Committee wants faster computer replacement

A faculty committee on educational technology wants Oberlin to replace all its academic computers every four years.

Chair of the committee Robert Geitz, associate professor of computer science, presented his group's recommendation to the General Faculty at the body's meeting Tuesday. Also at the meeting, the whole-faculty body approved staggered terms for elections to its executive board, the General Faculty Council.

Also at the meeting, the faculty approved awarding diplomas to 671 students at commencement exercises next month. The computer recommendation would allow the College to keep its technology up to date and keep the size of the service staff to a minimum, Geitz said.

Geitz's committee wants to add about $160,000 a year to the computing budget in order to replace one-fourth of the campus academic computers each year. Already, enough funds are allocated to replace computers in faculty offices every four years.

Geitz said a computer purchased for $2,200 to $2,400 four years ago is now obsolete. He said that rate of technological progress is likely to continue. "We view this recommendation as more of a prediction than a policy statement," he said.

If the campus computers are up to date, Geitz said, there will be fewer different configurations of hardware and software, and so fewer computer center staffers will be needed to repair machines.

Other recommendations in the report include not allowing faculty to take home their office machines, making laptop computers available to faculty who need them and letting faculty on leave take their machines with them to other colleges.

Also, the committee wants to make software that is bought for one faculty member's use available on the campuswide computer network so more people will have access to software.

The recommendation will be passed on to administrators and committees involved with budgeting.