Labs | Computer

LAB HOURS OF OPERATION        

We will be closed on the following College Holidays:

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Spring Break, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Fall Break, Winter Break

Specific days for these holidays can be found on the college’s calendar page.

The Academic Computing Center is restricted to currently enrolled Pensacola State students with a current student ID, faculty, and staff.

Absolutely No Food or Drinks are allowed in the classrooms or in the open lab. The use of tobacco products of any kind is prohibited in the center.

College policy is that children are not allowed in the labs or classrooms if not enrolled as a student. If you violate this policy the lab assistant will ask you to remove the child from the lab.

Do not call the lab directly to contact students in the lab. Pensacola State College Police (484-2500) should be notified in the event of an emergency when a student in the lab or classroom needs to be contacted. Lab personnel have been instructed not to interrupt classes or students working in the open lab.

Students must observe the priority list as posted on the top of each machine. The use of the Internet in classrooms is restricted to class times and is at the discretion of the instructor. Viewing sexually explicit or violent material will not be tolerated. Please check your student handbook for conduct restrictions.

Students are not permitted to use the Faculty and Staff Lounge or the Computer Lab Office (Booth). Entering the Faculty/Staff Lounge without supervision will be considered a violation of lab policies.

The role of the Lab Assistant is to answer questions concerning homework assignments or problems with the hardware. Lab Assistants should not be expected to tutor or teach. Students should direct questions to the assistant in the booth. Phone support for problems related to class work is minimal, since it is difficult or impossible to answer most questions over the phone. Lab assistants are not permitted to work as consultants in person or over the phone while on duty.

Conduct that is disturbing to other students will not be tolerated. This includes unnecessary noise, running, throwing things, flagrant sexual activity, offensive odors, and violations of dress code. Any intentional destruction of College equipment of software may result in appropriate disciplinary action or prosecution.

Do not enter a classroom while a class is in session unless you are enrolled in that class.

The purpose of the lab is to facilitate classroom assignments. Game playing, personal, or business activities are prohibited.

Students are required to comply with regulations contained in the College Catalog and Student Handbook.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing has become a popular way for staff, students and visitors to share and download music, video, and other content over the internet. However, there are some pitfalls to P2P file-sharing that have many users unaware. Every person that uses Pensacola State College’s information technology resources, including Pensacola State College computer lab machines and Pensacola State College’s student wireless networks, must agree to follow Pensacola State College’s information technology resources acceptable use standard guidelines. Read these guidelines regarding Pensacola State College’s P2P policies:

Any use of Pensacola State College computers, networks, email systems, or websites to illegally transfer copyrighted material including, but not limited to, software, text, images, audio and video is strictly prohibited. Therefore, the use of popular file-sharing applications such as Kazaa, Morpheus, Imesh, Torrents, etc. may be a violation of Pensacola State College guidelines and Federal Law.

Other popular file-sharing applications that are not permitted include Limewire, Bearshare, and Azureus. While there are a few pay-for-file file-sharing applications, Pensacola State College has concluded that the vast majority of file-sharing constitutes illegal activity. Pensacola State College has therefore decided to prohibit all peer-to-peer traffic. The following are some common questions that may help clarify Pensacola State College’s policy:

Why does Pensacola State College block p2p file-sharing?

Pensacola State College information technology resources, including labs and the wireless networks, are provided as a service to our staff, student sand visitors in their academic endeavors. Pensacola State College is not an internet service provider and is under no obligation to provide users with a means for personal internet service.

Who cares if it’s illegal? Everybody does it.

While it is true that there are large numbers of people downloading and sharing copyrighted content, it is still illegal. The recording industry association of America (RIAA) has filed numerous successful lawsuits against colleges, universities and individuals who are responsible for illegally downloading and sharing copyrighted content.

What is so wrong with file-sharing?

Aside from the legal risks of transferring copyrighted materials, file-sharing places other Pensacola State College network users at risk in several ways.

1. File-sharing programs installed on laptops and workstations typically share a folder out of the internet, which means all of the files you illegally download are then illegally shared with the entire world, by default.

2. Viruses, trojans and other malware are frequently embedded in files downloaded through peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, placing your computer and every other computer on the Pensacola State College network at risk. This malware could potentially capture information from your computer for purposes of identity theft or could even damage your hard drive.

3. File-sharing programs can allow literally hundreds of connections to your laptop or workstation from the internet. These connections use valuable bandwidth and can potentially slow down Pensacola State College’s network for other users who have legitimate network needs.

How is Pensacola State College blocking p2p traffic?

Pensacola State College is using numerous methods to monitor, detect, and block offending users. Staff, students and visitors who are found to be using file-sharing applications on Pensacola State College workstations and networks may be denied the use of Pensacola State College information technology resources.

In summary

The use of p2p file-sharing applications on Pensacola State College computers and on Pensacola State College network is a violation of Pensacola State College’s acceptable use standard guidelines. Pensacola State College has determined this policy to be the safest with regard to protecting the information resources of our staff, students and visitors. Use of Pensacola State College information technology resources constitutes an agreement by the user that he/she will abide by these guidelines.

PERSONS FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THESE GUIDELINES MAY BE DENIED THE USE OF Pensacola State College INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES WITHOUT WARNING.