The UTPB computer science research lab: running on student power

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) is a small university of approximately 3,300 students. The Computer Science Research Lab at UTPB was founded by a federal grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and consists of both Windows and UNIX networks as well as a Linux Cluster and Lego Robots. The lab is used by approximately 100 Computer Science and Information Systems students and five faculty. It provides students with full access to network and database administration as well as an environment for application development. Many courses, such as Research, Software Engineering, Database Systems, Information Systems Design, and Computer Science I and II, use the lab to enhance course work and give students "hands on" experience. However, it is not possible to have a dedicated technician to manage the lab, so the Computer Science Research Lab at UTPB is operated and maintained by undergraduate student assistants with minimal faculty supervision. Even the initial set up of the lab was done by students and faculty. The department has managed to maintain a quality lab environment for the last seven years because many non-traditional UTPB students are already working and have various areas of expertise that help with lab maintenance. In addition, through a dedicated Research course, the faculty members guide students to follow defined procedures for installation and maintenance of equipment and software. The faculty would like to share the lab experiences of the last seven years with the SIGUCCS audience.