Casey Computer Center
Anthony Lapes, Director
The Casey Computer Center was created in 1962 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Casey, who provided the original equipment. Since that time the center has provided excellent service and state-of-the-art equipment for students, faculty and staff in the Hankamer School of Business. To provide the best service to all of its users, the center functions as a separate department, reporting directly to Dean Terry Maness.
The center currently includes two microcomputer labs equipped with desktop PCs. The Advanced Technology Lab, located on the second floor of the Cashion Building, includes 96 computers, one third of which are replaced every summer to ensure students have access to the computing resources they need. Additionally, a multimedia station with a scanner, VCRs, video capture capability and video editing software are available for project work. Every computer has Internet access along with the capability to print to two high speed monochrome laser printers and a color laser printer. The lab also contains three small presentation rooms that can be reserved for students to work on group projects and to prepare for and enhance their presentations. The Business Writing Lab, located on the fourth floor of the Cashion Building, houses 28 computers. While students enrolled in business writing classes have priority in using the computers, the lab is also used for a classroom setting or an overflow facility during times of peak usage. To maximize productivity in these labs, center personnel maintain many categories of software applications and constantly evaluate updated versions of existing programs and recent software innovations.
To enhance the classroom experience for both students and faculty, the center has equipped every classroom in the School of Business with multimedia computers and projection equipment. By using similar computers in classrooms and labs, the center has attempted to eliminate potential obstacles for students developing presentations in the lab and then displaying them in the classroom. The center also provides support for specialized classrooms within the School of Business: the Southwest Securities Financial Markets Center, the CNL Real Estate Learning Lab, the Curb Music and Entertainment Marketing Learning Lab, the Information Technology Learning Lab, and the Cashion 303 videoconferencing room. Each of these rooms is equipped with projection systems, document cameras, DVD and VCR capabilities. These rooms are controlled with networked AMX control systems. All areas of the Business School have access to AirBear, the University wireless network, which allows students to use laptops and access the Internet network data, collaborative software, etc., during class sessions or while studying in one of several common areas.
While the center is primarily responsible for meeting the computer needs of the students, it also provides research facilities for the faculty and staff. Each faculty/staff member has a PC or Macintosh computer connected to the University network to access Internet email, the library and local collaborative resources. In addition, the center staffs a Help Desk and a Graphics/Desktop Publishing workstation that can produce video presentations, color transparencies, electronic slide shows, desktop publishing, and web page creation for newsletters, classroom use, and research papers.
The center is staffed by dedicated IT professionals, each with a different area of expertise, under the leadership of Anthony Lapes, Director.
