Reservation of IT Services Computing Labs

Purpose

Information Technology Services (IT Services) utilizes the following lab reservation polices for its computer labs to ensure fair access to faculty utilizing labs for instructional purposes, open access to students, and compliance with University of Wisconsin System guidelines for General Computer Access labs.

Procedures

To reserve IT Services Computer Labs

For a single or limited number of class periods
To reserve a lab, fill out a request form on the IT Services Computer Lab Management web page or phone IT Services at 4357. Reservations can be made for a single or limited number of class periods. Additional reservation information and criteria are posted on the IT Services web site.

Make reservations well in advance for orientations, workshops or a single or limited number of class periods. At least one-week advance notice is recommended. Requests are accepted on a first-come first-serve basis. Use of the labs without prior reservations is not permitted.

Faculty are urged to avoid scheduling required lab sessions during peak demand periods (such as the last two weeks of the semester) whenever possible.

UW System policy requires Extension and non-credit courses to be scheduled at off-peak times. This typically means evenings, weekends or break periods when classes are not in session.

For an entire semester
Reservations for an entire semester are permitted in labs designated as "computer classrooms". Since these labs are considered classrooms, they are scheduled by the dean's offices in cooperation with the registrar. To request one of these rooms for your class for the entire semester, make a regular classroom request through your college dean's office during the time period designated for making your class scheduling requests.

The IT Services Blue and Red labs in Davee Library are listed as "computer classrooms" which can be scheduled for classes for an entire semester. Classes may also be held in some departmental labs for an entire semester, but typically only for courses taught by those departments. See the IT Services web pages for a list of department labs.

Notify IT Services of cancellations

It is essential to make computer labs available for instruction or general student use as much as possible. Whether your reservation is for the entire semester or for one or two class sessions, please notify IT Services as soon as you know that you will not need a lab reservation. We will then open the lab for general student use or accept reservations from other faculty for that time period.

When a class is scheduled to meet for an entire semester in an IT Services lab, we automatically include the time designated in the class schedule for the final exam. If the exam time is not required, the instructor should notify IT Services to cancel the lab reservation so that the lab can be made available to others.

Coordinate software requests with IT Services

Notify IT Services at least 30 days in advance of special-purpose software needs; six weeks is preferred. Popular software such as Microsoft Office is already installed on lab computers and access to it presents no difficulty unless rarely used features and components are exercised. You must provide an adequate number of licenses to legally run the software on lab computers. IT Services staff will install the new software on the network server and workstations and verify that it will execute successfully. However, due to both time constraints and lack of expertise in discipline specific software, we cannot perform exhaustive testing. If you request installation of special purpose software, you should pre-test it well in advance of any scheduled lab use.

Labs Available for Reservation

Some of the computer labs that IT Services operates are available for scheduling classes, while others are available only for general access. Please see the IT Services web site at http://its.uwrf.edu/facilities/comp-labs/ for the lab locations, number of machines, platform, type of equipment and software that is available in each of them.

IT Services also supports various departmental, discipline specific or special purpose labs around campus. See our web site for more information about these as well. An additional general access computer facility is located in the Educational Technology Center in 130 Wyman Education Building.

Definitions / Types of Computer Labs

1. Computer Classrooms (or Teaching Labs). These labs were designed as classrooms to be used to teach computer intensive topics. Typically there are enough computers installed to provide one computer per student. These labs have an instructor's workstation connected to a ceiling mounted LCD projector for presentations.
2. General (Open) Access Labs. General Access Computer Labs may be used by any university student, faculty or staff member on a walk-in basis, for general, but academic-related purposes. Classes are not typically scheduled in these labs.
3. Dual Purpose Labs. Some labs serve both as teaching labs and open access. Classes are scheduled in them either on a regular or ad-hoc basis. When classes are not being held in them, the labs are open to general access.
4. Departmental or Discipline Specific Labs. These labs are developed and maintained to support the instructional program of a particular department or discipline and will often have specialized hardware and software installed. Some of these labs are also computer classrooms and classes from these departments meet regularly in them. Discipline specific labs are usually not open to the general student population. Students who need to use these labs typically will be directed to do so in class.
   
5. Special Purpose Labs. These labs are specialized versions of a discipline specific lab. They contain specialized hardware and software for departments' academic programs and contain little, if any, general purpose software. For example, computers may be reconfigured or network connections altered in response to teaching requirements, or perhaps connected to instrumentation systems. Examples are computer networking labs, Chemistry labs or process monitoring computers. Such labs are usually not useful to the general student population or suitable for open access.
6. Alternatives to Using Computer Labs. If a computer is required only for an instructor's presentation, utilizing a Technology-Enhanced classroom (TEC) is a good alternative. Permanent TECs contain a Windows and Macintosh computer, VCR, document camera, AV switcher and permanently mounted projector. They allow a presenter to project information from a computer, VCR, DVD or document camera on a large screen. Mobile TECs are also available which consist of a computer and LCD projector mounted on a cart which can be wheeled into classrooms and connected to classroom network jacks. For specific information on TECs and how to schedule them, please see the IT Services web site.

Basis for Lab Utilization and Availability

The various types of computer labs on campus are implemented utilizing different funding sources, which sometimes places restrictions on how certain labs may be used. For example, some general access and dual purpose labs were created with UW System General Computer / Network Access funding. UW System policy requires that labs created with this funding be open a minimum of 80 hours per week for open access / general student use.

Other labs were created utilizing student Technology Fee funding. The Special Technology Fee was created for the purpose of providing increased student access to learning technologies and is funded by a tuition surcharge. Therefore, UW System guidelines encourage utilizing these funds to implement highly visible projects that benefit the entire student body or a large portion thereof.

Departmental or special purpose labs are typically funded through the UW System Lab Modernization program which permits exclusive use by a department or academic program, but has other rules governing its use.

In summary, the purposes for which University computer labs and information technology resources can be used is guided by rules associated with the funding source, UW System, UW-RF and sometimes departmental policies. If you would like clarification about how a Technology-Enhanced Classroom or a computer lab may be used, please visit the IT Services web site or email the IT Services HelpDesk.

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