Since the College of Health and Human Services unveiled its newest computer lab Jan. 25, students have another place on campus to use powerful computers to complete class projects.

For up to five and a half hours a week, that is.

The new lab, located in room 219 of the Health & Social Services building, is furnished with 41 GX280 flat screen Dell computers and two printers.

But some SF State students enrolled in one of the three classes the lab is open to complain the lab does not offer enough open lab hours. According to the HSS online lab schedule, the lab is open from 1 to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays.

“There is only a month left of school,” said Yana Mlynash, 20, an interior design major. “The good thing is there are a lot more computers to work with, but unfortunately the lab is never open.”

David Macedo, a 30-year-old interior design major, agreed, pointing out the advantage of the new lab is that it offers newer software, but he cannot utilize the lab because is not open at convenient hours.

Ryszard Dziadur, director of college operations and comptroller for the College of Health and Human Services, said the college is working on a system that will provide more lab hours for students.

“There is a solution coming up in June, when we will install a OneCard (student identification card) reader inside the classroom so that the lab will be open during school hours for all students,” said Dziadur.

Having the OneCard reader system will allow students to enter with their valid student identification and will cost less than hiring a lab monitor, Dziadur said.

“It is a college saving opportunity that will pay off in one semester,” said Dziadur. “Currently, we do not have the money to hire a lab monitor due to the budget cuts.”

Dziadur said the money for the OneCard entry system would come from the college's budget.
College officials set aside $50,000 of instructional equipment money to purchase the computers.

Some students are also complaining about one of the printers, for which they pay a one-time $15 lab fee, has been out of order since the beginning of the semester.

In order to use the working printer, students must use their OneCard to print out their work, at a cost of seven to ten cents per a page.

Dziadur said he was unaware of the printer being out of order, and had asked any instructors using the lab to notify the information technology department of any problems.

Another lab, in room 217 of Burk Hall, provides one of the programs the Interior Design 345 class uses, called AutoCAD, and houses 24 computers for student use. But some students would still prefer
the HSS lab.

“The HSS lab is one of the bigger labs on campus,” said Lucas Ford, coordinator of information technology for the college. “Essentially, there was heavy usage in other labs, and having a smaller lab would make the students wait longer.

“Also, the old lab was harder to find. This is better for teaching because you are not limited to computers.”

“We're excited about the new lab,” said Jonathan Davis, an information technology consultant for the college. “It is a great opportunity to provide access to computers and top-of-the-line equipment, and an incredible resource for teachers. It creates a smart classroom environment.”