For Finals Push and Beyond, Florida Tech Installs Computer Labs at Residence Halls

With finals looming and social distancing in full effect, Student Life and Information Technology teamed up to bring computer labs to students on campus.

Resident Assistant Rebecca Webb and Resident Director Tim Blackman, both students, suggested installing a temporary lab at L3Harris Village to improve access for the students currently living there. After Florida Tech Director of Residence Life Jacqueline Hetherington relayed the request to Senior Vice President for Student and Alumni Affairs Bino Campanini, IT was enlisted and things happened quickly.

“They asked and we responded,” said Daniel Flores, vice president of information technology.

L3Harris Village Building A got its six-computer lab, and additionally, six computers were installed in the multipurpose room at Columbia Village. Both labs are now open, with machines equipped with the same software found in the labs in Olin Engineering and the Applied Computing Center. The number of computers will help ensure users can maintain appropriate social distance.

“I’m very proud of my student staff for paying attention to students’ needs, even during a pandemic, and extremely impressed with Student Life and Information Technology’s support and quick response,” Hetherington said. 

The Columbia Village lab is open from 8 a.m. to midnight but will shift to 24-hour access once student swipe card readers are installed. Harris Village’s lab, which has swipe card access, is open 24-hours a day.

While the labs were designed in large part to help students prepare for finals, they will remain open until face-to-face classes resume. At that time, organizers will examine utilization data to determine whether the labs should remain.

Find all university updates, information and stories related to COVID-19 on the Coronavirus Central webpage.