Many programs, devices and systems keep WTAMU running. However, most students only notice them when they stop working. The IT department decided to shed light on some of the most common issues students face.

Why does the Internet slow down?

Geography is the enemy for the buffer-phobic student, Chief Information Officer Jim Webb said. WT is a part of a statewide network called the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN). Due to LEARN not having a strong presence in the Panhandle area, WT gets a much smaller bandwidth as opposed to another TAMUS (Texas A&M University System) universities, such as Galveston. This will change soon with the installation of fiber-optic cable from Canyon to Lubbock, allowing WT’s total bandwidth to increase almost tenfold by April 2012.Why doesn’t “WT Class” work as well on Google Chrome or Firefox, and why does it get taken down so often?

The reason WT Class does not work as well on Chrome or Firefox is because Angel Learning, the company that made and supports the service, has not made their product with these other browsers in mind.

“A company is always behind the browsers,” Laura Haasl, manager of instructional technology, said.

Haasle also said that the upgrade for WT Class will come next year. As for why WT Class and Buff Advisor have to be taken down on a regular basis, Webb said it is a matter of security. Every month, Microsoft sends out a report of updates and patches needed to keep Microsoft’s products secure and safe from unwanted users.

“The network would be insecure and with so much student information at risk, we have to keep up with these updates,” Webb said.

Why can’t I download this program or use this device?

Manager of IT Service Center Michael Reagan said he understands students’ and faculties’ frustrations over having to contact the IT department to download programs, even seemingly innocent and free software like Skype or Audacity. He assures people, though, there is a good reason for it.

“It is a balance between usability and security,” Reagan said.

In order to guarantee that no viruses, malware or licensing issues occur on school computers, the best solution found was for every download to go through the IT department.

Do you have Hastings Electronic Learning Center problems?

Students face several problems at the HELC when using the computers. The biggest problem that hurried students get frustrated about is that the computers can take a while to load and open programs. Reagan said this problem has been noticed, and a solution is coming.

“All open-access computers in the HELC will be replaced with new computers over the next few years,” Reagan said.

Reagan said the computers will be replaced section by section starting next semester.