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College Chooses Virtual Desktops to Meet
Instructional Needs
Volunteer State Community College installs virtual desktops to increase student
access to new learning materials.
Challenge
Student enrollment at community colleges grew 17 percent across the state of
Tennessee in 2010. With this rise in student population, community colleges faced
more needs to support advanced student learning and the delivery of supporting
materials. Volunteer (Vol) State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee currently
operates with 600 full-time faculty and staff who strive to meet the needs of 8500
students.
Tennessee in 2010. With this rise in student population, community colleges faced
more needs to support advanced student learning and the delivery of supporting
materials. Volunteer (Vol) State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee currently
operates with 600 full-time faculty and staff who strive to meet the needs of 8500
students.
In 2009, Tennessee cut appropriations to all colleges and universities, which reduced
appropriations for Vol State by 15 percent. In addition, that same year Tennessee
passed education legislature that changed the delivery of remedial and developmental
courses in math, reading, and English. The new model altered the instructional approach
from instructor-led to computer-based with instructor support. For the students
involved in these courses, this change meant developing new problem-solving and
test-taking skills as well as assessing progress on a computer-based platform.
appropriations for Vol State by 15 percent. In addition, that same year Tennessee
passed education legislature that changed the delivery of remedial and developmental
courses in math, reading, and English. The new model altered the instructional approach
from instructor-led to computer-based with instructor support. For the students
involved in these courses, this change meant developing new problem-solving and
test-taking skills as well as assessing progress on a computer-based platform.
To meet state and course expectations for mathematics teachers and learners, Vol
State had to update its student labs on a very limited budget. Vol State’s information
technology (IT) department also needed to refresh the desktop computers and upgrade
each unit’s speed and quality of content delivery as part of the lab modernization,
with no increase in staff. The IT department required up to 400 additional units,
pushing the college’s total to nearly 2400 units, and had four technicians on-hand
to service these new and existing desktops.
State had to update its student labs on a very limited budget. Vol State’s information
technology (IT) department also needed to refresh the desktop computers and upgrade
each unit’s speed and quality of content delivery as part of the lab modernization,
with no increase in staff. The IT department required up to 400 additional units,
pushing the college’s total to nearly 2400 units, and had four technicians on-hand
to service these new and existing desktops.
Additionally, Vol State wanted to reduce the power bill for the community college under
a new energy management plan. Desktops required a considerable amount of power
usage, and the expectation of additional desktops would only increase that figure.
a new energy management plan. Desktops required a considerable amount of power
usage, and the expectation of additional desktops would only increase that figure.
The IT staff needed to act quickly. In the summer of 2010, the Vol State IT department
developed a strategic plan to increase materials access for students and save energy for
the college: Reduce the number of physical devices and move into desktop virtualization.
developed a strategic plan to increase materials access for students and save energy for
the college: Reduce the number of physical devices and move into desktop virtualization.
Solution
Leading up the execution of its desktop virtualization strategy, Vol State had worked
with one server vendor for over 12 years and used this vendor almost exclusively to
meet technical needs at the community college. Vol State engaged with this vendor to
realize its virtualization strategy and was initially satisfied with the vendor’s offerings.
Two weeks before making a decision, the director of IT for Vol State, Brian Kraus,
attended a Cisco Unified Computing System™ (UCS™) demonstration to learn about
smart, scalable virtual infrastructure and management. Because Kraus had been
told by Vol State’s legacy vendor that the community college was not large enough
with one server vendor for over 12 years and used this vendor almost exclusively to
meet technical needs at the community college. Vol State engaged with this vendor to
realize its virtualization strategy and was initially satisfied with the vendor’s offerings.
Two weeks before making a decision, the director of IT for Vol State, Brian Kraus,
attended a Cisco Unified Computing System™ (UCS™) demonstration to learn about
smart, scalable virtual infrastructure and management. Because Kraus had been
told by Vol State’s legacy vendor that the community college was not large enough
Executive Summary
Volunteer State Community College
• Industry: Higher Education
• Location: Gallatin, Tenn.
• Number of Employees: 8500 students
• Location: Gallatin, Tenn.
• Number of Employees: 8500 students
and 600 full-time faculty and staff
CHALLENGE
• Support growing student population
while reducing operational costs
• Accommodate students requiring a
work life balance
• Adjust instruction after state program
changes
SOLUTION
• Refresh existing data center to support
expanding campus population
• Update network foundation to
accommodate virtual desktops
• Optimize staffing resources by
operating with no additional manpower
RESULTS
• Allowed community college to meet IT
needs with reduced operating budget
• Increased student efficiency and
productivity by enhancing access to
course work
• Realized additional cost savings
with more efficient data center
management
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