Students walking on campus
Policies

Computing Policy

The School of Design Computing Policies apply to Students, Faculty, and Staff. Ray Schlachter supports the School of Design’s technology.

University Computing Services maintains and supports computing resources for the campus community, including the campus wired and wireless networks, computer labs outside of SoD, file storage and email. If you are having computing issues, Ray may direct you to contact the Computing Services Help Desk at 412-268-4357 (HELP) or it-help@cmu.edu.

In addition to the policies set forth here, everyone in the SoD is expected to adhere to Carnegie Mellon University’s computing policies.

Contact Information:
Ray Schlachter | Senior IT Support (Computing) and Facilities Manager
For computing or tech issues, please fill out the Google Form 
In case of an urgent tech issue, call the Design Office 412-268-2828 
Any additional communications about computing should be addressed to destech@andrew.cmu.edu
 

Faculty & Staff

At the link below, you can find resources for faculty and staff about connecting to the network, setting up your email and calendar, securing your devices, teaching and zoom support, and computing off campus as well as other information:
https://www.cmu.edu/computing/start/faculty-staff.html. 

  • Computers are provided to each member of the full-time faculty and staff. Ray Schlachter will help with setting up your computer and obtaining software for teaching and SoD job-related functions.  

  • For special equipment, reach out to Ray to discuss your needs. Approval from the Head will be required. Once approval is obtained, Ray will order the equipment. Software licenses need to be approved at the University level. Ray will help facilitate getting new software. Please use the Google Form to make a request. 

  • Faculty are responsible for backing up their own data. They are encouraged to use the cloud resources provided by the university’s computing services group or request a physical backup drive from Ray Schlachter. University File Storage information is available here.

Students

Students' personal devices are not supported by the School. However, Ray Schlachter can help advise students generally about getting connected to printers or getting on the wireless network. If the issues are outside of the SoD purview, he will direct them to Computing Services to get support. 

Printing & Copying

  • Design studies require much more printing than other disciplines. The SoD has many color laser printers for faculty, staff and students. The design office and faculty office suites have printers for faculty and staff use. 

    All of the student studios have printers for the students to use. Use of the printers is for design coursework only. The printers are not to be used for outside activities such as greek life, clubs, and non-design classes. The University provides some funds for printing services to students: https://www.cmu.edu/idplus/services/printing.html 

    Letter and Tabloid copy paper are supplied by the SoD. Cases will be dropped off when needed. The users should put the paper away. Students should email destech@andrew.cmu.edu to request more paper being sure to note the paper size and room number for delivery, toner replacement, or other printer problems.

    Faculty and staff can get reams of paper located in the main office supply closets. For cases of paper, toner, or issues with a printer, please fill out the Google Form.

    At an additional cost, specialty printers with the capability to print large-format paper are available in the School of Design’s Smillie Lab and 2D lab.
     

  • There is an all-in-one color copier and scanner in the kitchen area for faculty and staff use. Grad students who are TAs, RAs, or instructors are permitted to use the copier for teaching purposes. It is not to be used by students for class projects.

SoD Clusters

The SoD maintains computer clusters that are only for the SoD community. Only current Design students, faculty and staff are allowed in the school’s clusters. Visitors from outside the SoD are not allowed at any time unless special arrangements have been approved by the Computing Manager, Ray Schlachter. 

Students are not allowed to install any software on University owned computers. Doing so can compromise the computer and its networked devices, and violates University policy. Eating and drinking is prohibited in the clusters due to the potential for damaging the technology. Food and drink should be left outside the room. The projection system and teaching computer are for class use only. They are not to be used by students unless Ray has given specific permission. Game playing and non-course related videos and movies are not permitted in the space.

For security reasons, the cluster doors should never be propped open. Always take your CMU ID with you if you leave the space so you can get back in. Security cameras are used throughout the SoD, including the school’s clusters, and connected to CMU police. 

Please have respect for the space and others in the space. No loud music, phone conversations or loud conversations with others in the space. Use headphones for audio. Clean up after yourself and always try to leave the space better than you found it. The SoD clusters are not maker spaces so no glue, cutting, painting or other messy activities should be done in these spaces.

Disregard for the rules of these spaces might result in loss of access to the clusters. Serious offenses may result in notifying the Head of the SoD or campus police, which could lead to disciplinary action.

  • The Reese Cluster in MMCH B3/B4 is a Mac computing lab with 16 computers, color laser printer, with peripherals – oversized flatbed scanner and Wacom Cintiq Tablet – and a projection system for teaching.

    Reese is accessible 24/7 to current Design students, faculty and staff. Scheduled classes get priority in the space.  When there is not a class scheduled, Design students may access the cluster for their course work. For security reasons, the door to Reese should never be propped open. Always take your CMU ID with you if you leave the space so you can get back in. 

    If a non-Design student is in a class that is taught in Reese, they will be given access for the duration of the class. When the class is completed at the end of a semester, their access will be revoked.

  • The SoD cluster in PH A23 exists to compliment the coursework being done in the 3D Lab. There are 16 Windows computers and a teaching computer. Only persons with access to the 3D Lab, PH A27, are given access to the Lab Cluster.

SoD Classrooms

  • SoD classrooms are equipped with a projection system. This includes a projector, projection screen, audio, webcam, and microphone. Turn off classroom technology when you are finished. If you need a tutorial on how to use classroom technology, please schedule a time with Ray Schlachter.

    If there are technology issues during class time, please notify the Design Office and they will reach out to Ray. Otherwise, please report any problems via the Google Form.

    There are no resident computers in the classrooms. Users should bring their own devices for course work.

    Guest lecturers and visitors who plan to present using SoD technology should be notified in advance that the school supports HDMI for presentations. We cannot guarantee support for special adaptor needs. Visitors will need to supply their own special adaptor. For guest WIFI access, please contact Stephanie at the front desk: slange@andrew.cmu.edu.