Terms and Conditions for Use of the Department of Geography and Environmental Science's Computer Labs (HN1090B.)
Use of Department of Geography and Environmental Science computer laboratories in HN1090B is restricted to actively enrolled geography majors (both undergraduate and graduate), environmental studies majors, GIS Certificate students, students taking courses scheduled in the labs, and departmental faculty and staff. To use the Department of Geography’s laboratory computers you need security access and a departmental computer account. There are two ways to obtain security access and a Department of Geography computer account:
1. All actively enrolled geography and environmental studies majors and GIS Certificate students are eligible to use HN1090B. Students must apply for an account as follows:
An online application for an departmental account can be found at http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/techsupport/comp_account.html. Terms and conditions of lab use are posted on the departments homepage and at http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/techsupport/rules.html. It is assumed that all users are aware of and agree to the terms and conditions of the lab. The online application can be completed at any time. Once a new account is opened the applicant will receive an email with her/his USER ID and a temporary password. A valid Hunter College email address must be provided. It will be used for sending out department-related information,
2. Students enrolled in a class that meets in the labs, but who do not have access and/ or departmental computer accounts, may have accounts set up by their instructors. They will be given a USER ID and initial login on the first day of class.
If you are granted a departmental computer account through the online application you will automatically be given security access to HN1090B. Only a Hunter College ID encoded with additional security access will work on the door to HN1090B. If your ID does not work, please see Amy Jeu (HN1046) during normal business hours. Please include in your email the 14-digit ID number that appears on the face of your Hunter College ID card.
Accounts are subject to review at the beginning of each semester. Accounts that have not been used for two months are disabled and accounts not used for an entire semester are deleted.
Lab Conduct and Security
Rules of conduct in the lab are designed to keep our laboratories in good working order, and to provide a beneficial and safe working environment for students. Violators of these policies will be asked to leave the lab and may have both their security access and computer account suspended.
• There is absolutely no eating or drinking in the labs, including water. All food and drink, including water, must be wrapped and in the student’s bag at all times while in the labs.
• The labs must be kept neat, clean, secure, and quiet at all times.
• Any music or video must be listened to through personal headphones so that others cannot hear the sound track.
• Socializing must be kept at a minimum as it can disturb others working in the labs.
• No cell phone use in the labs. If you must make or take a call, leave the lab.
• When you are through working, clean up after yourself, return books, manuals and maps to their proper home and push in your chair.
• If a student in a lab is asked by a Department of Geography staff or faculty member to show their Hunter College ID card, identify themselves, and/or to leave the lab, the student must comply with this request.
• Doors must be kept closed and locked at all times. Never prop the door open.
• Admission to the lab is by Hunter College ID that has been coded specifically for entrance to HN1090B.
• Admit no one to the lab who cannot present their Hunter College ID. If security access has not been encoded to their ID they do not have permission to enter the lab. This includes friends, classmates, and family.
• Never share your account, user name, or password, with anyone.
• Students working in the lab must log off and leave the lab before the beginning of any class scheduled to meet in that lab.
Passwords
Passwords are the first line of security for the department's network. Everyone must change their initial password at the first login. Choose your password according to the following rules:
• Passwords must be at least 8 characters long.
• Passwords should contain at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and one special character.
• Names or words are not allowed. Compound words are ok.
Disk Quotas and File Storage
Students have four options for disc storage for their work: the local C: drive; the scratch disc; the U: drive; and a personal storage device. The best way to store your Department of Geography work is to use the U: drive as your departmental storage space, and to use a personal storage device as your own copy.
1. U: drive: The U: drive is the storage area on our department server that each user has access to from the lab computer through the local area network. This is the primary storage location in the department for your work. The U: drive is backed up by the department once each week. Only the U: drive is backed up; no other drive is backed up. All user accounts are allocated a maximum of 1 gigabite of storage on the U drive. If you require additional space, send email to geohelp@hunter.cuny.edu justifying your request.
2. C: drive: The C: drive is the local drive found on the individual computer that you are using. Users can copy temporary files to the local C: drive. However, the C: drive is meant to be used as temporary storage while you are sitting at that computer. Other users can access any files that you store on the C: drive after you log off, and the C: drive will be wiped clean periodically without notice to users. The C: drive is not backed up.
3. Scratch-drive: There is a 17.0G-Byte scratch partition located at \\moon1\scratch . Anyone may use this partition as a temporary storage. Its purpose is to share files with your professor or other students: any files that you store on the scratch drive can be accessed by any other user. When using this disk space, create a folder that is your USER ID and put all files and folders in there. This disk space will be automatically wiped clean periodically, sometimes without notice. Scratch is not backed up.
4. Personal storage device: This includes thumb drives or any sort of external hard drive owned by individual users. Users are strongly encouraged to back up their work on an external storage device, which they can then take home with them. The department also recommends that you put a file on your personal storage device entitled "I-belong-to…" in which you keep your name and email address. This will enable the department to track you down and return your device if you forget it in the lab.
Lab Assistance
Students enrolled in classes requiring use of the department's computers who have questions about the software used in that class should direct their questions to the class instructor or teaching assistant.
To report any lab-related problems, including software, hardware, printing, AV, door access, or policy issues, send email to geohelp@hunter.cuny.edu. A copy of your email will go to all IT staff and will be answered by the appropriate person.
Your email must include the following information:
• Name of computer you are working on.
• Name of software program.
• Exact copies of any error messages.
The more information you provide the better the chance the problem can be resolved.
System Backups & Restorations
The information that you store on the U-drive is backed up at least once a week. No other storage locations are backed up by the department.
Printing
Every computing account will be assigned a $15 virtual print allowance. Print jobs sent to the mono printers will cost $.05 per page. Print jobs sent to the color printers will cost $.50 per page. Every time you send a job to the printer, a window will notify you of the cost and the amount remaining in your account.
Each $15 GTECH fee paid will receive an additional $10 worth of free printing. For example, a student is taking both GTECH 732 and 785.01 would receive an additional $20 worth of printing.
If you exceed your print allowance please contact Amy Jeu (HN1046) during normal business hours or email geohelp@hunter.cuny.edu. All print activities will be monitored for egregious use and abuse.
Non-compliance
Along with the terms and conditions of use of HN 1090B, users are subject to and expected to know and adhere to the Hunter College Computer Use Policies at that can be found at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/icit/about-icit/icit-groups/administration/computer-use-policies/hunters-computer-use-policy and http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/icit/about-icit/icit-groups/administration/computer-use-policies/file-sharing-copyright-infringement.
Non-compliance with the rules of the lab or the terms and conditions of lab useage will result in the suspension of accounts.
The Department of Geography reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time without notice.
