote:
> Blackboard has loooong been established as the standard at GRCC, to
> the point where there's BlackBoard-branded hardware all over the
> place.  I don't think Moodle is going to see much consideration
around
> here.
>
> Consider specialized hardware one of Bb's methods of lock-in.  All
the
> cardreaders, for example, are Bb-branded.

Yeah.  Exactly.  Coupled with Blackboard Inc.'s recent penchant for
filing un-winnable lawsuits (http://lwn.net/Articles/197535/), any
prudent organization making use of Blackboard should at least be
thinking about alternatives...

I'm realistic.  I don't expect GRCC to deploy Moodle next week.  What
I'd like to see is someone, somewhere in the school spending 20
minutes looking at alternatives, or slipping a word or two into job
offers like this one - not requirements - just 'bonus points if...'

Perhaps all this is going on to some extent and CC's IT / management
processes just aren't transparent enough to allow us to see that.  I
don't want to cause a ruckus...  just making observations about an
institution I feel I have some interest in, having attended.

Syzmon?

--tim
_______________________________________________
grlug mailing list
grlug at grlug.org 
http://shinobu.grlug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/grlug