About ACC

Staff Directory
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Public Computing Labs

Computers are an integral part of a Haverford education. All faculty and students have email accounts, space to post web pages, protected network storage and high-speed network access available from their offices and dorm rooms. Many courses mix on-line discussion groups, web resources, and other electronic resources with traditional lectures, in-class discussions and printed materials for a full and varied learning environment.

The Academic Computing Center (ACC) provides computing support for instructional and research needs of the faculty and students. While there is no requirement for students to buy computing equipment, over 90% of our students have their own computers.

Those who choose to use equipment in one of the public computing labs have access to a generous array of resources available free of charge. Located in Roberts Hall, the Haverford College Apartments, and Magill Library, these labs contain a mix of Macintosh and Windows computers configured with high-speed Internet access and all ACC supported software. Hardware and software is updated annually, and equipment is replaced every four years. A Multimedia Lab in Roberts Hall provides students with access to special equipment and help for creating and editing digitized images, sounds and video.

Hours in the labs vary, and there is at least one 24hr lab. In addition, during certain hours, labs are staffed with student workers who can assist you in using the equipment. Additionally, any student may work in labs after regularly scheduled hours through a volunteer monitor program.

Additional computer equipment is available in the Language Learning Center and the INSC, as well as in departmental labs in Biology, Chemistry, Math/Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, and Psychology for students taking classes in those disciplines.

An Ethernet network provides 10 or 100 megabit service directly to all offices, classrooms, laboratories, and dormitories. This provides students, faculty and staff access to local network services such as file servesr, and Internet resources such as the web and email. External access to the Internet is provided via a full duplex 10 MBs link. Students living on-campus can access this high-speed network free of charge, provided they own the necessary hardware. Faculty and students living off-campus for the academic year can access the same networked resources via either VPN over broadband service or using a dial-in account. All network resources are available from the public computing labs.

Academic Computing supports a standard suite of software for email, web browsing, word processing, web development, virus protection and other standard needs. All supported software is available for use in the public labs. Additionally, since most of this software is free or site licensed by Haverford it is available for use on computers connected to the campus network.

In addition to ACC's standard supported software, the College often makes special software available for use in particular classes. For example, music students may be given assignments to use ear training software, whereas chemistry students may use software for molecular modeling. All of this software is available in our public computing labs, and may also be available via our network or sold in our bookstore at discounted academic pricing.

Faculty may use one of several computer classrooms for hands-on computer labs, or they may use projection equipment in a standard classroom to provide computer aided instruction and demonstrations. Additionally, faculty may make computer resources available outside of the classroom in several ways. Faculty can post resources on the web via Blackboard, a course management program, in course websites on our campus network, or they can make specific software or information available in the public labs, departmental labs or the library. They may also work with students in collaborative on-line projects.

ACC provides on-line documentation and other handouts for most supported software packages. Faculty, Staff and Students are supported by the Academic Computing Center Helpdesk which handles telephone calls requesting help as well as providing hands on assistance with computer systems which have been brought in to the Helpdesk office. Faculty and Staff can get additional help with various computer issues through the liaison program, and students living in the dormitories may receive computer support from a Residential Computer Consultant (RCC). Details of our support policy are available on our website.

Many of the services provided by the Academic Computing Center are available through the work of our Student Assistants. In addition to working as RCCs and Helpdesk assistants, students staff our public labs, design web pages for faculty and staff, help with hardware repairs, install software, assist with UNIX system administration, and work with faculty on various projects. All students are welcome to apply to be Student Assistants. In addition to an hourly salary, these students obtain extensive computer training and off-hours access to our public labs.

ACC Office:

Academic Computing Center
Stokes Hall, room 204
Haverford College
370 Lancaster Ave.
Haverford, PA 19041