COLUMN: Computer labs’ 14 new software packages helping students
Band-in-a-Box, AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suite are only three of the 14 new software packages that were upgraded this past summer in Utah State University’s 11 open-access computer facilities. The computer labs contain more than 80 software packages and house 741 PCs and 70 MACS – all for student use. Because the labs are funded from student body fees, any student with a current USU identification card has access to them to complete and enhance their coursework. If you haven’t ventured to a computer lab this semester, or didn’t know about any others except for the one in the Taggart Student Center (TSC), they are located in the following buildings: University Reserve Building, Merrill and Sci-Tech libraries, Ag Science and Family Life buildings, Industrial Technology, Engineering, Business and YETC/Education buildings and in Old Main.
All are under the direction of Network and Computing Services and the Computer Fee Committee. The six general labs operated by Student Lab Services (SLS) added four software programs specifically to let students know which computers are available, ask the lab consultants for help, and more. The Help Request Software is a blue button on the bottom right of the PCs, that when pushed, will let the consultant know the student needs assistance. Students are now required to log in when they enter these labs with the User Authentication, which was installed to get ready for the Information Commons in the new library.
Because there will be no direct entrance to the Information Commons this program just authorizes students’ access to the computers; it also connects to the Lab Seating Displays located in the SLS labs. This tracks which computers are currently being used, which ones are available and the ones that are out of order.
Finally, the Waiting List Display, located only in the TSC Lab, allows users to electronically sign up to use a computer. On the first day of classes this semester more than 1,400 students signed up on this waiting list. As we get closer to the end of this semester and closer to finals, and as a fellow Aggie, I just want to remind students to 1) get some sleep, 2) there are no cell phones or food allowed in the labs, and 3) from Nov. 29 thru Dec. 16 the TSC lab will be open 24 hours a day, and the UR Graphics Lab will be open until 12:45 p.m. Both labs in the libraries will have extended hours as well. (And … somewhere in there ASUSU will be providing food and snacks outside the TSC Lab to help tide over those all-nighters I know we’ll be having.) If any of you have questions, comments or concerns about the labs, please visit our new Web site, www.usu.edu/computerlabs. We appreciate any feedback to help make the labs better.
Ashley Stolworthy is the public relations peer manager for Student Lab Services. Any comments or questions may be sent to ashs@cc.usu.edu.