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COMPUTER LAB POLICIES

The K-State Information Technology Policies detail the official university policies regarding appropriate general computer usage, electronic mail, Internet usage, and other applications of information technology. The following additional policy applies to the computing labs located at K-State at Salina.

Use of the computer lab resources indicates that you agree to the following rules:

FOOD AND DRINK ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE COMPTUER LABS

Food, Drink, & Tobacco Policy

The goal of K-State at Salina is to provide a clean, dependable and safe computing environment for its users. We need your assistance to make this goal possible. With the exception of the library, (STC111) where food and drink are allowed, please observe the "No Food, Drink or Tobacco" rule in all K-State at Salina academic computing labs. Recognize that the cleaning staff needs your cooperation in doing their job. Clean your workspace before you leave.

Failure to follow the "No Food, Drink or Tobacco" rule where it applies will result in loss of access to the lab equipment which includes all terminals, PCs, printers and scanners in the labs.

A misinterpretation of this policy on your part does not constitute an excuse for improper action. If you have questions regarding this policy, contact the departmental personnel where the lab is located.

Access Guidelines

There are several K-State at Salina academic computing labs available on campus for use by K-State students, faculty and staff. The K-State at Salina academic computing lab hours are determined at the discretion of the departments where the individual labs are located.

Unless exceptions are granted by the department where a lab is located, no children under 18 are allowed in the K-State at Salina academic computing labs unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian or they are enrolled as a student at K-State. Children under 18 who are not students at K-State may not use the computers, and individuals may be asked to produce a valid K-State ID as proof of their age and enrollment status.

Individuals exhibiting disruptive or destructive behavior will be asked to leave the facilities.

Unless exceptions are granted by the department where the lab is located, equipment use is restricted to K-State faculty, staff and students with a valid K-State computing eID.

Sharing of K-State computing eIDs and passwords is not allowed.

The software on the IBM-compatible PCs in the K-State at Salina academic computing labs is only available on the lab workstations. There is no external access provided either on campus or through dial-in service or through remote access services.

K-State at Salina departments have private computing labs and other resources such as scanners and laser printers. These labs are usually reserved for students majoring in the departments' courses of study.

Recreational Computing

The intent of computing at K-State is to promote administrative, educational, and research efforts. Due to limited resources, congestion in the labs and on the systems, and disruptive behavior, the general rule for all labs is:

* Recreational use may not interfere with academic uses of computing resources.
* Persons using the computers for classes or homework have priority at all times.

Recreational computing includes playing MUDs, Netrek and other games, and other extracurricular computing activities.

Academic use has priority over recreational web browsing and social use such as IRC.

Failure to follow these rules will result in loss of access to the lab equipment, which includes all terminals, PCs, printers and scanners in the labs.

Reservations

Individuals or groups wishing to arrange to use a lab for instructional purposes should contact the department where the lab is located for help determining what times are best suited. To reserve a computer lab, contact the Continuing Education department at 826-2633. Availability will be based on existing schedules.

Software Additions

Only software approved by the K-State at Salina Information Systems (IS) department will be installed. IS is responsible for the administration and maintenance of the academic computing labs. Only the IS department may install software in the academic computing labs. These facilities provide basic computer-based tools, such as word processing, spreadsheet, database, Internet and communications tools. Each department’s labs also have software of a more specialized nature related to their academic programs. In addition, faculty may request through their department to have new software installed in the labs for their academic instructional purposes. In most cases these requests can be granted without any negative effects. However, because of the limited resources in the lab and the heavy demand for them, modifications and additions must be done cautiously to avoid conflicts and disruptions. Considerations should include that additional software also requires additional IS staff resources for testing and installation as well as ongoing maintenance and support. Requests for installations of non-academic software (i.e. software not used by faculty for their classes and course work) are typically not granted.

Guidelines for requesting software additions:

1. Requests for software additions are to be Windows-based applications with a preference given to network-aware 32-bit Windows applications (Windows XP).

2. Requests should be submitted in writing (email) by the head of the department that is responsible for the lab, to IS at least four months prior to the beginning of the semester during which the software will be used. This allows adequate time for testing and installation, and for instructors to integrate the offering into their curriculum. If a request is submitted with less notice, it will be addressed as time permits. Changes during the semester should be avoided.

3. Software additions should be planned for a minimum use of two semesters. Generally, additions occur just prior to the fall and spring semesters. Since systems are often upgraded over the summer, software will have to be retested for compatibility.

4. Faculty requesting new software should contact the department head that owns the lab to make their request. They should provide to IS the system requirements of that program. The program must be able to run properly using the existing hardware and operating systems. IS can assist in determining system requirements and system compatibility.

5. IS will test the program for compatibility with the existing hardware, software and network services. This includes special functions such as file service, print service, virus protection and system security. In the event the software proves to be incompatible with the current configuration of the lab offering, IS may decline to add the application.

6. The department requesting the installation must provide IS with an actual copy of the software for testing, not a trial or demo version. Additional licenses should not be purchased until the software installation is approved.

7. The department requesting the software should be prepared to acquire and maintain a number of licenses equal to the number of computers in the lab where it will be used. License compliance will be verified before the software is installed. If the licenses have an expiration date, the department requesting the software is responsible for renewals. In these cases, the department should arrange for expiration dates to occur between semesters.

8. With rare exceptions, each computer in a lab needs to be identical to all others in that same lab. This applies to software and hardware. Users should be able to go to any unused computer in a lab and know that it will be the same as all other computers in that lab. Users should not have to wait to use certain computers that have special software while other computers in the same lab go unused. Identical computers are also more reliable, easier to maintain, and more efficient to set up.

9. Providing access to software installed on servers not administered by IS is a special case and generally not supported by IS. Those requesting access to software on other servers should be prepared to justify the request and provide their users with documentation and support.

10. All requests for special software should be channeled through the sponsoring department computer coordinator or department head.

11. Departments requesting software for courseware need to consider the method by which the data will be supplied to the professor for grading. Due to the high utilization of printing in the computing labs, professors are asked to not require that assignments be printed. Email or diskette submissions are other options that are available for students to get assignments to professors. There are currently several classes using these methods and we ask that all new offerings implement a similar solution.

12. Departments sponsoring software offered in the K-State at Salina academic computing labs should periodically review the need and the utilization of applications. If an application is discontinued from use for course curriculum, it is the responsibility of the department to notify IS of the change in status so that it may be removed.

Additional Information

• You must use the computers and computer peripherals in the way in which they are configured. Do not connect or disconnect computer peripherals or cables without the approval of the course instructor, laboratory technician, or other individual responsible for the equipment. You may configure the mouse for right- or left-handed operation to fit your needs, provided that you return it to the default right-handed configuration at the end of your session.

• You must access the campus computer network and associated peripherals with only the computers provided. You may use your own portable computer on campus, but no unauthorized physical connection between your computer and any other computer, peripheral, or network is allowed.

• You must use only the software supplied on the campus computers. You must not install personal copies of any software on campus computers, even if the software is freeware; notify an authorized staff member if software installation or upgrading is necessary.

• Do not access, display, or print text or graphical information that is considered objectionable or offensive to any individual or group.

• Laser printer usage contributes a major cost factor to the operation of our computer facilities. Please avoid excessive printer usage; particularly, be cautious when printing web page contents to avoid printing several pages when you meant to print just one.

CONTACT INFO:

Arts Science and Business
785 826-2692

Aviation
785 826-2679

Engineering Technology
785 826-2646

Information Systems
785 826-2666

Library
785 826-2636