1996_11 Insight November 1996

              Im Foots
NOVEMBER 6, 1996 I
Computer Science students frustrated
■ Students and faculty
complain of broken
machines and limited
resources
by Bala Balachandran
Staff Writer
Romesh Santhiapillai, a Computer Science major, has an assignment due. He
walks into the McKee Fisk 201 Macintosh
lab but all 21 computers are being used.
The remaining seven computers have an
"out of order" sign.
Later that evening. Santhiapillai uses the
computers in the Atrium of the University
Courtyard to do his assignment. "This has
happened many times before. I really don't
like doing my assignments in the Atrium."
he said. "I am a computer science major
and I should be able to do my assignments
in the lab provided by the department."
Santhiapillai is not alone.
Almost every Computer Science student
has complaints about thc availability of
machines or the lack of up-to-date equipment in the department.
The department has two labs in McKee
Fisk. lab 205 and lab 201. Department
chair Walter Read said the 205 lab once
housed approximately 25 Sun computers.
Now the lab contains three workable
machines. The computers are mainly used
by graduate students. The lab is now being used by students to check e-mail and
do homework. The other lab, 201. is
known as thc "mac lab" as it contains
Macintoshes. This lab is used a lot to teach
introductory computer classes. Read said
that there arc about five to seven machines
Students lose out
Beth Williams, a Computer Science undergraduate, said she thought the software the
department uses would be available to students. "I am very dependent on the school
computers as I cannot afford to buy the
softwares for personal use. They are too expensive." she said.
"Fora long time, there has been equipment
broken with no attention given to repairing,"
Computer science graduate Alan Hay said.
"We have problems in terms of finding computers that we need to get our assignments
Computer Science students and faculty say
their problems with computer maintenance
is being ignored by the School of Engineer-
11
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59! 98
Special to In.lght
"For a long time, there has been equipment broken with no attention given to
repairing," said Computer Science graduate Alan Hay
injej and Computer Science. But School of
Special to Intight
Computer Science faculty and
students are frustrated with
broken equipment
Engineering officials say money is being
spent to maintain the computer labs.
If Computer Science students are expressing their frustrations, the faculty isn't far
behind. Henderson Yeung. a computer science faculty member and former chair of the
Computer Science department said he was
worried for his students.
"Thc graduate students have no equipment
to do Iheir projects. Some students are \er\
resourceful and they somehow manage, bul
noi all of them can afford to buy or assemble
computers." he said.    p
Yeung said a lot of the people who lake
introductory courses go on to become elementary school teachers. "I worry lhat they
get unhappy when ihey work with these unreliable machines and transmit their unhap-
piness to their students." he said.
Yeung said international students who pay
more tuition than resident students are also
unhappy. 'They pay so much money. They
expect the department to cover the basic
needs in the program." he said.
The frequent breakdown ofthe machines
has also played havoc with classes. Many
computer science classes are conducted in
the Macintosh lab. With so many of ihe machines being out of serv ice. classes have
see COMPUTER, page 7
High enrollment needed for campus construction projects
■ Fourteen projects,
including new
classrooms, are planned
by Diane Scalice
Staff Writer
If all goes as planned, a student will be
able to one day get to campus from downtown via Highway 168 in 10 minutes, park
in a high- rise parking building, attend
classes in an eight-level classroom and then
attend a concert in the event center.
But this dream can only happen if Fresno
State can bring its enrollment up to 25,000
FTE (full-time equivalent).
Funds received for the construction or
renovation of a building arc contingent
upon student enrollment.
There arc 14 projects on Fresno State's
master plan and Debbie Astone. director of
facilities planning said, "seven of these take
priority."
Included on the^list is an eight-level
classroom building, just west ofthe Peters
building. Cost is estimated at $34 million.
"This project is on hold right now."
Astone said.
"We received design funds in 1992-93.
but thc voters did not approve thc bond issue soahe designs are on thc shelf.
"It's a catch-22." Astone said. "We don't
get the space until wc have the enrollment
and we won't get the enrollment until we
have the space."
To justify construction of thc classroom
building, enrollment must be at 15.600-
15.700 FTE. Currently there are 14.860
FTE students attending Fresno State.
Jim Miller, director of public information, said, "When enrollment is down, construction slows down."
The first of the planned projects is the
renovation of McLane Hall. "We should
have funds for this in 1997-98." she said.
The estimated cost is S7 million.
I
"It's a catch-22, We don't get
the space until we have the
enrollment and we won't get
the enrollment until we have
the space."
— Debbie Astone, facilities planning dir.
Renovations planned
Next is the telecommunications infa-
structure. accomplished underground to relocate or re-route water, sewers, storm
drains, phone lines and electricity.
Another project is the renovation of the
Psychology and Human Services building,
the Family and Food Science building, the
McKee Fisk building and the Social Science building.
The renovation ofthe Speech Arts building follows.
Number live on the list is thc library expansion.
"The feasibility study has been completed and the funds are scheduled to be
disbursed in 1999-2000." Astone said.
"This will be a $64 million project with an
estimated completion date of 2003-04."
Next is the renovation ofthe student services in Joyal Administration.
New parking
Concerned about parking?
Don't be. Astone said students will have
a new parking building within 10 years.
That is not thc only new building
planned. "We are next in line to gel an auditorium," Astone said. The auditorium will
be part of the School of Arts and Humanities and will hold approximately 1.200
people.
Now that the Pavilion project in the University Student Union is finished, some are
hoping Fresno State will have an events-
center. Miller said. "The event center is the
number one priority right now.'- Bul Astone
disagreed by saying. "It's not even on the
master plan."
Astone did discuss a multi-purpose arena
to hold basketball games, commencement
ceremonies. P.E. instruction, performing
arts and various .activities such as the ice-
skating shows and concerts.
Astone said. "Anything lhal will bring in
money will be considered." Associate Aih
letic Director Scott Johnson said.
"The Bulldog Foundation has raised
SI00.000 for a feasibility study and choosing a site is part of that study."
More space
The athletic department has favored the
whereas. President John Welty has leaned
toward the northwest corner of Shaw and
Chestnut avenues, where there is more
space for thc development of businesses.
. An environmental impact report still
needs lo be done on Ihe event center.
The event center will hold approximately
15.000 -18.000 people. Astone said the
funding will come from seat options, sky
boxes, corporate sponsors, state funding
and student fee referendum.
Highway I6S is scheduled lo begin near
Fresno State in three years. Highway 168
will he about 100 feet cast ofthe corner of
Shaw and Chestnut avenues, with an on-
ramp onto Shaw Avenue.
"Anything thai helps transportation move
into the campus will be a benefit to sport-
ing events and the campus as a whole."
Johnson said.
James Crossfield. professor of civil engineering said. "Highway 168 will isolate
the campus Irom Clovis. Whoever is in
control ofthe traffic situation around here
is try ing lo keep people out instead of making it more accessible for people to come
in."
Rick Finden. director of parking and
transportation added. "If you think parking is a problem now. jusi wait a few years
and then you'll really know whal a prob-
Finden said there arc 6,827 parking stalls
lor ihe campus.
Astone said there is supposed to be one
stall for every two FTE students and continued thai there is not.   .
PHONES from page 1
$206.07 for 67 calls to various university telephones, 57 of which were made
to her office.
Sakaki's Motorola brand 550 model
phone currently sells for $49.50 with
activation of a GTE cellular phone
account or $176 without activation.
Susan Vasquez, University Lecture
Series director and CSUF/COS center
coofdrnator. also had some of the highest
bills in the period, using $ 2,376.46 in
charges between January 1995 and
January 1996.
Vasquez's highest bill was for $429.73
in December 1995.
Most of the calls placed by Vasquez
were to university phone numbers.
Special agreement with AT&T
The cost of basic monthly cellular
phone service ranges from $24 per month
up to $79.99.
Basic service allows users a certain
amount of "free" minutes each month.
Once the free minutes are used, additional time is billed at a rate of about 35
cents per minute on average and charges
vary by the time of day the calls are
made.
All calls are subject to applicable long
distance charges whether free minutes
remain or not.
Local calls made on campus from
university cellular phones connected
through AT&T Wireless Services are free
under a special agreement between the
university and AT&T that allowed thc
company to establish cellular signal relay
sites on campus.
The normal "digital" phone lines used
on campus cost departments $15 for each
line per month, in addition to any long
distance charges.
An "analog" line that allows fax
machine connections and connections to
outside Internet providers costs S20
More cellular usage
Despite charges by AHAAC lhat
cellular phones "become an unnecessary
toy." the university said it plans to
increase the use of cellular technology.
In the Oct. 7 memo to Ehrlich. Welly
wrote that "the universiiy anticipates
increased usage of cellular phones and
related wireless technology including:
remote access to local area networks and
the Internet: remote acess to electronic
mail: and the sending and receiving of
electronic facsimilies."
Jo Ann Collins, administrative special
projects coordinator, said the phones are
important for increased productivity.
"For people out in the field, it keeps
business going and the) don't have to
keep going back to the office." she said.
Benjamin Quillian. vice president lor
administration, has said the phones are
necessary for increased productivity and
efficiency in the university and current
plans call lor an increased use of cellular
phones by the universiiy.
Quillian carries an NEC 120 model
phone that sold for S299 al time of
purchase.
In addition io the phone. Quillian has a
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