“Why isn’t BoxerSecure working?”
“How do I connect to the network printers?”
“What does this button on my laptop do?”
I hear these questions and countless others on a daily basis. We live in an era where technology evolves faster than the understanding of those who utilize it, so, in consequence, the breadth of computer and other tech issues facing us seemingly never ending. Combine that with the fast-paced and highly stressed atmosphere of a college campus and what you get is a perfect storm of fatal errors, rainbow pinwheels and “three rings of death.”
How on Earth do we survive?
While Pacific is definitely not short on departments that go above and beyond their expectations, University Information Services, or UIS, could easily be high atop that list. While most of us, students and faculty alike, go about our day downloading, Facebooking, blogging, instant messaging or whatever your particular cup of tea is, sometimes we forget about the wizard behind the curtain.
Except in Pacific’s Land of Oz, it’s not some cowering old man, it’s a super-team of tech specialists who work hastily each day to make sure that you can cultivate your crops on Farmville on time.
The word underappreciated comes to mind.
I have been a work study in the Technology Information Center (TIC) each of the four years I have been a student at Pacific and I can personally attest that the entire UIS staff are indeed the unsung heroes of this university. Almost every aspect of our careers at Pacific are somehow connected to technology; from creating our PUNet IDs, to Blackboard; even the data projectors which are relied upon for virtually every class lecture are maintained by UIS.
I could write out a list of everything that UIS is responsible for on campus, but I don’t have nearly enough space. But I assure you, it would be impressive.
Sure, you could probably find most of this out from a brochure or a well-informed campus tour guide, but it would only be half the story. Where the department really earns its stripes is with customer service.
Staffers are friendly, organized, punctual and perhaps most importantly, PATIENT. Not to mention the level of expertise in a wide variety of fields. In what would seem like an overwhelming amount of issues UIS handles daily, students ultimately come first; meaning no matter how inordinate or trivial one’s problem may be, someone will come running Les Schwab-style to the rescue.
So next time you find yourself complaining about the internet or forgetting your Boxermail password, just remember that you have a dedicated, hard-working staff that is probably already three steps ahead of you.
Cut them a little slack.
If you haven’t had a chance to meet the staff yet, I’d encourage a visit to the TIC in the lower lobby dungeon in Marsh Hall. Chances are, at some point in your college career, something on your overpriced foreign-manufactured laptop will fail.
Who you gonna’ call?
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