Got a Question?  New Info System Has the Answers


by Steve Sullivan
Iowa State is giving students, faculty, staff and campus 
visitors an A-Plus.

A-Plus is the name of the new computerized information system 
recently installed in four campus buildings. The "A" in A-
Plus stands for "access." The A-Plus system is designed to 
provide people on campus with easy access to frequently 
requested information.

"A-Plus is an important service for many groups, but students 
will benefit most. It is a student-centered system," said 
Kathy Jones, associate registrar. "With A-Plus, students have 
instant access to information they want, when they want it. 
A-Plus will let students help themselves."

The A-Plus system can be accessed at kiosks, which resemble 
automatic teller machines. A-Plus services are accessed with 
a user friendly "touchscreen" system.

Iowa State students can use A-Plus to access their financial 
aid information, current term schedules, the status of their 
university bills and unofficial university transcripts. To 
ensure the confidentiality of personal records, students must 
use their student identification numbers and Information 
Access personal identification numbers (PINs) to gain access 
to their personal records.

Students will be provided with instructions for establishing 
their own Information Access PINs when they first use the 
system. To further ensure privacy, no names or identification 
numbers will be included on records that appear on the A-Plus 
screen.

A-Plus also will have the capability to provide printouts of 
information requested by students, at a minimal charge, Jones 
said.

"A-Plus both utilizes and complements the computer technology 
already available at Iowa State," said Larry Newhouse, with 
Administrative Data Processing, which is coordinating the A-
Plus project.  "It enables the university to further extend 
the capabilities of this technology for the benefit of the 
Iowa State community."

All A-Plus users will have access to public information, 
including a calendar of campus events, a phone connection to 
selected administrative offices on campus and a central 
campus map. They will be able to obtain printouts of the 
central campus map and view a directory with  descriptions 
and locations of off-campus buildings. 

A-Plus users will be able to send and receive local and long 
distance fax messages. There will be a charge for this 
service.

A-Plus will provide a connection to Iowa State online 
information, which includes the university directory, student 
newspaper, faculty/staff newspaper and more.  

A-Plus kiosks are installed in the Parks Library, Carver 
Hall, Memorial Union and the Lied Recreation/Athletic Center. 
The locations were chosen because of their availability and 
accessibility to students, faculty, staff and campus 
visitors.

Additional A-Plus kiosks may be installed in the future. The 
system can be expanded to offer additional services, Newhouse 
said.

A-Plus and similar systems are already in use on several 
campuses across the country.  A variety of businesses also 
use the system, including a Des Moines truck stop, which 
provides a service to help truckers identify where and when 
loads are available. 

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contact:  Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720
updated:  8-17-95