Memo to all residents of Van Pelt sent May 13, 1996

Dear Van Peltians:

We are hoping to hire some of our 1996-97 "computer consultants" for the fall *now*. Please apply! Read on...

If you think you are going to be a work-study student next academic year, and would like be involved in our exciting new project to provide a full range of "primary" or first-hand or "local" computing support in the House, please send a brief information application to

vanpelt@english

as soon as possible.

Your e-mailed application should describe your skills and interests in any and all aspects of computing and information technology.

Don't think you need be a "wirehead" or hardware specialist to apply and be hired for one of these positions. Obviously, such skills are a significant plus, but we are also in need to people who have interest and skills in using the 'net in general - in helping students with applications like MAPLE and with the web (including html), and with library information databases (like LEXIS-NEXIS and RLIN).

As you may know, we in Van Pelt will be experimenting next year with our own stand-alone, in-House "primary support" project. The Computer Consultants - and regular members of our Sandbox Committee - working with Marsha's successor as Manager of the system, and Jim Kearney on the staff, will form a

PRIMARY SUPPORT TEAM

that, we hope, will provide at least 80% of the solutions to computing problems in the House, answers to Van Peltians' questions (especially at the beginning of the year!), help with RESNET installation (especially, again, in September), and instruction in information databases, web page making, use of MAPLE, etc.

Our seminar room is going to be renovated this summer - and equipped with a very high end audio-video-network projection system; so that space will be used as a computing/info tech teaching-learning space.

Thanks to the work of the Sandbox Committee, room 107 - until last year a regular single, and for a time this year a staff office - will be coming up to speed as a special computer room to be used

* by computer consultants & Sandbox Committee people in their work of providing instruction and help
* by Van Peltians engaged in special projects requiring high-end computers and/or scanners, etc. (in September we'll describe a system of checking out a 107 key at the main lobby desk - for students who want such access and have been through a quick training session on using the machines there).

So there's much happening in this area that's exciting. For now, I'm calling on all Van Peltians to consider applying for the somewhat revised computer consultant positions.

Please note: you DO NOT have to be living in Van Pelt next year to apply. We welcome applications from Van Peltians who for one reason or another are moving out of the House. (And also from Van Peltians who are coming here in September!)

More details about this overall project later... Meantime - once again - please apply for one of these new work-study positions. If you have doubts of any kind, or questions, please send them to me.

Thanks.