For technology support visit the Technology Help Desk , second floor, Search Hall or call 215.951.4OIT (x4648) or email HelpDesk@PhilaU.edu.
Technology is at the heart of much of what happens at Philadelphia University. In fact, a sophisticated technological infrastructure supports the entire University community. The network provides high-speed wired (100 megabit and gigabit) and wireless (a,b,g,n) service throughout campus from residence halls and administrative offices to classrooms and labs. The University network and email systems support both smart phones and PDAs using the Windows Mobile standard.
The campus has nearly 1,150 University-owned desktop computers connected to the network. Through the Microsoft Live@edu service, each student receives an email account that includes 10 GB of mail space. A number of academic programs, such as graphic design, digital design, industrial design and architecture, are assigned enhanced network storage space. All students are provided with 300 MB of network drive space and 7 GB of SkyDrive. Students are also provided with space for hosting their own University-related web site.
Philadelphia University is a technology-rich environment. Both the departmental and general-purpose computing labs provide an impressive array of software applications including AutoCAD, 3dsmax, Cinema 4D, Rhino, and Macromedia tools such as Dreamweaver, Flash and Director. Industrial and digital design students are required to learn applications such as Final Cut Suite, Maya, SolidWorks, and Adobe titles such as Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat and After Effects. Desktop computing equipment in these specialized programs is on an aggressive migration cycle that provides upgrades and new equipment every 24 months.
WebAdvisor is a web-based information-management tool that allows Philadelphia University students, staff and faculty to access numerous online resources. With WebAdvisor, prospective students can view application status and find financial-aid information. Enrolled students can review course schedules, check account status, check grades and register for classes. Faculty can monitor rosters, post grades and review advisee information. Staff can manage departmental budgets.
The University supports the Blackboard course-management system. This tool provides faculty and students with online and supplemental course materials through the Web. The integration of technology into curriculum is a strategic campus goal.
The Office of Information Resources (OIR) provides a broad range of support for faculty and students including a comprehensive Technology Help Desk operating nearly 100 hours per week, a team of analysts devoted to desktop and computing lab support, and resources delivered from nearly 60 enterprise servers operating around the clock.
Visit the Paul J. Gutman Library at www.PhilaU.edu/library.
The 54,000-square-foot, 400-seat Paul J. Gutman Library blends a traditional book and journal collection with an extensive electronic environment. Through the Internet, the library delivers a wide range of information resources to members of the University community on and off campus. Electronic resources include Avery Architecture Index, Art Index, EBSCO, netLibrary, LexisNexis, ProQuest, MD Consult and Stylesight. These online databases and electronic book, newspaper and journal collections offer students convenient 24/7 research and study access to a continually expanding world of knowledge and information.
The availability of electronic resources, including 35,000 online journals, supplements a book collection that contains more than 150,000 volumes with special emphasis in the areas of art and architecture, design, textiles, sciences and business. The Gutman Library Special Collections Department maintains one of the largest collections in the United States devoted to the history of the textile industry. A contemporary reading collection of best sellers and popular materials is also available. Other print publications include 750 journal titles, trade publications and newspapers. Materials not available in the Gutman Library collection can be obtained through an interlibrary loan network linking more than 14,000 libraries around the world, or through EZBorrow, a self-service loan system for books from over 50 of Pennsylvania’s largest academic libraries.
The award-winning Paul J. Gutman Library building provides individual study carrels, six group study rooms, more than 85 PCs and Macs for individual or collaborative work and student lounge areas. Wireless access in Gutman allows students to use personal or library-provided laptops at any location in the building. To help students become effective and efficient researchers, librarians work with faculty to educate students about the resources available and the most effective ways of accessing and using them. Classroom presentations and one-on-one hands-on instruction are available, aimed at creating an information-literate student body.
The Design Center houses the University’s extensive historical and contemporary textile collection. The collection – some 200,000 items strong – is a nationally recognized resource for the study of American, European and non-Western textiles from the first century AD to the present. It is also the only comprehensive repository of 19th- and 20th-century industrial fabric samples in the United States, documenting a broad range of styles and techniques, and serving as a critical resource for research on American commercial and industrial design.