Garrett:

Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis established a campus
wide committee to address Y2K issues. We also have a website at the
dental school.

It is a complicated process, but a brief description follows:

Our first charge was to designate an individual at each of the schools to
coordinate Y2K assessment and contingency planning.  I was
designated the y2k coordinator for the School of Dentistry and have
been involved in the process for several months. Our process initially
started with an inventory. We tagged with a Y2K barcode all research
equipment and computers which may be impacted by Y2k. We are now
involved in doing assessment of these items, which includes contacting
the companies and running diagnostic tests.

We have also identified critical storage units (-70 freezers, refrigerators,
etc.) and our bioresearch units (plants & animals) which may be
impacted by loss of basic utilities.

As we address the basic assessment of our equipment and our
computer concerns we are also very involved in putting together a
school and campuswide "contingency plan". This plan varies with each
unit..depending upon the units mission.

The areas of concern for the dental school are 1) Protecting our
bioresearch units; 2) Developing a plan to assess  post January 1, 2000
Y2K bug impact; 3)  communicating with our clients (patients, students,
staff regarding our cability to resume  "business" post January 1, 2000.

Academic units have the unique position of being closed for the holidays,
so our basic problem will be the resumption of services. A major
exception of course are the hospitals and in the case of the dental
school, oral surgery and emergency clinics.

IUSD intends to take steps to backup our critical "storage units" and
bioresearch facilities as well as  contact "suppliers" in a timely manner to
make sure the necessary supplies are available on site in case of a
breakdown in the supply chain.

I have just explained enough to make me sound dangerous. But we are
currently steeped in the many aspects of ensuring the integrity of our
research units.  What I have described is a just a "taste" of the many
issues our campus is addressing.

A few of our basic goals are as follows:  1) to make sure we have
assessed and upgraded or remediated equipment and computer related
technology (to the best of our ability) prior to the Y2K; 2) Create a
contingency plan, which will, at the least, protect our bioresearch
facilities immediately following Jan 1; 3) provide a mechanism to assess
the impact of Y2K and, if needed, "switch to a back-up mode" to protect
critical systems; and  4) communicate our findings with faculty, staff and
patients in an efficient and effective manner in order to resume services
as soon as possible.

Our campuswide coordinator is working with our Vice Chancellor for
Research to review "research oriented issues. They have set up a Y2K
Research Issues Task Force which will be made up of research deans
from IUPUI schools and units. This task force will work with unit Y2K
coodinators in identifying mission critical research equipment and
bioresearch areas so that contingency plans can be developed to
protect these areas.

Guess where I will party on New Years this year!!!

If you have more questions, please contact me directly.

Jude Wilkinson, J.D.
Director, Sponsored Research and Technology Transfer
Indiana University School of Dentistry
xxxxxx@iusd.iupui.edu
317-278-3290

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