Fees and expenses What, if any, technology fee is charge by the campus? What does it cover? Will you be required to purchase your own computer equipment and software? Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment? Technical Support What hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support? What kinds of support services (help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and when are they available? Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement cycle? If you bring your own computer to school, what kind of technical support can you expect from the campus? Other Services How does the campus support printing for students, and is there a charge for this service? Does the campus provide wireless network coverage? If so, how much of the campus has wireless connectivity? What security measures are provided by the institution’s IT department and what will be the student’s responsibility (for example, antivirus software)? Does the campus include the cost of technical accessories (for example, a technology-enabled note-taking pen that provides an interface to a CMS) in its technology fee, or are students required to purchase these items separately? Does the campus support the purchase and use of e-textbooks? Do the baseline hardware and software standards support this technology?

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What, if any, technology fee is charge by the campus? What does it cover?

Whitman does not assess a technology fee.

The costs for our infrastructure and computing resources is considered as part of our normal operating costs. Because of this, we do not assess any fees for network or technology use on or off campus.

Will you be required to purchase your own computer equipment and software?

While most Whitman students (over 95%) bring a computer to campus, it is not a requirement. Students have access to approx 125 computers in four different general access computer labs, and most of these computers are accessible 24 hours per day.

Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment?

All students in residence halls have full, free access to the Internet. We also maintain a bank of 32 modems that allow Whitman's off-campus students, faculty and staff to connect to our network and the internet. This dial-up connection is also provided free of charge to the Whitman Community.

Students in residence halls with needs for faster connection have option to purchase DSL level service from a local ISP without losing on-campus access privilege. Similarly, off-campus users can purchase faster connection from several local ISPs.

Although Whitman does not offer special pricing to computers and peripheral, students can access "higher education" Web pages for Dell and Apple computer to receive standard student discounts.

Whitman supports both Windows XP and Mac OS X operating systems, and both types of computers are available in campus computer labs. Whitman computers are all equipped with the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), so this software is recommended for students who want their personal software to be compatible. Other recommendations for software and hardware are available at

http://wcts.whitman.edu/index-incoming.html

• Help Desk is open during the normal business hours (M-F, 8am - 5pm).
• Student Consultants in the labs are available for assistance. For hours, see http://wcts.whitman.edu/resources/
• Each residence hall has a student computing consultant available to assist with network connections and other technology questions. Students may make appointments with their ResNet Assistant 24/7.
• There is a well-developed web page http://wcts.whitman.edu/docs/menu-resnet.html
• Training courses are offered throughout the year. http://wcts.whitman.edu/training/.

Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement cycle?

Whitman College follows an aggressive 4-year replacement cycle (3-year for lab computers) for desktop computers to ensure that hardware available to faculty, staff, and students is up-to-date and capable of running the software neccessary to fulfill the College's mission. Critical servers are on a 2-year replacement cycle.

Operating system and security software (antivirus, antispyware, etc) is updated on a regular basis to stay on the most current version.

You will receive instructional information, even before you even arrive, about how to keep your computer working well at Whitman. Information ranges from important security measures to take before connecting to the network, to instructions on using various computing resources. Instructions on many computing topics are also available on the College's Technology Services web site at http://wcts.whitman.edu/docs.

While college technicians are not able to physically repair broken student computers, you will have access to trained technology assistants in each residence hall, in the library, and at the Technology Services Helpdesk, where you can get advice, suggestions, and, if necessary, information about local options for getting your computer repaired.

Basic black and white laser printing is available to all students at no charge. We do ask, however, that students limit themselves to one copy only, and to use the many available copy machines if they need further copies.

Color printing is also available for a charge. 8.5" x 11" color laser printing is available in the Olin lab for the cost of $1.00 per page. A large-format color plotter is available in our Multimedia Development Lab. Prices for this printer range from $2.00/foot to $20.00/foot.

Students may print from college computers, or directly from their own personal computers.

Does the campus provide wireless network coverage? If so, how much of the campus has wireless connectivity?

Yes, Whitman provides wireless network coverage. It is available in all major academic buildings, Memorial Hall, the library, Reid Campus Center, Alumni House, Penrose (Admission) Office, Fitness Center, Harper Joy Theatre, residence hall lounges, interest houses, and Ankeny Field.

What security measures are provided by the institution’s IT department and what will be the student’s responsibility (for example, antivirus software)?

Whitman provides students with access to a very secure campus network.

• The college provides a dedicated hardware firewall for all traffic sent between the campus and the public Internet.
• SPAM and anti-virus filtering are provided for all incoming Internet email messages.
• Local email messages are scanned for viruses.
• Anti-virus software is provided at no charge for all students living on campus.

The student is responsible for providing a personal firewall, a personal anti-spyware program and to keep their computers patched and up to date on security patches. (see http://wcts.whitman.edu/docs/network/resnet/before-you-connect-to-resnet).

Whitman does not have technology fee. Most required equipment are provided by the college. Some technical accessories must be purchased by students.

Does the campus support the purchase and use of e-textbooks? Do the baseline hardware and software standards support this technology?

The decision to recommend or use an e-textbook is between you and your professors, but it is a possible option. Computers in campus computer labs are well-equipped to allow students to do almost any kind of academic work they might need to do, and are more than adequate for the use of e-textbooks if desired. Personal network-based storage is generous, and all computers are set up to allow you to use a variety of removable storage devices.