MINNESOTA EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING CONSORTIUM:

An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society

Government Records

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium.
	Title:	Records.
	Dates:	1950s-2020.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Includes annual reports, preliminary planning records, board of directors correspondence and meeting files, committee files, disbanded task force files, member systems files, region correspondence, legislation files, budgets, publications, records of Dale LaFrenz, and published records and reports.
	Quantity:	19.4 cubic feet (20 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

The Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) was established by the State of Minnesota in 1973 to develop educational mainframe software for Minnesota schools. With the advent of microcomputing, in 1980 MECC translated the instructional mainframe software to the microcomputer. In 1984 MECC was restructured and became a public corporation wholly owned by the State of Minnesota. In 1992 MECC became a private corporation, purchased from the State of Minnesota by North American Fund II, a venture capital company.

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SCOPE AND CONTENTS

Published records include mainly reports and publications concerning the internal organization and administration of MECC, including biennial planning and budget summaries covering 1977 through 1983, time-sharing computer systems, and the use and impact of computers in administering schools and school districts. Included are reports on Atari and Apple computers (1983) and instructional (1982) and educational (1983) computing catalogs.

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ARRANGEMENT

Majority of the files apparently arranged according to a numerical file classification.

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: none; 982-155; 987-12; 994-59

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 990017110920104294

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION


Location
116.H.2.6F		Annual reports, 1974-1988. 15 volumes.


Location
131.D.16.2F	MECC Preliminary Records, 1970-1973:
		Preliminary computing reports, 1970.
		Chronological files, 1970-December 1973. 16 folders.
		Performance specifications and requests for bids, 1973.
		Legislative report, 1973.
		Memos to Board. 5 folders:
			Statewide computer plan, September 14, 1973.
			Financial summary, October 11, 1973.
			Travel expenses, November 6, 1973.
			Regional reports, December 6, 1973.
			Advisory council, December 13, 1973.
		Expenses, 1973-1974.
		Management information services (MIS), 1973-1975.


Location
131.D.16.3B	Board of Directors Files (File 1.1):
		General correspondence, 1973-1982. 4 folders:
		Appointment correspondence, 1973-1976, 1980-1981. 2 folders.
		Board chairman's correspondence, 1980-1981.
		Board reaction forms, 1976.
		Board Notes, 1976-1981.
		Meeting files, June 1973-December 1975. 31 folders.
Location
131.D.16.4F		Meeting files, January 1976-August 1978. 35 folders.
Location
127.L.7.1B		Meeting files, September 1978-June 1980. 22 folders.
Location
131.D.16.5B		Meeting files, July 1980-June 1981. 11 folders.


		Management Committee meeting files, October 1981-May 1984. 14 folders.
			Scattered. Successor to Board of Directors?


Location
127.L.7.1B	Committee Files (File 1.1.5):
		Regional Planning Committee, 1973.
		Personnel, Purchasing, Fiscal, and Legislative Committee, 1973.
		Nominating Committee, 1974-1975.
		ESV-MIS Policies Committee, 1974.
		Staffing Committee, 1975.
		Committee on Budget and Authority of the Director, 1975-1976.
		Governance Committee, 1975-1981. 3 folders.
		Special report, 1980.
		Search Committee for Executive Director, 1975.
		Finance, 1976-1977.
		Personnel, 1976-1977.
		Service and Operations, 1977-1980.
		Materials, undated.
		MECC position paper on legislation, 1978.


Location
127.L.7.2F	Planning and Budgeting Committee (File 1.2.2.3):
		Meeting files, February 1977-July 1981. 47 folders.
		General, 1979.
		Correspondence, 1977-1978, 1980-1981. 2 folders.
		Materials, 1980.


Location
127.L.7.3B	Facilities and Services Review Committee:
		Correspondence, etc., November 1974-March 1977. 6 folders.
Location
131.D.16.5B		Meeting files, 1973-October 1974. 5 folders.
Location
127.L.7.3B		Meeting files, April 1977-December 1980. 23 folders.
Location
127.L.8.5B		Statewide Timesharing System, bid proposal analysis, May-July 1974.


Location
127.L.7.4F	Advisory Committee (File 1.2):
		General, 1973-1975.
		Correspondence, 1973-1977.
		Meeting files, July 1973-December 1976. 45 folders.
		Library Committee (File 1.2.4):
			Correspondence, 1973-1977.
			Minutes, 1974-1977.
			Materials, 1973-1977.
			Proposals, 1973-1975.
		Advisory Council Committee on Research, Development, and Training, 1975.


Location
127.L.7.5B	Disbanded Task Forces (File 1.2):
		Contract Monitor Team correspondence, 1974-1976.
		Contract Monitor Team materials, 1975-1976.
		Contract Monitor Team minutes, 1975-1976.
		CAI Author Language Task Force, 1975-1976.
		Data Network Committee, 1975.
		ESV-IS Bid Evaluation Task Force, 1975.
		In-Service Training Task Force, 1973.
		Instructional Media Task Force, 1977.
		Instructional Microcomputer Study Task Force, 1977-1978.
		Interactive Data Base Management System Task Force, 1975.
		ITS Planning Task Force, 1976-1977.
		RJE+30 Character Terminal Pricing Task Force, 1975-1976.
		Technical Committee, 1973-1974.
		Terminal Acquisition Committee, 1974.
		TIES Task Force, 1974.
		Timesharing Alternatives Task Force, 1974-1976.
		User Group Task Force, 1974.


	Member Systems (File 1.4):
		General, 1977.
		Administration Department:
			General, 1973-1980. 4 folders.
			Materials, undated.
		Finance Department, 1976-1980. 2 folders.
		Education Department:
			General, 1973-1980. 8 folders.
			Budget materials, 1973-1980. 3 folders.
			Reports, 1973-1974.
			Vocational education, 1973-1974.
		ESV Task Force minutes, 1978.
Location
127.L.7.6F		Community College System, 1973-1979. 5 folders.
		State University System, 1973-1980. 7 folders.
		University of Minnesota, 1973-1980. 4 folders.
		MECC-University of Minnesota Joint Department of Curriculum and Instruction Task Force, 1977.
		Vocational institutes, 1979-1980.
		Private education, 1974-1977. 2 folders.


	Regions Correspondence (File 1.7):
		General, 1977.
		Correspondence, 1974-1975.
		Regionalization, 1973-1976.
		Region I, 1974-1978. 3 folders.
		Region II correspondence, 1973-1978. 3 folders.
		Region II board minutes, 1974-1976.
		Region III, 1973-1978. 3 folders.
		Region IV, 1973-1978. 3 folders.
Location
127.L.7.7B		Region V correspondence, 1973-1978. 3 folders.
		Region V board minutes/reports, 1973-1976.
		Regions I and II correspondence, 1979-1980.
		Regions III and IV correspondence, 1979-1980.
		Region VI Metro II:
			Correspondence, 1973-1980. 6 folders.
			Budget, 1973-1976.
			Minutes/newsletters, 1973-1977. 2 folders.
			Reports, 1973-1974.
		Region IV TIES:
			Correspondence, 1973-1976. 2 folders.
			Minutes, 1975-1980. 3 folders.


Location
127.L.7.8F		Management Information Systems (MIS) (File 1.8): Correspondence and subject files, 1974-1978. 12 folders.


		Instructional Timesharing Reports, 1975-1976. 3 folders.
			(File 1.9).


		Miscellaneous Reports (File 1.12):
			Honeywell deficiency report, 1974.
			CRESEIS reports, 1972-1973.
			Technical services operations report, 1976.
			Task Force on Governance report, 1974.
			Computing equipment inventory, 1977.
			NIE impact study report, 1977.
			Special projects report, 1977.
			EDUCOM report, 1975.


	Miscellaneous Administrative Files (File 1.15):
		Governance Task Force, 1974.
		MECC Update report, 1974.
		MECC bylaws, 1974.
		Joint powers agreement, 1973-1975.
Location
127.L.8.1B		Computer Bids and Specifications (File 1.16):
		Technical services bid I specifications, 1973-1974.
		Correspondence, 1974-1976.
		Reports, 1974-1976.
		Acceptances, 1974-1976.
		ESV bid specifications, 1974-1975.
			See also Subject Files, Box 127.L.8.5B.
		Computer bids, 1975-1977. 8 folders, 3 packets.


Location
127.L.8.2F		Facilities and Services Committee (File 1.23): Proposals reviews, 1974-1980. 56 folders.


		Miscellaneous Presentations (File 1.24):
			Miscellaneous, 1973.
			EDUCOM presentation, approximately 1973.
			National Center for Education Statistics, 1977-1978. 2 folders.
			Princeton address, 1973-1975.
			Rhode Island presentation, 1975.
			International Federation for Information Processing, Paris, 1980.
			Session 80, Victoria, B.C., 1980.
			EDUCOM, 1980.
			Orlando conference, 1980.
			National Computer Literacy Conference, 1980.


Location
127.L.8.3B	Miscellaneous Subject Files:
		Miscellaneous correspondence, 1973-1981. 10 folders.
		Organization structure, 1973.
		Disclosure statements.
		MECC memos, 1975-1978. 3 folders.
		MECC staff meeting notes, 1974-1978, 1980. 4 folders.
Location
127.L.8.4F		Policies and procedures of the Board, 1973-1975.
		Procedures manual, 1974.
		Personnel system, 1975.
		Personnel, 1974-1977.
		Executive director's personnel file, 1977-1980.
		Timelines, 1974-1975. 2 folders.
		Ken Brumbaugh's memo re computing costs, 1975.
		State university and community colleges computing equipment requisitions: quarterly reports, 1977-1979.
		Five year progress report, 1978.
		MECC Happenings, 1977-1979.
		Vendor correspondence:
			Burroughs, 1976-1977.
			Control Data, 1973-1977.
			Honeywell, 1974-1977.
			Univac, 1974-1977.


		Legislation (File 1.16):
			Enacted legislation, 1976-1977.
			Legislation, 1977, 1979-1980. 3 folders.
			Legislative budgets and reports, 1973-1976.
			Legislative correspondence, 1974-1976. 3 folders.
			Legislative correspondence and budgets, 1976-1978.
			Legislative material, 1977.
			House Subcommittee on Computers, 1973-1977. 2 folders.
			Correspondence with Governor's office, 1976-1978. 5 folders.
			Legislative Advisory Commission. Investigative report, 1980. 2 folders.


Location
127.L.8.5B	Budgets:
		Biennial budget papers, 1975/1977 - 1979/1981. 3 folders.
		Detailed budget proposal, FY 1978/1979. 1 volume.
		Review of Organization, Management Plans, and Proposed Budget, fiscal year ending June 30, 1976.
		Program Information, Staffing Plan, and Operating Budget:
			Fiscal year 1977.
			Fiscal year 1978.
			Fiscal year 1979.
			Fiscal year 1980.
			Fiscal year 1983.
			Fiscal year 1984.
		Audit reports, 1974-1977.
		Audit correspondence, 1977-1978.


		Slide presentation scripts, undated.


		Background non-MECC produced publications re educational computing.


		Miscellaneous items, 1976-1979.
			Pamphlets, newsletters, and joint powers agreement. Acc. no. 987-12.


Subject Files (cont.):
	Budget Request Review, 1975-1976.
	Budget Review Committee, 1976.
	Conference, November 30-December 2, 1982.
	Elementary-Secondary-Vocational Information Systems:
		May-August 1975.
		Bid Specification, July 1, 1975.
			See also box 127.L.8.1B.
	Governance Committee, 1973-1976.
	Governance Report, Fall 1974.
	LAC Investigation Report Committee, 1980.
	Long-range Time Sharing Alternatives - Final Task Force Report, March 10, 1976.
	Joint Powers Agreements:
		Amendments Task Force, 1973-1975.
		Revision, 1980.
	Personnel Policies, 1974-1975.
	Users Association, 1975-176.
	Miscellaneous, 1973-1984.


Newsletters:
	Dataline, 1977-1983.
		Scattered.
	USERS: The MTS Newsletter, 1979-1983.
		Scattered.
	Systems Update, September 1976-June 1977.
		[Box part empty.]


Location
127.L.8.6F	State v. Special School District No. 1 (Minneapolis).
		Trial to force Minneapolis Public Schools to become part of the MECC Metro II Region. Unarranged correspondence and background documents relating to the court case, 1978-1979 (7 folders, 3 volumes). Includes Metro II region correspondence files (1973) that were pulled by MECC personnel from general files for possible use during the trial.


Location
116.H.2.6F	Records of Dale LaFrenz, 1950s-2020:
		Records concerning the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, and its successor, the Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation, and the career of Dale LaFrenz. Mr. LaFrenz was on the staff of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, and later became president and chief operating officer of the Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation.
		Articles, 1989-2020.
			Photocopies of newspaper clippings and magazine articles.
		Awards, 1979-1997.
		MECC catalog, 1988-1989.
		MECC history, undated, 2011, 2018.
		Oral history transcript, 1995.
			Transcript of oral history interview of Dale LaFrenz conducted by the Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota.
		Scrapbook, 1950s-1990s.
			Includes photographs, printed items, biography and resumes, awards and memorabilia.
		Ph.D. thesis: The documentation and formative evaluation of a statewide instructional computing network in the State of Minnesota, August 1978. 2 volumes.
			Submitted to the University of Minnesota by Dale LaFrenz.
			[0.4 cubic feet empty]


Location
120.D.1.5B	Published records, 1972-1984:
		Summary of Minnesota Educational Computing Plans and Budgets:
			1977-1979 Biennium, November 1976.
			1979-1981 Biennium, November 1978.
			1981-1983 Biennium, January 1981.
		General Publications:
			Organized chronologically.
			A Proposed Educational Computing Services Organization: Its Facilities and Services, August 15, 1972.
				A report to the Governor’s Joint Committee on Computers in Education.
			MECC Planning Task Force. A Revised Edition of a Proposed Educational Computing Service Organization: Its Facilities and Services, February 15, 1973.
			Report to MECC Subcommittee by Dr. Gayle H. Anderson, Department of Education, November 19, 1973.
			Minnesota Educational Data Processing to 1980, October 1974.
			MECC Board Policies, Procedures and Internal Rules, June 1973--, by Don Henderson, January 1975.
			MECC legislative presentation script, February 14, 1975.
			Statistics on Instructional Timesharing in Minnesota, December 5, 1975.
			Minnesota Pioneers Instructional Time-sharing: A Case History, 1976.
				4-page leaflet.
			Acceptance Test of the MECC/UNIVAC Statewide Instructional Timesharing System: Report of the Staff of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, July 28, 1976.
			A Study of the Availability, Use, and Impact of Computers in the Administration of Schools and School Districts, November 1977.
			Procedures Manual[?], rough draft, approximately 1977-1978. 2 folders.
			Report of the M.E.C.C. Microcomputer Task Force, May 1978.
			Report to the Governor - Evaluation of the ESU-IS and SDE-IS Response to the Request for Proposal Questions, January 1980.
			Evaluation of Administrative Management Information Systems for Elementary and Secondary School Districts and State Department of Education. Report and executive summary, January 31, 1980.
			Elementary “Apple” Volume 1 for Use with the Apple II Microcomputer, July 1980.
			Telecommunications and Microcomputers: A Study of the MECC Elementary and Secondary School Educational Computer Delivery Systems, December 1980.
			Instructional Timesharing Network: Proposed Articles of Organization, approximately 1975.
			Instructional Microcomputing & Timesharing: A Minnesota Perspective. The report of the MECC Instructional Services Long Range Planning Project, June 1, 1981.
			Planning for the Continued Development and Support of Elementary-Secondary-Vocational Information System, September 1981.
			The M.E.C.C. Book for the Atari Computer, 1983.
			The M.E.C.C. Book for the Apple Microcomputer, 1983. 2 folders.
			M.E.C.C. Organizational Structure & Governance Report, January 15, 1984.
			Miscellaneous leaflets.
		Catalogs:
			MECC Instructional Computing Catalog: Courseware for Apple II and Atari Computers, Fall 1982.
			MECC Educational Computing Catalog, Fall, 1983.
				With price list.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Apple computer.; Atari computer.; Computer managed instruction -- Minnesota.; Computers in education -- Minnesota.; Education -- Minnesota -- Data processing.; Education -- Minnesota.; Information networks -- Minnesota.; School management and organization -- Minnesota.; Time-sharing computer systems -- Minnesota.

Organizations:: LaFrenz, Dale Eugene.

Functions:: Planning.

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MINNESOTA EDUCATIONAL COMPUTING CONSORTIUM:

OVERVIEW

HISTORICAL NOTE

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

ARRANGEMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

CATALOG HEADINGS