🚀 go-pugleaf

In <m0py60t-001dHfC@sun.cis.smu.edu>, Richard Lee Holbert wrote:
>  We here at Stephen F. Austin University are in the process of redoing how
>we set up student/faculty/staff accounts on our host computers. We would like
>to know how other schools do it. Do you:
>
>1 )- For student accounts require any kind of written applications? Use online
>     authorization only? Delete accounts at the end of each semester/quarter
>     or leave them on for the complete period of enrollment?
>
>2 )- For faculty/staff require a written request? Any written policy sheets
>     handed out?
>
>  In otherwords what do ya'll do and do you mind sharing the information. TIA!!
>
>
>Richard Lee Holbert - Support Analyst II
>Academic Computing - Box 13038 S.F.A. Station
>Nacogdoches, Texas 75962
>Phone; 409-568-1341   Fax: 409-568-1117
>a_holbertrl@ccsvax.sfasu.edu   or   rlh@tenet.edu
>
>K-12 Netting, Learning New Resources, My Family, AGGIE '85
>

We have several environments at SMU.  The closest to your area of
interest is VM.

The facutly person requests an account number for anyone of several
activities; teaching, research, thesis, etc. Each account is coded to
reflect usage.  In each case a 'master' account is issued.  If the
account is to be used for teaching a class, then each student receives
a sub-account under the master account.  As a possible example:

        BST1001 - master account, teaching, School of Business

        BST1002 - student account under the master account.

I suspect there are numerous reasons for the above structure, but I
personally don't agree with the above philosophy.

1.  Issue an account number for each enrolled student based on school
of record, status (part time, full time), and rank (undergraduate,
graduate.  The student would have this account as long as he/she was a
student in good standing.

2.  The student would have an account regardless of what class he/she
might be taking.  A class might not require computer access, but if a
student had exposure to a specific package, then it might be used
anywhere it might be applicable.

3.  The student would have a single account for all work done on the
computer, not a separate account for each class taken requireing
computer access.  This would mean that a student in the Business
School might be using the computer for a class in the art department.
I'm not sure about how bad this might be.

4.  An arguement sometimes given is that the faculty member would
monitor the usage for the class.  I guestion the validity of this
arguement.  Accounts might be reviewed centrally as easily.

My personal feeling is that the computer is a tool and it should be
available for the student to use for any class, not just specific
classes.  I also feel that having several accounts (one for each
class) is a waste of time and probably does not accurately reflect
usage.

I hope this provides some food for thought.  If you have questions,
let me know.

JEB

--
John E. Breden
Database Administrator
Southern Methodist University
(214) SMU-3451  jbreden@sun.cis.smu.edu