Features

Computer center seems forgotten

MCCC students use the RCTC computer lab, which is located in the West Tech Building.

MCCC’s Regional Computer Technology Center is a wonderful student resource, but one that has seemingly flown under the radar.

“I’ve never been there,” says student Austin Myers.

The RCTC is located in the West Tech Building near the South Drive entrance. It’s a versatile resource; students can do plenty of useful things there, as lab coordinator Karen Kuhl explains.

“It’s an open lab,” she says. “Any student here can come in and work on homework for their classes, they can do internet research, they can type up papers, they can get assistance if they need help…”

The help includes how to put headers on papers, testing accommodations, troubleshooting with Blackboard, password resets for email and Blackboard, a helping hand in regards to MLA formatting, and assistance with computer classes, some of which are taught by Kuhl and her colleague of 18 years, Rick Hubbert.

“We’ve got a lot of experience,” she says. “We’re pretty knowledgeable. We’re not tutors, but we can assist them.”

Kuhl also cites that group projects can be effectively done in the RCTC, provided the teams work quietly.

The RCTC also has printers, including one that prints in color, that are free to use. However, PowerPoint presentations cannot be printed in color due to the cost involved.

While she may not visit often, student Wendy Edwards appreciates the RCTC.

“I like that it’s quiet,” she says. “I also like that, if I have questions, there’s people up here I can ask. They’ve been very helpful.”

More than that, though, Edwards appreciates the RCTC’s printers.

“I like that it doesn’t cost me anything to print things out. That’s a huge factor for me,” she says. “I hope that the college always keeps their copies free. It really does help the students. If I had to pay for all the pages I print, it would cost me a lot of money.”

While the RCTC is a valuable resource to students, what is it that separates it from the nearby library?

“Here we can conduct an interview, so you can talk but you’re not really distracting people that much,” student Connor Harmon says. “It’s more open than the library, I feel. Also, the library is really hot – it’s always so warm in there.

“The computers in here are much nicer than in the library. I don’t know what it is, but it feels like they run slower over there.”

“I think it’s a great alternative to the library if you have your information and just want to study,” Edwards says, also citing the RCTC’s usefulness if the library is either closed or full.

“Sometimes students don’t want to go home or they don’t bring their computer with them,” Kuhl says, “so it’s a good backup.”

The RCTC is open during the winter semester from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday. These hours are in effect until May 1st. The RCTC will be closed all day Friday, April 17.

Further information can be found at www.monroeccc.edu/rctc/.