Topic of the Week: Removal of public computing labs from Grounds

ITC's poll on public computing use.
Over Spring Break, ITC developed a poll which it posted on computers in the libraries and computing labs around Grounds. When you log in to a University computer, a prompt asks if you will take a short poll about public computing use. After announcing its plans to remove most of the University's public computing labs by 2011, it appears ITC is finally asking students' opinion on the subject.
This issue has received a lot of coverage in The Cavalier Daily, both in the news and opinion sections, and with good reason. Removal of public computing labs would be a major change for University students and previously ITC had not bothered to consult students at all. Since it is now asking student opinion, this week, we'll discuss the same. Should public computer labs be removed from Grounds? If it will save the University money, maybe it is worthwhile to preserve other programs. On the other hand, is it worth the hardship to professors, who will surely be constantly barraged with excuses about how a student's laptop crashed and they had no way to type their paper? As for students, removing almost all the public computers from Grounds would surely be an inconvenience, but would it really be such a bad thing? Since nearly every student has a laptop, it would not be hard to borrow a friend's or roomate's in a crunch. But that may not always be a reliable solution if said friend or roommate also has a paper due. Which is more important: saving money or making all the possible resources available to students?