Lab Policies
In addition to the policies and procedures listed on this page, all clients and employees of Digital Media Services are bound by the following policies and guidelines established by Information Technology Services (ITS) at Loyola University Chicago:
- Acceptable Use Policy for Electronic University Resources
- Rights and Responsibilities When Using Electronic University Resources
For more information, visit ITS Policies & Guidelines page. Policies detailed on these pages are developed in order to provide an experience that will benefit the students, faculty and staff that utilize the resources of Digital Media Services.
Save Early, Safe Often
While using University lab workstations, clients are strongly encouraged to save their work directly to the computer. Instead, consider using a cloud-based storage service such as the Microsoft 365 products like OneDrive, SharePoint or external USB storage.
All computers will automatically log out after a screen saver warning period. All work that is not saved to external storage will be lost. For your security when completed using the computer, after signing out, the computer will automatically restart. |
Labs & Printing Support
Our locations are staffed by student worker who are available to circulate and provide guidance for lab printing, lab software applications, poster printing, and equipment loan. We strive to provide a best effort service and if our student workers are unable to answer or address a specific question, the request will escalate to to a full-time staff member to further assist. We work in close proximity of other support services including:
- Statistical and Online Survey Advising - advising for statistical analysis software packages including Minitab, R, SAS, and SPSS also provided by ITRS.
- Reference Services - reference librarians available to assist with research strategies, catalog searches, materials, and more as provided by the University Libraries.
Academic Use
Multimedia and Digital Media Labs are intended primarily for academic use. If a lab location is full and others are waiting, priority will be given to those needing workstations for academic-related purposes, particularly those workstations with limited access peripherals or features (such as flatbed scanners or our WTC Vocal Booth). As a reminder:
- Lab workstations will automatically log off after 10 minutes of inactivity
- All documents or software installed during a login session be securely erased and removed upon logout and/or restart
- Use of any peer-to-peer file sharing applications are strictly prohibited (see DMCA Policy)
- Any behavior that causes physical damage, alteration or corruption of a computer's configuration will be dealt with as a serious breach of responsible use
If you find a computer is not working properly, please notify us right away so we may assess and resolve the issue.
In order to use a lab workstation, you must login with your University Network ID (UVID) and password. Visit Password Management if you need to reset your password.
Open-Access Labs
Many of our computer labs are considered "open-access" as they are available for drop-in use by University students, faculty and staff. Some locations we support do have limited access based on department or school. Several lab locations can be reserved by departments by for courses or events by contacting Campus Reservations. We support both PC and Mac lab environments with features such as printing, scanning, wheelchair access, and designated ADA locations. Some labs are maintained by departments or schools for the primary use of students in that discipline, which may have limited proxcard swipe access. Visit our Lab Locations page for more information.
Alumni must present a University-issued Alumni Association card in order to request an Alumni Network ID for limited workstation access in the Information Commons (LSC) and Lewis Libraries (WTC). For more information, visit the Alumni & Guest Computers page. During peak periods of usage, access to Guest & Alumni workstations may be limited. Guests and alumni may use personal or mobile devices to connect to Loyola's guest wireless network, for more information visit luc.edu/wireless.
Courtesy
While we encourage group collaboration with multimedia projects and strive to maintain a positive atmosphere in our service locations, we do ask for balance in ensuring a friendly and study-focused experience as well for all our users. Talking on mobile devices, watching videos or video conferencing without headphones, or ongoing use of workstation built-in speakers can impact this experience. In the event of ongoing loud noises or disruptions, we may ask individuals to work quietly and on repeated requests ask individuals to leave. For those who refuse, we may seek assistance from Campus Safety. Please be considerate of your fellow students, faculty and staff when working and studying.
Beverages and Food
Drinks and small snacks are permitted in our lab locations with limitation. Drinks must be in spill-proof containers such as bottles with lids or travel mugs. Meals are not permitted. Department-only labs may have further food and drink restrictions as detailed in class policies or additional location signage (For example, University Libraries Courtesy & Behavior Policy).
Cleanliness and Lost & Found
All lab users are expected to operate with courtesy and ensure workstation areas are in the condition in which you began your work when using our spaces. Be sure to recycle additional paper documents, and throw away trash. Although labs may have limits regarding food and beverage, if spills occur it is the expectation the user will take necessary steps to help wipe and clean the spaces, or report issues to Digital Media Services to review further if risk of damage to technology may occur.
All our lab locations are cleaned daily by Housekeeping/Facilties. Our lab technology sees heavy-duty thorough cleaning quarterly, and weekly reviews for technology cleanings. Equipment within the Loan Program is cleaned upon each instance of return. All our service and lab locations offer hand sanitizers and sanitizing wipes, as provided by Facilities/Housekeeping.
Individuals should not leave personal belongings unattended. Locations where lab workstations are logged out and belongings are left behind will be at the discretion of the cleaning staff to dispose of food waste and trash. Any personal belongings found will be delivered to University Lost & Found locations, such as Information Commons 1st floor service desk, University Libraries staff and/or Campus Safety desks (such as Corboy 1st floor desk).
Individuals that do not follow lab policy guidelines will be reminded of the policy expectations, asked to take their food or drinks outside of the lab, and repeat occurrences may result in escalation to Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) and revoking access to utilize lab workstations.
Copyright
Review policies resources below as it relates to Copyright.
Copyright Policies
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code, 1976) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The Digital Millenium Copy right Act (DMCA) of 1998 is designed to protect copyright holders from online theft. Copying, distributing, downloading, and uploading information on the Internet may infringe on the rights of the copyright owner. Even an innocent, unintentional infringement violates the law. Every audio, visual or written work has copyright protection unless that protection has expired or the creator places it in the public domain. The work does not have to have a copyright notice or a copyright symbol to be protected by copyright. If you cannot determine whether or not a work is copyrighted assume that it is copyrighted.
Members of the Digital Media Services (DMS) staff, and it's clients, will adhere to and will not knowingly violate the intent and the specifics of copyright laws. Members of the DMS staff are unable to provide support with media duplication requests. Copyright ownership information usually can be found in the recorded or printed material itself or on labels and covers. It is the user’s responsibility to determine whether information is copyrighted, whether it meets the criteria for “fair use”, and to seek permission from the copyright holder for its use as necessary.
For more information regarding resources for copyright at Loyola, please visit the following links:
- Copyright: http://www.luc.edu/copyright/
- Fair Use Checklist: https://www.luc.edu/copyright/fairusechecklist/
- United States Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov/
In addition to the our policies and procedures, all users of Digital Media Services labs and resources are bound by ITS Policies & Guidelines, including but not limited to:
In addition to the policies and procedures listed on this page, all clients and employees of Digital Media Services are bound by the following policies and guidelines established by Information Technology Services (ITS) at Loyola University Chicago:
- Acceptable Use Policy for Electronic University Resources
- Rights and Responsibilities When Using Electronic University Resources
For more information, visit ITS Policies & Guidelines page. Policies detailed on these pages are developed in order to provide an experience that will benefit the students, faculty and staff that utilize the resources of Digital Media Services.
Save Early, Safe Often
While using University lab workstations, clients are strongly encouraged to save their work directly to the computer. Instead, consider using a cloud-based storage service such as the Microsoft 365 products like OneDrive, SharePoint or external USB storage.
All computers will automatically log out after a screen saver warning period. All work that is not saved to external storage will be lost. For your security when completed using the computer, after signing out, the computer will automatically restart. |
Labs & Printing Support
Our locations are staffed by student worker who are available to circulate and provide guidance for lab printing, lab software applications, poster printing, and equipment loan. We strive to provide a best effort service and if our student workers are unable to answer or address a specific question, the request will escalate to to a full-time staff member to further assist. We work in close proximity of other support services including:
- Statistical and Online Survey Advising - advising for statistical analysis software packages including Minitab, R, SAS, and SPSS also provided by ITRS.
- Reference Services - reference librarians available to assist with research strategies, catalog searches, materials, and more as provided by the University Libraries.
Academic Use
Multimedia and Digital Media Labs are intended primarily for academic use. If a lab location is full and others are waiting, priority will be given to those needing workstations for academic-related purposes, particularly those workstations with limited access peripherals or features (such as flatbed scanners or our WTC Vocal Booth). As a reminder:
- Lab workstations will automatically log off after 10 minutes of inactivity
- All documents or software installed during a login session be securely erased and removed upon logout and/or restart
- Use of any peer-to-peer file sharing applications are strictly prohibited (see DMCA Policy)
- Any behavior that causes physical damage, alteration or corruption of a computer's configuration will be dealt with as a serious breach of responsible use
If you find a computer is not working properly, please notify us right away so we may assess and resolve the issue.
In order to use a lab workstation, you must login with your University Network ID (UVID) and password. Visit Password Management if you need to reset your password.
Open-Access Labs
Many of our computer labs are considered "open-access" as they are available for drop-in use by University students, faculty and staff. Some locations we support do have limited access based on department or school. Several lab locations can be reserved by departments by for courses or events by contacting Campus Reservations. We support both PC and Mac lab environments with features such as printing, scanning, wheelchair access, and designated ADA locations. Some labs are maintained by departments or schools for the primary use of students in that discipline, which may have limited proxcard swipe access. Visit our Lab Locations page for more information.
Alumni must present a University-issued Alumni Association card in order to request an Alumni Network ID for limited workstation access in the Information Commons (LSC) and Lewis Libraries (WTC). For more information, visit the Alumni & Guest Computers page. During peak periods of usage, access to Guest & Alumni workstations may be limited. Guests and alumni may use personal or mobile devices to connect to Loyola's guest wireless network, for more information visit luc.edu/wireless.
Courtesy
While we encourage group collaboration with multimedia projects and strive to maintain a positive atmosphere in our service locations, we do ask for balance in ensuring a friendly and study-focused experience as well for all our users. Talking on mobile devices, watching videos or video conferencing without headphones, or ongoing use of workstation built-in speakers can impact this experience. In the event of ongoing loud noises or disruptions, we may ask individuals to work quietly and on repeated requests ask individuals to leave. For those who refuse, we may seek assistance from Campus Safety. Please be considerate of your fellow students, faculty and staff when working and studying.
Beverages and Food
Drinks and small snacks are permitted in our lab locations with limitation. Drinks must be in spill-proof containers such as bottles with lids or travel mugs. Meals are not permitted. Department-only labs may have further food and drink restrictions as detailed in class policies or additional location signage (For example, University Libraries Courtesy & Behavior Policy).
Cleanliness and Lost & Found
All lab users are expected to operate with courtesy and ensure workstation areas are in the condition in which you began your work when using our spaces. Be sure to recycle additional paper documents, and throw away trash. Although labs may have limits regarding food and beverage, if spills occur it is the expectation the user will take necessary steps to help wipe and clean the spaces, or report issues to Digital Media Services to review further if risk of damage to technology may occur.
All our lab locations are cleaned daily by Housekeeping/Facilties. Our lab technology sees heavy-duty thorough cleaning quarterly, and weekly reviews for technology cleanings. Equipment within the Loan Program is cleaned upon each instance of return. All our service and lab locations offer hand sanitizers and sanitizing wipes, as provided by Facilities/Housekeeping.
Individuals should not leave personal belongings unattended. Locations where lab workstations are logged out and belongings are left behind will be at the discretion of the cleaning staff to dispose of food waste and trash. Any personal belongings found will be delivered to University Lost & Found locations, such as Information Commons 1st floor service desk, University Libraries staff and/or Campus Safety desks (such as Corboy 1st floor desk).
Individuals that do not follow lab policy guidelines will be reminded of the policy expectations, asked to take their food or drinks outside of the lab, and repeat occurrences may result in escalation to Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) and revoking access to utilize lab workstations.