Geospatial Task Force

The Geospatial Task Force is a group of faculty, staff, and researchers who were brought together to examine strategies to enhance and promote geospatial research, teaching, and service at the University of Florida. During 2014 and 2015, the Task Force inventoried current and proposed UF geospatial resources (research projects, expertise, service, and curriculum), assessed campus geospatial needs, and explored geospatial partnerships in order to better understand how we can create a spatially-infused university. In May 2015, the Task Force concluded its initial work and developed a report of their findings (below).

Report: Toward a Geospatially Integrated University(PDF, 1.42 MB)

Task Force Vision and Mission Statements and Goals

Mandate

Task Force Charge Letter (PDF, 52 kB)

The Geospatial Task Force is charged as follows:

To develop a strategy to place the University of Florida in the forefront of research universities that create, disseminate and apply geospatial information.  To develop that strategy we encourage the Task Force to:

• approximate the current dollar amount of research that employs geospatial data and analysis
• approximate the current and projected number of students who are taking courses in geographic information systems and how many student credit hours currently are and might be generated in the future by these students
• explore the role, if any, that geospatial information creation, management, and dissemination should play within the proposed Informatics Institute
• determine what if any organizational structure is needed to coordinate the creation, management, and dissemination of geospatial information
• identify short term and long term investments that are needed to optimize the creation, management, and dissemination of geospatial information, organized into a 5 year plan, and
• provide tangible examples of the ways geospatial information has been and will be used in the future to describe and solve pressing problems for the State of Florida, the Nation, and the World.

Meeting Dates & Agendas

Meetings will take place in 429 Library West, unless otherwise noted

• September 24, 2014 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Agenda:

1. Introductions
2. Review of Charge
3. Discussion of Work Plan

• October 8, 2014 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Agenda:

1. Approve minutes of 9/24 meeting
2. Review vision/mission/goal statement
3. Review status of PI lists, what if any areas have not been covered
4. Review status of course lists, what if any courses have not been included

• October 22, 2014 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Agenda:

1. Finalize data gathered on:
   1. Pls
   2. Courses
   3. Interdisciplinary Entities
2. Discuss and finalize vision/mission/goals statement
3. Review preliminary submittals of tangible examples

• November 5, 2014 1:00 – 3:00 pm*

* Meeting will take place in Collaboration Commons, Conference and Visualization (Room L136) in the basement of Marston Science Library

Agenda:

1. Review classified course list
2. Adopt Vision/Mission/Goals statement
3. Review and discuss template for tangible examples
4. Brainstorm a list of potential investments, institutional enhancements, organizational elements, staffing additions, hardware additions, software additions, etc. that will move UF towards our goal of preeminence in Geospatial Information.
   Suggested approach: Consider obstacles that you have experienced in your teaching/research/service/extension/outreach/clinical practice and what could be done to overcome that obstacle.

• November 19, 2014 1:00 – 2:00 pm*

* Meeting will take place at the GeoPlan Center, 131 Architecture Building

Agenda:

1. Continue discussion of geospatial needs
2. Review outline for Final Report

• December 3, 2014 1:00 – 2:00 pm

*Meeting will take place in Collaboration Commons, Conference and Visualization (Room L136) in the basement of Marston Science Library

Agenda:

1. Review Tangible Examples
2. Review Final Report Outline
3. Continue work on Geospatial Needs Matrix

• December 17, 2014 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Agenda:

1. Review Final Report Outline
2. Continue work on Geospatial Needs Matrix (software, data, institutional sections)

• Monday March 30, 2015 1:00 – 3:00 pm*

*Meeting will take place in Collaboration Commons, Conference and Visualization (Room L136) in the basement of Marston Science Library

Agenda:

1. Review Final Report

Minutes

• September 24, 2014 (PDF, 37 kB)
• October 08, 2014 (PDF, 247 kB)
• October 22, 2014 (PDF, 230 kB)
• November 04, 2014 (PDF, 237 kB)
• November 19, 2014 (PDF, 246KB)
• December 03, 2014 (PDF, 235kB)
• December 17, 2014 (PDF, 208kB)

Membership