[38022] in Resnet-Forum
Re: Moving from distributed to more centralized support models for student support?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mike Malsed)
Thu Mar 7 11:43:00 2013
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Message-ID: <6339823011819524.WA.mike.malsedclaremontmckenna.edu@listserv.nd.edu>
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2013 11:41:29 -0500
Reply-To: Resnet Forum <RESNET-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>
From: Mike Malsed <mike.malsed@CLAREMONTMCKENNA.EDU>
To: RESNET-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU
I know that your question is if we HAVE gone centralized, but I thought I'd pipe in with why we WON'T go centralized. :D
We're not because:
1. it costs more. I can pay 20 student Residential Technology Assistants (RTAs) to support 1200 of their fellow students for less than it would cost me to pay one staff person for a year. At the rate, it will cost me about one FTE for 20 RTAs. They get other perks, like a guaranteed room in their choice of dorms (sometimes a guaranteed single), etc.
2. it takes less. I don't need a facility/desk/station. I do have a spare office, which serves as our "resource office" (i.e. it's where we stack stuff! LOL) - the RTAs can use it, but it's actually where I house our large format printer, a small server rack, stuff like that. So while they can use it, it's not dedicated to them and, in fact, they rarely use it. They typically work out of their rooms, which I don't pay for.
3. it's more personal. Right now, it's the students helping the students; it's the person down the hall who helps with their computer rather than hauling it across campus to the Helpdesk or to me - both of which are options the students can use, but it's far more personal to use the person down the hall.
4. it's more immediate. While I used to live 3 blocks from campus, and would take care of issues on the weekend or late or whatever, I now live 30 miles away with my wife (yeah, I commute, sucks) and NO WAY am I coming in late! They can get support from their RTA, or if it's an immediate issue and their RTA is not available, they can contact another RTA in their quad or the Lead RTA. They can get immediate support even at 4am, which does happen, especially during Thesis season (which is coming up. . . woe is me, woe I say, woe!)
5. it can get us money. We have gotten two grants regarding IT and "peer to peer" operations. Not lately, but that's more of an issue of time and effort of writing the danged things (sigh), but in the past ten years we've gotten quite a chunk of money to support peer to peer operations. I'm hoping to be able to set aside time to write a couple of more and see what I can get, but while I'd be optimistic of getting something, I'm not optimistic regarding getting the TIME.
I have this nagging feeling that there are several other reasons, but I need to get caffeine first. :)
Hope this helps spur the philosophical discussion. Y'all know I love those!
Cheers
Mike
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