Lab Leads Program Summary

Purpose

1. The Computer Science department recognizes there is a gap in some skill sets in our graduate students as it relates to system administration. As a result, techstaff will provide additional training in system admin, security, and good lab admin’ing practices.
2. The plan is to have 1 meeting during the semester where all the lab leads come together with techstaff to discuss various security topics, and to hear what issues the leads are running into in their labs.
3. Techstaff will provide the lab leads to a Microsoft Team which will help facilitate communication and share any information that we receive in a quick and timely manner.

Benefits

1. As security issues arise, techstaff can work directly with your lab lead to ensure your lab takes the appropriate actions.
2. As VT policies and procedures continue to evolve, your lab lead can provide direct input on how changes will impact your lab. This will allow techstaff to feed info back to the appropriate individuals.
3. In addition, as things change, by working with your lab lead, the Computer Science department will be in a much better position to plan for the changes, as opposed to reacting to them.
4. As you or your students identify technology gaps, your lab lead can communicate those needs to techstaff. Techstaff can then better evaluate what technology should be implemented to support research activities.

Once you identify the person(s), you decide what role the lab lead plays in your lab. On one end, this person could just be a conduit of information between techstaff and your lab. On the other end, they may be your one-and-only system administrator. Techstaff doesn’t care. You decide what makes sense for your situation.

FAQ

• If techstaff is admin’ing your systems, do you still need to identify a lab lead? Yes, techstaff suggests you identify a lab lead. In this scenario, this lab lead is sharing information and representing the needs of your lab. Many of the things shared in the meetings will have a direct impact on your lab.
• Can you identify more than one? Yes. Probably no more than 2.
• Are we cutting bypassing faculty? No. Techstaff will continue to keep faculty informed as appropriate.