By: Camille Francis
The School of Information Studies (iSchool) has been highly regarded for its use of cutting edge technologies in its curriculum. This summer, many updates occurred to the computer labs in Hinds Hall that will continue to provide students with the best software and hardware available.
In preparation for the the beginning of the new semester, Roger Merrill, Assistant Dean for IT Services and Facilities at the school shared some of the important updates that were made to the two main student labs.
“We have deployed our latest software updates to Hinds 013 and 027 computers,” said Merrill.
Some of the major changes include a shift to Microsoft Office 2013. The computers now have Microsoft Visio 2010 and 2013, due to improved changes in the data modeling tools. Both TortoiseHG revision control software and a Pencil Project GUI Prototyping tool have been added. This shift also includes a server update in the iTell lab and an installation of vSphere Client 5.1.
What sets the iSchool apart is the commitment to providing students with the best technologies available. While many schools and colleges replace lab computers every 3 or 4 years, students in the iSchool have their equipment and software updated every 2 years.
Merrill notes, “while it might seem excessive, with an aggressive ‘trickle down’ replacement of the older computers this is also a cost effective solution for the school.”
Merrill encourages students to take advantage of these updates as soon as possible. “Students utilizing the labs this coming semester should stop down and test out any software and functionality needed within their course.”