The ISU Computation Center still has the same services but a new name.

The center has officially become the Office of Academic Information Technology [AIT]. The name change was proposed earlier this month, and the state Board of Regents approved it at last week’s meeting.

Dorothy Ohl Lewis, associate director of AIT, said the change was necessary to help inform ISU students about the services the office provides.

“We felt that [AIT] better indicated what we actually do,” she said. “We’re responsible for all types of academic computing, not just the traditional number crunches.

“We cover a broader range of topics than in the past,” Ohl Lewis added.

AIT is comprised of four sections: Public Services, Technical Services, High-Performance and Research Computing and the Geographic Information System (GIS).

“Public Services includes all the service the public receives, such as the Solutions Center,” Lewis said.

The AIT public includes ISU students, faculty and staff, she said.

Lewis said Technical Services offers more behind-the-scenes support to help keep university technology running smoothly.

“[Research Computing] focuses on people at Iowa State who are doing high-end research work, which is more complicated than Public Services,” Lewis said.

GIS supports students and staff members who are using the department in study or research.

AIT staff members are still adjusting to calling their department AIT instead of the Computation Center.

“I think we’re struggling with the name change, but it’s catching on,” Lewis said.

Lewis also said she’s confident ISU students will get accustomed to the new name.

“I think they’ll adjust quickly,” she said. “They already know where to go.”

Shane Rogers, graduate student in civil and construction engineering, said he wasn’t aware of the name change, but he said he could see how the new name is “more representative” of the department.

However, Nick Donahey, sophomore in hotel restaurant and institution management, said he thought the new moniker was somewhat confusing.

“It sounds like a complicated name; people will not know what it means,” Donahey said.

In keeping with the new name, the center has revamped its Web site and there’s a new newsletter.