Help Desk will finally work under same roof in Siebert
The IT Help Desk, located in the Seibert building, is seeing changes with expansion and remodeling of old facilities. The goal of this remodel is to bring the IT Help Desk back together under one roof as well as increasing efficiency and flow of technological maintenance.
“It is going to be a professional space for our active group of part-time students and full-time employees,” said Steve Ruppel, director of information technology.
The most profound improvement heralded by the remodel will be the uniting of the IT Help Desk employees. Currently, the Help Desk is split between the Seibert and McClain halls. The Seibert’s IT department currently coordinates with a separate branch located near Outdoor Pursuits. The new remodel plans on consolidating these departments on the first floor of the Seibert building, allowing the entire department to work in one area designated for their use. Previously, the Center for New Directions and IT Help Desk shared this space.
Updates include private offices for full-time Help Desk workers, as well as more space for part-time students and employees. The new remodel helps the implementation aspect of IT by providing ample space for storage of equipment as well as room for maintenance and repairs. Currently crammed into a tiny office space overflowing with monitors and a variety of different cordage, the IT team has little room to work and maneuver.
Faculty can get their equipment serviced at the new Help Desk as well. More room for repairs and support means a faster turn around time, according to Holly Moore, supervisor of implementation and restoration and head of the Help Desk department.
The use of a storage room will also be available to IT employees. The storage room was fitted with a garage door this winter for easy loading and unloading of computer equipment. Higher security also means that these items will be safe for short and long-term storage.
A central heating unit was also installed with the new additions. Previously, the Help Desk’s part of the Seibert building’s temperature was monitored by window mounted air conditioning units. These, “window shakers” didn’t provide adequate ventilation or climate control.
“The new heating system in the Help Desk will allow us to work efficiently in the utmost of comfort,” said Corey Robins, employee at the Help Desk.
Ruppel said he hopes that the new renovations will turn the Help Desk into a sort of technological aid hub on campus. Students can receive help with the Angel website as well as student mail. Help Desk employees are also the people to go to with issues and concerns about the campus’ new local area network.
“The Help Department doesn’t just service equipment on campus, though,” Ruppel said. The Help Desk is also largely responsible for outreach IT work for all of NIC’s outlying locations. Campus locations farther north rely on the Help Desk for technical assistance.
The grand total cost of this remodel is running around $70,000. But the Help Desk isn’t the only department due for renovation. The IT branch residing in the Molstead Library is currently in the works for an infrastructure update. This section of IT deals with the operations of online classes and maintains the classroom equipment on campus.
“The remodel will largely help increase the efficiency of the two sides of the Help Desk,” Ruppel said.
The “two sides” of the IT Help Desk include implementation and restoration of the technology on campus. The first aspect, implementation, describes the Help Desk’s role in installing new equipment on campus. If staff members need a new printer or computer, for example, the IT Help Desk will be the unit on campus to install it. Restoration, the second major aspect of the Help Desk’s daily work, is centered around fixing problems with existing technology and maintaining the equipment around campus.
