Lab Reservation Policy and Charges

Jump to the Reservation and Rental page to learn how to reserve or rent a lab.

Lab Reservation Policy

Policy History

In 1985, a computer lab reservation policy was adopted by the Deans that allowed faculty to reserve a lab for 1 hour per semester. Reservations were made through Information Technology (then called Academic Computing).

In 1989, the policy was amended by the Deans to allow faculty to reserve a lab for 2 hours per semester unless they were members of the English Department. English faculty were given priority to reserve the CCC307 lab for regular weekly class hours per semester. Other faculty were allowed to reserve the CCC307 lab for regular weekly class hours after the English faculty completed their reservations. A faculty member could reserve the labs either for each weekly class period of the semester (16 total hours) or for only 2 class hours per semester. Lab reservations for regular weekly classes were made through the office of the Dean of Letters & Science until the beginning of a new semester. All other reservations and regular weekly reservations following the start of a new semester were made through Information Technology.

  • Recommended by Academic Computing -- 7/13/92
  • Recommended by ITAC -- 7/27/92)
  • Approved by Council of Deans -- 9/2/92
  • Revised by Council of Deans & Vice Chancellor -- 9/29/92
  • Revised by Council of Deans & Vice Chancellor --12/96

Problem Statement

The 1989 policy no longer meets the needs of the faculty based on reservation requests during Spring '92. Faculty who want more than 2 but less than 16 hours per semester have no option but to reserve a lab for a regular class period of 16 hours per semester and then cancel the reservation each week they will not be holding class in the lab. This makes more work for them and for Information Technology in managing reservations. And, if faculty forget to cancel unneeded reservations, labs are cleared of students for the reserved time for no reason, reducing service to students as well. The current policy has resulted in some faculty not using the labs at all because of the hours rules.

Exceptions to the current policy were made on an ad hoc basis for some classes, such as CIS classes that give their midterm and final exams in a lab and need more than the 2 hour maximum for the exam periods. Such exceptions were only made when the faculty member requested an exception. Faculty who did not request exceptions did not make use of the labs when they might have liked to do so.

Due to increased demand for the labs and on the recommendation of SGA, a statement was added in December, 1996 encouraging instructors to allow students to use open computers during classes.

Lab Reservation Policy

Computer labs may be reserved for classes on a first come, first served basis. Total reservations for each lab should not exceed 18% of open lab hours. If the class has no other assigned classroom, the reservation must be made and confirmed before submitting the room number to the Registrar for a future timetable.

Lab reservations may be made through Information Technology via Computer Labs Management Office. Confirmation of lab reservations will be made as soon as possible after receipt of the reservation request, either electronically or by telephone. Assignment of a lab will be made by Information Technology Computer Labs Management on a space available and technical requirements basis.

When a computer lab has been reserved by an instructor and the class does not fill the lab to capacity the additional computers are available for students to work on, provided the student is not interrupting the learning environment of that class. Students may only enter the lab prior to or at the reserved class time. The professor may ask students to switch seats to accommodate the class. Professors may ask students to leave if an exam is being given or an evaluation/critique session is being held or whenever the professor chooses since it is their assigned classroom. Students may not print unless given specific permission from the instructor who has reserved the lab. (added at the request of SGA 12/96.) A student who does not obey these rules may be asked to leave the lab immediately by the professor.

Charges for Microcomputer Lab Usage

  • Approved by Council of Deans: 12/14/93

This document establishes fee-for-service charges for using the public computing laboratories operated by Information Technology (IT).

  • Class I Users

    • No Charge .
    • UWSP academic units, including English for Foreign Students, using IT computing facilities and services in support of credit generating courses
    • UWSP academic units using IT computing facilities and services in support of instruction, non-sponsored research, or university sponsored public service for which no fee is charged

  • Class II Users

    • $20.00/day/machine; minimum charge of 1/2 day.
    • UWSP academic units using IT computing facilities and services in support of non-credit generating courses for which a fee is charged, sponsored research and grant-funded programs and workshops
    • Non-profit educational units outside UWSP

  • Class III Users

    • $90.00/day/machine; minimum charge of 1/2 day.
    • All other users.

Activities which do not clearly fit into the above three classes will be negotiated on a case by case basis. Contact UWSP Labs Management staff at 346-4156 or 346-3331 or send email to the UWSP Computer Lab Manager to negotiate rental fees.

Classes II and III do not include staff time. Requirements for staff will be negotiated on a case by case basis. Required staff time will be billed at $6.50/hour.

Reservable Labs

Every reservable lab has a data projector on a teaching station. Check the number of seats and type of computers/peripherals available on the each lab's page. The following is a list of reservable labs: