3/27/07 CCL Reservation Policy

If you would like the pdf. please click CCL Reservation Policy 3-27-2007 Revision.pdf

Proposed CCL Reservation and Use Policy
March 27, 2007 Revision
Prepared by CCL Steering Committee

Statement of Purpose

The Creative Computing Laboratory (CCL) supports media-intensive computing, creative projects, data representation, and research and provides a showcase for campus projects using new media technologies. The CCL consists of a laboratory devoted to production and training using media, simulation, data display, and modeling software as well as motion capture and other interactive hardware. A portion of the CCL is devoted to a media-oriented "living room" promoting a collaborative atmosphere. The CCL supports the college mission by promoting the development of students, faculty, and staff members who are sophisticated practitioners of the art of communication broadly conceived.

Appropriate Use

The dual purposes of the CCL as a comfortable, collaborative learning space and a unique computing environment on campus may result in the need to identify appropriate uses of the facility especially in high demand periods. All users of computing, regardless of purpose, are welcome to use the facilities of the CCL in support of their academic and scholarly pursuits.

However, priority will be given to uses of this facility that take advantage of the unique resources that exist in the CCL. The CCL Steering Committee will consider this when evaluating reservation requests. In preparing your reservation request, the CCL Steering Committee recommends that you consider the uniqueness of the CCL (see the CCL web page at http://www.grinnell.edu/its/ccl) and your particular needs.

Reservations

CCL reservations fall into three categories: regularly scheduled classes, ad hoc activities, and public events.

Regularly Scheduled Classes: The use of the CCL for regularly scheduled classes that require the resources of the lab can be scheduled with the approval of the CCL Steering Committee. Regularly scheduled classes may be held in the CCL Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM only.

Ad Hoc Use: Events of an academic or scholarly nature which occur on an irregular basis may benefit from use of CCL resources. For example, instructors may wish to reserve the CCL on an occasional basis to support activities of a regularly scheduled class, such as for focused instruction on CCL resources or to allow student presentations. Similarly, professional organizations and societies commonly offer webcasts and similar events with a purpose appropriate to the use of the CCL. Reservation of the CCL for these kinds of activities will be permitted with the approval of the CCL Steering Committee. Generally, these sessions should be limited to 90 minutes maximum.

Public Events: Public events are restricted to 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Public events may be scheduled by any college-affiliated individual or group.

Restrictions: Reserved use of the CCL is restricted to Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM.

The total time permitted for reserved use of the CCL by regularly scheduled classes and other academic activities (the first two reservation types above) will be limited to no more than 15 hours per week, Monday through Friday.

Exclusive Use Reservations: Instructors or activity coordinators can request exclusive use of the CCL during a reservation. However, reservations requesting exclusive use of the CCL must be approved by the CCL Steering Committee at least one week in advance of the reservation to allow advertising of the closure. It will be the responsibility of the instructor/activity coordinator to enforce exclusive access when it has been granted.

A Note on Exclusive Access: Access to the ITS Helpdesk is gained through the CCL. Instructors or activity leaders needing exclusive use of the CCL should be advised that access to the Helpdesk must be allowed even during the reservation. Helpdesk staff and visitors will be advised to traverse the perimeter of the CCL during exclusive-use reservation periods to attempt to minimize disruption.

Shared Use Reservations: Instructors and activity coordinators are encouraged, where appropriate, to make a reservation on a shared-use basis. This would typically occur when some of the resources in the facility are needed for an activity, while the remaining resources could still be used by others. For example, an instructor might like to meet with groups of students to review projects, but only need exclusive use of a few of the computers. The rest could be available for use by other individuals without disrupting the class activity.

The CCL Steering Committee requests that shared-use reservations be approved at least one day prior to the reserved use.

Tours and Orientation Sessions: Instructors may wish to expose their students to the facilities of the CCL without the need to have access to a number of computers or to the exclusion of other users of the facility. Tours and general orientation to the CCL can occur without reservation, as long as they do not place use restrictions on other users of the space. Instructors should coordinate with their Curricular Technology Specialist (CTS) for a tour of the CCL for a class. When scheduling a tour or orientation, please be aware of other activities that might be scheduled in the CCL at the desired time.

Reservation Process: Requests to reserve the CCL should be submitted using the Office of Conference Operations and Events calendaring system, which is accessible online at http://www.grinnell.edu/car/confops/calendar or by selecting the calendar link from the college homepage. You may also initiate a reservation request by calling the Office of Conference Operations and Events at extension 3178. Reservation requests will be forwarded by Conference Operations and Events to the CCL Steering Committee for consideration.

Policy Exceptions: Requests for exceptions to these reservation policies should be conveyed to the Associate Deans' office.

Preemption

Preemption: During periods of heavy demand, users of the CCL whose computing needs do not require the unique resources of the CCL should be prepared to give up workstations to users needing CCL specific resources upon request. Academic and scholarly projects have priority over other uses. It is the responsibility of the users of the CCL to self-manage appropriate use during heavy-demand periods.

Rendering: Some projects will require extensive computing use for purposes of rendering video projects. A maximum of two computers in the CCL may be committed for exclusive use for extended renderings. Signs should be placed on workstations so occupied to alert other users that the computer is occupied for rendering. Additional rendering stations are available in the AV Center in ARH.

The CCL Steering Committee suggests that extended renderings be accomplished overnight or during the Friday through Saturday period when the CCL is normally closed. It is the responsibility of the individual or team using a workstation for an extended rendering to assure that the workstation is available for any class or other scheduled activity that might occur during or adjacent to the rendering activity. Also, individuals occupying workstations for rendering should consider the security implications of having an open workstation assigned and operating using their account. It is the responsibility of the users of the CCL to self-manage rendering use of CCL workstations within the policy.

(ITS, the CCL Steering Committee, the CTS and the fine arts faculty are investigating options, including grid technology, that could make the rendering process quicker, less machine specific, and more secure.)