The Information Commons
Location: 701 West 168 Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10032
Phone: 212-305-4357 (extension 5-Help)
Email: 5help@columbia.edu
Web site: www.cubhis.org
The CUbhis Information Commons (“IC”) Service Desk The CUbhis Information Commons (“IC”) Service Desk provides a single point of contact for information technology and related customer support for the Columbia University Medical Center community. The IC’s services include initial technical troubleshooting and resolution, escalation and follow up with other technical groups at Columbia, maintenance of the computer classrooms and labs, computer training, media support, and more.
The Help Desk is located right inside the entrance to the 2nd floor of the Hammer Health Sciences Library. IC technical support is available seven days a week via phone, walk in, email, and via CUbhis eSupport, which allows technicians to connect to a computer over the network and provide instant assistance. A wealth of resources including tutorials, FAQs, online request forms, and technical news and announcements are also available on
www.cubhis.org and new students can find a Getting Started guide at: http://www.cubhis.org/getting_started/students.html
Computer Clusters
Information Commons offers public computer clusters at several Columbia University Medical Center locations: Hammer Library Lobby, Hammer 2nd floor, and the PH17 Computer Labs. All locations have Windows XP PCs, with Power Mac G5s available at the Hammer locations. The computers are available on a first come, first served basis. Software is provided for word processing, analyzing data, creating charts, graphics, curriculum support, and other applications. All systems are connected to CUMC’s high-speed network.
The Hammer 2nd floor computing facilities are equipped with 21 PCs in the Computer Classroom, 24 PCs and 9 Macintosh computers in the Microcomputing Lab, and 14 PCs in the E-Lounge area, which also houses two scanners (one connected to a PC and one to a Mac) and study carrels with network connection ports.
The 24-hour Computer Lounge is located near the entrance to the Hammer Health Sciences Library. It is equipped with PCs, Macs, and network printers. The Classroom, Labs, E-Lounge and Computer Lounge systems all have CD burning capabilities and allow for personal USB key or “memory stick” use.
On the main and lower levels of the library there are clusters of library resource computers with basic Internet, research and printing capabilities.
The PH17 Lab computing facility is located on the 17th floor of the Presbyterian Hospital building. It is equipped with 40 PCs and two LaserJet printers. The PH17 facility is open from 8am to 2am seven days a week.
More information on the Computer Clusters can be found at: http://www.cubhis.org/links/computerlabs.html
Printing
A total of 16 high-speed LaserJet printers are available at all computing locations including one in the Bard Hall Lobby, with a color printer on the 2nd floor of Hammer. The printers do have a per page charge, with Medical Center students being given a semester allocation of 700 free pages for each Fall and Spring semester and 250 pages for Summer. Students are able to configure their personal computers to connect to the printers. More detailed printing information can be found at: http://www.cubhis.org/getting_help/printing.html
Wireless Network Access
Wireless access points are located throughout the library and at various spots on the rest of the campus to allow for the use of wireless enabled personal computers. Wireless access in the library is available on Lower Level 1, the Lobby and 2nd floor, and extends to the both the patio outside of the E-Lounge and the Hammer Library benches and steps. For more information on wireless use and locations at the CUMC campus please see: http://www.cubhis.org/getting_started/wireless.html
Instructional and Learning Support
Computer classrooms and equipment can be reserved online for a variety of uses. Installation of licensed software for academic courses or training programs held in the Classroom and Labs can be requested as well, for both please see: https://secure.cumc.columbia.edu/cubhis/forms/reservations.php
The primary use of these facilities is for support of Medical Center education; other uses may be subject to rental fees.
A variety of free, non-credit classes related to technology use and training on specific software programs can be found at: http://www.cubhis.org/getting_help/classes.html and at http://library.cpmc.columbia.edu/hsl/classes/classes.cfm
IC provides site-licensed software, including the Microsoft Office Suite for both Windows and Macintosh based computers, and Symantec (Norton) Antivirus. Students can purchase SAS statistical analysis software at the IC at an educational discount. Please see the links to these various programs for more information: http://www.cubhis.org/getting_help/software.html
Residence Hall Computing and User Service Support
Residence halls at the Medical Center campus are fully wired for high-speed access to email and the Internet, with wireless access available in the Bard Hall Lobby and 390 Fort Washington. Help with getting connected can be found on our web site at: http://www.cubhis.org/getting_help/resnet.html or call (212) 305-4357 for help.