Several services currently offered by the Campus Computer Store will transition to existing shared services after the store ceases retail operations next year.

The university reviewed the Campus Computer Store and all other ancillary operations on campus during the 2014-15 fiscal year. In light of the growing deficit, the review recommended closing the store by April 29, 2016, with retail services being discontinued and core services that support the academic and business requirements of the university transitioning to existing shared services.

The decision to close the store is in line with the broader trend across the province, with only one university still operating a computer store.

“Queen’s is committed to financial sustainability in order to protect the university’s overall academic mission,” says Caroline Davis, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration). “Increased external competition, especially from online retailers, coupled with broader product lines available instantly from local retailers challenged the Campus Computer Store’s business model.

“ITS explored different options in recent years to offset declining sales, but the opportunities could not guarantee the long-term financial sustainability of the Campus Computer Store,” Ms. Davis says.

Human Resources (HR) has met with the store employees and union representatives to discuss future options. HR is offering ongoing support to the employees and has made them aware of new positions that will be created as a result of some services transitioning to existing shared service units.

“We have given serious consideration to the impact this decision will have on store employees, who provide exceptional service to the Queen’s community,” says Bo Wandschneider, Associate Vice-Principal (Information Technology Services) and Chief Information Officer. “As we move forward with the transition plan, we will do our utmost to support the employees.”

Services transitioning

Departmental IT purchases will transition directly to Strategic Procurement Services (SPS) starting in May 2016. In the meantime, departments can continue to place orders through orderit@queensu.ca.

SPS is currently developing new processes to support departmental IT purchases. SPS will consult with stakeholders as it develops the processes, which will be publicized in the coming months.

“Staff and faculty will have access to a convenient online portal where they can obtain quotes and place orders,” Ms. Davis says. “Re-directing internal purchases to Strategic Procurement Services will deliver cost savings to departments by eliminating the current Campus Computer Store mark-up without compromising the service they have come to expect from store staff.”

The Queen’s Mobile Voice and Data Plans will transition directly to ITS after the store closes. Until that time, staff and faculty phone requests can continue to be submitted to qmobile@queensu.ca Any process changes that occur as a result of the transition to ITS will be communicated to the university community at a future date.

Students, faculty and staff members will no longer be able to purchase IT products for personal use from the Campus Computer Store after April 29, 2016. Personal purchases will continue at the store up until that date, but inventory and displays will be reduced as the store prepares to cease operations.  

Payroll deduction loans for staff and faculty will no longer be offered after Dec. 24, 2015 at noon. Furthermore, staff and faculty members will not be able to add to their existing payroll deduction loan after that point. ITS will continue to administer all existing loans after the store ceases operations. Staff and faculty members with loans will continue with their payout schedule until the loans are paid off.

Enterprise software agreements like Microsoft Office, onQ (the campus-wide learning management system) and others will continue to be managed and provisioned by ITS. All other software agreements will be reviewed and evaluated as they come due, and a committee will be struck to review software site licensing. The departmental leasing and rental program offered by the computer store, which has declined in use in recent years, will be discontinued.

Questions can be directed to Mr. Wandschneider or Brian McDonald, Associate Director, IT Support.

The “Oil Thigh” will be sung numerous times during Homecoming weekend, but only once will proud alumni have orchestral accompaniment.

John Burge’s classical treatment of the university’s long-time fight song, performed by the Queen’s Symphony Orchestra, made its debut during the School of Drama and Music’s Homecoming showcase concert at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday night.

“The idea was to give the song a rather obvious orchestrated climax,” says Dr. Burge, a Juno Award-winning composer who has taught at Queen’s for nearly 30 years. “After a big introduction, the first verse is sung with just some of the orchestra playing. For the second verse, I add a few more instruments, and then the entire orchestra joins in the final verse and it gets rather huge at the end. There are interludes between the sung verses that modulate to different keys making the middle verse a bit lower to sing and the final chorus higher and with a more triumphant flavour.”

The idea of an orchestral arrangement of the “Oil Thigh” came up back in May as a unique addition to the Homecoming showcase concert. Dr. Burge volunteered, coming up with a three and a half minute version that now includes an introduction, interludes and a coda in addition to the traditional three verses. As he sat down to write the arrangement in the summer, Dr. Burge set out to add something original to this ubiquitous ditty.

“The actual tune is often referred to as 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' and it is one of those annoying earworms. Once you sing it a few times, it’s really hard to get it out of your system,” he says. “I didn’t want to set it so that people could sing along when they had accompaniment because that’s in fact what the Queen’s Bands already does. So I came up with a couple of additional ideas to give the accompaniment more resonance and there is a big build up before each verse is sung so you really know when the 'Oil Thigh' is coming.”

Dr. Burge dedicated the arrangement to Daniel Woolf as a small way of acknowledging the accomplishments of the current principal and vice-chancellor over the past six years.

“I just felt that as he moves into his second term, he should be really proud of where things are with Queen’s,” he says. “With the recent announcement of the $50 million endowment for the Smith School of Business and the Nobel Prize in Physics for Art McDonald, it’s just a great time to be at Queen’s.”

Dr. Burge anticipates the Queen’s Symphony Orchestra will play his arrangement of the "Oil Thigh" at future Homecoming showcases and possibly at formal events like installations. The new arrangement might also be included in events planned by the School of Drama and Music to mark Queen’s 175th anniversary.