The Office of Information Systems is dedicated to providing a robust technical framework that supports academic growth. We uphold integrity and professionalism across all areas of our operations, including Support Services, Information Security, Enterprise Resource Applications and Services, Technology Learning Resources, and Infrastructure Systems and Services. To ensure our technology infrastructure remains up-to-date, we adhere to the policies and guidelines found on our Technology Infrastructure Maintenance and Upgrade Policy page.
Networking Resources
- The core network backbone features two redundant 40Gbit fiber connections, with multiple buildings linked with two redundant 10Gbit connections, and all others at a minimum of two 1Gbit connections.
- Arkansas Tech is connected to the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network (ARE-ON) via two redundant 10Gbit links for a total of 20Gbit of theoretical bandwidth.
- All residence halls and most academic buildings offer wireless access with the 5GHz standard.
- Each student at Arkansas Tech receives 100GB of email storage and 1TB of cloud storage in OneDrive through Office 365.
- Additionally, students are provided with 5GB of personal storage space.
Computer Labs
- Our campus maintains 43 computer labs distributed across nearly every academic building, collectively offering over 1,150 computer workstations.
- Approximately 40% of these stations are thin clients, which are centrally managed.
- Many computer labs double as classrooms but remain accessible to students when classes are not scheduled.
- There are 10 dedicated student-use labs, consisting of 184 Thin Clients, 4 iMacs, and 27 Desktops. Most of these labs are located in the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center, where student satisfaction is highly monitored.
- OIS/Support Services conducts evaluations of all campus computer labs before the fall term each year. The evaluation process includes assessing computers and virtual machines based on their age, warranty status, usage volume, and compatibility with required teaching and student-use software. Equipment is either replaced or repurposed to maximize benefits for learning.
Classroom and Conference Room Technology
- The Instructional Technology Services (ITS) team maintains 180 classrooms and conference rooms across 20 buildings on the main campus.
- 7 classrooms containing Hybrid Flexible technologies for the HyFlex modality.
- 25 classrooms equipped with Smartboards.
- Most classrooms and conference rooms are equipped with basic lecture capture capabilities, which typically include a simple webcam and lecture capture software. Nearly 40% of these rooms feature more advanced equipment such as PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras, confidence monitors, and wireless lapel microphones. Additionally, some rooms are equipped with auto-tracking PTZ cameras or ceiling mic arrays.
- Many classrooms offer wireless presentation capabilities through Apple TVs, Crestron AirMedia devices, or Cisco Webex codecs.
- You can find a complete list of equipment on our Classroom/Conference Room Technology page.
Software
- All computer labs contain a core image of commonly used software.
- Additional software per lab is requested by faculty members and accommodated on a semester-by-semester basis.
- Students are also provided with the software they need through virtual machines available from anywhere in the world.
- Engineering students share a dedicated pool of virtual machines specifically imaged with the software used in their classes. In contrast, all students have access to a pool of virtual machines with our core software.
- Access to Office 2021 Professional is available to students through Office 365.
Computer Support Services
- The Campus Support Center offers 24/7 assistance to faculty, staff, and students through several options: an online support portal, email, telephone, and remote assistance. In-person support is available only when the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center is open.
- We provide help with connectivity issues, common Blackboard needs, and a wide range of other technology-related problems. Full-time ATU Customer Service Representatives and part-time Student Workers perform and monitor these services.
- Hands-on technical assistance is available during regular business hours for servicing labs, desktop computers, instructional equipment, instructor stations, and network functionalities.
Distance Learning
- Academic Affairs is responsible for the development and oversight of e-learning courses.
- The Office of Information Systems (OIS) provides technical support for the e-learning platform.
- OIS operates a Campus Support Center to handle technical inquiries and visits, offering Tier I support.
- Tier II and III support are available for the learning management system (LMS) and any integrated applications.
- ATU’s LMS, Blackboard Learn (BbLearn), is deployed using a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.
- It is hosted by Blackboard and utilizes Amazon Web Services data centers.
- This deployment method features a continuous delivery maintenance cycle, eliminating the need for scheduled maintenance windows.
- Continuous delivery, a standard practice in the software industry, provides small monthly updates, which include maintenance, enhancements, and new features.
- These frequent and consistent updates minimize the impact on change management and ensure that faculty and students always experience a high-quality learning environment.
Security
- All student and employee information is stored in a secure database called Banner.
- Access to this information is restricted to employees who require it to fulfill their job responsibilities, adhering to the least privileges methodology.
- ATU strives to comply with state and federal guidelines, such as FERPA and HIPAA, concerning student information.
- Details about the current plan are available on the Information Security Plan page.