USD Computing Milestones 1977-2000
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Steve Spear with ARC-INFO 1992 - bg
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1977 - Provost Sally Furay in July created the Task Force on Academic Computing to assess needs and develop a long-range plan. At that time, USD had only four terminals connected to an off-campus timesharing vendor's HP 2000 minicomputer. Three terminals were teletypes operating at a slow speed of 10 cps. The Physics Department had a microcomputer for students working on a minor in computer science. Professor Jerry Estberg used this NCR microcomputer at night to analyze environmental data.
1978 - The Task Force on Academic Computing wrote a report May 24 recommending that USD create a Department of Academic Computing. "A 1975 survey shows 27% of high schools used computers for instruction. The very recent development of the mass-produced, cheap ($600 to $5000) microcomputers is dramatically increasing this percentage. Entering freshmen will increasingly expect to have access to computing resources and expect them to be used to enhance instruction." The Task Force recommended a three year plan that included the hiring of a Director of Academic Computing, form a permanent Committee on Academic Computing, allocate a budget of $35 per student per year on instructional computing activities, create a distributed computing system of Terak microcomputers and other terminals connected to a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11/60 minicomputer, provide terminals to connect to off-campus PLATO system developed by NSF and operated by the Control Data Corportation. This report was implemented by September, with the formation of a Committee on Academic Computing and the purchase of the first micro and mini computers. Until a full-time director could be hired, Dr. Dwight Bean served as interim Director 1979-81, and Dr. Robert Corbeil 1981-82. Dr. Jack Pope became the first full-time Director of Academic Computing in 1982.
1980 - The Committee on Academic Computing recommended in the Three Year Plan of September hiring more staff, including a full-time Director (the experience with a part-time Director during the previous two years was not successful; in August John Paul was hired as Computer Specialist to fill the need for qualified personnel), building more office and equipment space (DeSales 105A became too small), the purchase of a new minicomputer (the PDP-11/60 was not able to handle more than 16 terminals and a new Digital Equipment Corporation VAX-11/780 at a cost of $219,000 was added in September 1982 with 48 additional terminals by 1983) and more microcomputers (the 6 Terak 8510A7 machines were the only microcomputers available to students until 6 Apple II Plus machines were purchased in September 1982).
1982 - In September Dr. Jack Pope began his long career as Director of Academic Computing; the VAX 11/780 minicomputer (1.0 MIPS with 4 MB memory) and 6 Apple II Plus microcomputers with PASCAL were purchased, and the Serra 205 terminal room opened.
1983 - Academic Computing had five 300-baud modems and sought to purchase three new 1200 baud modems; the lab in DS107 had 8 Apple micros used in six classes for the Fall semester.
1984 - The Olin Lab opened with a VAX minicomputer, 20 terminals and 20 micros.
1985 - The AT&T Equipment Grant Program donated two 3B2-300 multiuser 32-bit microcomputers with five terminals and running the UNIX System V operating system, installed Feb. 28, 1986.
1986 - In July USD became a USENET news node; two computer labs were in Olin and Serra Halls were available to students; the labs included 32 Lear-Sieglar terminals operating on the VT-220 terminal standard (text-only, non-graphical); during the summer the Olin lab installed ten IBM XT micros with monochrome monitors and dual disk drives, and a HP Laserjet printer; the SYTEK broadband coaxial cable network expanded from 400 connections in three buildings (Serra, Olin, DeSales) to over 1000 connections in eight buildings (Serra, Olin, DeSales, Harmon, Guadalupe, Hahn, Camino, More Hall).
1987 - The PDP computer was retired March 31; plans made to replace the Serra VAX with a UNIX computer, to move to a new facility in Serra Hall with a new Apple Micro Lab and a few IBM clones. Mr. Arthur B. Birtcher of Birtcher Investments and member of the Board of Trustees made a donation of a Pyramid minicomputer to USD in the summer, and this was upgraded to the Pyramid 9805 minicomputer with UNIX (3.5 MIPS with 16 MB memory) installed in Serra 124 for the Fall semester. This machine became the mail and news server with the name usdpyr until replaced by the VAX 8550 (usdcsv) and DECSystem 5810 (teetot) in 1991.
1988 - The Long Range Plan June 6 recommended Library automation with a minicomputer and terminals, installing a new VAX and ethernet network, add 8 modems including some 2400 baud at $500 each; the VAX 8550 (6.0 MIPS with 48 MB memory and ethernet) was installed over Easter break in S124; in May, the old VAX 11/780 was moved to Administrative Computing in DS105 (and in 1989 would add a new VAX 6330); in September, a Laserwriter IINT was installed in the S185 lab with two Macintosh systems; In the Fall semester, the Vista school newspaper began using an Appletalk LAN with Macintosh SE computers and a Laserwriter IINTX printer; the School of Education began installation of an Appletalk LAN with Macintosh SEs and Laserwriter IINTX printer.
1989 - CERFnet dedication ceremonies at UCSD July 10; USD became connected to BITNET and the Internet with E-mail and Telnet and FTP using the TCP/IP protocol, allowing access to remote library catalogs such as MELVYL at UCSD; USD hosted a Micro-Computer Fair held Nov. 16 in Forum B of the University Center; Karen Reed began installation of student computers in the new University Center and in the Mission Crossroads.
1990 - The Long Range Plan Update recommended expansion of Serra labs with 70 workstations, plus 10 workstations in new Legal Resources Center, and add ten high-end "scholar's workstations" for faculty use. New labs opened in Founders and Duchesne Halls; the Media Center installed a Mac SE for the videodisc work station in DS 111A running Hypercard, Bio Sci Videodisc, National Gallery of Art Videodisc; CERFnet speed was upgraded from 1.544 Mbps (T1) to 45 Mbps (T3) but USD continued its 56k network connection to CERFnet.
1991 - In September, Barbara Ritchie announced that the SALLY library catalog was online, named in honor of Sister Sally Furay. The automated catalog began with 275,000 records entered (increased to 330,000 records by 1994). A matching grant from Apple Computer began the replacement of Apple II micros in the labs with Macintosh LC micros. Six SUN workstations were installed in S185. Bart Thurber delivered a paper on his NewBook project at the EDUCOM '91 conference hosted by USD October 16-19. A ScanTron 5200 Optical Mark Reader was installed in S185 for survey and testing using IBM-card style forms marked with a pencil.
1992 - USDinfo went online, offering course schedules and campus information. Jerry Stratton published The Joy of Access in September, a guide to using USD's computer network. The ARC-INFO workstation was installed running on a Sun SparcStation.
1993 - Founders Gallery in January displayed the exhibit "Design with Computers" showng the work of students in the classes of Saba Oskoui. In September, the Multimedia Lab was officially opened in S169 with equipment donated by Jack Pope and by Dave Tiedemann.
1994 - In September Academic Computing installed a new Sun SPARCserver 1000 (pwa) with 64 MB memory and dual 50 Mhz processors, and added 14,400 baud modems.
1995 - In January the Novell server allowed PC micros to connect to the network in Warren Hall.
1996 - Installation began of fiber optic cables. On Sept. 29, USD switched from old 56k lines to a T1 fiber optic line at 1.544 Mbps. Copley Library added a Sun Sparc workstation (Marian). The computer lab opened in LRC with 28 Pentium 90 micros with Windows 3.11. The Maher Hall renovation included the opening of a new lab with 29 Pentium micros installed. In October, the national media focused attention on Shiley Theater for the Presidential Debate, with technical support provided by Dave McCluskey and Telecommunications, Antoine Marcais and the Media Services, Jack Pope and Academic Computing, Jill Wagner and the Publications Office, Thor Brickman and Karen Reed and Student Computing.
1997 - Pentium 166 and 200 micros with Windows 95 replaced older machines in the Serra and Olin and LRC labs.
1998 - USD redesigned its web pages. A new 3Com AccessBuilder 5000 server allowed 96 telephone modem connections using PPP. Equipment available for faculty checkout included Macintosh Powerbook laptops, Quicktake digital cameras, Kodak DC 120 digital camera. Serra 205 was extensively remodeled and new equipment brought the number of computer to 27 PCs and 23 Macs.
1999 - The backbone was upgraded with a 3Com Corebuilder 3500 and replaced routers with 100 Mbps switches. In September, WebCT was made available for online courses. E-mail via the web was made possible with the IMP mail program. A new web server began operation for the expanding number of WWW pages on campus.
2000 - On March 27, USD upgraded from a dual T1 link (3 Mbps) to a T3 link (10 Mbps) expandable to 45 Mbps. H. David Todd was appointed Chief Information Officer March 28 and began work at USD June 5. Academic Computing and Media Services were merged into the new Instructional Technology Services.
2003 - The USD web site began a redesign by the PINT design company.
Sources:
- Academic Computing Access biannual newsletters, 1985-2000.
- Report of the Task Force on Academic Computing, University of San Diego, Office of the Provost, May 24, 1978, by members R. Benson Barr (Chair), Dwight Bean, Dan Camp, Robert Corbeil, Jerry Estberg, Don Helmich, Jim Hottois, Dan Moriarty, Bill Velman, and Ed Warren.
- Three Year Plan, Committee on Academic Computing Policy and Planning, September, 1980, by members Dwight Bean (Chair), Dan Camp, Sister Maureen Cronon, Don Helmich, James Hottois, Ed Kujawa, Ann Maulsby, Gene Labovitz, Stacy Langton, Davin Milner, Marguerite Most, Mike Naven, John Paul, Eugene Rathswohl, David Tiedemann, Ray White.
- Five Year Plan for Academic Computing at USD 1983-1988, by Robert Corbeil, interim Director of Academic Computing.
- Academic Computing Long Range Plan June 6, 1988, by Jack Pope, Director of Academic Computing.
- Strategic Long Range Plan 1990 Update, April 9, 1990.
- Debate Spurs Technology Projects by Dr. Jack W. Pope, 1996
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