IT Staff - Vanderbilt University



School of Engineering Criterion 3.8.3

Appendices

School of Engineering IT Staff

David R. Linn

Title: Computer Systems Analyst III

Education

* Master of Science in Computer Science, Vanderbilt, 1999

* Graduate work in Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt, no degree

* Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering (minor in Biomedical

    Engineering), Vanderbilt, 1982

Continuing Education

* Various 1-5 day training courses, many with CEU credit

Related Experience

* 20 plus years (1983-present) of system management/administration

    experience, Vanderbilt

* 25plus years (1978-present) of computer programming experience, Vanderbilt

William Andrew Richter, Jr. (Andy)

Title: Computer Systems Analyst III

Education

Master of Science in Computer Science,  Minor: Mathematics,1986,Vanderbilt University

   Bachelor of Arts, 1984, Lipscomb University  Double Major:  Mathematics and Computer Science

Philip Vermeulen

Title: Computer System Administrator III

Education

BSET, Electrical Engineering Technology, Minor in Computer Science.

Middle Tennessee State University, 1999

AAS, Electrical Engineering Technology Nashville State Technical Institute, 1982

Anthony J. Costi

Title: Network Technician III

Education

A.A.S. Communication Technology, Nashville State Technical Institute,, 2001

Continuing Education

Certificates

Certified Novell Administrator

Novell Network Technologies

CompTIA A+ Certified

Microsoft MCSE Networking Essentials

Micrsoft Certified Professional

3Com Certified Network Telephony Specialist

IBM Desktop/Warranty Support

Dell Dimension, Optiplex Desktops, Precision Workstations, Notebooks, PowerEdge Servers

Linda Hurst

Title: Media Center Operator

Education

Pontiac Central High School in Pontiac, Michigan, 1971

Continuing Education

Certificates

Complete MCSE program on Saturdays from fall of 1999 through spring of 2000, here at Vanderbilt.

 

Currently have 23 student workers in the Media Center and Print Shops and 4 student workers in the Laptop Service center.

APPENDIX 1

Help Desk Survey

Closed Tickets by Technician

from 01/10/06 to 05/01/06

Administrator, Administrator 0

Albert, Hampton 170

Costi, Tony 158

Huckabee, Matt 49

Kashdan, Lee 24

Morgan, Neal 13

Sullivan, Reid 15

VerMeulen, Phil 109

Total Tickets 538 Average Open Time 26.9 hours

Help Desk Report 8/1/06 thru 12/11/06

465 tickets closed

30 tickets open

495 total tickets

Hardware=396

Software = 51

Virus = 21

Wireless = 14

Deleted = 10

Email = 3

495

Closed Tickets by Problem Type

from 08/01/06 to 12/11/06

E-Mail Report 0

Hardware 386

Software 0

Software • Software 44

Virus 21

Wireless 14

Total Tickets 465

Response time 27.9 hours

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Open Tickets by Technician

from 01/10/06 to 05/01/06

Administrator, Administrator 0

Albert, Hampton 6

Costi, Tony 0

Huckabee, Matt 0

Kashdan, Lee 0

Morgan, Neal 0

Sullivan, Reid 0

VerMeulen, Phil 6

Total Tickets 12 Average Open Time 19.1 hours

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APPENDIX 2

Laptop Review Committee Report

Prepared for Dr. Kenneth Galloway

Dean, Vanderbilt School of Engineering

November 1, 2006

Submitted by VUSE Ad Hoc Laptop Review Committee

_____________________ ____________________

Robert J. Roselli, Chair Kenneth A. Debelak

_____________________ ____________________

Knowles A. Overholser A. B. Bonds

_____________________ ____________________

Sanjiv Gokhale Greg Walker

_____________________ ____________________

Clare McCabe Chris Rowe

_____________________

Matthew M. Huckabee

I) Purpose and Strategy

IA) Purpose

The Ad Hoc Laptop Review Committee was charged by the Dean of the School of Engineering to review the effectiveness of the School's TransIT laptop program. The current policy requires that all entering freshmen purchase the same laptop computer and software package. The Dean specifically requested that we carefully and objectively determine the extent to which our curriculum depends (or should depend) on the current program and to address the question:

"Can our curricular needs of the present and of the next five years, be met without requiring every student to purchase the same computer?"

1B) Strategy

Our approach was to gather as much information about the effectiveness of the program as possible by reviewing the use of laptops in our courses, developing and conducting student and faculty surveys, and organizing student focus groups. We added a student member to our committee. We also gathered information about the computer requirements of our peer institutions and other institutions that are recognized for innovative uses of laptops.

II) Recommendations

The Laptop Review Committee unanimously recommends that the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering should continue to require that all undergraduates have a laptop computer. A significant number of courses make good use of student computers in the classroom and in the laboratory, while many others require the use of computers for homework assignments. Results from both faculty and student surveys indicate that personal computers are important to our educational mission, and laptops are overwhelmingly favored over desktops by students.

Our curricular needs can be met without requiring every student to purchase the same laptop computer. However, the committee believes that abandonment of the TransIT program would be a serious mistake. A program in which all students must bring their own laptop that meets the School's standards over a four year period would be virtually unworkable and unenforceable. The committee reviewed four potential models for implementing the VUSE laptop computer program, and recommends two: Model (1) Continue with the current program which requires that all students purchase the same laptop computer through the TransIT program, and Model (2) Offer the TransIT laptop to all students, but allow students to opt out of the program if they already own a qualified laptop computer or wish to purchase a different laptop, as long as it meets a minimum set of requirements. The committee, by a vote of 6 to 1, prefers that VUSE adopt Model (2) over Model (1). In both options, the committee recommends changes to the TransIT program that hopefully will improve the program. Both cases are discussed below in more detail along with the advantages and disadvantages of each, and suggested improvements to the TransIT program.

IIA) Model (1) with Suggested Improvements.

A survey conducted by the committee indicates that students are reasonably satisfied with the current TransIT program. The computers selected by the IT group have adequately met the student's needs. Students indicated that the most popular features of the program are the four year warranty and the availability of service within the School. However, there was a perception that the computers were overpriced and there were many complaints relating to service, including rudeness of the staff, limited operating hours, and time required for repair.

In response to these student comments, the committee provides several recommendations which we believe will improve the TransIT program.

• Planning. We recommend that the IT group review computing needs each year for all of the engineering programs and recommend a minimum set of technical specifications and software packages judged to be adequate for laptop use during a student's four years of residence at Vanderbilt.

• Purchase. We recommend that the IT group select a computer and software that meets those specifications with quality, durability and economy in mind. The cost of the computer should continue to include a full 4 year warranty with on-site service. The price of computers is dropping, but the cost of the TransIT program has not gone down. The price of the TransIT program should be dictated by the cost of the computer, rather than the current policy of first setting a price, and then selecting computer features to match the stated price. Finally, there is a misconception shared by a large fraction of our students that the cost of their laptop computer is $2850, rather than the actual cost of $1685 plus tax. The committee recommends that the computer cost be completely separated from the technical fee and software costs, and that an itemized receipt be provided to the students and to their parents.

• Service. The committee further recommends a reorganization of the TransIT service structure. The current service model is underfunded and understaffed. None of the technicians are dedicated full time to the program. They report not only to the IT Director, but to a departmental supervisor as well. Two full time technicians are justified by the 150 student service requests per month. Adequate staffing and reorganization should go a long way towards countering student complaints about TransIT service. Student help should be retained, but student helpers cannot be expected to work during heavy repair periods which often occur during midterm and final examination periods. The committee has also learned that some of the most qualified potential student workers are lost to other repair facilities on campus, such as the Owen School, where they are compensated at a higher hourly rate.

• Computing Facilities. Some faculty are currently asking students to run specialized software packages, such as Pro E, which run very slowly and sometimes unpredictably on the student laptops. These faculty members encourage the TransIT program to purchase more powerful machines to improve performance. The committee does not believe the specialized needs of a few courses should dictate the technical specifications of the TransIT program. This would unnecessarily drive the cost up for most students who will probably never need that capability. Instead, specialized software and/or hardware should be made available at either a departmental or a school-wide computing facility. In some cases this facility could consist of a server licensed to run specialized software. The goal would be for students to connect their laptops via a wireless connection as clients, and run specialized software on the server. Most departments currently have such a facility, but not all. Some software cannot be run in the server-client mode, and terminals or multiple computers are necessary.

• Transfer Students and non-Engineering Students. The committee recommends that all transfer students consult with the IT Director concerning their computing needs. If the student already owns a laptop with the minimum VUSE specifications, it is left to the discretion of the IT Director to decide if the student can use it in place of a TransIT machine. If not, the student will be asked to participate in the TransIT program. Non-VUSE students who register in engineering courses that require the use of laptops are responsible for providing their own laptop computer. This computer does not need to be an official TransIT machine, but must be able to perform all functions required in the course in which they are enrolled. A limited number of loaner computers will be available through the IT Director for those students who do not own a laptop.

IIB) Model (2), the 'Opt Out' Model

According to our faculty survey, faculty members are not concerned if students have identical laptops in their classes. They indicated that students should be able to purchase their own laptop computers, as long as they are capable of running all the necessary software. Similarly, our student survey suggests that if given a choice, many students would prefer to purchase their own computer to specifications set by the School of Engineering. In some cases students already owned a perfectly qualified laptop computer before entering Vanderbilt, but were required to purchase the company machine. The TransIT laptop is usually the only computer students bring to Vanderbilt, and consequently students would like it to be capable of some non-academic computing tasks such as playing video games, or perhaps they would like to purchase a computer with a faster processor, larger capacity disk drive, faster DVD drive, larger screen, or a graphics tablet with high resolution graphics. It is more economical for students to purchase a machine with these options than it is to modify a TransIT computer with the standard minimum configuration. We therefore recommend that a second laptop purchasing option be considered by VUSE, which provides some flexibility in the choice of a student laptop computer.

• We recommend that students be given the option to purchase the TransIT laptop described above in Section IIA or to bring their own laptop, as long as it meets the minimum specifications set by the School of Engineering.

• Students who bring their own computer will be required to purchase the entire TransIT software package.

• Students who opt out of the TransIT computer program must also opt out of VUSE onsite service.

• Students who opt out of the TransIT program will not have the cost of the TransIT computer plus tax appear on their student accounts bill.

Students at Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati are given a similar option, and this year only 12 of 328 students actually brought their own computer. We estimate a larger fraction of engineering students will choose this option. Perhaps 15% - 30% of our students might select the 'opt out' option. The committee has considered the advantages and disadvantages of the two plans:

|Issue |Current TransIT Model |'Opt out' Model |

|Student Satisfaction |Students are reasonably satisfied with their |Selecting this option should increase overall |

| |current laptop computer, but indicated that they |student satisfaction with the laptop program, |

| |would prefer to have had the option to bring |since it caters to both students who know little |

| |their own. |about the correct computer to bring and those who |

| | |know exactly what computer they need. |

|Service |Onsite service for all laptop computers is |This program could reduce the burden on the IT |

| |appreciated by the students, but is currently a |staff by as much as 30% after four years, but |

| |burden on the IT staff, who are responsible for |places the responsibility for those who 'opt out' |

| |servicing over 1200 student computers. |to find service elsewhere on or off campus. |

| | | |

|Computer Discount |We currently receive a discount of about 30% from|With fewer machines ordered, the discount would be|

| |the manufacturer. |slightly less. |

|Date for Decision |This doesn't apply for the current program. |Freshmen must decide by the next to last week in |

| | |June if they are to opt out of the TransIT |

| | |program. They must sign and return a form to opt |

| | |out of the program. By default, the TransIT |

| | |computer will be provided unless this form is |

| | |returned. Computers will be ordered during the |

| | |last week of July. |

|Student Accounts |All students will be charged for a laptop |All students will be charged for software and lab |

| |computer, software and lab fee. |fee. "Opt out" freshmen will not be charged by |

| | |Student Accounts for the laptop+tax. This will |

| | |reduce the 'sticker shock' for those selecting |

| | |this option. The list of 'opt out' students will |

| | |be submitted to Student Accounts by the end of |

| | |June. |

|Financial Aid |The cost of attendance will include the cost of |Same. The cost of attendance will include the cost|

| |the computer, software and lab fee. |of the TransIT computer (not the actual cost of |

| | |the student computer), software, and lab fee. |

III) Other Models Considered by the Committee

We considered two other models, and unanimously agreed that they should not be recommended for consideration by VUSE at this time:

• Model 3. Every student is responsible for bringing and servicing their own laptop computer. In an ideal world, this would address many of the issues students raise with the current TransIT program. But in reality it would generate many new and probably unresolvable problems. For instance, what do you do when a student shows up without a computer? Not allow him/her to register? With Model 2 students who do not fill out the 'opt out' form would receive a TransIT computer and be billed for it. Computers will break and some students will not be able to repair them or replace them. Faculty would stop using them in the classroom because some students wouldn't have them and others would have computers that did not meet specifications.

• Model 4. Students lease their laptop and replace it after two years. With this model, students would receive new, less powerful computers in their freshman and junior years, thus leaving Vanderbilt with a two year old computer. The cost would be $311 - $367 per semester, totaling about 30% higher over the four years. Students rejected this option as being too expensive. Mount St. Joseph has already tried and abandoned this approach because it was too expensive.

IV) Summary of Student Survey Results

An impressive number of students (585) responded to our laptop survey, and nearly half of them provided specific comments and recommendations to the committee. Complete results, including all comments, will be submitted to the Dean's office as a spreadsheet. Bar graphs summarizing the results of the eleven questions are shown in Appendix A, along with a summary of the most frequent student comments. In summary:

• Students are reasonably satisfied with the TransIT laptop computers.

• Students are reasonably satisfied that TransIT issues a specific laptop computer.

• Students are satisfied with the computer warranty and service.

• Students agree that their laptops have been effectively integrated into the curriculum.

• Students strongly agree that their laptop is appropriate for handling their homework assignments.

• Students strongly agree that a laptop computer is preferred over a desktop computer.

• Students are somewhat divided on whether they would have preferred to have purchased their own computer: 29% strongly agreed, 19% agreed, 24% were neutral, 21% disagreed, and 7% strongly disagreed.

• Of those students who would prefer to buy their own laptop, 60% said they were not comfortable finding their own service.

• If students are allowed to bring their own computers, 85% would like the option to pay a fee to have the School service their computers.

• Students do not favor a 2 year lease/replacement program.

• Student responses on all of the above issues were uniform across all majors.

• There are minor differences in some of the responses between classes. Seniors are less satisfied with the TransIT computer, service and warranty issues than freshmen, and seniors are less likely to be satisfied with the course-related use of their laptops than underclassmen.

• Students identified many courses in which they used their laptops, including 13 BME courses, 12 ChE courses, 7 CE courses, 16 CS/CompE courses, 18 EECE courses, 9 MT/ENGM courses, 6 ES courses, 6 MSE courses, 7 ME courses and 17 non-engineering courses.

• The most common student complaint was that their laptop was overpriced for the quality and performance. However, many of these complaints listed the cost of the computer as $2850, reflecting a misconception or miscommunication of the computer cost.

• Several students complained that their computer was not powerful enough, usually in relation to running specialized software like ProE.

• Several students were satisfied with their laptop, but would have liked the option to upgrade features when it was first purchased. Some seem to be under the impression that upgrades cannot be performed on their machines after they receive them. Better communication is needed.

• The most prominent complaint concerning service was that the IT staff was rude. We believe that this could be reduced significantly if the TransIT service structure is reorganized as suggested in Section IIA.

V) Summary of Faculty Survey Results

The committee polled faculty on the use of laptops and 63 faculty members participated in the survey. Two thirds of the respondents took time to provide comments to the committee. The full survey will be provided as a spreadsheet to the Dean's office. Bar graphs summarizing the results of the five questions are shown in Appendix B, along with a summary of the most frequent faculty comments. In summary:

• Faculty agree that students do not need an identical laptop to carry out their class assignments.

• Faculty are in significant agreement that students should be required to have a laptop computer.

• Faculty are divided on the question of whether all students should have identical computers. The median response is neutral, but with more disagreeing than agreeing.

• Most faculty agree or strongly agree that the School of Engineering require that students purchase a laptop computer.

• Most faculty agree or strongly agree that students should be able to purchase their own computer, as long as it is capable of running all necessary software.

• If students purchased different computers, some faculty expressed concerns about how student laptops would be serviced.

VI) Laptop Use at Peer Institutions and Engineering Schools with Laptop Requirements.

Duke

Students at Duke are not required to have laptop computers. They can purchase Dell, Apple and IBM laptops at the Duke Computer store with 4 year warrantees. They have a service repair center that will service all these computers under warrantee for no charge, or $60/labor+parts if they are not under warranty.

Rice

        Rice does not require a laptop. They offer a set of generic specifications and several recommendations. They do not have specific deals with vendors, but urge students to pursue academic discounts. They provide a list of computer repair stores and a map of where they are located.

Washington University

        WU does not require a laptop. They provide generic specifications and recommend purchasing an extended warranty. WU has deals with Dell and Gateway and recommend Apple's online store.

Northwestern

        NU does not require a laptop. They provide generic specifications and free software or software at a significant discount.

Carnegie-Mellon

        CM does not require a laptop. They provide several recommendations for computer models that are sold through their Bookstore. Software is purchased via agreements. They have a Computer Maintenance Group for repair services (8 technicians).

Yale

        Yale does not require laptop. They provide generic specifications and specific recommendations. They have deals with Apple and Dell. They recommend Dell for fast on-site warranty service. Computing Assistants (work-study students) provide software assistance and some hardware diagnosis. Some software is downloaded for free, some is purchased locally.

Columbia

        Columbia does not require a laptop. They provide generic specifications, and have deals with Apple, Dell and other vendors.

The following engineering schools have laptop requirements.

Clemson University

College of Engineering & Science

Clemson, SC  29634



 

 

Milwaukee School of Engineering

1025 N. Broadway Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-3109



 

 

Polytechnic University

Brooklyn, NY 11201



 

 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

110 8th St.

Troy, NY 12180



 

 

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Terre Haute, IN  47803



 

 

University of Cincinnati

College of Engineering

Cincinnati, Ohio

eng.uc.edu/resources/college/collegecomputing/soc/soc2001

 

 

University of Florida

College of Engineering

Gainesville, FL  32611

eng.ufl.edu/computerrequirements.htm

 

 

University of North Dakota

Aerospace Studies

Grand Forks, ND  58202



 

 

College of Engineering

University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK 73019



 

 

University of Texas

School of Engineering

Austin, TX  78712



 

 Virginia Polytechnic

School of Engineering

Blacksburgh, VA



 

 Several schools, Rensselear and Rose-Hulman operate their laptop program as we do, Model 1. Other schools, Texas and Clemson allow students a choice of machine, but only from a single vendor, Dell or IBM (Lenovo). Other schools set a specification and provide links to several vendors like Dell, IBM, or Gateway for students to purchase their machines.  A number of other institutions, Princeton, Northwestern, Washington University, and Duke have no requirement but make a recommendation that the student have a laptop that meet a minimum set of specifications .

 

VII) Relevant Laptop Initiatives at Other Institutions.

There are many laptop programs and variations of laptop programs at other institutions. One web site had over 75 institutions varying from small liberal arts schools like Mount St. Joseph to large state schools like the University of North Carolina. Many schools use a model like ours, where the institution purchases a single machine and the students are billed. Others like Wake Forest and Villanova use a two year lease program whereby student machines are refreshed every two years. In our analysis, the lease programs are more expensive and have logistical problems with the return and disposal of the leased machines. Virginia Tech has gone a step beyond laptops and is now distributing tablet PC's which allow students to take handwritten notes directly into their machines.

Appendix A

Vanderbilt School of Engineering

Student Survey on Laptop use

September, 2006

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APPENDIX 3

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APPENDIX 4

Faculty/Staff Computer Service Survey

Score on a basis of 1=unsatisfactory, 10=excellent

1. Did the technician respond in a timely fashion to your request for service?

2. Did the technician solve your problem?

3. Was the technician courteous?

4. If you had any further questions, did the technician answer them?

5. If the technician could not solve you problem on the first call, was there a timely follow-up which eventually solved the problem?

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