Computing & Information Resources

Technology is increasingly an integral part of a student’s education. In addition, many student services and information are delivered via technology. To provide the KSU student with a quality education delivered most conveniently, technology is used as an essential part of instruction, for student access to educational materials, and for the delivery of student services.

A technology fee is collected each term to provide students with improved technological resources including: greatly enhanced on-campus and remote access to the internet; important software packages such as Microsoft Office delivered on-line; student training in use of computer technology; increased access on campus through extended laboratory hours; computer connections, and an electronics study room in the Library; upgrade of student laboratories and instruction in the use of advanced multimedia presentation technology in the Audio Visual Technology Services laboratory.

The Kennesaw State University Website exists to assist students with course registration and reviewing of grades. In addition, the KSU Website delivers quality content to the reader. Each year brings new technology, creative uses of technology on campus, and additional services to meet growing needs.

KSU generated e-mail accounts are the official means of communication with students. Instructions can be found at http://students.kennesaw.edu.

The Vice President for Operations and Chief Information Officer (CIO)/Chief Business Officer (CBO) provides leadership in the continuing advancement of information and instructional technology. This position oversees the operations of information technology which includes the Horace W. Sturgis Library; Information Technology Services; Enterprise Systems and Services; Online Development Group; Audio Visual Technology Services; Museums, Archives and Rare Books, and Enterprise Information Management.

Horace W. Sturgis Library

Built in 1981 with over 100,000 square feet of space, thelibrary, named after the university’s first president, Horace W. Sturgis, is designed to support and advance the teaching and learning activities of the greater university community.

KSU students and faculty have access to and borrowing privileges from the collections in all of Georgia’s public college and university libraries as well as a number of private university libraries through The Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education, GALILEO and GIL, Georgia’s virtual library system. Through the discovery tool, SuperSearch, students can instantly access millions of resources, including the library’s collection of books, ebooks, journals, databases, videos, and government documents. Mobile versions of the library catalog and databases are available. Interlibrary Loan services may be used for items not owned by the library.

The library houses a Federal Government Documents Depository for the Sixth Congressional District. Both the Performing Arts Library, located in the Wilson Building, and TRAC (Teacher Resource and Activity Center), located in the Bagwell College of Education, are supported by the library.

The DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University is a new type of service for the university community. The Digital Commons is an institutional repository: a permanent digital archive, the intellectual and creative out- put of Kennesaw State. The system is a product of Berkeley Electronic Press. With the increase of KSU’s graduate programs, the Library intends to use the system to self-publish dissertations and theses and make them available via the web.

The library’s Copyright Management Center is intended to assist Kennesaw faculty, staff, and students in working and complying with copyright issues, specifically in balancing the rights of copyright holders with the exercise of fair use for educational purposes.

During every semester the Sturgis Library is open 100 hours each week and has extended hours during exams. The library provides access to computers located in the Information Commons on the first floor of the library. Laptops may be checked out for library use only. Both individual and group study spaces are available. OWLSpace, the Study Commons, is located on the ground floor of the library. This area provides group and individual seating, study and presentation rooms, wireless service and vending machines.

Library Instruction classes are provided for students and faculty. Individual research clinics are available by appointment.

Research assistance is available in the Reference Clinic, located in the Information Commons. This service is also available via text (770-913-6255), telephone (770-423-6325) online live chat, and by individual appointment. For more information about the library visit www.kennesaw.edu/library/.

Computing Services

The goal of Information Technology Services (ITS) is to provide efficient, secure and user-friendly access to technology for all students, faculty and staff, so they have the necessary tools to carryout collaboration, research, scholarship, and innovation. ITS provides the foundational infrastructure of campus computing, both installing and maintaining network connectivity, telecommunications, and campus computing hardware.

Students receive a KSU email account, personal web space, web-based file storage, and are eligible to take online training on many commonly used software programs via a single-sign-on authentication – one login ID, and one password. ITS also provides face-to-face technology workshops, and a student help desk, complete with walk-up services.

Within the ITS computer labs on the 4th floor of Burruss, students have access to many standard office productivity programs plus academically specific software, as well as color printing and copy services. Group labs are available for collaborative work, and trained lab assistants are on duty to answer any questions. Over 63 similar computer labs are scattered throughout the colleges, library and student center.

The rules for use of all telecommunications equipment, including telephones, computers and FAX equipment, are found the KSU Web site at: http://policy.kennesaw.edu/views/it-data-security. Use of any of these facilities implies an understanding of and compliance with these policies

Online Development Group

The KSU Online Development Group supports online learning and content management systems for Kennesaw State University, including web-based course support, video servers, and systems for providing live and recorded classes over the Internet. Our mission also includes the investigation and development of new technologies for online and classroom use.

ODG supports the GeorgiaView Vista system as the primary learning management system for campus. GeorgiaView Vista is a system that can be used, at the option of the faculty, in any course at KSU. It is accessed over the Internet from on- or off-campus and provides a variety of instructional tools for use by faculty and students.

ODG also supports the Drupal content management system for campus. Drupal is used for both academic and administrative web sites, and allows creation and update of web content using only a web browser.

Additional information about resources for online learning and the services provided by ODG can be found at the web site: http://online.kennesaw.edu/  

Audio/Visual Technology Services (AVTS)

The Audio/Visual Technology Services (AVTS) offers a wide range of multimedia services and training for faculty, staff, and students. Located on the fourth floor of the library, AVTS supports audio/visual and presentation equipment on campus. In addition to maintaining KSU’s multimedia presentation classrooms, AVTS specializes in multimedia training and production assistance; graphics creation, multimedia file conversion, audio/video tape duplication, video editing/compression, desktop publishing, and CD-ROM recording. AVTS supports some of the most cutting edge multimedia hardware and software available.

Instructional Equipment

AVTS supports a wide range of equipment for classroom use. Through designated building coordinators, AVTS maintains a distributed set of equipment for faculty to request. Each building coordinator has his/her own system for reserving equipment. See the departmental secretary to obtain building coordinator’s contact name and number. Equipment available for pickup includes: data projection systems, video playback combo, VHS camcorders, audio cassette player/recorders, audio CD players, public address systems, slide projectors, and microphones. For special equipment needs, consult AVTS to discuss options.

Department of Archives, Rare Books, and Records Management

The Department of Archives and Records Management was established in 2004 in order to preserve the history of Kennesaw State University and to oversee the management of university records. The Records Management division assists and provides training for faculty and staff on managing paper and electronic records. The Archives division serves the research interests of KSU students, faculty, staff and the public. Holdings include 800 linear feet of University records, 240 linear feet of Georgia History collections, several thousand University photographs and audiovisual recordings, and digital collections. Recent acquisitions include the records of the Marietta Theatre on the Square, the NAACP Cobb County Branch, and the Gordon Collection on workplace integration at the Lockheed Plant (Marietta, Georgia) and in the Southeastern United States. The Bentley Rare Book Gallery, one of three museum-grade rare book libraries in Georgia, was added to the department in July 2009. The Rare Book Gallery offers tours, classes and seminars for the KSU community and the general public. Among the more than 15,000 volumes represented by the Bentley Gallery are recent acquisitions of a fourth folio Shakespeare (1685) and a first edition of the complete works of Chaucer. The KSU Archives, the Bentley Rare Book Gallery and Records Management are part of the Department of Museums, Archives & Rare Books (MARB), which also oversees the Museum of History and Holocaust Education (MHHE) and the KSU Galleries.

Enterprise Information Management (EIM)

The Enterprise Information Management (EIM) office maintains the university’s program and institutional evaluation records, is the university’s official SACS accreditation liaison, and oversees the university’s comprehensive program review and improvement process. The offices of Enterprise Information Reporting and Enterprise Data Management and Analysis aid in facilitating the production of statistical information, data analysis, and special studies in support of institutional reporting, planning, assessment, and administrative oversight.

The KSU Educational Technology Center (ETC) is proud to be the largest of the technology centers located throughout the state. The KSU ETC is located in the Bagwell College of Education on the second floor of Kennesaw Hall. The ETC provides comprehensive instructional, administrative, and technical training for Georgia educators in a short course or seminar format. In addition, the ETC provides consulting and advising services, helping school systems to select, implement, and support classroom technology that provides the greatest benefit to students and teachers. The ETC seeks to disseminate information about educational technology through participation in state and national conferences, by producing blogs, podcasts, and web-based materials and by participating in classes offered as part of pre-service degree programs at KSU. Visit the website at http://edtech.kennesaw.edu for more information on available resources and services.