UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 30, Page 10
May 4, 1995
TechTalk
Campus Computing: It's growing and growing

     Red ball-point pens are a thing of the past in administrative
offices on campus. This spring marks the third year that electronic
budget turnaround forms have replaced the green computer printouts--
filled out in the past with red ball-point pens--hand-delivered to the
Budget Office, hand-checked by staff and hand-carried to the Computing
Center for data entry.
     Along with red pens, carbon paper is progressively disappearing
from offices as staff process University forms electronically. Since
Jan. 1, all journal vouchers and purchase requisitions must be EZForms-
-computer files sent over the campus network to administrators for
approval and then on to General Accounting or Purchasing for
processing.
     Undeniably, information technology has changed the way University
staff communicate and do business. The campus network has grown
dramatically and now includes e-mail, electronic forms and global
network connections. Currently, more than 5,000 desktop systems can
reach out from campus and connect to the Internet, according to Susan
Allmendinger, system security and access.
     Administrators, faculty and students are now just keystrokes away
from others in need of advise, approvals and information. Just about
all faculty and staff currently communicate by e-mail, and surveys
indicate that 75 percent of students use e-mail, Allmendinger said.
     Communication between faculty and students is no longer
restricted to class and office hours. "Many faculty are using
electronic mail to expand course discussions among students," Judy
Greene, teaching effectiveness, said.
     Tory Windley, purchasing, reports that processing time for
purchase orders has been drastically affected by electronic data. "Our
typical turn around time for price quotations is now two business
days," she said.
     Windley added that staff will be able to order Purchase Orders
with Check (POWCs) electronically within the next few weeks. After the
electronic request is received, Public Safety will deliver the POWCs
in the next afternoon's delivery run.
     "EZForms have changed the way we do business," Windley explained.
"Our staff spends much more time doing purchasing and less time
typing, mailing and waiting for forms."
     Last month, performance appraisal reports were easier to complete
using the electronic version of their paper counterparts. Staff could
download templates to their computer and simply enter the necessary
information using their word processing program. "I just don't miss
one bit the over-sized forms, the typewriter and the supervisor's
comments that didn't fit in the space allowed," Marianna Preston,
public relations, said.
     The campus network also has changed the ways in which staff and
faculty advise students. "Electronic access to student records has
eliminated the need for students to go from office to office in an
attempt to drop or add courses," according to Claudia Fischer, arts
and science. "Access to information has improved and is extremely
helpful in the advisement of students."
     Fischer said the College of Arts and Science currently is testing
"On Course," a program that will eliminate the need for manual check
lists for degree requirements.
     Over the next month, TechTalk will print a series of articles
that explain what can be done to safeguard the integrity of the campus
network--allowing members of the campus community to take advantage of
the quality, electronic services.