DoTS to open lab in South Hall

As students enter the last third of the semester, the crunch for the computer lab increases, according to CTS Technician and sophomore Colin Janilla.

According to previous years’ schedules, the Green lab has always been open to students with no classes being held there. This year, however, almost everyday has two or more classes in that lab.

“All the labs have classes and that’s caused problems with the students,” Janilla said.

“The classes in labs have caused a lot of the general frustration we’ve heard about,” CTS Technician and freshmen Jon Borst said.

Borst and Janilla said they work about five hours a week in the library ITS computer lab. Five hours a week is all the budget allots for student employees.

According to the Division of Technology Services (DoTS) plans are underway to provide a 24-hour lab in South Hall for students. This lab would alleviate some of the pressure computer labs around campus have been feeling. According to this year’s library lab schedules, at the beginning of this year some
library lab staff were cut. Library computer schedules were reduced by one hour as well.

DoTS employee Steven Mead is in charge of arranging sufficient student staff to cover the needs of the 24-hour lab.

“The South Hall lab will be reopening for 24-hour use as of the fifteenth of November. We have now hired seven students to staff the lab. We are currently filing the appropriate hiring documents, providing training, and scheduling these students,” Mead said.

Mead said he does not think the computer labs on campus are in short supply.

“I do not believe there is a lack of hours or staff,” Mead said.

Mead explained that the cutback of hours and staff at the library labs was due to usage rather then poor fuding.

“Even though our hours were cut in the Davee Library labs by one hour, we have the second floor library computers available until 1:00 a.m. We have staff
available to help students, faculty and staff until 10:00 p.m. in the Davee labs. We have labs available on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and
Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. We will also have staff available overnights in the South Hall 218 lab starting November 15,” Mead said.

Mead assured students that they will find the computers they need to finish the end of their term.