12.9 UNIVERSITY COMPUTING RESOURCES
Revised April 1997
1. Academic Computing
The academic programs of the four schools are supported through major microcomputing laboratories, smaller dedicated-purpose laboratories, and a DEC VAX 6420 minicomputer. The Academic Computing laboratories, located in D-205 and B2303, provide daily hours of access to microcomputer and workstation resources. Other computing laboratories are available for hands-on teaching, research, and development efforts. The VAX resources are accessible from workstations in the laboratories and through dial-up phone lines for off-campus access. All academic computing resources are supported by an Ethernet local area network with ties to the Internet. The campus has a state-of-the-art library system which supports interactive subject, author, and title searches.
2. Academic Computing Open Labs
Two facilities, in B-2302 and D-205, provide access to over 120 microcomputers and terminals. In D-205, user help services are available for any hardware and software supported by the university's academic program. Such software includes Internet access tools; the Microsoft Office suite; WordPerfect; a variety of Adobe tools including PageMaker, Photoshop, and Illustrator; and Quark Xpress to name only a few.
3. Computer Teaching Classrooms
UHCL has five (5) computer teaching classrooms. Two (2) feature the Macintosh platform in D-203 and D-204. Two (2) in D201 and D-202 feature IBM PC Compatible platforms. One (1), in B3606, provides a mixed IBM and Macintosh platform. The rooms can be scheduled or reserved by professors who need to teach in technology-enhanced environments.
3.1 Instructional Technology Center - The ITC in B-3604 functions as a campus technology catalyst. Its Electronic Classroom provides a hands-on teaching lab. The Technology Showcase offers a wide variety of computing hardware and software. The Multimedia Development area works with university faculty to create instructional material for use in classes. Tools for the educational use of technology are supported here, such as Macromedia's Authorware and Director. The ITC is a member of The New Media Centers Consortium, an international group dedicated to the use of new media technologies in education.
3.2 Research Computing - A wide variety of research computing tools are available in the academic computing laboratories or on the academic VAX. Statistical tools such as Minitabs, SPSS, and SAS are widely available. Development languages such as Oracle, Lisp, Module-2, Fortran, C, Pascal, Prolog, ADA, and Java are also available. The university computing department works with the High Technology Laboratory, Research Institute in computing and Information Science, Advanced Knowledge Transfer Laboratory and others to support their research agendas.
4. Administrative Computing
PC's and Apple computers form the desktop level hardware resources for office automation across the campus. Software such as Microsoft, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access are utilized to perform Administrative duties. A Fiber Optic backbone links workstations together and provides a path to the Academic and Administrative VAX's. Electronic mail is provided to the Administrative users using Digital All-in-1. A migration is in progress to a server based environment to allow for file sharing and access to Microsoft Exchange as a campus wide mail service. A campus-wide data base, SIRS, utilizing ORACLE, supports the student records and financial data, HP 9000-E35 and 3000-92X are being utilized by the Library that allows access to an online card catalog and other Library resources.
Computer resources available to UH Clear Lake students, faculty and staff include:
4.1 Primary Minicomputer Systems
4.1.1 1-Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAX 6420
4.1.2 1 -Digital Equipment Corporation (DED) VAX 7610
4.1.3 1 -SPARC Station
4.1.4 5 Sun Server
4.1.5 25-SPARC Station
4.1.6 5-SPARC Station
4.1.7 SPARC IPX
4.2 Micro computing Laboratories
4.2.1 Two lBM PC Laboratories with 145 units
4.2.2 Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, WordPerfect, dBase III, Microsoft Word, Turbo Pascal, Turbo C
4.2.3 Two Apple Laboratories with 25 Apple lie's 10 Apple JIGS. Eleven Apple Macintosh connected to an Apple Talk network
4.2.4 Four HLJ4SI printers
4.2.5 One HPLJ9SI post script printer Appleworks, Microsoft Word, Aldus Pagemaker, Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator
4.3 Word Processing and Office Automation
4.3.1 IBM PC's and PSt2's Linked to LAN
4.3.2 Microsoft Word, or WordPerfect software running in all micro computing laboratories and administrative offices
4.4 VAX Laboratories
4.4.1 20 VAX Terminals
4.4.2 LN03R Laser Printers
4.4.3 Graphics Software running on the academic VAX computers
4.5 FDD2/Switch Ethernet Local Area Network
Two (2) FDDI Backbones with switched Ethernet linking laboratories, office and VAX computer systems together in a powerful system of workstations and computers to provide the campus with a leading-edge system of computer-based communications.
5. Audiovisual Services
The AV center in B-2304 provides a wide variety of equipment for classroom and student activity use. Equipment should be reserved at least one week before it is needed. Technology Equipped Classrooms - The university offers several classrooms that are equipped for easy access to technology. Videotape presentations can be best accomplished in B-1313, B-1324, B-1333, B-1408, B-1438, B-2311, D-241, and D242. Computer based presentations can be best accomplished in D-201, D-203, D204, D241, D-242, and B-3606. Origination and receive sites for distance reaming are available in D-241 and B-3605. Technology Equipped Meeting Rooms - The university offers several meeting rooms which have technology for video or teleconferencing. B2522 is capable of participating in satellite videoconferencing and B-2317 is capable of participating in two-way compressed videoconferencing.
