Search   FAQ   Contact

OIT Computer Lab - FAC 444

About the Classroom

The OIT Computer Classrooms are teaching spaces for faculty using computer technology in their coursework. When not being used for teaching, students, faculty and staff have access to the Computer Classroom facilities. Consultants are available in each of the OIT Classrooms. They can assist with machine malfunctions and basic software problems. More extensive support is available from the OIT Help Desk.

General Guidelines

What you need to use the Computers:

• An OIT Computing Account
• Your UMAccess password
• Bring a USB memory stick, a zip disk or a plain old dikette to save your work (or use UDrive). Work cannot be stored on OIT Classroom computers.

Using our Computers:

Please don’t share your OIT Account information. Please don’t share your OIT Account NetID (user name) or password with anyone. You will be held responsible if your share your personal information and someone else uses your account. Note that using someone else’s identity is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct (Section II.A.2): Prohibition Against Misrepresentation of Yourself as Another Person.

Please don’t eat and/or drink in the classrooms. No one is exempt from this. If you bring in food or drink, you will be asked to leave. A shared space is difficult to maintain. Stained floors, sticky mice, and non-functioning keyboards are all the victims of eating and drinking in the classrooms.
Please don’t login to more than one computer.

Computers in the OIT Classrooms are customized for you with a “roaming profile.” This means that your desktop will look the same regardless of which computer you log in to. Logging-in to more than one computer at once could corrupt this service and lead to the loss of your data. Please use one machine per visit.

Most peripherals (e.g., Zip drives, digital cameras, USB Drives) cannot be used in the classrooms. Our public computer facilities are not designed to accommodate the hardware needs of individuals.

Faculty members who require the use of their own computer and/or peripherals for teaching a class can make special arrangements with the OIT Computer Classrooms staff. http://www.oit.umass.edu/classrooms/index.html

Computer Classroom Etiquette:

Computer classrooms are not “childproof.” Children are not welcome to use the computers or printers in our classrooms. Not only may they be at risk of injury from the heavy equipment and cables, they also may be distracting to other people working in the classrooms.

Please turn off your cell phones. The ringing of cell phones and conversations are distracting to other users. Please turn off your cell phone ringers and carry on cell phone conversations outside of the classrooms.

What about study groups? Currently, there is one OIT Computer Classroom (16th floor Du Bois Library) designed for collaborative learning. Two individuals can sit comfortably at a single computer. During evening hours, try the Calipari Room on the Main floor of the Du Bois Library. Wherever your study group goes, please remember that your group discussions may be disruptive to others and you may be asked to leave. Be aware of those around you.

Lose Something? If you think you may have lost or forgotten something in one of our classrooms, please return to and/or call the classroom to see if our student consultant has found it or a note has been placed in a log book. If more than a few hours have passed, contact the PCCO Staff Room, Room 738 Du Bois Library, 545-1611 and ask them for further assistance.
Please clean up the work space before you leave.

Computer classrooms are shared by the entire University community. Pick up pieces of paper on the desk, push in your chair and make it ready for the next user before you leave your computer.

Schedule

The room schedule varies from semester to semester. The current one is always posted on the door of FAC 444. You can also find it here.

Printing Policy

Members of the UMass community can use their UCards to pay for printing on a per page basis ($.05/page).To print documents in OIT Computer Classrooms, you'll need an active OIT Account and a UCard with a Debit Account.

Benefits of this service include:

• 100 free printouts: As of January 25, 2005, all students will be given a $5 credit on their UCards (equivalent to 100 free pages of printouts). This credit will be given each semester.
• Relaxed printing restrictions: Over the past year, OIT has had to tighten the restrictions on the type and quantity of printouts in our classrooms. With the new service, you will be able to print any type of document, including eReserves, from our computer classrooms. Printing quantities will still be limited to 50 pages per print job.
• Error-checking: Avoid unwanted printouts and duplicates. Our software asks you to confirm whether you want to print out a document or not.
  Reduce waste: Reducing the waste of paper and toner helps out our environment.

Getting Started with Pay-for-Print:

To use our Pay-for-Print service, members of the UMass community will need an OIT Account and a UCard with a Debit Account. If you are ineligible for a UCard, you can purchase a Visitor’s Card from any of our Value Transfer Stations on campus. More information on UCards can be found on the UCard Web site: http://www.umass.edu/ucard.

Studios

All studios have wireless internet access.

Software

Beyond the preinstalled software on the OIT computers, students can purchase low-priced student-versions of all major applications. Many of those are available through the university store. Here are some examples:

Drafting / CAD:

• Bentley PowerDraft - Drafting program, basis for Bentley's MicroStation. FREE academic version can be downloaded from here.

3D Modeling / Visualization / Rendering:

• @Last Software SketchUp - Easy-to-learn sketch-based 3D-visualization and conceptual design program. 1-year student version available, $99
• Blender 3D - Open-source 3D modeling and rendering software for several platforms. FREE

Other Links:

• CAD links on the BMATWT 390M course page

OIT workshops

OIT provides the UMass community with workshops and training on technology-related topics. Want to create a course Web site? Need to know more about Dreamweaver? OIT can help you get started.

Web Accessibility / Quick Web Sites / Web Site Planning / Digital Images / Quick Start Guides / Tutorials

For more information click here.