Welcome Back! The CIS Sandbox will open virtually on September 3 for IT 101 Jumpstart Sessions, physically in Smith 234 on September 8, and virtually for all classes on September 8.
To comply with the university guidelines for creating a safe environment in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, our day to day operations in Smith 234 will be guided by strict adherence to the following policy guidelines.
- Smith 234 Hours of Operation: 11 am to 5 pm (M-Th), 11 am – 3 pm (Friday).
- Capacity: 13 people (1 tutor, 11 students, and at most one faculty or additional tutor) can be in the CIS Sandbox at once to comply with social distancing guidelines. We will make 11 seats available for students to visit for working, attending online classes, or limited tutoring services. You must sign up for a table for a one-block period. If available seats remain, you are welcome to stay. (Link to sign up is coming!)
- Card Swipe: Please swipe in with your Bentley ID when you enter the CIS Sandbox.
- Face Masks: You must wear a face mask at all times while in the CIS Sandbox.
- Staffing: One CIS Sandbox tutor will be on duty during open hours of operation.
- Sanitizing: You are responsible for wiping down all surfaces (table tops, white board markers, public keyboard or mouse, TV remote controls) that you use. Wipes and sanitizer are available.
- Food / Drink: You may bring your own food or drink; sharing is strictly prohibited. Be sure to wipe down your table after you leave, and take your trash with you. Do not leave it in the CIS Sandbox wastebasket by the door. A large trash bin is located down the hall near the elevator. The refrigerator is off limits to tutors and students.
- Can I use the Oculus VR Headset? Unfortunately, no. For the safety of everyone, we have put away many of our high-touch equipment for this semester, including VR headsets, game contollers, shared tablets, and Raspberry Pi computers. We look forward to being able to use these again soon. We will have Amazon Echo and Google smart speakers available and set up at most tables so you can talk to them!
- In-Person Tutoring: Limited tutoring services will be available at one dedicated table. Students will need to bring their laptop to the tutoring table, display using a wireless connection or via HDMI to the large monitor, and sit socially distant from the tutor at that table. Tutors cannot come to each table where students are sitting and look at your screen over your shoulder.
- Group Meetings: Meetings of up to four students may take place at two adjacent tables only if all four students sign up to reserve seats in the CIS Sandbox. At most two students can sit socially distant at each table.
- Online Tutoring: Read about the four modalities we are supporting students this semester. Please visit http://cissandbox.com and take advantage of online tutoring, where you can share your screen and work one on one with a tutor in a breakout room. Please be patient; at most two tutors are available online at a given time for drop in hours.
- Online Only after Thanksgiving.The CIS Sandbox will move exclusively online after Thanksgiving and reopen again in Spring, 2021 trimester.
