Background:
Prior to 2001 every faculty/staff member was subject to a computer upgrade
(better system/not necessarily new) based on the discretion of the Dean. The
previous deans in the College of Education would purchase enough computers
to upgrade approximately 1/3 of the faculty/staff. The Dean would prioritize
who he/she felt needed an upgrade, even if they had not requested an upgrade.
The Dean would then take the older computers that were pulled from the upgraded
systems and would re-appropriate then to the next 1/3 of users. Based on this
process each faculty/staff member received a new/newer computer every year.
Although this seemed logical at the time, faculty and staff were very frustrated
at getting a new or different computer each year. Often times the upgrade
was a minimal increase in speed and capabilities.
Since the new upgrade process has been in place since 2001, ETS has encountered
very few technical problems and the faculty/staff seem much less stressed having
to deal with an upgrade each year.
Faculty/Staff Computer Upgrades
As of 2006, the College of Education has approximately 120 full-time (faculty & staff)
positions. In 2001 a method was approved by Dr. Angela Lumpkin, Dean of the
College, to implement a computer upgrade program. The goal was to provide
each knowledge worker in the college a computer capable of completing their
work in a timely manner. After implementation, no faculty or staff member
of the College of Education would have a computer more than 3 years old. Traditionally,
these 40 computers are funded with year end funding.
The upgrade program is based on position title, not the user. Even a newly
hired faculty member might not receive a new computer when they start. They
most likely would receive the computer used by the previous employee in their
position.
Approximately 40 faculty/staff computers have been ordered each year since
2001. The 40 oldest computers in the college are targeted for upgrade. A
database of all computers in the College of Education have been maintained
by ETS since 1992 to determine who will get an upgrade each year.
College of Education faculty/staff who are receiving a new computer are notified
after the computers arrive on campus of their pending upgrade. During the upgrade
process each user is asked to backup their personal data files, on their current
system, to a network drive (M:) and an external media source. Each user is
also informed they are responsible for their data and to make sure they have
a secure copy prior to the upgrade.
When the user is ready for their upgrade, each contacts Kim Nichols to schedule
a time for the new installation. ETS staff installs the new computer and moves
user’s bookmarks, mail, addresses, etc. to their new computer. Their old data
files are then accessible via the network drive (M:). ETS holds each user’s
old computer in storage for approximately 1 month prior to “wiping out” their
hard drive. The goal of waiting one month to wiping a hard drive is so a user
can pull data from their old computer if they forgot to move something.
NOTE: There is always the possibility that computer upgrades will not be
funded in any given year as there is no line in the budget for this program.
Computer Lab Upgrades
The College of Education has four instructional computer labs and assists
in maintaining one collaborative instructional computer lab with Arts & Sciences/Nursing.
The goal of the upgrade process is to provide students with computers that
enable them to complete class projects in a timely manner.
In FY06, Student Technology Fees funded a collaboratively submitted project
that would put all campus computer lab hardware on an upgrade schedule (4 year
cycle). Each lab has been identified in the 4 year cycle and when it will
be upgraded.
NOTE: Student Technology Fee funding is soft money and should not be relied
upon to continue upgrading lab systems each year.
Classroom Computer Upgrades
The College of Education maintains approximately 24 instruction classrooms
including computer labs. Faculty use these systems for instruction. Students
use these systems for presentations in an effort to model effective technology
integration in the classroom. Each of these classrooms has a computer and
VCR connected to a mounted LCD Projector.
ETS tries to maintain a 3 year upgrade cycle via requests from Student Technology
Fees and/or year end college funding.
GRA Computer and Open-Area Student Computer Upgrades
Graduate Research Assistants and Student Assistants in departments use computers
that are “hand-me-downs” from old faculty/staff/lab systems. These systems
are still in good working order and fulfill the needs of these users.
Residual Computers/Surplus/Junk Computers
After all internal College of Education technology needs are met Jill Wright offers the residual computers to other university departments across campus. Many of the better computers are acquired by other campus departments. The remaining parts / old systems (usually junk systems) that are no longer useful are sold by Jill Wright in a surplus auction. See Jill for more information on this process.
