Big Brother is watching
Thom Koschwanez
Issue date: 3/25/05 Section: News
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Abuse of printing privileges and overabundance of music and porn downloads will soon come under close scrutiny when new login procedures become effective in all Western Illinois University labs.
New computers and new software mean new accountabilities for students. According to Mitch Davidson, University Computer Support Services director, over 300 3Ghz., Pentium IV, 512MB RAM, DVD/CD burner computers with 17-inch flat panel displays will be replacing older computers in labs at Western.
Computer fees have remained at $2.45 per credit hour since 1999, but for incoming students fees have increased in the 2005 fiscal year by 88 cents to $3.33 per credit hour. For a student taking 15 credit hours, that fee is up to almost $50 per semester, according to Davidson, students will see the results of increased fees.
"Nearly every UCSS supported lab, 26 locations, will receive an update of some kind, whether it be new PCs or some type of upgraded hardware," Davidson said. "The project is quite extensive."
The lab upgrades have already begun and will continue through the summer. Labs in Morgan and Simpkins halls now require students to login using their ECOM user ID and password.
"Login procedures prevent unauthorized access, and in our case will also provide the benefit of network accessible storage," Davidson said.
In other labs no password is currently required.
"People come in here and print flyers for their fraternities and sororities, and it wastes a lot of paper," said Zach Larson, computer lab technician and senior computer science major.
No limit is currently set on how much one individual can print, but that may change in the future. Larson said UCSS is looking in to setting the amount of print jobs a student can make per semester; anything above the set amount and a student might incur charges.
Latonya Jackson, junior computer science major, is a lab tech and sometimes sees people leave the lab before their print jobs are finished.
New computers and new software mean new accountabilities for students. According to Mitch Davidson, University Computer Support Services director, over 300 3Ghz., Pentium IV, 512MB RAM, DVD/CD burner computers with 17-inch flat panel displays will be replacing older computers in labs at Western.
Computer fees have remained at $2.45 per credit hour since 1999, but for incoming students fees have increased in the 2005 fiscal year by 88 cents to $3.33 per credit hour. For a student taking 15 credit hours, that fee is up to almost $50 per semester, according to Davidson, students will see the results of increased fees.
"Nearly every UCSS supported lab, 26 locations, will receive an update of some kind, whether it be new PCs or some type of upgraded hardware," Davidson said. "The project is quite extensive."
The lab upgrades have already begun and will continue through the summer. Labs in Morgan and Simpkins halls now require students to login using their ECOM user ID and password.
"Login procedures prevent unauthorized access, and in our case will also provide the benefit of network accessible storage," Davidson said.
In other labs no password is currently required.
"People come in here and print flyers for their fraternities and sororities, and it wastes a lot of paper," said Zach Larson, computer lab technician and senior computer science major.
No limit is currently set on how much one individual can print, but that may change in the future. Larson said UCSS is looking in to setting the amount of print jobs a student can make per semester; anything above the set amount and a student might incur charges.
Latonya Jackson, junior computer science major, is a lab tech and sometimes sees people leave the lab before their print jobs are finished.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
aj-noce
aj-noce
posted 3/26/05 @ 4:19 PM CST
The title of this article is very appealing to the reader, but it is going to give readers the wrong idea about the new login. I myself am surprised that it took this long to impliment the login procedures. (Continued…)
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