In a broadcast email Friday, the University registrar postponed the final drop date to 4:30 p.m. today.
“The deadline has been postponed because the mainframe has not been available today since 4:30 a.m.,” read the email from Robert Doolos, assistant vice chancellor and University registrar.
Early Friday morning, on the designated final date to drop classes, the LSU mainframe computer system shut down, limiting scheduling and payroll access to University students, faculty and staff.
​Sheri Thompson, University Information Technology Services communications and planning officer, said an unexpected power outage caused the shutdown, and IBM and University analysts worked throughout Friday morning to get the system back up.
Though the mainframe was updated in June 2012, the power outage was not caused by University ITS, Thompson said.
“Once we get the mainframe up and running, we’ll work with them to assess what needs to be done,” Thompson said. “Right now, our priority is getting it back up.”
Brian Melancon, head of LSU Libraries’ computer systems, said problems with the mainframe computer should not have affected accessibility at Middleton Library.