We are sure some important dates have been missed, or that various perspectives of oral history may call for a reckoning on some of the information below. Share your info here<\/a>.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n 1968 <\/b>University payroll and other information systems needs are done at a community\u00a0<\/span>computing center run by a large local bank.<\/span><\/p>\n 1968<\/b> The first computer arrives on campus. The refrigerator-sized IBM 1130, obtained\u00a0through a National Science Foundation federal grant, takes up an entire room in the new Suter Science Center and is used for classes (college and high school) and administration. Data Processing Manager Mahlon Rissler takes on the role of computing center director.<\/span><\/p>\n 1969<\/b> The first computer science course<\/a>, NATSCI 151 Programming Computers (Fortran language) is taught by physics professor Joe Mast.<\/span><\/p>\n 1975<\/b>\u00a0EMC replaces the leased IBM 1130 with a PDP-11, 16-bit microcomputer.<\/span><\/p>\n 1978<\/b>\u00a0EMC gets the “Hildegard” A.B. Dick 1600 copy printer, responsible for making all of campus copies for years.<\/span><\/p>\n 1979<\/b> Joe Mast starts a two-year Associate\u00a0<\/a>in Applied Science degree in computer processing.<\/span><\/p>\n 1980 <\/b>Dwight Wyse<\/a>, director of business affairs, and colleague Mark Shank<\/strong>, director of computer services, begin to tinker with software. The duo eventually leaves to form CMDS, the precursor company to Jenzabar<\/a>, a leading distributor of higher education management software. Harvey Mast ’80<\/strong> (one of the first two-year program graduates) is their first employee.<\/span><\/p>\n 1981<\/b> The four-year computer science major is approved<\/a>. Professor Joe Mast teaches most upper level computer science courses.<\/span><\/p>\n 1983<\/b>: The Shenandoah yearbook records the first seniors\u00a0listed with Computer Processing majors: Jay Esbenshade<\/strong> (liberal arts\/computer processing) and Patricia A. Waggy<\/strong> (computer processing)<\/span><\/p>\n 1983: <\/b>The first Apple IIe computer is donated by a Lancaster farmer and\u00a0<\/span>businessman.<\/span><\/p>\n 1983<\/b> Students use 15 Apple II computers for Basic, Pascal, Modula-11, Lisp, Apple Logo and word processing. Students begin handing in computer-typed papers. Professor Wilmer Lehman begins teaching “Introduction to Computers,” that included word processing, spreadsheet and database management using Appleworks. He says: “This class was very popular (around 40 per semester) as students were eager to learn about using computers.” 1984<\/b> An IBM PC is available in the Science Center.<\/span><\/p>\n 1985<\/b>\u00a0The first Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science are awarded to Dale Hartzler<\/strong> and Denton Yoder<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n 1985<\/b> Around this time, the information systems in business major is created in addition to the existing computer science major. The first prepared students to apply software in the business world; the latter prepared students to write software.<\/span><\/p>\n 1985<\/b> PDP-11, a 64K machine with four terminals about the size of a refrigerator, is used infrequently. Each Apple computer is as powerful as the PDP.<\/span><\/p>\n 1986<\/strong> The Weather Vane buys a Macintosh computer (512ke) for newspaper layout.<\/p>\n 1987<\/b> EMU gets its first laser printer. Among other uses, the communications department printed newsletters and the quarterly magazine. 1987 <\/b>The\u00a0<\/b>Mathematical Sciences Department buys 18 IBM PC’s<\/a> with 2-5.25 inch disk drives.<\/span><\/p>\n 1988<\/b>\u00a0The Mathematical Sciences Department moves to new computer center over summer with new Mac SE computers.<\/span><\/p>\n 1989 <\/strong>The catalogue is formatted with a desktop publishing program by student Keith Bitikofer ’93<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 1990<\/b>\u00a0The addition of Charles Cooley<\/strong> doubles the computer science faculty in the Mathematical Sciences Department.<\/span><\/p>\n 1991 <\/strong>A local computer company is hired to upgrade the computer lab to a Novell Server (possibly version 3.11). There was still no local hard drives; a \u2018boot\u2019 disk pointed computers to the server from which software was pulled. The computers were connected with 10MB Ethernet coax lines to the server.<\/p>\n Around this time, Bitikofer, who worked with many departments on campus both as work-study and volunteer, remembers stopping by alumni and development offices after class one day and noticing that many employees were cleaning their desks. “I knew the server was down. I did some quick fix and everybody was back to work, but I knew their lives and mine had changed. They were now dependent on the computer network to be able to do their jobs!”<\/p>\n Networks between computers were also jury-rigged in no systematic way. “When the admin people in the president\u2019s office wanted on the \u2018network,’ I then ran a coax line across the hall to the President\u2019s office and connected in all their computers,” he remembers.<\/p>\n 1992 <\/strong>New Acer computers replace the original computers in the business lab.<\/p>\n 1994<\/b>\u00a0The Information Systems Department is founded. Dan Marple Sr.<\/strong>, who had worked for IBM and Honeywell IAC, is hired to lead the department. The new seminary building is wired with Cat 5 cable for phone and computers. A 12 pair fiber cable is run between the Seminary and the Campus Center. In a time-consuming process that took all summer, Keith Bitikofer and three work-study students installed new phone and computer lines are installed around campus. Conduits and cables connect the Campus Center with Northlawn and Elmwood. Fiber optic cabling and \u00bd in Coax Cabling was installed between the Campus Center, the Chapel, Library, and the Science Center.<\/p>\n In the fall,\u00a0Professor Joe Mast applies<\/a> for a National Science Foundation grant to fund internet access on campus. <\/span>Campus Center staff are set-up for email, but didn’t check it until President Joe Lapp ’66<\/strong> was convinced to send a \u2018welcome to email\u2019 message. Then a whole group of people called to ask me how to check their email! Everybody wanted to read what Joe had sent!” (Keith Bitikofer).<\/p>\n Mast acquires the domain name EMU.edu by applying at the University of Virginia. Dan Marple Sr. becomes responsible for setting up the email system from there.<\/span><\/p>\n 1994<\/b> Ron Helmuth ’74 is hired<\/a> as the IS director, leading an eight-person department.<\/span><\/p>\n 1995 <\/b>EMU gets a Title III grant\u00a0 to install network cabling on campus, \u201cautomate\u201d the library, install computers for faculty and staff, and get computer support staff in place. (Title III is a federal program for education grants, many geared towards language instruction.<\/p>\n In the summer,\u00a0 a team of seven students (Ben Derstine, Mike Stoltzfus, Brad Kipfer, Mat Horst, Larry Green, Dan Zook, Marie Mayes<\/strong>) under the supervision of Keith Bitikofer install 170,000 feet of Cat 5 cable and 60,000 feet of indoor Coax cable was installed to wire the library, science center, chapel, physical plant, athletics and three residence halls. Approximately 5,000 feet of fiber was installed between buildings at a cost of $21,000. They also helped build around 20 new computers. Dan Marple also supervised two students who contributed, Kevin Miller<\/strong> and Joel Kauffman<\/strong>. Because students did most of the work, Bitikofer estimates the college saved $200,000 or more (based on Gettysburg College spending $35,000 per building to install wiring).<\/p>\n EMU has internet via a phone line at 56kb\/sec speed, two computer labs and AS\/400 administrative computers with registration software, financial accounting records and grade recording capabillity.<\/span><\/p>\n 1996<\/strong> The first web server was likely created. The first course catalog was available online. Parkwood Apartments are wired. EMU receives a Title III grant to buy Arkenstone Open Book Reading System for ground floor of library, which reads books aloud for those with reading disabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n 1999<\/b> Jack Rutt<\/strong> began as information systems director; he is the third<\/span>\u00a0in three years. His initial projects include upgrading computer network to \u201cciscogigabit\u201d technology, replacing over 100 slow older PCs, upgrading student information software (Goldmine) and upgrading AS\/400.<\/span><\/p>\n 2000 <\/b>The Student Government Association addresses internet usage issues in campus meeting, as student streaming is affecting academic and business use of campus internet.<\/span><\/p>\n 2000<\/strong> (approx)<\/strong>\u00a0Marketing and IS staff form a collaborative Web Work Team for oversight and development of the university’s growing “public” website and intranet. (The team continues to manage the university’s web resources 17 years later<\/span><\/span>.)<\/p>\n 2002 <\/b>EMU doubles its internet connection capacity and upgrades bandwidth management appliance.<\/span><\/p>\n 2005<\/b> Joe Mast retires<\/a> from EMU after 38 years.<\/span><\/p>\n 2006<\/strong>\u00a0Visual arts and communication majors begin internships with marketing web staff on the university website, producing photography and videography for emu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2006 <\/b>Jenzabar offers \u201ctransition licenses\u201d for Jenzabar TE users to get the better annual maintenance costs of EX. EMU signs on. Alumnus Mike Weaver leads in-depth software demonstrations for departments to become familiar with EX.<\/span><\/p>\n 2007 <\/b>EMU revises its computer science major<\/a> to prepare adaptable students with a strong background and skills in computer information systems, computer science, software engineering and information technology.<\/span><\/p>\n 2007 <\/b>EMU begins converting from AS\/400 Jenzabar TE student information systems to Windows Jenzabar EX.<\/span><\/p>\n 2009 <\/b>EMU finishes the conversion to EX.<\/span><\/p>\n 2010 <\/strong>The first fully online program \u2013 the MS in nursing degree \u2013 started, with all 37 semester hours\u00a0 offered online except for a residency orientation and 3 day Conflict course residency. There were several online seminary courses before the start of the MSN.<\/p>\n 2010<\/strong>\u00a0Computer Science majors begin internships with marketing staff on the university website. Many are double majors who are also in the Visual and Communication Arts program. Students select a creative field of interest (writing, photography or videography) and use their\u00a0systems background under the direction of the marketing web content manager\/strategist to incorporate their work into redesigned web pages and new sections of the emu.edu<\/a> site.<\/p>\n 2011<\/strong> Brian Gumm<\/strong> is hired as an online education design specialist, helping to manage an ever-expanding catalogue of online and hybrid classes.<\/span><\/p>\n 2014<\/b> Ben Beachy<\/strong> is given IS department leadership from Jack Rutt<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n 2014 <\/b>IS triples the amount of wireless access points<\/a> in the dorms to increase bandwidth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2015<\/strong>\u00a0A collaborative MBA program, which is primarily online and synchronizes classes with students around the world, begins.<\/span><\/p>\n 2015<\/strong> EMU launches a redesigned graduate school website and corresponding sites for each of the dozen graduate offerings. The sites are completed after months of collaboration between marketing, IS web staff, and graduate program leadership.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.emustories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Shen1971-300x203.jpeg\")
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