by Heather Morales
Editorial Assistant
Due to thefts in the Microcomputer Lab in Founders Hall, the lab will only be open limited hours until a security system in put in place.
The thefts were memory chips valued around $500 to $800. It remains unknown who is responsible for the theft of the chips.
Operating hours for the Lab will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 10 p.m. on weekends and will only be open when attended.
The lab should return to 24 hours as soon as a new security system.
“The theft indicated that we did not have good control after hours,” said Dr. Jay Jones, associate professor of Biology and Biochemistry, who is also in charge of the computer lab.
“In order to prevent more significant losses we had to close it when unattended,” said Dr. Jones.
Robert Rodriguez, chief of security and transportation was unavailable for comment at press time.
Dr. Jones has spoken with administration officials about funds for a camera surveillance security system.
It will take about three weeks from the approval of the funds for the security system to be in place.
“My best guess would be by the end of this month or perhaps early October,” said Dr. Jones.
According to Dr. Jones, funding for the lab is hard to get. Losing equipment would makes it hard to provide for classroom instruction.
The previous system of security letting people in and locking up was not working.
Students would just leave without calling security to lock up or when they would call they would make security wait for them to finish last minute things.
“Security just doesn’t have enough people to serve as gatekeepers to the lab,” said Jones.
He hopes that the lab will return to normal soon because he says, “The mission of academic computing is to provide fertile ground for students to explore.”
Some students find the early morning hours the most productive to their creativity but the new hours limit their time to work in the lab.
