Facilities

At Rice University, the Division of Information Technology (IT) maintains several types of facilities which support computing and technology initiatives for faculty, staff, and students.

In the IT web site, the Facilities directory includes information on physical buildings, offices, classrooms, or labs. The Facilities directory also includes links to information about the most popular computing equipment and tools (hardware, software licensing, etc.) in use at Rice.

Computer Labs and Classrooms

Within IT, the Educational Technology group supports a number educational classrooms and labs that are enhanced with computers and other information technologies required by faculty and students. Currently, information on the hardware and software available in these facilities can be found at http://ricetv.rice.edu. A new web site is under development.

Help Desk

We take walk-ins! Yes, the Help Desk is a real office, staffed with support specialists and located in the Mudd building, room 103. Walk-ins are welcome during office hours, but the best way to get help with your computing problems is to create an electronic ticket at http://helpdesk.rice.edu, email helpdesk@rice.edu, or phone 713-348-HELP (4357).

Data Center

Most Rice faculty, staff, and students don't know where the Data Center is and don't care... and that's okay. The Data Center is a secure, climate-controlled environment that houses important servers. If you need this type of storage space for your research equipment, submit your request online at http://helpdesk.rice.edu.

Operations Center

The Operations staff works out of the Operations Center in the Mudd building, room 109. These IT staff members monitor critical systems around the clock. The Operations Center also houses plotters and other student printers that handle jobs like thesis and resume printing; student print jobs can be picked up in the mailboxes or plotter racks outside Mudd 109.

Mudd Building

Housing the Help Desk, Operations Center, IT staff offices, and various pieces of equipment, the Mudd Building is one of the few buildings on campus that does not host an academic classroom.

The Mudd Story: The Mudd Building was funded primarily through a grant from the Seeley Greenleaf Mudd Foundation. Not to be confused with his father, Seeley W. Mudd, an important contributor to the mining profession, or his brother, Harvey S. Mudd, also a miner, businessman and philanthropist, Seeley G. Mudd was a physician and a great friend to higher education. His fund was established with the goal of helping American colleges and universities by contributing to the cost of buildings dedicated to teaching, learning, and research. Many institutions were successful in their grant applications so there are now Mudd buildings on campuses across the United States. Three of these institutions offer details on the life of Seeley G. Mudd: Princeton University, Oberlin College, and Lawrence University.

Equipment

At Rice, students are not required to bring their own computers; faculty and staff computers are usually supplied by their departments. However, many people continue to ask what kind of computer they should use or purchase, how they can get copies of software applications, and where they can get their personal computers repaired. The Technology Marketplace site is a purchasing tool where Rice faculty, staff, and students can receive Rice-specific discounts when purchasing computers, software, cell phones, cameras, printers, copiers, and much more. Technology Marketplace also defines minimum requirements for PCs, Macs, and Unix computers.