Accessibility to microcomputers in the School of Business Administration has been greatly expanded through the installation of three student labs in N234A/B/C. These labs house approximately 165 workstations, with a wide variety of capabilities. In keeping with the overall SBA computing design, these workstations are linked via a set of Ethernet LANs, and connected to the campus fiber-optic backbone.

The workstations use Windows 2000 as the operating system and are equipped with the standard SBA suite of software, which includes several productivity tools, spreadsheet and database management packages, statistical packages, and a user-friendly interface to the Internet. Software that is specific to course needs is also available. This includes sophisticated CASE tools and client/server data base management software. Access to the campus computers and other Internet facilities allow these workstations to serve as terminals, thereby reducing the need for additional terminal-based facilities. A set of high-speed printers round out the facilities.

The teaching lab located in N219 in the Business Administration Building provides a unique opportunity for instruction in computer-based topics. The lab is equipped with 48 multimedia machines, linked via a token ring networked, and connected to the campus Internet backbone through a router. The workstations use Windows 2000 as the operating system and are equipped with the standard SBA suite of software, which includes several productivity tools, spreadsheet and database management packages, statistical packages, and a user-friendly interface to the Internet. Software that is specific to individual courses is also available at each workstation. In addition, there is a suite of software tools for multimedia creation and playback.

A unique feature of the facility is the ability of the instructor to take control of individual student workstations for immediate assistance and feedback. The ability to project information from any workstation onto a large screen at the front of the room contributes to an effective instruction process.

As organizations strive to forge ahead in today's volatile business environment, they constantly seek ways to gain competitive advantage. A host of strategies have been advocated, including corporate restructuring, downsizing, business process reengineering, workflow streamlining, and quality improvement, to name a few. These interventions require a collaborative approach to decision making. As corporations race to improve individual productivity through desktop computing, support for collaborative and group work is gaining attention. Surveys show that the bulk of strategic corporate decisions are made in group settings, and that a sizable portion of an executive's time is spent in meetings. Corporations can ill-afford to ignore opportunities to improve productivity.

Support for group or collaborative work takes many forms, including electronic mail, bulletin boards, shared information systems, video-conferencing, and electronic meeting rooms. These systems allow individuals who may be dispersed in time and location to work on common tasks. This support has variously been labeled groupware, group decision support systems, and computer supported cooperative work. It goes beyond traditional personal computing support and includes networking, sharing of files and notes, and projection and recording facilities for dissemination of ideas. These tools afford corporations new opportunities for competitive edge by revolutionizing group processes and making effective use of scarce executive availability.