OIT shuts 3 computer labs

Wireless facilities planned to fill gap

iting low use rates and campus budget cuts, the Office of Information Technologies closed three computer labs of its 12 computer labs and classrooms at the beginning of the semester.

     According to a memo sent to school and college deans by Rosio Alvarez, interim associate chancellor for OIT, the facilities in Crabtree House, Bartlett Hall and Goodell will be replaced by mid-semester with "virtual" labs using wireless technology.

     Alvarez's memo said a cost and usage analysis of computer classrooms and labs showed that it was "financially impossible to keep all of the labs open given the current budget cuts."

     Two of the facilities, the PC Lab in 613 Goodell and the Journalism Mac Lab in 107 Bartlett Hall, will continue to be used as teaching labs for classes, but have been closed to public use, she said.

     Alvarez said the closings are supported by results from a SARIS Pulse Survey this past fall that showed a change in the pattern of computer ownership and use on campus. According to the survey, she said, 90.5 percent of students typically use their own computers, 4.6 percent use a friend's, and only 2.8 percent typically use an OIT public lab computer.

     Also, 57.2 percent said they never used OIT facilities. Of that group 80.9 percent said that they did not use them because they did not need them.

     OIT usage statistics collected during the first two thirds of the fall semester confirmed those trends, said Alvarez. Software that tracked logins showed an average of 3-4 student logins per hour in 20 seat labs. Recorded headcounts also showed extremely low usage, she said.

     Alvarez said althought the survey also showed that 75.6 percent of the students surveyed were interested in having wireless Ethernet service available on campus. In response, OIT plans to open virtual labs in the Du Bois Library, the Physical Sciences Library in Lederle and the Cape Cod Lounge in the Student Union.

    Alvarez said the virtual labs won't offer the same services as OIT labs, such as printing and consulting, they will allow students with an OIT account to connect to the campus network for Internet access. The wireless access points will be secure and available to students whose computers have wireless cards (802.11b standard).

     OIT will provide documentation to assist students in purchasing wireless cards, downloading software and connecting and also will have support available through the help desk for those needing assistance, she said.

     Alvarez also noted that the Cape Cod Lounge be the only lab where students can bring in food.