The computer science department began installing 10 new computers in the lobby outside of the SunLab at the end of last week. The computer increase is in response to rising student enrollment in the department's courses, said Tom Doeppner, vice chair and associate professor of computer science.
It has become increasingly difficult to schedule class lab sessions because of the high demand for the limited number of computers available, Doeppner said.
Ethan Langevin '14, head teaching assistant for CSCI 0170: "Computer Science: An Integrated Introduction," said the number of students enrolled in introductory courses has increased in recent years, causing the department to struggle to find sufficient space.
Since the 2005-06 academic year, the number of students enrolled in computer science courses has increased from 1,052 students to 1,593 students for the 2010-11 academic year, according to University registrar numbers. The University registrar was not able to provide enrollment numbers for individual classes.
The TAs will schedule student use of the new computers and implement wait lists, if necessary, Doeppner said. He added that the location of the new computers in the lobby should not alter the dynamic of classes and lab sessions themselves, but will definitely change the atmosphere of the lobby.
To combat the overcrowding, the department will also continue to offer Remote Access, which allows students to work on assignments and labs on their personal computers. Doeppner said students are encouraged to use this tool through the software and instruction made available to them. While numbers of students using Remote Access have increased in the past two years, they have not matched the registration surges for computer science courses, Langevin said.
The value of peer camaraderie and easy access to the TAs continues to make SunLab computers preferable to Remote Access, Doeppner said.
Many students said they find it a little strange to have computers in the lobby but are happy the department is trying to accommodate the increase. More computers are required to solve the overcrowding issues, but this addition and improving Remote Access installation will both help, said Najib Ishaq '16 .
These 10 new computers are "an experiment," not a permanent solution, Doeppner said, adding that he hopes they will help alleviate the problem for this semester. Based on how helpful the computers are, the department will be able to reevaluate the best course of action for the future, whether that is more computers or a new space, he added.
Langevin expressed excitement about the increased popularity of computer science courses.
"Hopefully, we can come up with a more permanent solution so new students can have access to the same resources we did," he said.
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