1997 |
| August |
| Formed steering committee for private school consortium |
| |
1998 |
| January |
|
| Scholarship committee formed |
| February |
| Technology plan presented to Oishei Foundation Board |
| Spring |
| Defined schools’ requirements |
| May |
| BISSNET vote to incorporate |
| June |
| Scholarship component approved Redesign original proposal for technology |
| September |
| BISSNET member meeting: Difficult times – consortium may fall apart |
| October |
| Oishei Scholarship ($94,445) – first year Technology Advisory Committee Formed |
| November 11 |
| Mega meeting: Decision to move forward |
| |
1999 |
| January |
 |
| Redesign of technology component |
| March |
| Seed money for engineering ($50,000) |
| June |
| John R. Oishei Foundation Grant Awarded $3.98 million |
| July 26 |
| Project Director hired |
| August |
| Engineering designs sent out for bids |
| September |
| Oishei Scholarship ($196,470.94) – second year |
| November |
| 17 schools sign BISSNET member’s agreement |
| December |
| Contracts awarded to wire schools |
| |
2000 |
| January |
|
| Contractors begin wiring BISSNET Schools |
| February |
| BISSNET web page goes online |
| April |
| Verizon contract signed BISSNET present at National Catholic Educators Assoc. |
| May |
| IBM – Cisco contract signed for network equipment |
| June |
| Andalon contract signed for ISP and ASP services |
| Summer |
| IBM computers delivered to schools Faculty training begins Learning Village configuration and installation begins IBM begins configuration and install of network equipment |
| September |
| Oishei Scholarship ($304,189) – third year The Gow School and Niagara Catholic join BISSNET |
| October |
| Verizon begins install Electrical and Data wiring complete in all schools |
| December |
| Peter C. Cornell Trust Fund - $25,000 grant for college career
training package |
| |
2001 |
| January |
 |
| All schools connected to WAN and high-speed Internet Virtual Library added to web page |
| February 26 |
| Andalon.com ceases to do business |
| March |
| BISSNET subscribes to SIRS database (over 7,000 hits in 1st month) |
| April |
| LCD projectors delivered to all schools Videoconferencing equipment installed in 4 schools |
| May |
| PremCom contract signed Jame H. Cummings Foundation - $25,000 grant for videoconferencing |
| Summer |
| BISSNET presents at National Education Computing Conference Faculty/Staff training ECOS college/career software installed PremCom email and Learning Village installed |
| August |
| Verizon completes link to PremCom |
| September |
| Schools open with full high speed Internet access Diversity training begins with NCCJ Email available for all faculty and staff |
| October |
| Videoconferencing equipment installed in 5 additional schools |
| December |
| Oishei Scholarship ($405,429.60) – fourth year Multi-Point Videoconference Unit installed at PremCom |
| |
2002 |
| January |
|
| Major upgrade to Learning Village Strategic Planning begins |
| February |
| BISSNET presents at National Association of Independent Schools |
| March |
| BISSNETholds Consortium-wide Staff Development Day |
| April |
| Videoconferencing equipment installed in 3 schools Strategic Planning Day |
| May |
| Intel training grant awarded Smartboard grant awarded |
| Summer |
| Faculty/Staff training |
| August |
| SmartBoards delivered to schools – faculty trained |
| September |
| Diversity training continues with NCCJ BISSNET and Daemen College forge partnership in purchase of Large videoconferencing MCU with ISDN capabilities |
| October |
| Oishei Scholarship ($464,522.00) fifth year |
| November |
| “netTrekker” search engine added to virtual library BISSNET presents at NYSCATE |
| December |
| BISSNET signs agreement with Staples for consortium
purchase of paper and office supplies |
| |
2003 |
| January |
 |
| Virtual Library expands with “Wilson Biographies Plus” and “AMICO” (Art Museum Image Consortium) databases |
| March |
| Videoconferencing completed in all 19 schools Math-Science Initiative defined |
| May |
| Tech coordinators hold meeting via videoconferencing |
| Summer |
| Staff development -5 weeks including Videoconference withGeorge
Eastman House |
| September |
| 20 Elementary Schools sign Letter of Intent to join BISSNET |
| October |
| Oishei Scholarship ($466,988) sixth year “Opposing ViewPoints” subscription added to Virtual Library VideoStreaming implemented with WNED BISSNET webpage redesigned BISSNET logo redesigned by student contest |
| |
2004 |
| March |
|
| Signed letter of intent to collaborate with D'Youville College on 'Touch A Life…Be A Nurse' initiative |
| April |
| First BISSNET Arts Festival (at Nichols School) |
| Summer |
| Professional Development workshops |
| September |
| Seventh year JROF Scholarship ($497,622) |
| September |
| Schools purchase shared subscription to anti-plagiarism software (Turnitin) |
| October |
| Smarter Kids Technology Grant for SmartBoard purchases |
| November |
| Consortium-wide Professional Development day featuring Alan November, nationally known speaker on technology integration |
| |
2005 |
| April |
|
| Second annual BSSNET Arts Festival (at Cardinal O'Hara H. S.) |
| Summer |
| Professional Development Workshops; first collaborative meetings with Buffalo Prep and Bison Fund |
| September |
| Eighth year JROF Scholarship ($520,000) |
| September |
| Schools purchase shared subscription to Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) |
| October |
| BISSNET office moves to UB office with Buffalo Prep; 16 schools re-sign as Associate members |
| November |
| Prepare marketing newsletter to go to schools and community centers with information on JROF Scholarship, Buffalo Prep, Bison Fund and BISSNET schools - first effort of the newly formed "Alliance for Educational Opportunities" |
| December |
| Begin collecting school data to prepare for Technology Program RFP process |
| |
2006 |
| January |
|
| Consortium moves forward to create new Diversity & Community Engagement Program |
| February |
| Interview process begins for Diversity Coordinator position |
| April |
| Third annual BISSNET Arts Festival (at St. Francis High School) |
| May |
| RFP process begins; RFP sent to 16 companies |
| June |
| John R. Oishei Foundation awards $100,000 three-year grant funding toward Diversity & Community Engagement Program |
| Summer |
| Professional Development workshops (technology; diversity; history) |
| July |
| 11 vendors respond to RFP |
| August |
| Diversity Coordinator hired for September 2006 start |
| September |
| Ninth year JROF Scholarship ($505,866) |
| September |
| Contract for internet access awarded to Level 3; contract for internet related services awarded to Finger Lakes Technology Group |
| October |
| Work begins to transition 15 BISSNET schools to Level 3 (internet service provider) and Finger Lakes Technology Group (internet related services provider) |
| |
2007 |
| February |
| Completion of transition of all schools to new services |
| March |
| 1st BISSNET Student Diversity Leadership Conference held at The Church @ Asbury Hall; John R. Oishei Foundation awards $9,750 grant funding toward strategic planning process |
| May |
| Begin new strategic planning process |
| Summer |
| Professional Development Workshops (technology; diversity; writing) |
| October |
| First SEED classes for faculty and students held at Canisius College |
| |
2008 |
| February |
|
| BISSNET is featured on Buffalo Matters television show |
| March |
| New Strategic Plan approved by member schools |
| 4th BISSNET Arts Festival held at Karpeles Manuscript Museum |
| June |
| Shared marketing initiative begun |
| Summer |
| Professional Development sessions: Photoshop; Diversity; advanced SmartBoard training |
