The Nicholas School maintains four computing facilities in Durham: the Instructional Computing Lab (ICL) in A153 LSRC , the Advanced Computing Lab (ACL) in A314 LSRC , the Annex in A152a LSRC and the Print Shop in 06 Old Chemistry. A list of software installed in the public computer labs is available here.

The Dean's Office can arrange Duke Card access to any of the Nicholas School labs and the EOS print shop. Nicholas IT does not staff the computing labs, and relies on users to let us know of problems with the computers and printers, and of any concerns about usage.

In Durham, the Instructional Computing Lab (ICL) has 30 seats and is used primarily for GIS classes. Also available are a high-speed monochrome printer and an instructor's computer console wired to a ceiling-mounted LCD projector.

The 27-seat Advanced Computing Lab (ACL) is available for quiet study. A flat-bed scanner, a color and a high-speed monochrome laser printer are available in the ACL.

The 8 computer Annex is available for collaborative work. A flat-bed scanner and printer are available.

Located in 06 Old Chemistry, the EOS print shop has a Dell Optiplex PC running Windows XP and an Apple iMacG5 running OS X. A color laser printer and a wide-format plotter are available in the print shop. All labs are accessible 24/7 to Nicholas School students.

In Beaufort, the Marine Laboratory houses a Duke University public access cluster, with sixteen high speed Windows XP workstations, each with scientific, productivity, statistical, and GIS software available. The graduate student computer facility has twelve additional workstations, plus a high-capacity duplex laser printer, color laser printer, and a large format plotter.

Additionally, the University maintains a variety of computing facilities available to Nicholas School students. See the OIT website for more information.

Printing at the Nicholas School

Printers in the Nicholas School computer labs are provided and maintained for student printing. Staff, faculty and research groups should purchase printers and supplies for their own departments, offices and labs.

Nicholas IT uses the ePrint system provided by Duke OIT in the computer labs. Unlike Duke OIT, Nicholas IT does not at this time charge for printing. If adding ePrint to a personal computer, be sure to use the Nicholas-specific clients available for download on this website.

Student workers will keep supplies stocked throughout the week and for the weekend, but toner and paper are available to students for the labs in A138. Used toner cartridges should be returned to A138 in boxes.

Lab etiquette

When in the labs, be respectful of others' need for quiet and keep conversations to a minimum. The ACL has traditionally been regarded as a quiet workspace. In the ICL and the Annex, conversation and discussion are more the norm.

• To begin your work, choose a workstation that is currently not in use. If there are plenty of available computers, the preferred etiquette is not to disrupt someone else's work, but to move on to another machine.

• When finished, remember to log off to protect your data.

• If you must leave a lab computer running a lengthy process, put a note on the computer stating your name and contact info for where you can be reached at that time, and when you expect to return. Lock the computer to avoid others having access to your files.

Nicholas IT cannot guarantee that an unattended computer will remain dedicated to your use until your program runs to completion. Nicholas School computer labs are shared public clusters for Nicholas students, and priority is given to those who are physically present and using a computer. Students should avoid tying up computers for lengthy processes during peak usage times.

• If the only available computer is one reserved for long jobs, make a reasonable effort to get in touch with the person whose name appears on the note.  If during work hours, contact Nicholas IT. As a last resort, restart the computer.

Nicholas IT prefers not to set strict policies for the labs, but to encourage usage that best serves the school's entire student population. Please adhere to this etiquette whenever possible to avoid unnecessary loss of data and time and concomitant frustrations.

No pets are allowed in the LSRC and the labs are no exception. This is for the safety of the animals and in consideration, for example, of those with allergies.

Reporting problems

Submit a support request. Be sure to indicate which machine you are using - the number is labeled on the case.