(Last Updated: 9/10/2003)

(NOTE: This FAQ list for a lab monitor was prepared based on the questions at the monitor orientation Spring 2003.)

1. What are the procedures for closing the labs?

Announce 15 minutes ahead of closing that students have 10 minutes to finish up what they are doing. Students must be out of the lab by closing Start shutting down computers not in use. It is not necessary to shut off the monitors. They go into sleep mode. Turn off the printer. Get students out by closing and make sure all computers are shut down. Turn off the lights.

2. What are the procedures for opening the labs?

One of our staff will turn on the computers and the printers before opening. You just need to show up at 8 a.m.

3. How do you turn on the projector in the Mac and PC lab?

All you have to do is turn on the power button on the top of the projector. To turn off the projector press the power button a second time. Do not touch any other power switch. You can focus by turning the lens.

4. Are we allowed to install educational software on the computer?

No. Only approved software can be installed by our technical staff. You will notice
that if you try to install any software you will not be able to do so.

5. Are we confined to the monitor’s computer or can we use the scanner and Photoshop while on duty?

If you want to do some scanning, you may do so.

6. Is it true that that the multimedia labs are run by NFLRC?

No. They are run by the Language Learning Center for the College of Languages,
Linguistics and Literature. The NFLRC is a federally funded center and the money
it receives is from grants to do specific projects. In carrying out those projects they
may use existing facilities and hire faculty and graduate students to do the projects.

7. Can I print for free when it is not during my monitoring time?

Yes.

8. Where is the paper for the printer?

In the PC lab it is on the top shelf of the bookshelf behind the monitor’s
desk. In the Mac lab it is in Clayton’s office and Clayton usually checks daily the
level of paper. Please do not let another student refill the paper tray. If it is empty
and it is brought to your attention, then the monitor only should refill it.

9. How do I refill the paper in the printer?

The paper tray is at the bottom of the printer Pull the tray out and put the paper in the
paper well. Push the tray back in.

10. What do I do if there is a paper jam?

If you are not familiar with clearing a paper jam, call John or Danny to show you how. After watching them do it the first time , then you can do it on your own after that if you feel comfortable with it.

11. Where do I get other supplies such as scotch tape and staple refills?

A box of staples is in the drawer of the monitor’s desk. When the box is empty contact Dan (65118) for another box. When the scotch tape runs out, also contact Dan for a refill.

12. I’m monitoring in the Mac Lab, but have no familiarity with Macs. Can I be switched to the PC Lab or will you train me to use the Mac.

We will show you the basics of using the Mac. It is not always convenient to switch
you as the other monitor may be in the same position as you and also there may be a
time schedule mismatch.

13. How can I change the keyboard to be able to type accents in other languages?

For the PCs, click on the Global IME icon at the bottom right of the screen. To see keyboard layouts for various languages, open Internet Explorer, click on Favorites and then Global Keyboard Layout and choose the appropriate language keyboard. On the Macs, click on the American flag on the right of the toolbar to get a pulldown list of languages. Click on the appropriate language.

14. While viewing a page in Internet Explorer that is in another language, I sometimes
get strange characters in the text. How do I get rid of them?

Click on View and then Encoding and choose the appropriate language encoding. .

15. How do I scan a photo?

The instructions with diagrams are taped to the table next to the scanner in each lab.
Simply follow the instructions.

16. If the teacher has a class session in the computer labs, must the students already using the computers give them up?

Yes, all other students not in the class must leave. If there are any computers left over that are not being used, then other students can use them quietly while the class is going on. It is helpful to announce 15 minutes in advance that a class will be meeting in the labs so that the students can finish up what they are doing.

17. How can I save my work to a floppy disk in the Mac lab?

There are 3 external disk drives attached to selected computers: the monitor computer, the presentation computer and the scanner computer. You can make sure you use one of those computers if you know you need to save to a floppy. If you happen to be on another computer, copy your file to Allusers\Savework then go to a computer with a floppy drive and save it to your disk from Allusers\Savework.

18. When doing word processing, strange symbols appear in the text. How can I correct this?

This is caused by a previous user who set the language input to be non-English. On the PC click on the Global IME icon at the bottom right of the screen and choose English. On the Mac, click on the flag in the upper right and choose English (U.S. flag).

19. Do I have to give up the monitor’s computer if an instructor holding a class in the lab asks me to let a student use it ?

No. We have guaranteed you the use of the computer during the time you are monitoring. If there is a problem, call John (67575) or Dan (65118).

20. Should I leave if an instructor holding a class in the lab tells me I can go?

No. You should remain at the monitor’s desk. The instructor is not in charge of the labs. If there is a problem, call John (67575) or Dan (65118).

21. If someone wants to borrow a chair to take to a classroom, are they allowed to?

No. All chairs must remain in the labs.

22. If a student insists on giving me blank paper for printing instead of donating 5 cents a page, what should I do?

If after explaining our policy, the student insists on handing you sheets of paper, then
politely accept the paper and put it aside. Do not put the paper into the paper tray as
we only want our paper stock used.

23. How can a student print a print job that is longer than our 10 page limit?

If a student has a print job that is greater than 10 pages, they should click on File in Microsoft Word and choose Print. A Print window will open up. In the Page Range box, choose Pages and then type in “1-10,” “11-20,” etc. for each print job.

24. How can a student print a web page?

The student should first copy the web page by highlighting it and clicking on Copy from the Edit pull down menu and then paste it into a Word document. The student can then print the Word document.

25. Why is there a 10 page limit to a print job and why can’t students print web pages?

The 10-page limit is to prevent the printing of long multiple page documents that cause other students to wait for their print jobs to be done. It also cuts down on the waste of paper. In the past a lot of paper was wasted when students printed web pages indiscriminately. Often the user only wanted one page of the web page, but when they hit the print button the entire web page was printed and the unwanted pages were discarded. By making the user copy and paste only what they need, we cut down on the waste of paper.

26. If a student saves a file to the AllUsers/Savework folder, how long will the file remain there?

Files saved to the AllUsers/Savework folder will be purged on Friday afternoon. Also, this folder is accessible from both the PC and Mac labs.