$4 million spent on computer upgrades
By Staci J. Sessler
Over $4 million will be spent to upgrade and remodel the campus computer network, including labs and offices.
Every computer lab has been equipped with new Pentium II computers, according to Harold Barnes, Director of Computer Services. An approximate total of 241 Pentiums have been installed. Overall, about 280 computers have been purchased since the end of the spring semester.
Ten new Macintosh computers will outfit the new art computer lab across from the art room in building B.
In addition to equipment upgrades, all of the software used on campus has been upgraded and new software has been added. Barnes said approximately $700,000 has been spent since May on computer purchases and upgrades.
The reason for this amount of spending is "to get caught up," said Barnes. "We have to make sure the students, faculty, and staff have what they need."
The labs are also getting new tables, there is rewiring being done and new servers being installed.
"We want to stress our appreciation for people’s patience with our construction," Barnes said. "This is a $2.1 million wiring project. When we are finished we will have new fiber optic cabling, new data cabling and new phone cabling to every single office and classroom on campus."
Seven new smart classrooms are also being constructed: in A-321, A-323, A-213, D-229, D-225, a portable one on east campus, and a limited one in F-113. Computer Services is hoping to get these completed in October, according to Barnes.
"A smart classroom is used to provide a learning environment where the faculty have all the necessary tools they need to present the information and work with the students with the latest technology," explained Barnes.
One smart classroom costs approximately $15,000. This includes a data projector, a console with a computer equipped with a DVD drive, a VCR, and a document camera.
A new open resource lab, equipped with 36 computers, has been added in LRC-D.
"It’s temporarily in now; it’s all usable, but it will be remodeled by December or January," Barnes said.
As computers in the labs have been upgraded, faculty and administrative office computers has been replaced with Pentiums from the labs. So far about one-third of the faculty and administrative office computers have been upgraded.
All students registered for classes on campus or off now have access to the computer resources. There is no special fee for computer access anymore; it is included in the standard fees everyone pays. This semester, instructors who request e-mail for their students receive on-campus e-mail accounts.
"Hopefully in the spring we will be able to offer it (e-mail) to all students, but it takes a lot of resources to do that," said Barnes.
There will be a new administrative system that will be used for all student records and college records. This is a 14 month project according to Barnes.
The wall between A-209 and A-210 has come down to make one lab, while there was a wall added in A-211-A212 to make that into two smaller labs. The lounge area in building A by the nursing offices is being transformed into a new lab containing 20 computers for the Dislocated Worker’s Center to use. This lab should be finished in September or October, Barnes commented.
Other major changes to be made include the replacement of the mainframe computer which runs the entire campus system plus various programs for the LaSalle County Government. A new phone switch is also being installed late this fall that will provide year 2000 compliance to handle the extra loads of additional phone lines.
Sept. 17, 1998 the Apache