In order to best serve the faculty and student community of Illinois Institute of Technology, the Office of Technology Services (OTS) is uses the following processes and procedures for managing the software applications installed in all OTS managed PC labs.
- Accurate and up-to-date lists of all installed software for all OTS PC labs can be found on the Academic Computer Labs page.
- Any member of the IIT community is always encouraged to submit questions regarding OTS PC Lab policies and procedures by contacting the OTS Support Desk by phone at 312.567.DESK (312.567.3375), by email at supportdesk@iit.edu, or by website at support.iit.edu.
- Any software titles available in the physical PC labs must also be available to be installed in Illinois Tech's Virtual Computer Lab (VCL). It is the academic department's responsibility to purchase licenses that may be virtualized.
Adding or Removing of PC Lab Software
OTS encourages faculty members to request any changes to the existing PC Lab software images as soon as possible. Any faculty member requesting changes or new software should contact the OTS Support Desk by email at supportdesk@iit.edu. Information on software requirements and funding of PC lab software can be found in following sections of this document. OTS seeks to have all labs completely operational on the first day of classes each semester. In order to accomplish this goal OTS staff must abide by the following timeline:
- 4-weeks Before the Start of Each Semester
Create a test image including all proposed software packages to be tested for a period of 1-week. Individuals requesting the addition of a software package will be notified of the software’s success or failure during this period. - 2-weeks Before the Start of the Semester
Begin the installation of final tested hard-drive images onto individual lab PCs.
Based on this schedule, OTS will send out two separate email notifications to all academic department coordinators. The first notification will be coordinated with the registrar and be submitted 8- to 12-weeks before the start of the new semester. These notifications will include a list of existing labs software image and the procedure to request the addition/removal of a software package.
The second notification will be communicated 6-weeks before the start of the semester and contain a list of proposed software packages to be included on the lab PCs.
The removal of a software application from lab PCs can be initiated by OTS or an academic department that is currently paying the software license fees. If OTS initiates the removal of software, OTS will notify all faculty members and academic department contacts at least 4-weeks prior to the start of the next semester. Academic departments can request software applications be removed at any time by sending their request by email to supportdesk@iit.edu. Please request software removal at least 8-weeks prior to the start of the next semester to ensure that OTS can notify all faculty members of the change. No software will be removed from a lab once the final image is defined.
PC Lab Software Requirements
Software must be written for, or compatible with, the Windows 10 operating system. All software applications must pass testing for compatibility with existing lab hardware/software.
Funding of PC Lab Software
The following criteria is used to determine funding responsibilities for software license fees in the PC labs:
OTS Ots Is Responsible for License Fees of Software That
- Relates to the PC operating system and office suite applications;
- Provides administrative functionality (i.e., anti-virus software); and/or
- Currently installed titles that are used by classes in multiple colleges and already funded by OTS.
Colleges Will Be Responsible for License Fees of Software That
- Is used for research purposes
- Is used by a class in a single college
- For which there is an existing installed software application that provides similar functionality
- New titles requested by that college
To Request Information About Hardware or Software in the Ots PC Labs
All information contained in this document, as well as OTS PC lab locations, hours, installed software, and hardware can be found on the Academic Computer Labs page. Any questions or comments should be directed to the OTS Support Desk by phone at 312.567.3375 or by email at supportdesk@iit.edu.