WISCONSIN UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN COMPUTER UPGRADES MAY INCLUDE THEFT PROTECTION The UWM Post - Classrooms to receive technological upgrades

Merrill room will get 31 of 100 new computers this summer

Many University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee classroom computers will be updated and replaced this summer as the university continues to undergo technological upgrades in and around campus, officials said.

John McCarragher, the associate chief officer of Information & Media Technologies (I&MT) at UWM, said the university replaces its desktopcomputers in a four-year cycle.

“We phase in the new computers over the course of each semester based on need. We try to avoid replacing them all at once,” McCarragher said.

There are approximately 68 general assignment classrooms across campus with computer access. The computer upgrades and replacements are funded by state lab upgrade funds. State dollars are also used for computer maintenance and upkeep, he said.

Most of the computers are replaced over the summer when access to classrooms is easiest. According to Rick Willis of Classroom Services, about 50 of the 100computers located in general assignment classrooms will be replaced by new Dell computers this summer. Of those, 31 will be going to Merrill Hall, Room 214.

The upgrades may also respond to and address the threat of tech theft on campus, as there have been some instances of equipment being stolen out of rooms as of late.

“We are undergoing a security audit as well. There has not been a huge amount of theft on campus, but we want to be as proactive as we can be in protecting our equipment,” McCarragher said.

The audit will be a joint effort between I&MT and Classroom Services, UWM Campus Police and the UWM Information Security Office as they assess current security practices and policy.

Following the audit, recommendations will be made and the appropriate steps will be taken to improve equipment security on campus. More specifics on possible security measures were not disclosed.