Education Technology Office Policies

ETO Hours of Operation

Main ETO OfficeMonday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Labs/Classrooms Support OfficeMonday – Thursday8 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Friday8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

We are closed on the weekends: If support is needed at other times outside of normal hours of operation, please contact us and we will try to accommodate your request.

Desktop Computing Initiative (DCI) at the CurrySchool

The DCI program was started over 10 years ago to help departments gain an upper edge on acquiring and maintaining computing resources for full time faculty and staff. The Curry school has been a partner with DCI since the beginning. Over the years working with this program we have been able to provide each full time faculty and staff member a desktop or laptop computer that is replaced every 3 or 4 years.

The program provides a lease payment option so our budget only has to cover 1/3 or ¼ of the full cost each year. This is what has allowed us to maximize monies that are available for technology to support the school.

The DCI program also offers a very comprehensive series of computer systems (from Dell or Apple) that can be purchased by grant or local funds or by individual faculty and staff. The systems offered are evaluated every 3 months and newer and less expensive technology is added and older systems are removed.

There has also been a change in the lease contracts that now allow us to keep systems that have reached their end of lease at no additional charge. The ETO will hold a small group of these systems for use in the school. If a faculty or department wishes to use one of these older system, they need to submit a request to the ETO explaining the need. If there is a system available, we will be very happy to place it back in service in a location specified, but… please understand, these system will be good for general computer needs (web, word processing, e-mail etc.) but will not be top performers for audio or video editing or high end statistical analysis. The requesting department or faculty member agrees that the machine is an “as is’ state and if the system has any problems, the ETO will take a quick look at it. If it can be fixed in less then 30 minutes and not required any new parts, or reformatting the ETO will do so, but any extensive repair or recovery will not be performed and the system will be removed to surplus.

Please see the Hardware and Software support policy for more details.

Equipment Inventory

The ETO is responsible for the school wide inventory of purchased equipment. It is very important that our inventory is up to date and accurate. Please notify us if you move a piece of inventoried equipment from one location to another (a P-1 form is all you need to fill out) .

There are several budgetary formulas that use our equipment inventory to computer how much is transferred directly into our budget and how much we should be allocated through the equipment trust Fund. The more accurate our inventory is, the more money we can expect.

There is also an issue of loss of equipment through accident or theft. As long as an item in on grounds and in our inventory, or is off grounds but has a P-1 form our insurance provides some coverage. If the equipment is lost or stolen while off grounds (such as at you house) and no form is on file, you and your insurance will be responsible to reimburse the university.

We do not care where the equipment is, as long as it is being used for university work and we know where it is.

Equipment Surplus

*Please do not surplus anything without first checking with us.

The state now has some very restrictive rules we have to follow to surplus any data storage device. Such as computers, internal and external hard drives, flash drives and storage cards, PDAs (iPhone, Blackberry, MotoQ etc), other storage media (such as disk drives, CDs and DVDs).

These devices must be removed by a private company hired by the state for this purpose. This company will wipe all data from any storage media, or if the media can not be wiped such as CDs and DVDs destroyed. The ETO has the procedures and forms and is an authorized surplus agent for the university.

Other items, such as TVs VCRs tape players, scanners, and cameras must be surplussed using the universities surplus department. The ETO will work with you to have these items removed, after you contact us.

Hardware and Software Support

If the hardware or software is purchased through a university fund code (state, local, grant) and is for work you are doing at the university, we will support you to the best of our ability. There are some areas we have extreme depth of knowledge and some areas we have a light dusting, but dealt with hardware and software issues for a combined total of almost 100 years, we do have some game in this area.

We would greatly appreciate that you consult with us prior to making any purchase. We can work with you ensure the best product for your needs is purchased and not have to worry about compatibility issue.

One area we have had some problems with, is providing support to personal computers. We have decided that we really can not take on this area and still provide quality support to school funded equipment. If you do have an issue with a personal machine you can stop by and if there is an easy solution we can point you in the right direction. You can also contact the ITC help desk to see if there is an easy fix. If not you will need to hire a computer technician to help you with your problem.

There will be times when the ETO has several computer systems that have come off the DCI (* Please see the policy on DCI equipment for more information) lease that will be available to faculty and departments to assist with their technology needs. If a faculty or department wishes to use one of these older system, they need to submit a request to the ETO explaining the need. If there is a system available, we will be very happy to place it back in service in a location specified, but… please understand, these system will be good for general computer needs (web, word processing, e-mail etc.) but will not be top performers for audio or video editing or high end statistical analysis. The requesting department or faculty member agrees that the machine is an “as is’ state and if the system has any problems, the ETO will take a quick look at it. If it can be fixed in less then 30 minutes and not required any new parts, or reformatting the ETO will do so, but any extensive repair or recovery will not be performed and the system will be removed to surplus.

Production and Materials Support

We are very eager to work with you in development of posters, Photos still photos and video recording.

Again we ask that you send us an e-mail with your needs and we will assign someone to work with you. We can support in class audio and video recording, poster development and display creation for conferences, workshops, meetings and classes.

We are also experts working with Powerpoint and incorporating multi-media files into your presentation. We are available to provide one-on-one training and depending on the complexity of the request, can help with the creation of the multi-media from standard audio recording to more complex video editing.

We can also provide you with support for media conversion, such as taking an old VHS tape and placing the video onto a DVD, or produce short segments that can be easily imported into a Presentation.

How to Request Assistance

If you do need help, for anything we support, we ask that you submit that request in the form of an e-mail the main ETO e-mail account – .

The e-mail will be received and placed into out Track-It system as well as have an available ETO person assigned to your need.

If you place a phone call or e-mail directly with one of the ETO personell there is a good possibility they will not be able to respond for several days. Please use the ETO e-mail address.

For emergencies, you can call the main ETO phone number – 924-7086 or you can seek help by stopping into the ETO office – Ruffner Hall 204.

Please try to use the e-mail system as everything that is entered is monitored and we can continuously analyse how well we are distributing our support. It is also much more automated, so if someone is not in due to vacation or illness, or is not available as they are on an assignment, someone else who is available, can be assigned.

POLICIES ON USE OF RUFFNER HALL FACILITIES

Admissions Office – Coordinates and schedules all classes. The ETO schedules all other requests.

Business Office – Provides general classroom maintenance (non technical) support and access during non business hours.

Educational Technology Office – Opens and closes all classrooms (except non-coverage hours) and provides technical assistance. (All computers (installed or delivered) will have Internet Access, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), SCSS, Internet Explorer, Netscape…. Other software must be specifically requested from the ETO.

Classroom reservations for each semester: List comes from the Registrar containing all classroom assignments from the previous year (ie, to schedule for fall of 05, you look at fall 04 schedule). List is forwarded to Department Chairs for changes or additions. When list is returned information is entered into ISIS. Every effort is made to schedule classes in rooms that best match the enrollment figures (use enrollment numbers from previous semesters as a guide) and technology needs.

1. Curry School Academic classes have top priority for space availability.

The following have priority for use if it does not conflict with classes or higher priority users:

2. Curry School Organizations and Activities have second priority in the use of facilities.

3. Other University divisions have third priority for use.

4. University student organizations: University recognized student organizations have fourth priority for use.

5. Faculty sponsored non university events have fifth priority for use. (NonUniversityevents must have a UVA faculty sponsor or request will not be granted)

If space is not available for an event, please contact the Registrar’s Office for assistance in finding a location. They can be reached at 434-924-4122 or .

GUIDELINES: THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES ARE EXPECTED TO BE OBSERVED BY ALL PERSONS UTILIZING SPACE IN RUFFNER HALL

  1. If the built-in technology (computer, data projector, VCR) is to be used or if technology needs to be delivered to the room(s), it is the responsibility of the instructor, group or organization to contact the Educational Technology Office (ETO) at 924-7086 or e-mail: , to arrange for equipment reservations and a training session. This must be completed no less then 24 hours prior to use of the room.
  2. Individuals requiring access to rooms during non-business hours MUST contact Cindy Moore in the ETO after their reservation is made, to help assess their technology needs and then Sue Wharam to receive an access key for the room they will be using. NO key will be checked out until both Cindy Moore (or designate) and Sue Wharam (or designate) have signed off on the request.
  3. No food or drinks are allowed in the auditoriums and classrooms. Refreshments may be served ONLY in the lower lobby outside the auditorium.
  4. The sponsoring person or organization is responsible for ensuring that each space they use is returned to a neutral state. All furniture must be returned to its proper location and any debris must be picked up and placed in the trash bins.
  5. No soliciting is permitted for the purchase or sale of goods anywhere in the building.
  6. Signs can be posted on doors and/or established bulletin boards ONLY and must be removed immediately following a meeting. Do NOT tape signs on walls.
  7. All participants must follow appropriate University parking rules and regulations. Questions about general parking regulations and space or lot reservations should contact Parking and Transportation - 434-924-7231 or e-mail:
  8. The sponsor is liable for any damage to the assigned room(s) and/or equipment and for any expenses incurred by the CurrySchool or University as a result of the event or function.
  9. The sponsoring person or organization is responsible for the safety of all participants and ensuring that all safety regulations are followed( i.e. do not exceed seating capacity of each room, keep aisles clear, do not block doorways of rooms or building).

SPECIAL GUIDELINES FOR AUDITORIUM USE:

  • The capacity of Ruffner Hall Auditorium G004A is 165, G004b and G004C is 65 each total capacity of Rooms A,B,C, is 295. No one is permitted to sit in the aisles nor are extra chairs allowed in the auditorium.
  • Partition/moveable walls of auditorium can be very difficult to open due to malfunctions. If moveable walls need to be opened, advanced approval must be obtained from Dean Robert Pate – 924-0774 or e-mail: .

ANY SPONSORING PERSON OR ORGANIZATION NOT OBSERVING THESE GUIDELINES WILL FORFEIT FUTURE USE OF RUFFNER HALL FACILITIES.

Teleconference Support

We can provide you with an array of solutions for your teleconferencing needs. Please send us a request to and we will assign your request to one of our Teleconference specialists.

There are numerous ways to hold a teleconference, whether to connect a few local people or a large group spread all over the world. With the wide accessibility to the internet, it is very easy to set-up and hold your own conference, for free or for a fee. You can do this from your office, home (with DSL or Cable Modem), small meeting room or large classroom.

Depending on what you wish to accomplish will guide you in what the best technology to use will be.

The internet offers several free options anyone can take advantage of, if you only want to connect to only one site (point to point) with just audio, or with audio and video.

  • Skype *recommended and supported by the ETO
  • Google
  • iChat
  • FreeConference
  • Microsoft Live (Messenger)

Other examples of teleconferencing over the internet, which do cost but allow for more integration with your computer ( sharing of your screen) , recording of the entire session for later review and the ability to connect to a much larger audience to participate.

  • Adobe Connect
  • Elluminate
  • WebEx
  • Conferencetogo

You can also use ‘equipment intensive’ solutions to connect audio and video and share your computer. These systems require more equipment and are normally installed in a medium to large room. Normally these system do not cost anything to make the connection – again using the internet. They provide a more robust connection and some can deliver full HD video and true Stereo audio. These types of systems are designed for point to point or small shared conferencing between 4-6 sites.