A statue of Katherine Kemp and Margaret Corbet greets people as they approach the TransAlta Student Commons building along the Aadland Esplanade on the Centralia College campus in this February 2017 Chronicle file photo.
Centralia College is upgrading its data cables around campus and will pilot a program that will provide students increased access to the campus software.
The college is upgrading the data cables that run from Washington Hall to the Transitional Services Building, which was formerly the student center.
Through a hatch located in the center of campus, staff is working to replace 1 gigabit cable with 10 gigabit cable to support a new virtual desktop infrastructure. The pilot program will make students’ classroom software available on any VDI-connected computer on campus, according to a press release.
“Historically, software has been limited to specific machines and labs,” stated the release. “With a virtual desktop, students and staff can access licensed software from any machine in the campus network and from their own devices at home.”
The VDI project will accommodate the college’s growing need for computer labs and will provide a sustainable means for IT support, stated the release. Once the pilot project is complete, three existing labs will be replaced and a new math lab will go live in the transitional services building. The pilot program is scheduled to launch on March 1.
“Following the fiber upgrade from TAC to the TSB, we will be upgrading TAC to Walton Science Center, then TAC to the library. We will reach Hanson and the Gym following the other buildings,” Sam Small, interim IT director, said in the release. “The TSB fiber upgrade will be completed by Jan. 18 and TAC to WSC before the end of February. The remaining fiber runs will be completed during spring and summer quarters.”
Funding comes from the annual IT lab replacement budget, the Associated Students of Centralia College, and instruction. The total cost of the pilot program — including the upgraded cable and network — is around $156,000.
The work has already started and will continue through the summer.
