• Services
  • Active Directory
  • Classroom Technology
  • Computer Repair & Support
  • Computing & Development Services
  • Data Storage
  • Email
  • Network Access
  • Printing
  • Software
  • Telephone Services
  • Training & Workshops
  • UMD Google Apps
  • Virus & Security
  • Web Services
• Facilities
  • Classrooms
  • Multimedia Hub
  • Student Computing Labs
  • TechCenter
  • Viz Lab
• Help

• Faculty & Staff
• Students

Student Laboratory Support

Last revision: August 9, 2004

The purpose of this document is to explain the types of support Information Technology Systems and Services (ITSS) provides in student computing laboratories. ITSS uses funds provided by the student computing fees to provide services to students.

What ITSS Provides

• ITSS provides computing laboratories for student use to those students who pay the lab fee. ITSS labs are open to all students who pay the fee, regardless of major.
• ITSS provides a variety of computing environments that are designed to be flexible in order to meet as many needs as possible.
• ITSS provides computers, printers, furniture, security systems, telephones, and student consultants for ITSS-supported laboratories.
• ITSS provides support for some software, with an emphasis on basic software that can be used by the largest number of students.
• ITSS sometimes provides support for specialized academic software, depending upon funding. Priority is given to software with the lowest cost-per-student ratio. The ITSS Student Computing Team considers a variety of factors in determining what software to support.

What ITSS Does Not Provide

• ITSS supports laboratories that are accessible only to students of certain majors (departmental or collegiate labs) only by request of the unit. ITSS charges units for these services.
• ITSS cannot provide all specialized equipment and software that departments might like to see in labs.
• ITSS does not provide scheduling services for instructional computing laboratories. This is now done as part of the regular room-scheduling process.

Where ITSS Needs Assistance

• ITSS needs assistance from academic departments in planning laboratory space that meets the needs of the departments.
• ITSS needs assistance from academic departments in seeking additional funding for laboratory equipment, particularly specialized equipment that we would not normally support from our budget.
• ITSS is willing to partner with departments to provide grant matching funds under certain conditions. See also Grant Funding for Instructional Computing Labs.
• ITSS needs assistance from academic departments in seeking additional funding for specialized software that we would not normally support from our budget.

Related policies and information

Computer Lab and Laptop Services for Academic Units

Grant Funding for Instructional Computing Labs: Incentives for Principal Investigators