CVAD IT Services supports the Computer Use Policies established by the University of North Texas System and the State of Texas. Please review the UNT Policy Manual for Information Technology.

Information Technology Policies

Computer Use Policy

These polices apply to all spaces, including the classrooms of the College of Visual Arts and Design in the UNT Art Building and Art Annex.
 
These policies apply to all instructional and shared computing resources supported by the College of Visual Arts and Design, Information Technology Services. This includes the UNT Online Mac Computer Lab (where applicable) and the following spaces in the Art Building and Art Building Annex: Specialized 210 Classlabs, Conference and Meeting Rooms, Computer Lab and Digital Fabrication Lab.

Definitions

  • Checkout Items: Any item that is tracked through WebCheckout, but is not a physical workspace, such as Wacom tablets, cameras, tripods, etc.
  • Coursework: Any research or material generated in pursuit of credit in a currently enrolled course.
  • Patron: UNT student, faculty, or staff who is assigned to any computers or equipment available through the CVAD Student Computer Lab
  • Print Job: a document sent from the computer station to the printer for the purpose of rendering a facsimile on paper.
  • Special Circumstance: Any occasion that does not fit within the procedural guidelines.
  • Specialty Workstation: Any workstation that consists of both a computer and specialized equipment, for example: large format printers.
  • Workstation: Any computer or piece of equipment that may be checked out. This includes computer stations and 3D printers.

Responsibility to Secure the Space

Computer Lab and Digital Fabrication Lab: No patron will be allowed in the lab if not assigned to a workspace. No patron is allowed in the lab outside of posted lab hours. A valid UNT ID is required for admission.
 
Type 210 Specialized Class Labs: These spaces are generally only accessible to faculty and students during active class periods unless an agreement is made with the department chair and program coordinator. Once a class has ended, the room must be vacated. If an instructor cancels a class, or class ends early, all students must vacate the space. Instructors are responsible for securing the room after class ends. Be sure all students have vacated and that all doors are closed securely before leaving. Please leave the space as you found it: please cleanup after yourself as a courtesy to other instructors and students. If you find the room in an unacceptable state, please report it immediately to our office.
 
Regarding our Shared Computer Class Labs – Art Building rooms 233, 313, and 338: once a class has ended or class ends early, the room must be vacated. These are shared spaces, so exceptions aren't possible as the space is scheduled for use by other instructors from multiple departments and programs.
 
Computer Lab and Digital Fabrication Lab: Patrons are required to inform the staff when they have finished with their workstation and are leaving the lab. If a patron leaves the lab without informing the staff, they will assume to have vacated their workstation after 15 minutes. The workstation may be restarted, and any unsaved work will be lost.

Changes in Hours of Operation

The building will be closed during all observed University breaks, such as holidays or spring break. The building will also close for any emergency closures such as weather or health crisis. In short, if classes are canceled, the lab will similarly be closed.
 
Any exceptions to the normal operating hours due to holidays, short semesters, inclement weather, health emergencies, etc. will be posted in the CVAD Service Desk in Microsoft Teams and announced on the digital signage outside the lab.
 
No patrons are allowed in the Computer Lab, Digital Fabrication Lab, or any other supported area outside of our posted hours.

Time Limits & Waitlists

All workstations have established time limits to ensure that all patrons can get access to the resources that they require for their academic pursuits. In the Computer Lab, standard workstations have a 2-hour time limit and specialty workstations have a one-hour time limit. Time limits are only enforced in the event of a waitlist. Lab attendants will inform patrons when there is a waitlist and warn those close to their time limit that they will need to surrender their workstation to waiting patrons. The staff will do their best to give ten-minute warnings when a patron’s time is almost up. Students will always have priority over non-student patrons.

Printing

Computer Lab: Printing is the Computer Lab is paid for on student fees: only student patrons are eligible to print using the Computer Lab printers, faculty and staff do not have print rights. Depending on enrollment, students have access to different print resources. Only materials to be used in pursuit of academic credit may be produced in the Computer Lab.
 
Access: Students currently enrolled in at least one course in the college, regardless of their major, have access to color laser printing, photo printing, and large format printing. All other UNT students have access to basic black and white laser printing and 3D printing.
 
Usage: Only materials to be used in pursuit of academic credit may be produced in the Student Computer Lab. Printing is limited to one final output, though progressive iterations are acceptable. Duplicate copies are not allowed in the lab. These limitations apply to both paper and 3D prints.
 
Students enrolled in any CVAD class, regardless of major, have access to color laser printing, photo printing, and large format printing. All other UNT students have access to basic black and white laser printing and 3D printing. Students enrolled in a at least one CVAD course are not charged to print in the Computer Lab: it is covered by student course fees.
 
Paper Restrictions: No outside paper may be used in the laser printers. Patrons may provide their own paper, or use the paper provided, for the large format printers. Patrons may use the filament provided, or an approved outside filament for the 3D printers: all outside filaments must be approved by the staff prior to use.
 
Academic Usage: Only materials related to student's academic work may be produced in the lab. Printing is limited to one final output, though progressive iterations are acceptable. Duplicate copies are not allowed in the lab. These limitations apply to both paper and 3D prints.
 
Printer Locations: Printers are not installed on the computers in the Type 210 Specialized Class Labs, Conference Rooms and Meeting Rooms, Classroom on Wheels laptop carts, or the UNT Online Mac Computer Lab. However, you may print using Web Print. Web Print may also be used to print from anywhere — including off-campus — for picking up later. Print jobs that are not picked up by the time the lab closes will be discarded.

Lab Attendants

The labs will always have at least one attendant on duty. These attendants are responsible for the following.

  • Checking patrons in and out
  • Assisting patrons with basic needs
  • Ensuring the security and cleanliness of the lab

It is important to note that lab attendants are not tutors or teaching assistants. They are not permitted to assist with the completion of academic projects. While they can provide basic guidance on the software and hardware available in the computer lab, they cannot offer any academic support. Furthermore, aside from tasks related to computer maintenance, lab attendants are not allowed to operate patrons' computers. 

Food and Drink

There is no eating near the computers. All food and beverages must be in sealed containers to prevent spills on the equipment. If the liquid can leak out of the container when turned upside down, it should not be near the computers. All food and drinks must be stored safely in a bag or backpack, or on the shelves provided at the entrance to the lab.

Abandoned Stations and Belongings

The staff, and the College of Visual Arts and Design, are not responsible for items left behind in a facility. Any belongings left behind will be kept at the front desk in the lab in the lost-and-found. Patrons should also check with the CVAD IT Services Desk, Art Building, Room 371, to see if the item was turned in there. Any items not claimed by the end of the semester will be considered abandoned and will be thrown away or donated to charity.

Privacy

The computers at the University of North Texas are provided for the use of students, faculty, and staff. Users should be aware that their use of the university’s computer systems may be subject to review or disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act and other applicable laws. This includes administrative reviews for security purposes, policy or legal compliance concerns, system maintenance, audits, and other activities necessary to protect the interests of the university and its users.

By using the university’s computer systems, individuals expressly consent to monitoring by the university for these purposes. If such monitoring uncovers possible evidence of criminal activity, the university may provide this evidence to law enforcement officials. Additionally, users should understand that the university cannot guarantee the protection of electronic files, data, or emails from unauthorized or inappropriate access.

In the CVAD IT Services' supported spaces, all computers are automatically cleaned of patron files upon each reboot. Patrons should save their personal data to removable or cloud storage to protect their academic work. Staff members are not permitted to provide removable media to patrons but can assist with accessing and saving files to external media. 

Environment

The College of Visual Arts and Design is committed to maintaining an environment conducive to study and academic pursuits. To ensure this:

  • All cell phones and mobile devices should be kept on silent while in the lab.
  • Patrons should step outside the lab to make or take phone calls.
  • Headphones must be used when working on audio/video projects or when playing music or videos for academic projects or personal recreation.

The College of Visual Arts and Design supports the visual arts, design, and scholarship. Due to the interpretive nature of art, patrons may work with or research material that includes nudity or other sensitive content. If any patron is uncomfortable with the nature of the work being conducted around them, they may request to move to another station. 

Protection of Student Information

Staff is not at liberty to share any student information and will not release information via telephone, email, or other electronic communications regarding patrons currently using our resources. In the event of an emergency, please contact the College of Visual Arts and Design directly. In-person requests for the location of a current patron will be honored for law enforcement officers presenting proper identification.

Virus Protection

All computers at the University of North Texas are protected from viruses and malware by enterprise-level virus protection software. This software also scans any external media for viruses.

Hardware

The College of Visual Arts and Design strives to keep our equipment as current as possible. All computers, printers and other devices and equipment are replaced on a four-year cycle to ensure operations are maintained at an acceptable level and to introduce the latest hardware to our faculty and students.
 
Patrons may not disconnect or modify any of the equipment in these spaces for any reason.
 
Personal hardware and devices may be used on the computers in the CVAD instructional spaces so long as no driver installation is required.

Software

No unapproved software installation is permitted.
 
To keep our software as up to date as possible with a minimal negative impact on our patrons, we perform minor software updates on a weekly basis and perform major software updates between semesters. All software installed on computers supported by the college are evaluated and tested by the Office of Information Technology Services of the College of Visual Arts and Design.