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Show THE THUNDERBIRD SUSC MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1990 PAGE 3 Legislative funds granted for computer expansion BY WARD COOMBS SUSC began another step in its expansion process when the Utah State Legislature appropriated $3 million for a state-wid- e upgrade of higher education computing systems. Of that $3 million, SUSC will get about $300,000 for a computer upgrade in its administrative department. SUSCs plans for its computer upgrade must be submitted to a state oversight committee, which is meeting April 18, for final approval to receive the allocated funding. Glen Pryor, director of administrative computing, said he doesnt see any problems with getting final approval. The final approval is just a formality to make sure the college will follow through the way it should, he said. SUSC currently plans to purchase a VAX 6420 computer to replace the VAX 780 currently in use. The new computer will be 13 times as fast as the older VAX, said Pryor. The current computer has been in use for four years and has accumulated large amounts of data. Pryor said as SUSC grows it will become harder and more time consuming for the school to access the growing quantities of data. The current computer can only handle about 35 users at one time. According to Pryor, the new computer ' should be operational by fall quarter of next year and will speed up the registration process for students. Pryor said that when the new computer is operational students will still be waiting in lines but the only time bottleneck will be the human factor. In addition, by storing and accessing transcripts, the new computer will enable the administration to better serve students after they have graduated. Pryor said the new computer will eventually make registration by phone quicker and more convenient; the computer will enable students to interact directly with the computer by phone to select classes. When the time comes for SUSC to upgrade its computer system again, the new computers capacities can be updated by purchasing and installing additional processing units. The ability to add to the system will eliminate the necessity of buying an entirely new computer, making it more cost effective, he said. Updated policy OKd for Library BY KATHLEEN MIDGLEY An updated Library circulation policy was approved by the Deans Council during its Monday meeting, where members also discussed SUSCs policy for granting advanced placement credit. The updated Library policy includes increasing fees for Library cards. According to the policy, community members will be charged an additional $5, increasing the cost to $15. Non-Uta- h residents who are not students will be charged a $20 fee for Library privileges. The policy also states that community members may check out no more than 10 items at one time. Overdue fines incurred will be changed to 30 cents per day, said Library Director Diana T. Graff. In extreme cases when students will not return books, Graff said, campus security is sent to retrieve the books from the students. It works very effectively. (Students) do give the books back. Similar to the older policy, grades will be held if the student has outstanding fees. Books that faculty reserve for students will be held only if the books are actually being used. Graff said often several books are taken off the shelves for reserve, but no students actually use the books. As a sidebar, Graff noted that the newly instigated rental fees for IMC equipment brought in enough revenue to buy a new VCR for the center and that the Library is working toward earning money for another. The Library began charging students and faculty to use equipment in the IMC during fall quarter. The fees also pay for the upkeep of the old. Deans also reviewed SUSCs policy concerning granting AP credit. According to Admissions Director D. Mark Barton, SUSC has not been in compliance with the Utah State Board of Regents recommendation that all students with cumulative points of a three, four or five on the AP examination receive 12 college credits. SUSCs policy has been to grant nine or 10 credits for actual courses, depending on the department, rather than general credit toward graduation. And according to Barton, other schools in the state are following suit. After detailed study by BYU, the U of U, and Utah State, it looks like universities from Utah will follow SUSCs policy, said Barton. Barton said some college officials throughout the state have considered not granting college credit for scores of three, but he doubts any decision will be made in the near future. A total of 45 college credits may be alloted for AP exams, according to state policy. The state awards high schools funding for AP programs depending upon the number of students who pass the test. Deans also approved a title change for PE 375 from Human Sexuality to Sex Education. The course name change will put the title in line with the text used in the class, but the course will have the same content. If nothing else, it should increase enrollment, said David Rees, Faculty Senate president. non-stude- Students perform EPA water tests BY JASON NORTH It makes you think about the water you drink, said junior chemistry major Darin Anderson, after remembering a water analysis of a southern Utah school districts drinking fountains. Anderson is one of four students who work in SUSCs water laboratory, the major water testing facility for southern Utah. The lab technicians test the bacterial density and chemical content of water samples for southern Utah communities and some areas of Arizona and Nevada. According to Ty Redd, water lab director, water samples must be analyzed within 30 hours and the postal system is too slow for a southern Utah water sample to reach Salt Lake Citys labs in time. Redd said the SUSC lab was recently granted $100,000 by the Community Impact Board for an a device that atomic absorption spectrophotometer measures the parts per billion of more than 20 metallic elements. The new machine will replace the one currently in use which doesnt comply to newer, more stringent Environmental Protection Agency standards, he said. The EPA lowered the permissible levels of metals to be present in drinking water, and this new machine is capable of measuring such minute amounts, he said. The EPA also audits the lab four times per year for accuracy, Redd added. The new spectrophotometer will increase lab technicians efficiency and accuracy, Redd said. It will have an internal computerized checklist of quality control standards for metal detection and the capacity to keep histories of water samples from various areas. Its like going from riding a trike around town to having a Mercedes, Anderson said. Theres no way we could have afforded to buy Redd said. The lab (the new spectrophotometer), takes about four or five months to produce a $2,000 profit money that is spent on new machines. We go limping along. As we replace one, then another breaks down, he said. Redd also stressed the labs educational purpose. We dont charge as much as labs up North; were not here to make a profit, we are here to educate, and we also serve as a vital link to the community. Besides serving the area, Redd said, SUs water lab is a great training ground for students. The lab is the only student-ru- n facility of its type in Utah. Students get hands-o- n on machines they wouldnt a Most students dont get at larger university. get the opportunity to use machines like these until they get out of college, Redd said. The students also get valuable experience in dealing with government agencies such as the EPA, he noted. Water testing requires several measuring instruments and techniques that are used in a .variety of other occupations, such as pharmocology, toxicology and forensic investigations. |