Alternative Approaches to Configuring Computing Labs

Budgetary constraints are almost a constant challenge confronted by academia. In the case of small colleges and universities, these constraints become even more pronounced when these institutions enhance their programs to meet the needs of their constituents. While in some cases program enhancement might simply be accomplished by hiring new faculty members; in others, it might require additional resources. This is especially true for computer science or management information systems programs; the changes or enhancements in these programs also mean additional computing lab support. However, budgetary constraints, lack of physical space to house the labs, conflicting needs of different courses, and rapid obsolescence of technology only exacerbate this dilemma. Needless to say, overcoming these challenges requires some pragmatic thinking and approaches. Based on their own experiences in dealing with these same challenges, the authors suggest the following guidelines for configuring computing labs that are cost-effective, flexible and versatile: