I dont know about you, but most people cant afford every single software program that they might need for class, especially computer science. When I was a student, I needed the labs for photoshop, also extremely expensive.
There's the computer science lab and it had photoshop and other important software (the print quota is unlimited also, but that a cs dept thing).
The labs were also used as study lounges. I spent a few nights at the lab at Cunnington, even at 3am, there were 50 plus students there. BU now offers NO 24 hour study areas outside of dorms.
Hate to be an apologetic, especially since the mindset ingrain is to bash BU as much as possible, but I stayed up a few nights at Cummington too, pass 3, I was the only one there. I hate to admit it and as nice as it was, hard to justify keeping the entire lab open for me. Though I still agree, the library should be made 24 hours, at the minimum, open to 3:30, after that, I'm the only one there. Plus, it's the standard other schools set.
South Campus (across the pike) HAD only one common facility: the computer lab. Now they have nothing. No study lounge, no communal area. Ok, if you count the laundry rooms....
I don't think that lab is that big of a loss, I doubt it foster much community, but then again, I only used the lab twice. So I'll have to say valid point, South Campus could use some kind of central area and something to attract South Campus people to foster a community feeling. Obviously, laundry rooms don't count.
The printing quota is also retarded. They went from unlimited (with faculty approval) to 150. That doesnt make sense, especially because they gave the faculty no time to adjust their courses to require less printing. My last semester at BU, I had to print so much that I applied for two quota extensions.
Yeah, I wish the print quota is raised back up more. You know, making a case-by-case system of quota extensions that actually consider the cases does sound a good idea though.
Once again, devised for tours, not for students. Sure, checking facebook between classes might be a fun way to waste time. It's not necessary at all. You can't write a paper at a computer station after your laptop breaks and takes 2 weeks to get repaired. You can't use dreamweaver at a computer in a hallway.
As said above, specialty software is provided by the departments. There's dreamweaver at the cs lab too. There's other labs that are provided for other majors too (just yesterday I walked pass some kind of lab for bio med engs or something like that was for graphics). Also again, the lab we lost, wasn't really used for dreamweaver anyway.
The worst part is, it was called a cost saving measure. I'd like someone to explain to me how retiring 1,000+ computers that worked perfectly fine and buying new server based computer stations saved any money.
One I know for sure that BU tries to be, is trying to be cheap. A few dozen sever based computer stations is cheaper than 1000+ 10-year old computers. They'll save more only maintaining powering the few computers in the new study lounges. Hell, those computers weren't working so perfectly fine either. You telling me that shutting down the lab was just a way to screw with students just for the fun of it?
Worse, they called it a green measure (for the printing). Last I checked, it was greener to use a high capacity laser printer than have each student using a desktop inkjet printer which creates huge waste. Then again, this is the school that claims StuVi2 could be LEED certified....but they just didn't want to go through the certification process....but trust them, the building is totally up to standard.
Unlike the above, this is true and ridiculously stupid. I don't like BU taking our labs for cost-cutting, but at least that reason is honest and reasonable. Hiding behind the green banner is BS. They probably said that to look better, but it only make them look like liars.
