As part of an ongoing effort to understand and meet the needs of our clients, Computer Lab Management (CLM) conducted a student survey on April 2, 2004. The survey was sent to 1000 students who used the computer classrooms during the Winter 2004 quarter. There were 101 respondents.

Survey Results and Interpretation

• When the line is long (> 10 people) it appears more common for students to give up than to wait in the line.  So CLM wait statistics are likely under reporting how may students actually want to use the computer rooms.
• Given a list of possible reductions students would prefer limiting access during non-peak hours (weekends or after 10pm) than limiting printing availability.  Replacing some computers less often was in between those two groups of options.
•  The MU Station and Hutchison computer rooms are the most popular. 
• It appears that students would not support of technology fee (53.5% said no).
• As shown in earlier surveys freshman do not use our services as much as other students.  This is most likely due to the fact it would be faster to go back to the dorms to use their personal computer than wait in line.

Survey Details

   
   Computer Lab Management periodically surveys computer room users in
order to make adjustments and meet customer needs. This survey helps us
determine what changes and improvements are most appropriate. We would
like your input to determine what changes you feel would improve our
services.  Please answer the following questions by putting an "x" or
text, as appropriate, between the square brackets provided (eg. [x]).  
Since a program will automatically tally your responses for later
analysis, please keep your responses between the square brackets provided.

  Thank you for your time and input.

                        Tim Leamy
                        Computer Lab Management
                        Classroom Technology Services                   
                        tcleamy@ucdavis.edu

*****  Computer Room Survey *****

1. Class Standing: [] First year        [] Second year
                   [] Third year        [] Fourth year
                   [] Fifth or more year[] Masters candidate
                   [] PhD candidate     [] Professional School

2. Which computer room did you use the most this past quarter?
(Select only one)
  Computer classrooms               Open Access Labs
   [] 1/21 Olson (Mac computers)     [] 75 Hutchison
   [] 27 Olson (PC computers)        [] MU Station
   [] 163 Shields                    
   [] 241/247 Olson                 Multimedia Labs
   [] 1131 Meyer                     [] 1101 Hart                       
   [] 1102 Hart                      [] 1154 Meyer
   [] 73 Hutchison
   [] 93 Hutchison

3. Which computer rooms have you used this past quarter? 
(Select all that apply)
  Computer classrooms               Open Access Labs
   [] 1/21 Olson (Mac computers)     [] 75 Hutchison
   [] 27 Olson (PC computers)        [] MU Station
   [] 163 Shields                    
   [] 241/247 Olson                 Multimedia Labs
   [] 1131 Meyer                     [] 1101 Hart                       
   [] 1102 Hart                      [] 1154 Meyer
   [] 73 Hutchison
   [] 93 Hutchison

4. How often do you use the campus computer rooms?
  [] More than once a day
  [] Daily
  [] A few times a week
  [] Weekly
  [] Monthly

5. If you go to a computer room and see more than 10 people waiting in
line, have you (check all that apply):
  [] gone to the end of line to wait   
  [] asked the CRC about other open computer rooms
  [] gone to another lab which no waiting line or a shorter one
  [] given up and decided to come back at a later time that day
  [] given up and waited until you got home to use a computer

6. Due to state budget cuts Computer Lab Management needs to eliminate
some services.  Please rank the possible cuts from 1 to 5 with 1 being the
most acceptable and 5 the least acceptable.
  [] Reduce late night hours (after 10 pm)
  [] Reduce weekend hours
  [] Replace some computers less often (so some computers will now be 
        four years old)
  [] Reduce number of free printed sheets allowed per quarter
  [] Remove printing from some computer rooms

7.  Would you support a $5 quarterly student technology fee if the money
went to make more computers available during peak times and/or increased
free sheets allowed for printing?
  [ ] Yes
  [ ] No

8. Do you have any other suggestions or comments?
 [   ]


Thank you for your time and input.

1. Class Standing

2. Which computer room did you use the most this past quarter?

3. Which computer rooms did you use?

4. How often do you use the campus computer rooms?

5. If you go to a computer room and see more than 10 people waiting in line, have you ...

Action	Number	Percentage
gone to the end of line to wait	58	57.4%
asked the CRC about other open computer rooms	8	7.9%
gone to another lab which no waiting line or a shorter one	47	46.5%
given up and decided to come back at a later time that day	72	71.3%
given up and waited until you got home to use a computer	63	62.4%

6. Due to state budget cuts Computer Lab Management needs to eliminate some services. Please rank the possible cuts from 1 to 5 with 1 being the most acceptable and 5 the least acceptable.

7. Would you support a $5 quarterly student technology fee if the money went to make more computers available during peak times and/or increased free sheets allowed for printing?

8. Do you have any other suggestions or comments?

•  I think more students will use the MAC computers if they can access  Myucdavis email on it. Somehow  students can not access their Ucdavis mail  on those MAC stations.
• If each student who used the computer rooms was charged a fee and the  other students were not  that would allow the budget to match the use
• I feel fees should not pay for "free sheets" because  this destroys the incentive to conserve.  Students that  conserve will just be paying for other students' print jobs. Reduced hours and availability  on the other hand  are  irreplaceable.  Thanks.
• Enforce the rule about printing only at print stations. Add the posilibity for students to print from the wireless network.
• less crc = more money  
•  You guys are doing a good job now. Changes at this point are always  welcome for the good. But cutting down on stuff is never usually  welcome :) Almost all people have printing facilities in their department  labs so this can be cut down maybe  or keep a very low nominal fee so  that people don't finish up their quota just to do that  
• The MU station line gets too long.  Maybe there can be more printers there so it  moves faster.  
•  More printers are needed to speed up all the printings from all the  computers in the room.  Sometimes it is a very long wait to collect the  sheets we printed  which makes me sit at the computer longer even if I'm  done with the computer.  If printing was more efficient the lines may be  shorter.  
• The lines are too long  and there are not enough computers to handle the increasing amount of students. I know there are budget issues  but it seems to me there should be a ratio of computers in labs available to students to the number of students. I would support student fees going to this cause  as the use of computers is more and more integral in the education process.  
•  ever consider opening up a lab for computer gaming? Heh heh  
•  I can use old computers since normally I use campus computers just for  > internet access and printing. I do not need high-end computers. Actually  > I would like to suggest increasing free sheets allowed for printing  > especially for graduate students though.
• open shields lab during weekends 
• myucdavis is slow and annoying. I don't need the weather and all  those useless announcements. All I want is to access my personal stuff.  You should have a stapler in the computer rooms. 
• indicate the start of the line in the Shields computer room
• i use it mainly for printing. Please keep that.   
• I would like to see at least one Computer classroom on the other  side of Hutchison Dr. that would have times where its open access. I have  had several instances where I needed a computer with access to MYUCDAVIS  yet it was inconvienient to walk from somewhere such as the engineering  buildings to the closest available lab.  
• My use of the computer labs is now strictly to print assignments/notes or use MS Office. I'm all OpenOffice (and no printer) at home.

Comments: labmanager@ucdavis.edu URL: http://clm.ucdavis.edu/pubs/survey/student-w04-1.html Last reviewed: Wed, 5-May-2004 Last updated: May 5, 2004