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JTS hours cause student outrage

Students who attend Grambling State University have access to a computer lab for computer use as well as printing.

The computer lab is located inside the building Jacob T. Stewart on campus and has over 30 computers and four printers for students to operate on their own.

Recently, the computer lab hours were changed from the daily hours of 7:30 a.m. to midnight. From Monday through Thursday, the hours are now 7:30 a.m. till 10 p.m. On Friday, the hours are 7:30 a.m. through 4 p.m. On Saturday, the lab is closed, and on Sunday, the hours are from noon to 8 p.m.

Many Grambling students took to social media with concerns after the GSU SGA social media page posted the new hours.  

For students like Latina Jones, an off-campus senior business major from Chicago, the computer lab is her only source for computer usage and printing things out.  

“With a busy work schedule, Saturdays were my days to go to JTS computer lab to get my homework done,” said Jones.  

“Also, it is hard to find other places that will let you print as well.  It made me upset to see the hours changed so drastically.”

Adarian Williams, the president of SGA, quickly reached out to the associate vice president of information technology, Peggy Hanley about the changes to the hours.

SGA is a part of the GSU student technology committee, who help with things such as the Tiger Den, in the Favrot Student Union mending administration, and student thoughts on technology improvements.

The hours changed due to the 2018 Spring student assessment the computer lab did.  For the entire spring semester, the lab recorded 20,000 swipes.  An average of 4,000 students Monday through Thursday that spring, 1,400 swipes on Fridays, and 280 swipes the whole semester on Saturdays.

Hanley and her team were able to change to more extended hours of operation for the students but will be monitoring student usage this fall.

GSU President Rick Gallot, took to Twitter to tell students that administration is listening.  On Twitter, Gallot took to his account to address the situation. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  Regular Saturday hours are now back.  Tweet us a picture of yourself from the lab this Saturday. #StartRight #FinishStrong #GramFam #StudentsFirst #WeHearYou.”

This gesture from Gallot made students feel better about voicing their opinions, one of those students being Tichina Lewis, a senior chemistry major from Memphis, Tenn.

“Seeing the president take to social media to assure us that there will be change was very refreshing, it made me feel like more change is to come to the University, so I am excited,” said Lewis.

Hanley and her staff of 16 are here to help students with concerns and questions.  The office is located directly across from the computer lab in Jacob T. Stewart.