The Central Site Computing Center, located on the first floor of the Graduate College of Social Work, will be moving into the basement of M.D. Anderson Memorial Library during the summer.
"We have the opportunity to give students more in terms of technology and computing support," Director of Academic Technologies for Technology Support Services Sara Baber said.
Students can expect to have the same access to the facility during the summer without any disruption in service, Baber said.
"We’re not moving right now; we’re going to stay here through the summer," she said.
"Then in that break in between the summer session and the fall session, we’ll complete our move and be up and running through the fall semester."
The move will be made in phases to facilitate the transfer to the Library and is scheduled to open on August 20.
"It’ll take us about six weeks all together to move," Baber said. "We’re going to do it in stages… but when we’re in the new location for the fall semester we’ll offer more than we do now."
The Central Site, which is open to students 24 horus daily, will offer more services, including laptops and digital cameras that students can check out, new iMac computers, a multimedia room for media projects and assistance with personal wireless devices to connect with the wireless system on campus as well stations for students with disabilities.
"Since we’re part of (Information Technology), we’ll also be able to help students at the beginning of the semester with their password resets and their CougarNet login information," Baber said.
Access to the new location will be at the eastern entrance of the Library, across from the University Center.
"Parking spaces will be a lot closer, making access easier for commuting students, " said Thang Doan, interim manager for the Central Site.
Though separate from the rest of the Library, the entrance will be well-lit for students leaving late for added security
"It’ll be safer for students at night leaving the facility because it’s close to the UC, the (Hilton) Hotel, the Welcome Center and the Parking Garage," Baber said.
The University Studies Division, which is part of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Development and Retention, will also have a branch outlet beside the new location of the Central Site before the fall semester begins, Director of Undergraduate Academic Development and Retention Diana Velez said.
"I think students are really going to like this because when they access a single location, they’ll have full access to all of our services 24 hours a day and when UADR (University Academic Development and Retention) is open, it’ll be very useful for students to have access to both areas," Baber said.
Plans for the relocation have not been unveiled, but Velez said that student retention programs such as Scholars Community will be installed in the Library basement. Academic advisors will also be on hand to assist students as well.
"We are planning a move and that is the location that we are looking at," Velez said.
Informing students that the Central Site will have relocated is a major concern when the fall semester begins.
"We’re going to work really hard to spread the word that we’re relocated; and we’ll be even bigger and better than we are now," Baber said.
