FAQ Technology - Centre College Parents Program

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES

Q. Are PCs provided in residence hall rooms?

A. PCs are not provided in individual student rooms. However, all networked residence hall rooms provide one port per student, and students may connect their personally-owned computers to these ports. All students have access to computers in classrooms, laboratories, and computer cluster areas. There is a lab in the library, which is available during library hours, and a few computers on the second floor of the Combs Student Center. For residents of Rodes House and all 5th Street, Grant Street and College Street apartments, network access is available only through wireless. The "Wireless Networking Policy" is available on the ITS wiki at http://wiki.centre.edu/its/index.php/Wireless_Networking_Policy.

Q. To whom can students go if they need computer assistance?

A. Students can call the Information Technology Services office to enter a helpdesk call at campus ext. 5575. They can also enter a helpdesk call online by going to the Centre homepage and clicking on the IT Helpdesk link, by visiting http://helpdesk.centre.edu, or by sending an email to helpdesk@centre.edu. Students may also contact the Student Helpdesk at ext. 6666 for help with a networking issue. Each individual student is responsible for the maintenance and repair of his/her individually-owned computer as well as problems not directly associated with the College's technology environment.

Q. Are students given e-mail accounts?

A. Every student is provided with a free network account with e-mail, regardless of his/her decision to connect to the network with a personally-owned computer. Information regarding e-mail accounts is given to the students at registration. Student e-mail accounts will remain active throughout the academic calendar and summer until the student graduates.

Q. My child is bringing a personal computer to Centre. What services does the College provide?

A. Students who have personal computers that are fully updated and running anti-virus/anti-spyware software will be permitted to register their machines on the College network from their residence hall rooms and have free access to network software, e-mail, and the Internet. Students without personal computers have the same access to the network from computer labs located around campus.

Q. What procedures do students need to follow to get their computers hooked up to the network?

A. Network registration is an important protection measure for the campus network. Step-by-step, guided instructions are provided by visiting http://helpdesk.centre.edu/connect when a computer is first connected to the network. Students may follow the online registration instructions and install the provided software on their own or they may seek help by submitting their machines for inspection/certification at a PC Fair. PC Fairs are held at various times during the first weeks of Fall Term. These fairs are managed by ITS and student technicians and provide a drop-off location for students requiring assistance in getting their computers connected to Centre's network. This service is free. More information about PC fairs (dates, times, locations) will be posted throughout campus. Students may elect NOT to connect to the College's network and simply use their own stand-alone computer hardware and software.

Q. What hardware do you recommend?

A. The software available from the College network works best on Windows XP or Windows Vista computers or a Macintosh computer running Mac OS X. Note: Mac OS 9 (and earlier) and Windows 95, 98, and 2000 are NOT recommended for use on the College's network and are not supported.

A computer using the campus network should have at least 512 MB of memory (RAM), a
40-gigabyte hard drive, and a CD-ROM drive. Memory requirements will increase over time and students purchasing new computers should consider machines with more memory (1.0 GB or more is suggested along with the ability to upgrade) and larger capacity hard drives.

In order to connect to the campus network, a computer must have a network interface card (NIC). All computers, both Windows and Mac, purchased in the past five years should have one preinstalled. If the computer doesn't have have a network interface card already installed, please consult with ITS and we will assist you.

All networked residence halls on campus use Category-5 network cables. Network cables (of various lengths) can be purchased from ITS at cost.

The College is not responsible for repair of hardware (CPU, keyboard, monitor, memory, drives, operating system, etc.) failure of student computers. Therefore, it is important to fully understand any warranties that come with the purchase of a new computer. ITS recommends purchasing a 3 year or longer manufacturer's warranty.

Q. Is there a policy on printing?

A. Network printing is available using shared printers located in the academic and residential labs. ITS staff maintains the shared printing equipment. Students may also connect a personal printer directly to their own computers. To control spiraling costs and discourage inappropriate and wasteful printing, student printing is monitored on networked printers. Students are allocated $33.00 - the equivalent of 550 black and white printed pages - for the entire academic year. Half of the allocation ($16.50) is provided during Fall Term and the remainder is made available in January for the rest of the academic year. Students may supplement their initial allocation by depositing funds for additional printing at the rate of $0.06 per page.

The College has expanded its corporate agreement with IKON, and IKON will provide the service and support available to all public printers. This agreement with IKON will enable the College to have a print/copy center on campus. This center will have color capabilities and will allow students, faculty and staff to have print and copy jobs produced there.

Q. What is the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)?

A. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers a variety of instructional technology support services and equipment to Centre students. In particular, they assist students with assignments requiring the use of technology. On occasion, a member of the staff will come into a class to teach various skills, such as web design, image editing, and Office software. The staff is also available to help develop a project and provide troubleshooting. In addition to any instructional technology needs, they also provide digital equipment (such as laptops, projectors, digital cameras, camcorders, CD players, and voice recorders) to students free of charge. All reservations for equipment check-out must be made online at least two days in advance - http://ctl.centre.edu - and all equipment must be picked up between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The CTL offers some of the best video and audio editing equipment on campus. There is a Production Studio, an 8-station Mac lab, and a digitization and duplication services lab. If students need to learn to make podcasts and/or video clips, or assist with Centre College radio or the Channel 12 news, check out the CTL!

The CTL will also take U.S. State Department-approved passport and visa pictures at a fee of $5.00 per sheet. Passport-sized pictures come in 2" x 2" and print out as two pictures per sheet.

Home