Teaching Labs

ITS lab workstations are loaded with standard software and plugins as well as the necessary plugins to work with popular homework websites like CourseCompass, MyITLab, and MyCompLab.

Labs designated for student use are not available for faculty reservations during posted open hours; however, scheduling of the labs will be permitted during non-student hours at the discretion of the Lab Manager.

Reserve a Lab

Faculty and staff members can reserve any of the teaching labs at least 3 days in advance. We will confirm your reservation by email.

If you need specialized software that is not already installed on a standard lab computer, please give us at least two weeks notice.

Scheduling Priorities

Reservation requests will be given priority in the following order:

Â鶹´«Ã½ credit courses needing computer lab space for every class in a semester. Request lab space up to one semester ahead of time through the first day of classes. Requests made after the first day of classes will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Â鶹´«Ã½ credit courses (occasional use). Requests will be confirmed beginning after the first day of classes and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Â鶹´«Ã½ non-credit courses. Requests will be confirmed beginning on the Monday following the first full week of classes. Requests arriving during the semester will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Teaching Lab Locations

Location Student Workstations
BAL 1013 A 40
BAL 1013 B 24
BAL 1013 C 20
PHEC 251 20
VBHEC 234 40
TCHEC 1230 A 25
TCHEC 1230 B 25

All teaching labs have Windows 10 installed on Dell computers, a separate instructor station, and one black/white printer.

Instructor Guidelines

Instructor Application Testing
Instructors should always test applications on lab workstations before using them in class. Software that runs on your office computer may be incompatible with lab workstations due to plug-in conflicts, hardware incompatibilities and user permission restrictions.

Lab Rules
The Lab Software & Usage Policies page outlines the rules for acceptable use of Â鶹´«Ã½ computer labs. Instructors should be aware of the rules and emergency response procedures detailed on this page before conducting lessons in the labs.

Requests
To request software installation in an academic or teaching lab, send an email to itshelp@odu.edu or call the ITS Help Desk at 683-3192. The request should include the software title, licensing information and a point of contact. ITS will review the request to be sure the software can be installed, and will get back to you by email.

Compatibility Requirements
When choosing software for the upcoming semester, keep the following things in mind:

  • Standard policy requires that the 32-bit version be used.
  • Software must be compatible with the University networked environment which includes Microsoft and Unix systems and services.
  • No data files produced by the application will be stored permanently on the local lab computer.
  • At the conclusion of each semester, the lab manager will review the list and notify ITS of any software that is no longer needed.
  • Sufficient time must be provided to thoroughly test the network environment and to determine if the new software is compatible with the standard University software.

Notification Agreement
ITS will notify the requesting instructor or department when the software is installed and ready to test. The requester is required to test the software within 5 days of being notified, and immediately provide ITS documentation of any issues with the requested software.

Request Deadlines
ITS will guarantee that course-specific software (which is properly licensed and does not create other issues in the University networked environment) will be installed in the appropriate lab if all material has been received by the following deadlines:

Fall Semester - July 15
Spring Semester - November 15
Summer (all sessions) - April 1

Removing Software

Specialized software will be removed at the start of each Fall semester unless you let us know you are still using the software. Please submit a new software request every year.

Requests After the Deadline
No new software installation requests will be taken for the current semester after the deadline has passed. ITS tests lab software applications before the start of each semester in order to provide secure, efficient and reliable workstations. Once all lab software issues are resolved, the labs are imaged for the semester to create a production lab environment. This process assures that faculty and staff have reliable applications in the labs.