Rutgers invests in computers and training for faculty and staff
Archived article from Dec 3, 1999
By Douglas Frank
An ambitious university-wide desktop computer purchase program funded through the Reinvest in Rutgers initiative has been under way since September, helping departments acquire the latest in personal computers and providing training to make the most of that investment.
The program, announced by President Francis L. Lawrence, provided academic departments with a subsidy to purchase high-quality desktop workstations at significantly discounted prices. Computers from several leading vendors were available at two performance levels bundled with various popular software packages.
Under the program, various schools and departments received Reinvest in Rutgers funding that leveraged and extended their resources for the purchase of Gateway, Dell, IBM, Sun and Apple computer packages. Nearly $1.2 million was made available by the university, permitting subsidies of $500 for standard workstations and up to $1,000 for high-end configurations. A total of 20 schools and 10 research centers representing 84 departments on the Camden, Newark and New Brunswick campuses participated in the program, purchasing some 1,552 workstations by the end of November.
John Salapatas, executive associate for academic affairs and budget, said this outstanding response shows the widespread appeal of the program and noted that the funds will leverage more than $3.2 million as departments complete their purchases.
In addition to the subsidy, departments found that their funds went even further this year because the university used its collective buying power to arrange favorable unit prices, he added. "The leveraging of reinvest funds in combination with the university's purchasing power enabled departments and units to receive more value from their precious dollars."
Although only departments were eligible for reinvest subsidies, individual faculty, staff and students can still buy workstation systems for personal use at the discounted rate. Prices have been running up to 20 percent lower than those offered outside the university, according to Dave Souren, associate director of computing services. Souren added that Rutgers University Computing Services (RUCS) is providing assistance with installation and setup for a reasonable fee.
Information on prices and the configurations currently available can be obtained from the Rutgers Computer Store, located at Records Hall, Room 151, on the College Avenue campus. The store can be reached at ext. 2-5800 or on the Web at www.computer-store.rutgers.edu.
The desktop computer purchase program also includes a computer-training component offered by the Teaching Excellence Center (TEC) in cooperation with RUCS and the Division of Human Resources. Workshops, open to departments and individuals at no cost, began in November, according to TEC Director Gary Gigliotti. He estimated that 1,500 trainees could be accommodated through January. A new schedule will be available in the spring term.
The sessions, dealing with such programs as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, basic Web design and desktop publishing, are being coordinated by Marcie Anszperger, manager of the computer literacy training program.
The three units will work closely with representatives in Camden and Newark to offer a standard curriculum with training efforts coordinated to accommodate the specific needs of each regional campus.
A schedule of upcoming classes is available at the TEC Web site, teachx.rutgers.edu, and there is a link at the human resources Web site, dps.rutgers.edu, as well. Online registration is available.
Gigliotti recommends that department heads consider the types of skills their staffs need and send the entire department as a team for instruction. "If they come as a team, learn as a team, go back as a team, they'll be able to assist each other as the process evolves," he said. "It will improve the retention of material by the individuals." After the classes, people are free to call for extra support or help in getting through an operation or problem, he added.
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