07-08 Department of Health Informatics Student Handbook

Use of On-Campus Facilities and Equipment

Classroom Expectations

Regular, punctual class attendance is expected of all campus students. Specific attendance requirements and penalties are established by each faculty member and are described in the course syllabi.

Inappropriate and/or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. When necessary, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken to control the learning environment of the classroom. Inappropriate and disruptive behavior includes students arriving late for class and leaving the classroom before the end of the class session. Faculty have the right to deny a student entrance into the classroom if the student arrives late. Faculty also have the right not to allow a student back into the classroom if the student leaves the room without permission during a class session.

Beepers and cell phones must be turned off while the student is attending class, lab, or a practicum. Students may not place or receive phone calls during a class or lab session.

Food and drink consumption is allowed only in the Student Lounge of the AI Classroom Building. IMPORTANT! Food and drinks are not allowed at any time in the electronic classrooms near computer hardware.

Class Policy for Severe Weather Conditions

To determine whether or not to attend/hold classes when weather conditions are severe, proceed according to the following guidelines.

• Go online to your MyMCG page for announcements from the MCG Institution.
• Listen for a media announcement on the day in question. DO NOT RELY ON ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE ON THE PREVIOUS DAY.
• Do not attend/hold a class which begins within 30 minutes of the announced cancellation/suspension time. For example, class normally begins at 10:30 AM; announcement is for suspension until 11:00 AM or cancellation beginning at 11:00 AM.
• Announcements regarding class suspension or cancellation apply equally to practicum courses. IMPORTANT! Students are asked to notify Practicum Sites if their classes have been suspended.

Keep foremost in mind that cancellation and suspension are done to protect us from the risk of incidents which could result in more serious loss of class time and in personal injury. Do not take unnecessary risks.

Telephone Calls

Students may use the telephone located in the Student Lounge of the Classroom Building, room AI-140. This telephone is limited to local calls. There are also two telephones with local calling service located in the Information Section of the Greenblatt Library.

Students needing to make long distance calls, as a requirement of a course project, may use the departmental telephone as arranged by the course instructor. Students are not to provide the departmental telephone number to friends, relatives or employers for routine, non-emergency communications. There is a Public Safety telephone located in the hallway of the Classroom Building outside room AI-146. It is for emergency use only and provides a direct connection to Public Safety.

Smoke-Free Environment Policy

MCG is committed to the promotion of a healthy environment for all Georgia citizens including students, employees, and patients of MCG. On January 1, 1990, the MCG became a “smoke-free” institution. The use of tobacco products by any person while in an MCG building or vehicle is prohibited. Provided that certain requirements are met, exceptions to this policy may be granted for private rooms in residence halls, long-term patients of the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, and for patients whose physician prescribes “smoking privileges” which are properly documented in the patient’s medical record.

Student Lounge

The lounge is provided for students’ use. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that the lounge is kept clean and neat. The student lounge and study rooms in the DHI classroom building are normally available to students during regular office hours, Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

Classrooms

Students are expected to assist the Department in monitoring the security of the classroom building and equipment. Classrooms and laboratories must be locked when not in use.

Computer Laboratories

Department of Health Informatics (DHI) computers are available for student use in the following locations:

DHI Classroom #1 (AI-155)         DHI Classroom #2 (AI-159)

Students may obtain access to the above computers through the DHI office staff. These DHI computers are available during regular office hours, Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. Computers are also available for student use in the MCG Library and the MCG Student Center. Assistance with problems using student email accounts may be addressed to the Information Technology Support Services (ITSS) Help Desk at (706) 721-4000.

Priority use of computers in DHI classrooms is given to students during scheduled classes or labs held in the classrooms. Outside of scheduled classes or labs, students may access AI-155 and AI-159  computers by requesting a key from the DHI office staff during regular office hours. These computer laboratories must be locked at all times when not in use. The last student leaving rooms in the AI building where computers are located, is responsible for ensuring that all computers and printers are turned off, lights are turned off, and the room is locked. Students should immediately report any problems with DHI computers to the office staff.

Computer Use Policy

The following applies to student use of DHI computers. Students who violate this policy may lose their privilege to use DHI computers. NOTE: Student computer activity may be monitored during on-campus class.

1. Do not load external software programs or download files from the Internet to the system’s hard drive unless directed to do so by your course instructor.
2. Do not delete any existing programs or files.
3. If you encounter problems, use the following procedure:
   1. Seek assistance from the course instructor or designated lab monitor if the problem occurs during a class or lab period.
   2. If the problem is unresolved, place an “Out of Order” sign on the affected workstation and move to another workstation.
   3. Report the unresolved problem to the Department office staff, along with a written notation of any “error messages” encountered.
4. Save all personal work to an external media, such as a floppy disk, CD-RW, or thumb drive. Do not save work to the drive C (hard drive). Computers in the labs are subject to random, periodic maintenance of hard drives, including deletion of personal document files.
5. Do not eat or drink while working or sitting at a PC workstation.
6. Do not alter the “look” of the desktop. All settings are to remain in their original modes.
7. Do not change print settings on networked or local printers. Be as efficient as possible when printing.
8. When you have finished using a computer, be sure to shut it down properly. To shut down a PC properly, make sure that you are in desktop mode; then, from the Taskbar, select Start/Shutdown/Shutdown/ OK. NOTE—If the computer “hangs up” at any time during computer use, try simultaneously pressing the Shift/Alt/Delete keys to ‘End the Task’ and resume working or to properly shut down.
9. Never leave the computer laboratories open and unattended. If you are the last person leaving the room, make sure that:
   1. ALL computers and printers are shut down;
   2. Lights are turned off in the room; and
   3. The door is locked before you leave the room;
   4. The room key has been returned to Department office staff.
10. As a member of the MCG/MCGHI community, you are required to comply with MCG and MCGHI policies and procedures related to the Acceptable Computer Use.

Note: Students are responsible for purchasing paper for the printers and computer media unless provided by a faculty member during the completion of a special assignment.

Guidelines for the Use of the Departmental Library

1. All books, journals, periodicals, and videotapes must be checked out with the office staff.
2. No more than 3 books, journals, periodicals, or videotapes may be checked out at any one time.
3. Books may be kept out for a period not to exceed 2 WEEKS, periodicals for a period not to exceed 3 DAYS, and videotapes must be returned the same day, unless otherwise indicated. Videotapes must be viewed in either the classroom building or DHI conference room.
4. All books, journals, periodicals, and videotapes must be returned to the office staff by the due date.
5. All library material should be returned directly to the office staff. Students are not to reshelf books.
6. Students who repeatedly incur overdue material will lose checkout privileges.
7. Materials designated as “Permanent Reserve” may not be removed from the Department.

Materials Reserved by the Faculty

1. Books, journals, and periodicals will be placed on reserve by the faculty for required reading assignments and may be checked out through the office staff.
2. Reserve materials may be checked out during the day for a period not to exceed 3 hours. At 4:30 PM, reserve materials may be checked out to be returned by 9:00 AM the next morning.