computer science
OPENS DOORS
When you continue on with Comp.Sci. courses past first year, you become a member of a community, sharing in communal resources. We hope that you will take a part in caring for those resources - after all, it is in your interests to do so.
Seat allocation in labs: who has priority
Please attend your own scheduled lab (the practical work is a very important part of the course). This is the only time you are guaranteed a seat. You may need to leave the lab when there is a tutorial on for which you have not been streamed, to free up resources (machines/tutor's time) for the scheduled group. In general, if there are more than 5 spare seats during a scheduled lab time, you may stay. If there are less then you must leave. The problem will be greater when there is an assignment due. Please start your assignments in plenty of time before the due date, to avoid the rush on the labs just before the deadline.
Use of lab machines for non-CS work
You may not allow anyone else to use your account,
or use someone elses account yourself. You are given your Computer
Science account to do Computer Science work only. There is some
flexibility here, but this does not extend to printing
out large documents for other courses.
We get no funding for costs incurred for other courses.
Please keep the noise down in the lab. We provide the common rooms for the (necessary) social interaction which is part of the learning environment. If you wish to listen to music, please use earphones.
Eating and drinking
Please do not eat or drink in the labs. There is always a kitchen or common room nearby the lab where you can sit around comfortably to eat or drink.
Leaving yourself logged in
If you are leaving the lab briefly, you may leave yourself logged on, as long as you lock the screen (so that nobody else can access your session) and are only absent for up to ten minutes. If someone does inadvertantly leave themselves logged on insecurely, please respect their privacy. Just log them out.
Reporting problems with machines or equipment
If you become aware of any issues with a machine, either software or hardware, please inform a Teaching Fellow, and make sure that an e-mail message goes to cshelp.
The last person out at night
Finally... if you are working late at night (on those interminable CS assignments), if you are the last person in the lab, and you are leaving, please check that the windows are all shut, and that the doors to the outside are properly secured when you leave. The lab is yours to use, and yours to look after. If it is left unsecured, and something goes missing, the whole community will be affected by the diminished resources.
