Board dedicates computer cluster
By NOREEN GILLESPIE
Saint Mary's Editor
Representing a continued commitment to technology improvement on campus, president Marilou Eldred and the Board of Trustees dedicated the newly-constructed Trumper Computer Cluster in Cushwa-Leighton Library Oct. 15.
The cluster, the result of a $350,000 gift from trustee member Jeffrey Trumper and his wife Nancy, is symbolic of the movement to keep technology as one of the College's primary initiatives, said Joel Cooper, director of information technology.
"This is emblematic of a significant increase in the level of commitment to technology at Saint Mary's," Cooper said. "The Trumper Computer Cluster is a visible representation of that commitment"
The cluster was built as an alternative to the Le Mans computer labs when the need for more computing space was identified. The Le Mans labs, formerly used for computer classes and independent student use, often presented conflicts for students who were unable to use a machine in the lab due to classes scheduled for lab use.
The new cluster, containing 15 iMac computers, 20 Dell computers, two scanners and a network printer is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for independent student use.
Trumper's donation is just part of several million dollars that has been spent in the past three years to improve technology on campus. The additions of ResNet and technology classrooms were also portions of that initiative.
"My wife and I know that Saint Mary's must stay current in computer technology in order to be competitive with other institutions, and produce graduates who are competitve in the job market," Trumper said.
Student use of the facility has been frequent, according to Cooper.
"It is a reasonably utilized facility," Cooper said. "Basically, people have been piling in. It's doing what it needs to do."
The dedication took place in the basement of the Cushwa-Leighton Library as a part of the Board of Trustees' two day meeting on Saint Mary's campus.
All News Stories for Tuesday, October 26, 1999
