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Requirements, Services, and Costs
What You Pay for and What You GetThere is a strong connection between the quality of technology services and the associated costs. There is also a wide variation in the ways campuses charge for these services. To evaluate the benefits you will receive and to compare costs, you’ll need answers to these questions. Fees and ExpensesWhat, if any, technology fee is charged by the campus? What does it cover? All full-time students pay a technology fee of $42 per semester. This covers the cost of the staffing for additional open hours in the computer labs as well as new equipment for instructional use and improvements to classrooms. Will you be required to purchase your own computer? George Mason does not have a general requirement that students purchase their own computers. However, some academic colleges and departments have developed specific computing recommendations based on their curriculum requirements. Patriot Computers, the on-campus computer store, maintains the list of available college and departmental hardware and software recommendations. Students should check with their department to see if there are any recently established requirements. Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment? George Mason provides network access to students in the residence halls. In order to take advantage of George Mason University's high-speed network while on campus, student computers must be designed for use on a network and be equipped with a 10Base-T Ethernet card with an RJ45 connector. There are several ways to connect to the Mason network: via Ethernet (residence halls, on campus only), via wireless LAN in the Johnson Center, SUB I, SUB II, Bull Run Hall, Arlington 0, Arlington I, and Innovation Hall (wireless LAN network card required), and via modem (on or off campus). George Mason University's dial-in network currently supports modem speeds up to 56Kbps and single channel ISDN BRI (64Kbps). A 56K modem is recommended. In addition, there are student computer labs (http://www.labs.gmu.edu), as well as live Internet connections in the Johnson Center available for students. The university provides free dial-in service for off-campus access to all university-owned resources, such as the online library resources, university e-mail, etc. Other Internet resources are not available through this dial-in. Students wishing to access non-university resources need to purchase Internet service from an Internet service provider (ISP). Through the on-campus computer store, Patriot Computers, students can participate in discounted pricing programs on systems and hardware bundles from major computer companies. The store negotiates for special student pricing for computer systems, peripherals, and software. Students can purchase systems in the store or online through the manufacturer’s web site using a special discount number that identifies the student as attending George Mason University. Does the campus assess extra fees for network connections in residence hall rooms or for off-campus access? Cable TV, Internet access, local calling, and voice mail are included in the housing costs paid by students living on campus in the residence halls. Technical SupportWhat hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support? The Information Technology Unit (ITU) has developed a recommended minimum configuration for desktop, laptop, and notebook computers as a guide for purchasing computers to use at George Mason University. If the student’s curricularprogram does not have a specific recommended computer configuration, the ITU advises that the student purchase the most powerful computer he/she can reasonably afford, which will ensure that the computer continues to meet the minimum requirements throughout his or her career at George Mason University. The specific guideline that addresses this recommendation is online. Patriot Computers, the campus computer store, offers some software titles at special, educational discounted pricing. Departments will often coordinate the licensing of required software with the store. Students should check with store staff on software prices and licensing before purchasing products from regular retail businesses. What kinds of services (help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and when are they available? The ITU Support Center provides immediate assistance with computing, network, hardware, software, telephone, and electronic mail problems and questions. For the most recent information, see the ITU Support Center web site. The ITU Support Center provides assistance to all university locations through one central phone number (703-993-8870) and at two walk-in locations. E-mail can be sent to support@gmu.edu. ITU Support Center HoursFairfax Campus Phone Support Monday - Friday 8 am * 7 pm and until 7:30 pm Tuesdays Summer Hours Monday - Friday 8 am * 5 pm Walk-In Support Monday - Friday 8:30 am * 5 pm Help is available 24 x 7 by visiting the ITU Support Center web site and clicking on “Online Help.” Prince William Campus Phone Support Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am * 10 pm Friday, 8:30 am - 5 pm Saturday, 8:30 am - 5 pm Summer Hours, Friday 9 am - 7 pm Walk-In Support Monday - same as phone support Summer Hours, Friday 9 am - 7 pm For assistance, call 703-993-8870 or send e-mail to support@gmu.edu. Technology training services are offered to faculty, staff, and students at George Mason University through a number of IT support areas. All technology training is coordinated through the IT Training Council. A current list of seminars, workshops, and courses is available at the IT Training Council web site. The STAR Center provides assistance and workshops on a variety of technology skills, including graphic artistry, desktop publishing, media authoring, video editing, electronic presentations, as well as music composition and editing. Facilities are generally available from 10 am to 10 pm Monday-Thursday; 10 am to 6 pm Friday, and noon to 7 pm on Sunday. The workshop schedule runs from 10 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday. Patriot Computers provides technical service to students at reasonable rates. The store is open Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 7:30 pm and Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm. Students with disabilities who use assistive technology can receive technical support in regard to their assistive devices and software through the Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI). For assistance, go to services and contact information. Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement cycle? George Mason has a replacement plan for all equipment in the classrooms, labs, the Student Technology Assistance and Resource Center (STAR) and the Instructional Resource Center. Lab computers are replaced every fouryears, classroom computers every two years, printers every three years, and projectors, TVs, etc., as needed. Through a combination of general operating funds and funds provided by the state, departmental computer labs are updated often. Labs where highly technical courses are conducted will be updated more frequently than labs that are open for general use to meet basic course requirements. If you bring your own computer to school, what kind of technical support can you expect from the campus? On the fall semester move-in weekend, the ITU deploys a team to assist students in connecting to the university’s network. If technical problems cannot be resolved by the ITU staff in the residence halls, the student will be referred to the university’s Patriot Computer store where the student can receive service at a reasonable cost. Patriot Computers provides comprehensive technical services, such as virus removal, system updates, hardware installation, and component replacement. In addition, the ITU and the Office of Housing and Residence Life support seventeen resident technicians, some in each housing area, to provide support to resident students with virus issues, software application problems, operating systems, printers and wireless connections. Other ServicesHow does the campus support printing for students, and is there a charge for this service? Printers are available in all university labs and in the University Libraries. Students pay a charge of .05 cents per page printed. Does the campus provide wireless network coverage? If so, how much of the campus has wireless connectivity? Access to wireless networks is available in public spaces on all three campuses of the university, including the Johnson Center, Student Unions I and II, and Innovation Hall, as well the Eisenhower student residence hall and Bull Run Hall on the Prince William Campus. See information on wireless access. The Johnson Center Library, Mercer Library on the Prince William Campus, and Arlington Campus Library also have wireless access. |
