While working your shift in the lab you are required to be in the lab, except for one ten minute break for lab monitors working two or more hours at a time. For many inexperienced students in the computer labs, you will be a very important resource. While working, you are required to:

 

Be visible in the lab by placing the Lab Monitor sign on top of the computer you are working at or next to you on the table/desk.

 

If you are working in the B200/B201 Computer Labs you must be present in either lab.  When working in the A5(Graphics)/A3(Multimedia) labs you must be present at the Help Desk station in between the two labs in the hallway.  There is a separate additional set of instructions for monitors working the Help Desk at the following link.

Provide help, to the best of your ability, to students, faculty and staff.  When a student needs help with specialized software for a class (i.e. SPSS software), and you do not know how to use the software, refer the student to the program's help system and/or back to the professor who teaches the class.

You are responsible for keeping the lab statistics.  At the top of every hour, please count the number of people in each lab you are covering and record the number on the appropriate lab statistics sheet on the shared network drive.

 

If a class is in session you should still count and record the exact number of people in the lab.

  

Make sure there are enough supplies in the labs.  If you need paper or laser printer toner come to the Computer Center to get the supplies.

 

If you need supplies after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays or anytime on the weekend, please call the Security Department at ext. 4064, and tell them you need to get into the B200 or Heim supply closet.

At least two reams of paper should be kept in each computer lab at all times.  For those working at 4:00 p.m. on weekdays/weekends, please plan ahead for paper needs.  This will prevent us from consistently calling Security.
 

Please make sure all computers are up and functioning properly in the lab(s) you are monitoring.  If a computer is malfunctioning, please troubleshoot the problem and attempt to fix it.  In the event that you need to image a computer, please follow these instructions.

 

Inform the Coordinator of Student Computing (CSC) and the Help Desk Coordinator (HDC) of any problems in the labs with hardware or software that you cannot troubleshoot and fix.  During office hours (8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) you may call extension 4313 if the problem is urgent.  If it is not urgent, please send an email indicating the problem and computer name (i.e., B200 PC2).  In addition, print out a copy of the Out of Order  sign that is available on the shared network space with your initials/date and place it on the computer.

 

In the event that a server is down and no one can get to server space during night/weekend hours, the Lycoming College homepage cannot be reached or no sites can be reached, please follow these instructions:

 

a. Determine the urgency of the problem.  If no one can log on to a computer and get to server space, get to GroupWise or browse the Internet then the problem may be considered urgent.  Please contact the Lab Monitor at the A3/A5 Help Desk, extension 4388.  Inform this monitor that you have noticed a problem.  The Help Desk Monitor should verify the problem in A3 and A5 Computer Labs and contact Security at extension 4064.    

 

Please do not consider the problem widespread unless it is happening to the majority of people.  One person not being able to log on to a computer can wait until the next business day.  In addition, the inability to reach a particular site on the Internet is beyond our control.  Only consider this a problem if no sites or the Lycoming College home page cannot be reached.  

 

b. Once you have determined that the problem is widespread then you may call the person at the Help Desk, extension #4388.  The Help Desk monitor should then verify the problem and contact the Security Department if necessary.  Tell the person on duty that there is a major problem with the lab server or Internet that is widespread.  They should contact the appropriate representative from the Computer Center.  Security has a procedure list that they will need to follow when a problem occurs.   

Keep the lab(s) clean and orderly.  Pick up scrap paper (recycling it properly) and keep all chairs pushed in ateach computer.  Tours of the labs are given to prospective students all the time, and we must keep the labs looking GOOD.
 

Give notice to the people in the lab, ten minutes before the lab closes at night, that the lab is closing.

Properly shut down all the computers and turn the monitors off, before closing the lab.  In addition, please turn off all peripherals, including printers, scanners, etc...
 

Make sure EVERYONE is out of the lab(s) when you close the lab(s).  Turn out the lights and lock the doors. 

On weekends, the Security Department is responsible for opening the computer labs.  If they do not get opened,  please go over to the Security Department in the basement of Rich Hall and ask them to open the Computer Labs.

 

 

Schedules and Absences

The Help Desk Coordinator (HDC) will make out a semester long schedule based on class schedules received from lab assistants at the beginning of the semester.  

You are responsible for finding someone to work your shift in the lab if you are unable to work your hours. As soon as you know that you will need a substitute, please send an email to all monitors copying both the Coordinator of Student Computing (CSC) and the HDC.  Please state the date, time and computer labs that the person will be monitoring.  Please indicate that the substitute should check on your lab(s) at least once per hour and include any special instructions, i.e., open or close lab(s) in the email.  For planned absences, please give at least one week notice to find a substitute.  The first person to respond to your email should get the substitute hours.  Please email this person, all other monitors, the CSC and the HDC indicating the monitor who secured your lab hours.   

 

In the case of an emergency, sickness or you cannot find a substitute, please call the CSC or HDC during the hours from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  On evening or weekend hours, please send an email to one monitor working in another lab and ask that person to check on your lab once per hour and open and/or close your lab(s) if necessary.  Please make sure that the CSC and HDC are copied in this event.  If you are monitoring the Help Desk and you need coverage then you need to tell the other monitor that you email to please sit down at the Help Desk and just check on his/her

lab(s).  It is important that we keep the Help Desk covered at all times.  Therefore, please do not ask the monitor at the Help Desk to cover your labs.   

 

Please consider asking another person to monitor your lab(s) appropriate unless it is happening too often.  The CSC or HDC may ask to meet with you to discuss the situation due to excessive absences. 

 

Please make sure that you check your GroupWise email account on a regular basis to ensure that another monitor has not sent an email indicating that he/she needs your help in opening/closing and checking on computer labs.

 

ITS will run spot checks to ensure that lab assistants are showing up for work.  An unexcused absence will result in a written reprimand.  Three written reprimands is sufficient cause for termination.