If you have a problem or general question about your computer or software, or if you aren't sure who to ask, call the WCTS Help Desk at 527-4976 (x4976 spells "gyro"). The Help Desk is staffed from 8-5 during the business day. The Help Desk consultant will either answer your question or forward your inquiry to the subject expert. You may also submit a Service Request on-line at any time, through our web site, at https://webapp.whitman.edu/wcts

If you would like assistance with an instructional issue that concerns using technology in teaching or research, including hardware purchasing, please contact the Academic Technology Consultant for your division

All faculty members automatically receive two computing accounts: an email account on our Unix server (Marcus) and username/password for the Campus Network.

See Whitman College's network account policy.

Most people get either DSL or Cable Modem to access the Internet and Whitman.

You can also accesso the Whitman network, email, and the Internete free of charge via Whitman's pool of six 33.6 kbps modems, but be aware--this is very very slow. You will need to obtain a username/password (different from your email account). See the Dial-In information page for detail.

WCTS is responsible for the repair and maintenance of College-owned equipment that is part of the WCTS inventory. We do not provide support for personally-owned equipment, whether located in your home, or on campus.

Faculty can purchase Dell and Apple computers directly from manufacturers at educational pricing over their Web sites. Dell's Web site is Dell Higher Education and Apple's Web site is Apple Store for Education. You can purchase by credit card or check, and have the merchandise sent directly to you.

Yes, WCTS provides full support for all College-owned equipment that is purchased and allocated by WCTS. We also provide desktop support for equipment purchased by your department, if it is purchased either through, or in consultation with WCTS, and is included in the College's equipment inventory. Some equipment purchased with departmental or special budgets (such as grants) may not be in the "replacement cycle" (i.e., not be eligible for WCTS-funded replacement), unless replacement funding was planned by the original purchaser.

We cannot guarantee support for all types and brands of equipment, which is why it is important to check with us to see if the specific brand or piece of equipment you are thinking of purchasing is something we are able to support.

WCTS provides full support for Whitman's "Standard Software Package", when installed on College-owned computers. Supported software includes the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), as well as a large collection of additional software packages. Contact your Academic Technology Consultant if you need information about availability and support for specialized software applications.

Yes. WCTS staff can come to your class to demonstrate certain software, or can schedule workshops at other times to show your students how to use a particular application. Contact either your Academic Technology Consultant or Rich Hinz.

Yes. Contact your Academic Technology Consultant.

All residence halls Fraternity houses, and Interest Houses are networked. This means that a student with a network-ready computer can connect directly to the campus network via ethernet.

We highly recommend using the CLEo Learning and Collaboration System. Contact Rich Hinz if you want to try.

You can also create a mailing list yourself. See "For Faculty" page for information page.

Whitman currently offers the ability to view live enrollment information on-line through Whitman's web site, via WebAdvisor.

Most classrooms already have network/Internet connections available; including some "smart" classrooms which are equipped with a permanent computer installation. This information is available on-line at http://wcts.whitman.edu/resources/ims/classroom.html.

If you use a computer frequently in your teaching, we encourage you to schedule your class in a "smart classroom," or at least in a room with a network connection. If you have an occasional need for equipment, you may check out a mobile multimedia cart located in your building, or contact Instructional Multimedia Services (IMS) in advance to arrange for equipment delivery.

Scanners are available in numerous locations around campus, including the WCTS training room (180 Olin) which is available for you as a faculty workspace when workshops are not in session. Some departments/divisions have equipment such as scanners and specialized printers available in division office and/or departmental labs.

General access scanners are located in the Olin computer lab, Maxey lab, Science Lab, and the Hunter Multimedia lab. Hunter also offers access to more advanced equipment such as slide scanners, film printers, CD burners, and video editing (see the WCTS packet for details).

Contact the WCTS HelpDesk if you need information about equipment availability.

Communicate with Shannon Callister about your equipment needs. Better yet, talk about what you need to be able to accomplish using your computer so we can work toward identifying equipment that will do what you need.

Yes. WCTS maintains a small pool of Macintosh and Windows "loaner laptops." They are available for short term (less than 2 weeks) checkout to faculty for Whitman-related use, on a "first-reserve, first-get" basis. Contact Ronnelle Partlow in WCTS (x5415) to request a laptop loan.

WCTS does have a small number of laptops available for sabbatical or long-term loan. Priority for these loans goes to sabbatical faculty. Contact your Academic Technology Consultant for more information.

WCTS offers training workshops on a regular basis. You can also take an on-line training course through ElementK. See Training web page for detail.

Some phone lines on campus are 'analog' lines, which are safe for a modem or fax machine. Most, however, are 'digital' and cannot be used without damage to your equipment. Contact Mike Hubbard (526-4705).