$20,000 to be spent on login time

Professor Alan Teich utilizes a faculty computer to help teach a Psychology course Wednesday in Krebs 240. | Photo:

Abby Gontis

Professor Alan Teich utilizes a faculty computer to help teach a Psychology course Wednesday in Krebs 240. | Photo:

Emily Moore, Staff Writer

Pitt-Johnstown-owned computers have caused frustration among faculty members who need a quick login time to start their classes.

An upgrade to make the login times faster for faculty computers on campus is to take place in the spring.

The idea was brought up by Academic Affairs Vice President Janet Grady at a faculty senate meeting last week.

According to Grady, the computers’ login procedure is to be upgraded.

“The current project is to replace the hard drives (login sequence) in the technology classrooms because of the specific concerns for the impact on class times,” said Grady.

The upgrade is to cost $20,000, which is to be funded from Pitt-Johnstown campus’ annual budget, according to Grady.

“The campus has an annual budget that is earmarked for replacing computers in the labs and classrooms,” said Grady.

“These funds are typically used during the summer; we are simply starting our work earlier this year to replace the hard drives in technology classrooms’ podiums.”

Pitt-Johnstown Information Technology workers are to do the upgrade work, according to Grady.

“The podium computer upgrade is scheduled to occur during spring break,” said Grady.

“We are still working on a schedule for the changes to the classroom (student) computers.”

When it comes to the computers that students use, plans are still being made to decrease the login speed for them.

According to Grady, it is being considered to offer a program menu in the technology classrooms.

“We are working with faculty to roll out two strategies for the computer labs,” said Grady.

“Computers in several labs will receive the same hard drive update.”

“In addition, we are considering offering a smaller platform of programs in some labs that are appropriate to the classes offered, but  that may not have large files that slow computer speeds; this work is still being planned.”

Student computers in the few Blackington Hall computer labs are a valuable resource to have during breaks and off-time for students.

According to junior Spencer Kale, the computers he uses in Blackington Hall take about five minutes to login.

“The only reason why the computers take even that long is because I take the login-logout shortcut,

“I think the long time it takes is ridiculous; if I did not do the shortcut, it would take even longer than five minutes.”

According to Kale, the money funding the upgrade project is going toward the wrong computers.

“I am just curious as to when more money will be found if all that money is from the annual budget and going toward faculty first,” said Kale.

“Why shouldn’t the students computers be first priority? I mean, it is our campus and our money goes toward this campus.”

Students who do homework in the Academic Success Center experience the login delay on computers that they use to print.

According to Academic Success Center worker Marley Elbin, some of the computers in the back take up to 10 minutes for students to login.

Compared with computers in Blackington Hall, the computers in the library seem to be used a little more, according to Elbin.

“If they did find enough money to upgrade students’ computers, as well, I would think that the library computers should be upgraded first, and then, possibly, the computers in Blackington Hall,” said Elbin.

“Those computers seem to be used most, especially the ones on the main floor of the library,” said Elbin.

“Some of the computers take so long that I have had to leave the library because the login has taken so long, and it is unreliable to get something printed off in time before I have to go to class.”