Services and Fees
Fees and Expenses
4.1 What, if any, technology fee is charged by the campus? What does it cover?
All enrolled students are charged a standard computer fee to support academic computing related to coursework,
open-access computing, network access, and student non-sponsored research. Students in programs with expanded
academic computing requirements (such as Computer Science, Engineering, or Management Information Systems) are also
charged an augmented computer fee.
Funds from the computer fee are distributed across the university by the Computation Advisory Committee, which is made up of students and faculty. The
committee ensures that basic instructional and research computing needs are met on campus, makes recommendations
for improvements, and solicits proposals for special uses of the funds.
4.2 Will you be required to purchase your own computer?
Students are not required to purchase or bring a computer to campus. More than 125 open-access computing labs are distributed across campus-in the residence halls, the
library, and academic buildings.
Although computers are readily accessible around campus, many students prefer the convenience of having their own
personal computer at Iowa State. Before purchasing one, check with your major department as some academic programs
have specific guidelines for students in their programs.
4.3 Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment?
Students have access to hundreds of computers in open-access labs all over the university--in the residence halls,
the library, and academic buildings. Many labs are open well into the night, seven days a week. In addition, laptop
computers are available for limited checkout periods at no charge.
Network connections in residence system housing are included in the housing fees (room or rent); no additional fees
are charged. Residence hall rooms and Frederiksen Court apartments have Ethernet service; SUV (Schilletter and
University Village) housing has DSL service from Iowa State. Students can request free assistance in connecting
their computer to the network through the Solution Center.
Students who live off campus may establish PPP accounts, which give them access to the Internet via modems from
their apartments or housing in Ames or surrounding areas. There is no activation fee for PPP service; the cost is
$7 per month with unlimited access.
Students who wish to purchase computers, peripherals, or software can do so at an educational discount through Tech
CYte, a technology store located at the University Book Store in the
Memorial Union. This on-campus source provides assistance in buying personal computers and software at educational
discount pricing. Computer vendors include Apple, Hewlett Packard, Gateway, and Dell. Students are eligible to
purchase as soon as they are officially enrolled at Iowa State.
Iowa State students can get site-licensed software at no charge. Software packages include email, antivirus, file
transfer and network utilities, spyware detectors, and many others. In addition, select software is available at
educational discounts.
Technical Support
4.4 What hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support?
Information Technology Services (IT Services) sets minimum support guidelines for student-owned computers to ensure that the computer can effectively run the applications that students expect to use at Iowa State. In addition, Iowa State establishes value and performance system recommendations to be used as guidelines when purchasing a new computer.
The university has also developed standards and procedures for university-purchased equipment. These standards apply to support for existing equipment and to purchases of new equipment, operating systems, software, and networking hardware.
4.5 What kinds of support services (help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and when are
they available?
The Solution Center at Information Technology Services provides a wide range of consulting and troubleshooting support available by phone, email, or in person. The university also offers short courses and training for operating systems and popular software applications. More information may be found at http://www.it.iastate.edu/training/.
4.6 Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement
cycle?
To achieve a balance between reliability and maintenance, a three-year replacement cycle is recommended for most computers purchased by the university. Public computing lab upgrades are largely funded through proposals from the Computation Advisory Committee, which distributes monies realized from student computing fees. Iowa State's desktop standards are based on a three-year life cycle.
4.7 If you bring your own computer to school, what kind of technical support can you expect from the campus?
If your computer meets the minimum support guidelines,
you can expect no-charge consulting and support on standard software packages through the Solution Center. For
computers that don't meet the minimum standards, you may be able to access fee-based support on campus. Support
for older systems may be available on a limited basis.
Computer Service provides maintenance and warranty service for a
variety of computers and printers. The area also does upgrades such as installing additional RAM, hard drives, or
other computer peripherals. For all services, charges are based on labor and parts.
The Student Network Access Program (SNAP) helps students get their computers connected to the campus network. A
SNAP assistant can visit an on-campus residence to help install and configure a network card and help load the
networking software. A drop-off service is available for students who live off-campus and want help setting up
their computers or modems to connect to the campus network through the PPP dial-up service.
Other Services
4.8 How does the campus support printing for students, and is there a charge for this service?
Printers are available in several of the computing labs at a minimal charge. Students receive a printing subsidy
each semester, which may be used for printing in these public labs. Additional printing can be charged to the
individual's university bill. Several departments have their own printing facilities, which may be free or for
a small fee. In addition, some specialized printers are supported through specific projects funded by the student
computer fee.
Printing Services offers a wide array of fee-based printing resources
for students and has several convenient locations on campus. Services include digital reproduction, full-color
copies, large format color printing, offset printing, computer publishing, finishing, and mailing.
4.9 Does the campus provide wireless network coverage? If so, how much of the campus has wireless
connectivity?
Iowa State has been ranked as one of the top "unwired colleges" in the country. Wireless network access is available in all of Iowa State's central campus green space, an area covering more than 50 acres, and in more than 80 campus buildings.
4.10 What security measures are provided by the institution's IT department and what will be the student's
responsibility (for example, anti-virus software)?
Students who use personally-owned systems to access university resources are responsible for the security of their computers or other network devices, and for complying with the university's IT Security policies.
The university provides free anti-virus and anti-spyware software to students through a site license. Assistance is available at no charge to students who need help installing software or cleaning viruses/spyware from their computer.
A security website provides information on best practices and how to protect and secure your computer.
IT Services provides a number of security measures to the campus community, including virus-detection, anti-spam, and greylisting services for email.
4.11 Does the campus include the cost of technical accessories (for example, a technology-enabled note-taking pen that provides an interface to a CMS) in its technology fee, or are students required to purchase these items separately?
Technical accessories are generally purchased by the student, although specialized technology tools (such as clickers) may be provided in some academic courses.
4.12 Does the campus support the purchase and use of e-textbooks? Do the baseline hardware and software standards
support this technology?
Some classes offer the use of e-textbooks, which are typically viewed with a standard web browser. Baseline hardware purchase recommendations for student-owned computers ensure that the computer can effectively run the applications that students expect to use at Iowa State as well as receive consulting support. Some class material is accessed through WebCT or a class website.
