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Computer Facilities
The American College of Greece - Campuses & Facilities - Computer Facilities
Information Technology at the College
Modern academic institutions are discovering that one of their primary
challenges today is how to integrate new information, communications and
multimedia technologies in the curriculum, both as a field of study and
as a means of supporting teaching, learning and research at the institution
itself. And because information technology is increasingly considered
the cornerstone of a modern education, over the past decades The American
College of Greece has allocated a growing portion of its resources to
the technological support of its facilities and programs, to the cultivation
of a technology-literate faculty and student body, and to expanding access
to the College's programs and resources through the Internet.
Information Resources Management - IRM
The IRM Area at The American College of Greece is responsible for the
adoption and implementation of the latest technologies throughout the
College's system, in all of its facilities and in support of both academic
and non-academic programs. Responsibilities of the IRM Area include: the
development and implementation of programs for training students in the
use of computers and basic software programs; the maintenance and upgrading
of the College's intranet, Internet systems and Web site; the design,
installation and support of various administrative and academic computer
and multimedia applications, such as the Web registration procedure; the
Library automation project; operation of the College's Media Centers;
the creation and monitoring of a series of "smart classrooms"; training
workshops for faculty and staff; technical support for courses in the
School for Continuing and Professional Studies; the production of "smart
ID" cards for students; ongoing hardware and software upgrades; and the
procurement of equipment to meet the changing needs of the College's different
departments and facilities.
IRM Projects
Some of the projects and plans that have recently been, or are in the
process of being, implemented at the College are listed here in order
to provide an idea of the energy and creative ferment that characterize
this exciting educational frontier:
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- Extending the ethernet-structured intranet to all classrooms, amphitheaters,
faculty offices and science laboratories
- Implementation of a Web-based registration program for Deree and
Junior College students and enhancing all administrative services with
more options
- Equipping the computer lab areas of the new Communications building
with state-of-the-art technologies
- Monitoring the Library automation system and introducing upgraded
Web-based technologies for library services
- Creating a new, comprehensive College Web site as a portal to library
services and registration, and as an entrance to the College's community
e-space
- Enhancing e-mail services offered to faculty, staff, students and
alumni, both on and off-campus
- Designing, at all campuses, clusters of high-tech "smart classrooms"
using advanced audio-visual equipment, internet access and video-conferencing
facilities
- Organizing computer and technology training programs for faculty
and staff development
- Establishing a College-wide set of standards for data integration
and a "smart card" for campus applications, the Library and for access
to College premises by students, faculty, staff and visitors
- Promoting multimedia use in teaching, including Web sites for
College courses, societies, clubs and organizations through the College's Course Management System (Blackboard).
- Supporting new academic courses and programs in technology-related
fields, such as telecommunications and multimedia
- Enhancing network services at the Plaka area remote site
- Installing student information kiosks at all campuses
- Implementing a new system for the evaluation of faculty by students
- Applying automation technologies to the grading of tests and in the
analysis of questionnaires
- Developing video conferencing between the Downtown and Aghia Paraskevi
campuses
- Introducing distance learning courses
- Supporting Continuing Education programs and offering certification
in professional fields, e.g., Microsoft certification programs and workshops
in ERP applications
- Continuous upgrading of the College infrastructure, hardware components,
systems and applications software
- Providing full maintenance, security and support for the College's
growing programs and facilities by employing a suitable force of expert
and motivated technical staff committed to excellence.
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Computer Training - CIS
All currently enrolled Pierce, Junior, Deree, and Graduate students, full-time
or part-time faculty, and staff are permitted to use the computer facilities
any time or by prior arrangement with the IRM staff. All computer facilities
are staffed with a number of dedicated professionals and technical support
personnel who are student-focused and committed to excellence. They are
trained to assist users with questions and to help with hardware and software
problems. Student assistants are authorized to enforce the rules related
to access and use of computer facilities and the IRM department actively
contributes to ongoing staff development programs and opportunities that
enhance job performance and satisfaction.
The American College of Greece network, provides access to the Internet
and exists for the primary purpose of providing faculty, staff, and students
with the necessary tools to communicate with colleagues and to obtain
and exchange information for educational and research purposes.
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The CIS Department in the College's School of Business Administration
provides students with both theoretical and practical training in a wide
variety of technological disciplines, including: analysis & design, databases,
networking and programming. In addition to these core disciplines, a varied
and flexible program of elective courses covers an even broader range
of topics relating to information, communications and multimedia technologies.
Because this field is characterized by rapid and continuing evolution,
the CIS Department likewise continually upgrades its curriculum according
to market trends and the latest advances in technology. The CIS faculty,
comprising internationally trained experts in these fields, also provides
ongoing advice to students regarding postgraduate academic programs and
employment opportunities in both Greece and abroad. A number of CIS students,
moreover, also serve as assistants to the technical support personnel
in the College's IRM Area, giving them valuable practical experience at
a very advanced level even before they leave school.
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Database Services
The database services group provides the following services:
- Database Management for Deree, the Junior College, Pierce College
and all other College groups and programs
- Data back up and Disaster Recovery Planning
- Upgrades and installations on relevant servers and PCs
- Production of reports
- User-Support in terms of Student Information System
- User-Support for Web Registration
The Student Information System is a comprehensive system utilizing a
suite of modules for the offices of Admissions, Registrar's, Advising,
Alumni and Development. These modules handle student information and follow
academic life of students from application, to enrollment, to graduation
and finally through their alumni years.
The Student Information System also includes a dynamic and interactive
web interface "Campus Web" for access by students and faculty from anywhere
in the college premises using a normal web browser. Through Campus Web
students can register for courses, view their transcripts, and course
schedules. Faculty members can use Campus Web to access their class lists
and student data for their advising function.
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Networks and Support
Within the College a state-of-art intranet supports better and faster
communications between the different college sites, divisions, departments
and offices, greatly facilitating the sharing of information.
The IRM Area supports a network of more than 500 computers at the Aghia
Paraskevi campus (Pierce and Deree), the Downtown campuses and the Plaka
building.
These computers facilitate the work of more than 70 different departments,
all of which are encouraged by the College to explore new uses for information,
communication and multimedia technologies.
Thanks to the energy and innovation of its experts in designing and implementing
high-tech solutions for all of the College's different departments and
programs, the IRM Area has helped transform the College into one of Greece's
foremost models for the use of new technologies in education and the arts.
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Library Automation
The American College Library uses the automated DYNIX system, which allows
students and faculty at any one of the library facilities, Pierce, Deree
or Downtown campus, to view the combined holdings of the entire library
system, request materials and books through an interlibrary loan program
and access international digital subscription databases.
Services
The Library Services group provides many different types of services to
the Deree, Pierce and Downtown Libraries, including:
- Maintenance of Library's Database Server
- Plan and manage of system upgrades
- Troubleshoot system and client problems
- Acquisition and installation of new software
- Perform ongoing maintenance
The Library system is a comprehensive system utilizing a suite of modules
for acquisition, circulation and cataloging. The Library Database Server
is now supporting 30 administrative and 45 student users. The Library
runs staff-specific applications for its internal use, and supports access
mechanisms for Internet-based and locally mounted databases.
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Computer Ethics
Summary of Policies*
September 30, 2003
- The American College of Greece is committed to free and open inquiry
and discussion, fair allocation of College resources, and the provision
of a working environment free of needless disruption. To advance these
goals, the College has adopted policies on computer usage that are summarized
here. Most of these policies follow from pre-existing regulations, agreements,
and/or laws. They fulfill the ACG community’s mandate requiring
adoption of explicit computer security and ethics policies.
- Like all College facilities, College computers and computer networks
are to be used only by persons authorized by the College, and only for
College purposes. College purposes include the educational programs
of the College, as well as its research, administrative, and outreach
activities. Use of College facilities for other purposes requires prior
authorization.
- No one shall knowingly endanger the security of any College computer
or network facility, nor wilfully interfere with others' authorized
computer usage.
- No one shall use the College's communication facilities to attempt
unauthorized use, nor to interfere with others' legitimate use, of any
computer or network facility anywhere.
- No one shall connect any computer to any of the College's networks
unless it meets technical and security standards set by the College
Information Resources Management administration.
- All users shall share computing resources in accordance with policies
set for the computers involved, giving priority to more important work
and cooperating fully with the other users of the same equipment.
- No one without specific authorization shall use any College computer
or network facility for non-College business.
- No one shall give a computer password to an unauthorized person,
nor obtain another person's computer password by any unauthorized means
whatsoever. No one except the system administrator in charge of a computer
is authorized to issue passwords for that computer.
- No one shall engage in, encourage, or conceal from authorities any
"cracking," unauthorized tampering, or other unauthorized
use or deliberate disruption of computers.
- No one without specific authorization shall read, alter, or delete
any other person's computer files or electronic mail, even if the operating
system of the computer permits them to do so.
- No one shall copy or use software or data in violation of copyright
laws, license agreements, or the basic requirements of academic honesty.
- No one shall create, install, or knowingly distribute a computer
virus, "Trojan horse," or other surreptitiously destructive
program on any College computer or network facility, regardless of whether
any demonstrable harm results.
- No one without proper authorization shall modify or reconfigure the
software or hardware of any College computer or network facility.
- Users shall not place confidential data into computers without protecting
it appropriately. The College cannot guarantee the privacy or authenticity
of computer files or electronic communications unless special arrangements
are made.
- Users shall take full responsibility for messages that they transmit
through the College's computers and network facilities and shall obey
the policies of discussion forums in which they participate. Laws and
rules against fraud, harassment, obscenity, and the like apply to electronic
communications no less than other media.
- Those who publish World Wide Web pages or similar information resources
on College computers shall take full responsibility for what they publish;
shall respect the acceptable-use conditions for the computer on which
the material resides; shall obey all applicable laws; and shall not
publish commercial advertisements without prior authorization. References
and links to commercial sites are permitted, but advertisements, and
especially paid advertisements, are not. Users shall not accept payments,
discounts, free merchandise or services, or any other remuneration in
return for placing anything on their web pages or similar facilities.
- Users shall comply with the regulations and policies of newsgroups,
mailing lists, and other public forums through which they disseminate
messages.
- Those who administer computers and network facilities shall perform
their duties fairly, in accordance with College policies, and shall
refer all disciplinary matters to appropriate authorities through the
VP for Information Resources Management.
- Electronic mail (e-mail) is intended for communication between
individuals and clearly identified groups of interested individuals,
not for mass broadcasting. No one without prior authorization shall
use the College's facilities to distribute the same or substantially
the same e-mail message to more than one person without prior evidence
that they wish to receive it, nor to distribute chain letters (messages
asking the recipient to distribute copies further).
The American College of Greece reserves the right to discard incoming
mass mailings ("spam") without notifying the sender or intended
recipient.
For its own protection, the College reserves the right to block all
Internet communications from sites that are involved in extensive spamming
or other disruptive practices, even though this may leave College Computer
users unable to communicate with those sites.
Comments: Unlike postal mail, electronic mail costs
money to receive. Unwanted mail wastes not only the College’s
money, but also the recipient's time. E-mail is not a proper medium
for mass announcements, surveys, or other messages that people have
not indicated a desire to receive. Instead, use web pages and newsgroups
to reach large audiences at much lower cost.
The intent of this rule is to forbid unsolicited mass mailings, not
bona fide group discussions. If you have no indications
to the contrary, you can assume that people are willing to receive
messages if you know of their prior interest in the subject matter
or if the message is part of a conversation in which they have been
participating.
It is legitimate for University and College organizations to send
announcements to all their members by e-mail. Likewise, it is legitimate
for the College to send bulk e-mail for official purposes, including
disseminating administrative notices, notifying students of educational
opportunities, or otherwise carrying on the work of the College.
Those who set up and use mailing lists should be careful that individuals'
casual replies to messages are not automatically copied to the entire
list. It is very tiresome when 500 people get copies of messages that
say "Me too" or "Count me in."
"Spam" (unsolicited commercial advertising distributed
by e-mail) is presently a widespread nuisance on the Internet. Legislative
restrictions on spam have not been entirely effective because the
point of origin is easily disguised. The College reserves the right
to refuse to deliver incoming spam. Although the delivery of e-mail
is never a 100% reliable process, the College normally endeavors,
in good faith, to deliver messages to individuals reliably. Spam is
a different matter; courts have ruled that Internet sites need not
deliver it, since it imposes an unwanted expense on them.
Unsolicited e-mail is often dishonest. Many chain letters involve
hoaxes or scams, and the Federal Trade Commission reported in 1998
that many e-mail advertisements make fraudulent claims. It is very
common for spammers to falsify their e-mail address and location.
Some Internet sites have a reputation for harboring spammers or account
crackers. Sometimes the College’s only defense is to cut off
all communications with these sites, even though this may make some
innocent communications impossible. The need for communication with
specific sites has to be balanced against the safety and reliability
of the entire campus network.
Violations of these policies incur the same types of disciplinary measures
as violations of other College policies and Greek laws.
(*) The original source of this document was developed by The University
of Georgia and academic
institutions are encouraged to adapt it to their own needs.
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E-mail / acgmail.gr
The IRM area is pleased to announce to the College community that all
students, faculty and staff of The American College of Greece are given
the privilege of acquiring an e-mail account on the College’s acgmail.gr
server. These electronic mailboxes constitute the official means of communication
among all College constituents. Students, faculty, administrative services,
staff, members of societies and clubs, teams, workgroups, students of
a class may use this College facility to exchange information and messages,
and to receive e-mails from people outside the ACG community.
You may also look for more information, at the college’s site by
searching the Campuses and Facilities/Computer Facilities section.
How to acquire an e-mail account
Student of the upper-level divisions of the College
have e-mail accounts opened, at no charge, upon their first registration
to the College. Students keep the same e-mailbox (USERID) for the entire
duration of their studies at the American College of Greece.
A student account is automatically created by the system. For uniformity,
ease of use, and effective access from College services and faculty a
student USERID is built by combining the first character of his/her
first name with the first character of his/her last name (as they
are stated in the Registrar’s files) followed by the student’s
College ID number.
Examples:
GEORGE PONTITAS with student ID 837896
receives a USERID gp837896; therefore his mailbox address is gp837896@acgmail.gr
ELIANA MARA with student ID 106324
receives a USERID em106324; therefore her mailbox address is em106324@acgmail.gr
Faculty, administrative offices, staff, societies, clubs, etc
must complete a form to request/submit a permanent USERID of their
choice and a password for first access to their mailbox.
Account request forms are available at the Central Office of Deree College
Aghia Paraskevi, the Downtown Campus Registrar’s Office, the Pierce
College “Internet Corner” office, and at all IRM computer
labs.
The IRM/Networks and Users Support Dept., which is responsible for the
administration and support of this service, has prepared detailed user
guidelines and troubleshooting instructions available at all College computer
labs.
Your e-mail account is web based and you will be able to access it from
anywhere outside the College through any internet connection, from any
College PC in the computer labs or offices, from an internet café,
an airport or hotel kiosk, etc. Users may also choose to set-up their
PCs at home to download their mail using any POP3 e-mail client, such
as Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.
Users must read the acgmail.gr “Terms
and Conditions of Use” as well as “The American College
of Greece Computer Code of Ethics and Policies”
documents, posted on the “Computer Facilities” section of
the College’s website. By using the service, user agrees to be bound
by these Terms and Conditions, and Policies. If user does not wish to
be bound by these terms, user should cease using the service and immediately
terminate its user account.
Please note that “The aforementioned personal data is kept
exclusively for the College’s needs in accordance with the relevant
law (N: 2472/1987)”.
For more information or problems you may contact the IRM
Help Desk
e-mail: helpdesk@acgmail.gr, tel. +30 210-600 9800/9
ext. 1378/1356.
acgmail.gr Terms and Conditions
of Use
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Our People
Our people are one of our key assets in our effort not only to provide
premier solutions to the academia, but also to exceed their expectations.
The type of consulting we offer and the level of service we provide requires
certain personal qualities. We are interested in people who are passionate
about constantly raising the standards of their work and determined on
helping students, faculty and staff succeed. These are the elements that
drive us and point to an institution bent on delivering value and momentum.
We work in an environment of shared ideas and responsibilities, in an
atmosphere of openness and collaboration that rewards each individual's
need to grow professionally.
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