The University of Sheffield
Corporate Information and Computing Services

CiCS Student Computing Rooms

Description of Service

Student computing rooms that are managed by CiCS.

Client Groups/Eligibility for Services

All registered users.

Provider Responsibility

  1. To provide rooms with PCs running a managed computing service for use by students. Some of these rooms have on-site staff and have a counter service, others have no on-site staff. Some of these rooms are also bookable for class teaching. The provision is as follows:

    a) All Student Computing Rooms have:
    PCs, desks, chairs, a telephone, appropriate notices and information; some of these rooms are bookable for teaching,

    b) Many Student Computing Rooms also have high quality monochrome pre-pay printers.

    c) Staffed Student Computing Rooms also have:
    Staff to provide support and advice, counter sales and documentation, during staffed hours.

    d) The main IT Centres also have:
    High quality pre-pay colour printers and short-term bookable PCs with scanners. They are staffed approx 60 hours a week as detailed in Appendix C of the Introduction.

  2. To provide an adequate number of pre-pay value loaders across the campus.
  3. To maintain the equipment in the rooms, so that it is in a usable condition, including checking it every week, and cleaning it annually; to maintain printers and keep them supplied with paper and toner.
  4. To ensure that there is adequate security for the equipment.
  5. To provide information on the location and opening hours of these rooms and the numbers of computers available in them.
  6. To provide pre-pay, self-access printing facilities in some departments by arrangement with and supported by the department.

User Responsibility

  1. To treat the equipment in CiCS Student Computing Rooms with respect.
  2. To abide by the guidelines for the use of Student Computing Rooms, paying particular attention to the activities for which the computers are used and general behaviour.
  3. To report any equipment/service failures immediately they are discovered.
  4. Where the room in which the PC is situated is booked for teaching, students should respect the requirements of the lecturer.
  5. All users of the Mappin IT Centre must sign at the porters' lodge out of normal working hours.
  6. All users must vacate the Mappin IT Centre during the advertised hour of cleaning.

Availability of Service

In general, Student Computing Rooms are available when the building in which they are located is open. However they may close 30 minutes before the building close time, and users should comply with any directions given by the staff responsible for the building (e.g. vacate the building when asked).

The Mappin Building IT Centres, ME03 and ME04, are open 23 hours each day (closed for one hour as advertised for cleaning). Please see Introduction Appendix C or Current details on the web for a list of all rooms and the opening hours of staffed Student Computing Rooms.

For health and safety reasons, admissions may be refused outside normal working hours. Staffed Student Computing Rooms may not provide all facilities at all times of the year, and some may not be staffed during vacation. Notice of changes to published times will be given — by one or more of the following: posters in Student Computing Rooms, system messages (news), email or through the student portal (MUSE).

Service Statistics/Outputs

Student Computing Rooms database records, including faults and maintenance.
Number of equipment faults.
Usage statistics including printing information.
Annual Report.
Reports for internal meetings.

Service Measures

Student Computing Room faults on the central campus will normally be investigated within 8 working hours of reporting. The response time for faults on sites off the central campus may be longer.
Equipment in Student Computing Rooms will be checked weekly and cleaned annually.

Dependencies

Facilities Management Directorate for availability of and access to rooms.

Feedback and Monitoring

Student Services survey.
CiCS User Group.

Benchmarking

See Section 7 of the Introduction.

Exclusions

Those rooms which belong to and are managed by departments.

Location of Service

Charges

Users of Student Computing printing facilities are currently charged:

For sales - see Counter Sales SLA

Failure Response

Student Computing Room faults on the central campus will normally be investigated within 8 working hours of reporting. The failure response time for faults on sites off the central campus may be longer.