General:
o Food and drink: In 3018, food and drink should be placed on the tables near the front of the room. In 3006, leave food and drink on any table away from the computers. NO FOOD OR DRINK SHOULD BE NEAR ANY COMPUTER OR DISPLAY.
o Cell phones: Please be respectful of others and use your cell phone outside of the labs only. Please turn the ringer off.
o Computer use: We assume that all users have basic Windows file-management skills. If you do not have basic Windows file management skills, invest some time in gaining them! Free online training is available through UF’s Computer Application Training.
o Backpacks/bookbags: Be aware of your backpack. Backpacks sometimes get caught on computer cords when moving between rows in the labs and may damage a display if you are not careful.
o Pets: Please leave your pets at home out of respect for others. If you are found with a pet in the lab, you will be asked to leave immediately. Exceptions are made for service dogs.
o Bicycles: Do not bring bicycles into the labs.
o Telephone: The telephone in the back of the 3018 lab is intended for emergency use. Do not give out the phone number. And definitely DO NOT turn up the ringer volume. If you must make a call from this phone, please make it as brief and quiet as possible, so that you do not disturb other lab users.
Computer Use:
o Accounts: Use of the computers in 3018 and 3006 requires a Gatorlink account. Your Gatorlink account will also give you access to the virtual machines used in your course, depending on the software taught. If you are auditing a course speak with the instructor to get access to the virtual machines used in the course.
o Logging on and off: It is your responsibility to logoff of any workstation. Failure to log off is a security risk. Please make sure to logoff from the Virtual Machine environment and the workstation.
o In addition to the Geography Lab Policies, UF and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) have their own policies, which can supersede the departments’ policies depending on the situation. You should read about Acceptable Use, Email, Security, and Passwords in UF policies and Accounts and Privacy in CLAS policies.
o Please maintain a secure computer lab environment. This means securing your own laptop and smart phone with a password or keycode to ensure no one but you can access your files and personal information.
o When you finish using the lab computers, remember to logoff. Since you use your Gatorlink account for computer access, leaving a computer logged on can invite malicious activity using your Gatorlink username and password, which subjects you to UF and CLAS security policies highlighted above.
Virtual Computing Environment:
o The 3018 and 3006 teaching labs make extensive use of virtual machines for teaching the many GIS, remote sensing and cartography courses; presently, we have two (2) virtual machine builds, one for the GIS and remote sensing courses, and the other for the spatial epidemiology courses.
o By enrolling for a course through Geography you will be able to access a virtual machine customized with the software you need to complete your homework and projects. This means, that after logging in to the “physical” computer, you will login to the “virtual” computer to access ArcGIS, ENVI, etc.
o No data can be stored on the lab computer or in the virtual machine environment. You are responsible for your own data storage. See Data Storage and Data Integrity section.
o When logging off the virtual machine, make sure you choose Disconnect and Logoff to completely closeout and release the virtual machine. See the Virtual Machine tutorial.
Lab Access:
o During scheduled class times users are blocked from free access to the lab. We will post a semester schedule of course meeting times on the lab doors.
Summer A Lab Course Schedule: room 3006
Summer A Lab Course Schedule: room 3018
Summer B Lab Course Schedule: room 3006
Summer B Lab Course Schedule: room 3018
o The doors to 3018 and 3006 have card-activated door locks. You must use your Gator1 card to open the door. Follow the instructions on the door above the lock explaining how to use your ID card in the lock – orientation of the Gator1 card is important!
o The labs doors are open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday (except when classes are session). Lab doors will closed by 5:00 pm weekdays and are to remain closed from 5:00 PM until 8:00 AM weekdays.
o During evenings and weekends the doors must remain closed. This helps us to maintain a secure computing environment for you and your classmates. Anybody with a recognized Gator1 card can work any time that he or she chooses, but must keep the lab door closed at all times, even if leaving the room for only a few minutes.
Printing:
o Printing in the labs is restricted to those who have paid the lab fee for the semester they are enrolled in a geography lab course. Please DO NOT recycle paper through the printers.
o We will soon be moving to the Print Smart system for our printing needs. More details will be released as we move towards implementation.
Data Storage and Data Integrity
o You will be responsible for maintaining your own data on your H drive (if a Geography graduate student), on an external hard drive, or through any cloud based data storage. Any data saved in the virtual machine environment or lab computer will be deleted when you logoff.
o All users should understand that they are responsible for the integrity of their own data. In other words, make your own backup copies. We strongly suggest that you have at least two back-up copies of all of your data. All media fail sooner or later; “My hard drive failed” is not an acceptable excuse in any class or project.
o All students have access to GatorCloud online data storage. GatorCloud makes use of Microsoft OneDrive, which you can access through Office 365. You have 25GB storage capacity and the ability to share data with other students in your classes for group projects.