The newest student computing facility on campus opened on Feb. 9 in the Valley Life Sciences Building, making another 40 Apple Power Macintosh computers available for students.

The facility joins those already updated and expanded this academic year at Wheeler, Tolman and Evans halls as part of Chancellor Tien's initiative to improve undergraduate computing.

In noting the opening of the new lab, Associate Vice Chancellor Jack McCredie praised the cooperative effort between Information Systems and Technology and the Library.

Beth Weil, head librarian of the Biosciences Library, provided the original vision for the new lab and made space available in the building for it, said McCredie.

During the fall semester, more than 2,000 students were enrolled in academic classes that used the student computing facilities, and more than 9,000 students used the centers for general access computing.

The new labs are the result of a combined effort from the Vice Chancellor's Administrative Council, and the Colleges of Engineering and Letters and Science, the Library and IS&T.

As a bonus, the new computing facilities are providing new jobs for students. IS&T now employs more than 85 students in the management and operation of the microcomputer labs, said McCredie.