School of Engineering

Information Technology Services

Appendices

APPENDIX 1

Help Desk Survey

Closed Tickets by Technician
from 01/10/06 to 05/01/06

Administrator, Administrator 0

Albert, Hampton 170

Costi, Tony 158

Huckabee, Matt 49

Kashdan, Lee 24

Morgan, Neal 13

Sullivan, Reid 15

VerMeulen, Phil 109

Total Tickets 538 Average Open Time 26.9 hours

Help Desk Report 8/1/06 thru 12/11/06

465 tickets closed

30 tickets open

495 total tickets

Hardware=396

Software = 51

Virus = 21

Wireless = 14

Deleted = 10

Email = 3

495

Closed Tickets by Problem Type

from 08/01/06 to 12/11/06

E-Mail Report 0

Hardware 386

Software 0

Software • Software 44

Virus 21

Wireless 14

Total Tickets 465

Response time 27.9 hours

Open Tickets by Technician
from 01/10/06 to 05/01/06

Administrator, Administrator 0

Albert, Hampton 6

Costi, Tony 0

Huckabee, Matt 0

Kashdan, Lee 0

Morgan, Neal 0

Sullivan, Reid 0

VerMeulen, Phil 6

Total Tickets 12 Average Open Time 19.1 hours

APPENDIX 2

Laptop Review Committee Report

Prepared for Dr. Kenneth Galloway

Dean, VanderbiltSchool of Engineering

November 1, 2006

Submitted by VUSE Ad Hoc Laptop Review Committee

______

Robert J. Roselli, ChairKenneth A. Debelak

______

Knowles A. OverholserA. B. Bonds

______

Sanjiv GokhaleGreg Walker

______

Clare McCabeChris Rowe

______

Matthew M. Huckabee
I) Purpose and Strategy

IA) Purpose

The Ad Hoc Laptop Review Committee was charged by the Dean of the School of Engineering to review the effectiveness of the School's TransIT laptop program. The current policy requires that all entering freshmen purchase the same laptop computer and software package. The Dean specifically requested that we carefully and objectively determine the extent to which our curriculum depends (or should depend) on the current program and to address the question:

"Can our curricular needs of the present and of the next five years, be met without requiring every student to purchase the same computer?"

1B) Strategy

Our approach was to gather as much information about the effectiveness of the program as possible by reviewing the use of laptops in our courses, developing and conducting student and faculty surveys, and organizing student focus groups. We added a student member to our committee. We also gathered information about the computer requirements of our peer institutions and other institutions that are recognized for innovative uses of laptops.

II) Recommendations

The Laptop Review Committee unanimously recommends that the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering should continue to require that all undergraduates have a laptop computer. A significant number of courses make good use of student computers in the classroom and in the laboratory, while many others require the use of computers for homework assignments. Results from both faculty and student surveys indicate that personal computers are important to our educational mission, and laptops are overwhelmingly favored over desktops by students.

Our curricular needs can be met without requiring every student to purchase the same laptop computer. However, the committee believes that abandonment of the TransIT program would be a serious mistake. A program in which all students must bring their own laptop that meets the School's standards over a four year period would be virtually unworkable and unenforceable. The committee reviewed four potential models for implementing the VUSE laptop computer program, and recommends two: Model (1) Continue with the current program which requires that all students purchase the same laptop computer through the TransIT program, and Model (2) Offer the TransIT laptop to all students, but allow students to opt out of the program if they already own a qualified laptop computer or wish to purchase a different laptop, as long as it meets a minimum set of requirements. The committee, by a vote of 6 to 1, prefers that VUSE adopt Model (2) over Model (1). In both options, the committee recommends changes to the TransIT program that hopefully will improve the program. Both cases are discussed below in more detail along with the advantages and disadvantages of each, and suggested improvements to the TransIT program.

IIA) Model (1) with Suggested Improvements.

A survey conducted by the committee indicates that students are reasonably satisfied with the current TransIT program. The computers selected by the IT group have adequately met the student's needs. Students indicated that the most popular features of the program are the four year warranty and the availability of service within the School. However, there was a perception that the computers were overpriced and there were many complaints relating to service, including rudeness of the staff, limited operating hours, and time required for repair.

In response to these student comments, the committee provides several recommendations which we believe will improve the TransIT program.

  • Planning. We recommend that the IT group review computing needseach year for all of the engineering programs and recommend a minimum set of technical specifications and software packages judged to be adequate for laptop use during a student's four years of residence at Vanderbilt.
  • Purchase. We recommend that the IT group select a computer and software that meets those specifications with quality, durability and economy in mind. The cost of the computer should continue to include a full 4 year warranty with on-site service. The price of computers is dropping, but the cost of the TransIT program has not gone down. The price of the TransIT program should be dictated by the cost of the computer, rather than the current policy of first setting a price, and then selecting computer features to match the stated price.Finally, there is a misconception shared by a large fraction of our students that the cost of their laptop computer is $2850, rather than the actual cost of $1685 plus tax. The committee recommends that the computer cost be completely separated from the technical fee and software costs, and that an itemized receipt be provided to the students and to their parents.
  • Service. The committee further recommends a reorganization of the TransIT service structure. The current service model is underfunded and understaffed. None of the technicians are dedicated full time to the program. They report not only to the IT Director, but to a departmental supervisor as well. Two full time technicians are justified by the 150 student service requests per month. Adequate staffing and reorganization should go a long way towards countering student complaints about TransIT service. Student help should be retained, but student helpers cannot be expected to work during heavy repair periods which often occur during midterm and final examination periods. The committee has also learned that some of the most qualified potential student workers are lost to other repair facilities on campus, such as the OwenSchool, where they are compensated at a higher hourly rate.
  • Computing Facilities. Some faculty are currently asking students to run specialized software packages, such as Pro E, which run very slowly and sometimes unpredictably on the student laptops. These faculty members encourage the TransIT program to purchase more powerful machines to improve performance. The committee does not believe the specialized needs of a few courses should dictate the technical specifications of the TransIT program. This would unnecessarily drive the cost up for most students who will probably never need that capability. Instead, specialized software and/or hardware should be made available at either a departmental or a school-wide computing facility. In some cases this facility could consist of a server licensed to run specialized software. The goal would be for students to connect their laptops via a wireless connection as clients, and run specialized software on the server. Most departments currently have such a facility, but not all. Some software cannot be run in the server-client mode, and terminals or multiple computers are necessary.
  • Transfer Students and non-Engineering Students. The committee recommends that all transfer students consult with the IT Director concerning their computing needs. If the student already owns a laptop with the minimum VUSE specifications, it is left to the discretion of the IT Director to decide if the student can use it in place of a TransIT machine. If not, the student will be asked to participate in the TransIT program. Non-VUSE students who register in engineering courses that require the use of laptops are responsible for providing their own laptop computer. This computer does not need to be an official TransIT machine, but must be able to perform all functions required in the course in which they are enrolled. A limited number of loaner computers will be available through the IT Director for those students who do not own a laptop.

IIB) Model (2), the 'Opt Out' Model

According to our faculty survey, faculty members are not concerned if students have identical laptops in their classes. They indicated that students should be able to purchase their own laptop computers, as long as they are capable of running all the necessary software. Similarly, our student survey suggests that if given a choice, many students would prefer to purchase their own computer to specifications set by the School of Engineering. In some cases students already owned a perfectly qualified laptop computer before entering Vanderbilt, but were required to purchase the company machine. The TransIT laptop is usually the only computer students bring to Vanderbilt, and consequently students would like it to be capable of some non-academic computing tasks such as playing video games, or perhaps they would like to purchase a computer with a faster processor, larger capacity disk drive, faster DVD drive, larger screen, or a graphics tablet with high resolution graphics. It is more economical for students to purchase a machine with these options than it is to modify a TransIT computer with the standard minimum configuration. We therefore recommend that a second laptop purchasing option be considered by VUSE, which provides some flexibility in the choice of a student laptop computer.

  • We recommend that students be given the option to purchase the TransIT laptop described above in Section IIA or to bring their own laptop, as long as it meets the minimum specifications set by the School of Engineering.
  • Students who bring their own computer will be required to purchase the entire TransIT software package.
  • Students who opt out of the TransIT computer program must also opt out of VUSE onsite service.
  • Students who opt out of the TransIT program will not have the cost of the TransIT computer plus tax appear on their student accounts bill.

Students at MountSt. Joseph in Cincinnati are given a similar option, and this year only 12 of 328 students actually brought their own computer. We estimate a larger fraction of engineering students will choose this option. Perhaps 15% - 30% of our students might select the 'opt out' option. The committee has considered the advantages and disadvantages of the two plans:

Issue / Current TransIT Model / 'Opt out' Model
Student Satisfaction / Students are reasonably satisfied with their current laptop computer, but indicated that they would prefer to have had the option to bring their own. / Selecting this option should increase overall student satisfaction with the laptop program, since it caters to both students who know little about the correct computer to bring and those who know exactly what computer they need.
Service / Onsite service for all laptop computers is appreciated by the students, but is currently a burden on the IT staff, who are responsible for servicing over 1200 student computers. / This program could reduce the burden on the IT staff by as much as 30% after four years, but places the responsibility for those who 'opt out' to find service elsewhere on or off campus.
Computer Discount / We currently receive a discount of about 30% from the manufacturer. / With fewer machines ordered, the discount would be slightly less.
Date for Decision / This doesn't apply for the current program. / Freshmen must decide by the next to last week in June if they are to opt out of the TransIT program. They must sign and return a form to opt out of the program. By default, the TransIT computer will be provided unless this form is returned. Computers will be ordered during the last week of July.
Student Accounts / All students will be charged for a laptop computer, software and lab fee. / All students will be charged for software and lab fee. "Opt out" freshmen will not be charged by Student Accounts for the laptop+tax. This will reduce the 'sticker shock' for those selecting this option. The list of 'opt out' students will be submitted to Student Accounts by the end of June.
Financial Aid / The cost of attendance will include the cost of the computer, software and lab fee. / Same. The cost of attendance will include the cost of the TransIT computer (not the actual cost of the student computer), software, and lab fee.

III) Other Models Considered by the Committee

We considered two other models, and unanimously agreed that they should not be recommended for consideration by VUSE at this time:

  • Model 3. Every student is responsible for bringing and servicing their own laptop computer. In an ideal world, this would address many of the issues students raise with the current TransIT program. But in reality it would generate many new and probably unresolvable problems. For instance, what do you do when a student shows up without a computer? Not allow him/her to register? With Model 2 students who do not fill out the 'opt out' form would receive a TransIT computerand be billed for it. Computers will break and some students will not be able to repair them or replace them. Faculty would stop using them in the classroom because some students wouldn't have them and others would have computers that did not meet specifications.
  • Model 4. Students lease their laptop and replace it after two years. With this model, students would receive new, less powerful computers in their freshman and junior years, thus leaving Vanderbilt with a two year old computer. The cost would be $311 - $367 per semester, totaling about 30% higher over the four years. Students rejected this option as being too expensive. MountSt. Joseph has already tried and abandoned this approach because it was too expensive.

IV) Summary of Student Survey Results

An impressive number of students (585) responded to our laptop survey, and nearly half of them provided specific comments and recommendations to the committee. Complete results, including all comments, will be submitted to the Dean's office as a spreadsheet. Bar graphs summarizing the results of the eleven questions are shown in Appendix A, along with a summary of the most frequent student comments. In summary:

  • Students are reasonably satisfied with the TransIT laptop computers.
  • Students are reasonably satisfied that TransIT issues a specific laptop computer.
  • Students are satisfied with the computer warranty and service.
  • Students agree that their laptops have been effectively integrated into the curriculum.
  • Students strongly agree that their laptop is appropriate for handling their homework assignments.
  • Students strongly agree that a laptop computer is preferred over a desktop computer.
  • Students are somewhat divided on whether they would have preferred to have purchased their own computer: 29% strongly agreed, 19% agreed, 24% were neutral, 21% disagreed, and 7% strongly disagreed.
  • Of those students who would prefer to buy their own laptop, 60% said they were not comfortable finding their own service.
  • If students are allowed to bring their own computers, 85% would like the option to pay a fee to have the School service their computers.
  • Students do not favor a 2 year lease/replacement program.
  • Student responses on all of the above issues were uniform across all majors.
  • There are minor differences in some of the responses between classes. Seniors are less satisfied with the TransIT computer, service and warranty issues than freshmen, and seniors are less likely to be satisfied with the course-related use of their laptops than underclassmen.
  • Students identified many courses in which they used their laptops, including 13 BME courses, 12 ChE courses, 7 CE courses, 16 CS/CompE courses, 18 EECE courses, 9 MT/ENGM courses, 6 ES courses, 6 MSE courses, 7 ME courses and 17 non-engineering courses.
  • The most common student complaint was that their laptop was overpriced for the quality and performance. However, many of these complaints listed the cost of the computer as $2850, reflecting a misconception or miscommunication of the computer cost.
  • Several students complained that their computer was not powerful enough, usually in relation to running specialized software like ProE.
  • Several students were satisfied with their laptop, but would have liked the option to upgrade features when it was first purchased. Some seem to be under the impression that upgrades cannot be performed on their machines after they receive them. Better communication is needed.
  • The most prominent complaint concerning service was that the IT staff was rude. We believe that this could be reduced significantly if the TransIT service structure is reorganized as suggested in Section IIA.

V) Summary of Faculty Survey Results