Interview with Debbie Mustin (Oct 26)

How Office Assignment Works

• Many offices, especially lab areas, are "owned" by specific research groups. Typically students in those groups are assigned into those areas. Debbie does the actual assignments, but sometimes on direction of the groups and always with their approval.
• Some offices are used for things like visitors or the CSGSA, so aren't really available for grad assignment.
• Offices can have multiple workstations in them. Inventory doesn't know about these, but it would be nice if it did. Sometimes one will be designated "don't use" so the remaining person gets the whole office. This could happen if the person is entitled to a private office, for example, but the office that is available is furnished for multiple. This could be handled by assigning the person to both workstations.

Contents of Spreadsheet Fields

• Office - office room number
• Capacity - number of workstations
• Desk - desk number (identifier, 1, 2, 3 within a room typically)
• Group - group "ownership" of the office
• Name - student name, or something like "leave empty (CSGSR)"
• Userid - student userid
• Phone - office phone extension. Usually one or at most two per office, not per person, permanently assigned to the office. Faculty etc. phones follow the person around but not grad student phones.
• Supervisor - student's supervisor (faculty member)
• Machine - machine choice based on desktop computing memo
• Machine name - name of supplied machine (normally not multiple unless supplied by supervisor)
• Notes - stuff like postdoc dates, or indication advisor provided the equipment

Desktop Computing Equipment Request Form

This form is sent to supervisors by Debbie, once per student, and requests a choice of desktop equipment:

1. Thin client
2. PC
3. Laptop
4. Advisor-supplied equipment

In the case of the middle two options, a research subscription code and authorizing signature is requested. The code is either an existing dedicated subscription, or an indication that the equipment should be covered by a desktop subscription.

Sequence of Events

A few weeks before beginning of term, she gets an extract from the "Acceptance File" so she knows who are the new grad students. In addition there are miscellaneous updates as people confirm late or whatever. At this time Debbie does the office assignments and updates the grad database.

Debbie sends the desktop computing request form (equipment memo) to supervisors. The supervisor returns this form to Jennifer. Jennifer puts on the student userids and passes back to Debbie, who creates RTs, one per student. The RTs request installation of the student's equipment.

Debbie updates her Excel spreadsheet with machine names from ST once CSCF has installed the equipment.

For a student leaving or moving, Debbie decides on new office assignments and issues an ST to move or remove the equipment.

The tricky bit is that Debbie's spreadsheet does not always know the up-to-date equipment assigned to the student. For example, if two students swap desks, she wouldn't know about it. For that matter, if a student issues a request straight to their PoC to replace defective equipment, Debbie's spreadsheet would not be updated.

Summary of Information Flow

Debbie obtains new student information from the CS Grad Office, and determines office assignments.

She sends forms to supervisors to solicit equipment choice information, but the forms come back to Jennifer.

Debbie creates RTs based upon office assignment changes to move equipment.

-- IsaacMorland - 07 Nov 2006