Campus
      News
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Computer
      Accounts
     
     
      By
      Jackie
      Goodwin
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      the
      student
      representative
      placed
      on
      the
     
     
      Presidential
      Computer
      Advisory
      Committee,
      it
      is
      my
     
     
      responsibility
      to
      keep
      students
      informed
      about
      any
     
     
      changes
      surrounding
      computer
      use
      and
      access
      at
     
     
      U.P.E.I.
      I
      realize
      that
      a
      great
      deal
      of
      concern
     
     
      surrounds
      this
      issue
      and
      that
      many
      students
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      under
      the
      impression
      that
      U.P.E.I
      students
      would
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      cut
      off
      from
      all
      computer
      access
      on
      campus
      this
     
     
      year.
      This
      is
      not
      the
      case.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Personal
      accounts
      were
      introduced
      about
      10
      years
     
     
      ago
      as
      a
      means
      for
      students
      not
      taking
     
     
      computer-related
      courses
      to
      gain
      access
      and
     
     
      experience
      on
      computers.
      When
      the
      number
      of
     
     
      personal
      accounts
      was
      small,
      this
      was
      a
      manageable
     
     
      service.
      However,
      in
      the
      past
      few
      years
      the
      demand
     
     
      for
      personal
      accounts
      at
      -U.P.E.J.
      has
      increased
     
     
      dramatically.
      The
      Computer
      Centre
      Staff
      has
      found
     
     
      that
      the
      large
      assignment
      of
      individual
      accounts
      has
     
     
      _become
      extremely
      difficult
      to
      regulate.
      As
      well,
      it
     
     
      has
      become
      obvious
      that
      some
      students
      had
      as
      many
     
     
      as
      two
      Class
      computer
      accounts,
      in
      addition
      to
      their
     
     
      personal
      account.
      This
      was
      viewed
      as
      a
      waste
      of
     
     
      human
      and
      computer
      resources
      at
      a
      time
      when
     
     
      demand
      for
      computer
      access
      is
      growing.
      Thus,
      an
     
     
      interim
      policy
      has
      been
      put
      in
      place
      in
      attempt
      to
     
     
      deal
      with
      the
      increasing
      problems.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘In
      place
      of
      the
      "personal
      accounts",
      general
      class
     
     
      accounts"
      will
      be
      set
      up
      for
      those
      students
      wanting
     
     
      an
      account,
      but
      who
      do
      not
      already
      have
      a
      class
     
     
      account
      for
      a
      particular
      course.
      These
      accounts
      will
     
     
      be
      treated
      the
      same
      as
      other
      class
      accounts
      and
      will
     
    

    
     
      be
      removed
      from
      the
      system
      at
      the
      end
      of
      the
     
     
      semester.
      Those
      students
      who
      presently
      have
      class
     
    

    
     
      accounts
      through
      a
      particular
      course
      will
      not
      be
     
     
      assigned
      a
      general
      class
      account
      as
      they
      can
      use
     
     
      their
      class
      accounts
      for
      personal
      use.
      General
      class
     
     
      accounts
      can
      be
      signed-up
      for
      in
      the
      computer
     
     
      centre
      at
      AVC.
      Students
      who
      want
      to
      transfer
      files
     
     
      from
      a
      personal
      account
      to
      either
      a
      class
      account
      or
     
    
   
   
    
     
      general
      class
      account
      may
      request
      this
      service
      by
     
     
      adding
      their
      name
      to
      the
      file
      transfer
      sign-up
      sheet
     
     
      in
      the
      Computer
      Centre.
      Files
      will
      not
      be
      split
      up
     
     
      across
      more
      than
      one
      class
      account
      and
      no
      transfers
     
     
      will
      be
      available
      after
      October
      15,
      1990.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      addition,
      it
      has
      been
      decided
      that
      only
      those
     
     
      students
      who
      have
      class
      accounts,
      for
      particular
     
     
      courses
      will
      have
      access
      to
      their
      accounts
      on
     
     
      weekdays
      from
      11-4
      p.m.
      It
      was
      felt
      this
      decision
     
     
      had
      to
      be
      made
      due
      to
      problems
      with
      peak
      usage
     
     
      during
      these
      hours.
      Due
      to
      increasing
      demands
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      the
      system,
      delays
      were
      being
      encountered
      in
      classes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      required
      computer
      use.
      Also,
      students
      who
     
     
      had
      to
      have
      computer
      access
      for
      class
      assignments
     
     
      due
      to
      the
      capacity
      problems.
      Thus,
      steps
      had
      to
      be
     
     
      taken
      to
      alleviate
      interference
      with
      class
      work.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      was
      the
      case
      last
      year,
      no
      computer
      mail
      will
      be
     
     
      available
      to
      freshmen
      students.
      Latex
      printing
      will
     
     
      be
      available
      to
      students
      upon
      written
      request
      from
     
     
      a
      professor.
      Those
      students,
      such
      as
      thesis
      students,
     
     
      who
      require
      computers
      for
      their
      course
      thesis
      work
     
     
      and
      don’t
      want
      their
      accounts
      erased
      at
      the
      end
      of
     
     
      the
      semester
      may
      obtain
      a
      special
      class
      account
      by
     
     
      sending
      a
      written
      request
      from
      their
      professor
      to
      the
     
     
      computer
      centre.
      A
      recent
      decision
      by
      the
      AVC’s
     
     
      Dean’s
      Council
      will
      limit
      the
      hours
      U.P.E.1.
      students
     
     
      will
      have
      access
      to
      the
      AVC
      Microcomputer
      Lab
     
     
      and
      AVC
      Microcomputer
      Resource
      Room:
      from
     
     
      Monday
      to
      Friday,
      8:30
      am
      to
      6:00
      pm
      all
      U.P.E.I.
     
     
      students
      can
      have
      access
      with
      AVC
      students
      having
     
     
      priority.’
      After
      6:00
      p.m.
      and
      on
      weekends
      oily
     
     
      AVC
      students
      will
      have
      access
      to
      these
      facilities.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Any
      students
      with
      questions
      or
      concern
      surrounding
     
     
      computer
      usage
      here
      on
      campus
      are
      welcome
      to
     
     
      contact
      me
      at
      566-3172.
      I
      hope
      that
      I
      have
      clearly
     
     
      explained
      the
      existing
      policy
      regarding
      computer
     
     
      accounts
      at
      U.P.E.I.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      27,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      7