October 2, 2000 Kerr Hall faculty and staff computer training labs upgraded By Barbara McKenna This past summer, Human Resources assumed sole responsibility for administering the Kerr Hall computer training labs, a duty previously shared with CATS. As part of the reorganization, permanent funding has been earmarked to support a significant part of lab operations, and hardware and software upgrades are being implemented. The Kerr Hall Mac Lab and Kerr Hall PC Lab were created five years ago mainly to provide staff with training in new administrative software, especially the Payroll Personnel System (PPS) and the Financial Information System (FIS). During the past five years, demand has also grown significantly for training in standard software programs (such as Microsoft Word and FileMaker Pro) and web-oriented applications (such as DreamWeaver). According to Sharon Cohen Barry, manager of SHR's Training and Development unit, demand in the two areas--administrative systems and standard computer programs--has increased rapidly, making the need for regularly upgraded lab equipment essential. Computer training directly related to UC or campus operations is considered mandatory. Mandatory training includes FIS, PPS, SIS, Data Warehouse, and the Vista/Budget System. There will be no fee for lab use for mandatory training. All other computer training is considered nonmandatory. For 2000-01, there will be no fee for lab use hours on nonmandatory programs, Cohen Barry says. Those costs will be covered this year through Human Resources funds and then evaluated to determine whether hourly lab-use fees for nonmandatory training are needed in 2001-02. If it is determined that fees are necessary, HR will give notice with ample time for units to plan for any future lab costs. Hardware and software upgrades, which generally need to occur every four years, were completed in the Mac Lab in September and will be completed in the PC Lab in mid-October. Current configuration information is on the Training & Development web site. A plan to ensure future lab upgrades has also been developed. Training & Development will continue as operational manager of the labs, including scheduling and monitoring computer support. To schedule use of the labs, send an e-mail to techtraining@cats.ucsc.edu or contact Bonita Sebastian (bonitas@cats.ucsc.edu). Return to Front Page