[545] in Resnet-Forum
Living in the dorm, or out???
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Pattie Orr)
Wed Mar 8 08:45:46 1995
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 1995 08:29:40 -0500 (EST)
From: Pattie Orr <PORR@WELLESLEY.EDU>
To: j-germuska@nwu.edu
Cc: resnet-forum@MIT.EDU
X-Envelope-To: resnet-forum@MIT.EDU
X-Vms-To: IN%"j-germuska@nwu.edu"
I'd like to comment on the idea of whether the RCCs should live in the dorm
they support or out. Here at Wellesley since it is our first year with the
RCC model, we have had experience with both. This year our students were
not able to be prehalled (although they will have that privilege next year)
and so some of our consultants live in the dorm where they consult and some
don't . We currently have 16 dorm consultants and plan to increas that in
the fall to 21 or 22. (giving us a 1 to 100 ratio).
In September we did a lot of discussing this and we could see advantages on
both sides. Living there makes the RCC more a part of the "community" and
since each dorm has its own personality and government etc.I feel that is
very important. We see the RCC as a part of learning and teaching in the
dorm...a resource for residents on technology issues, supportive of the use
of technology in their courses etc. as well as making that ethernet
connection work. We tell our consultants they are:
1. Network managers--make the connection work
2. Computer Cluster Managers--make sure the small clusters in the dorms
are working and well maintained
3. Educators--there as a resource for students and they also provide
clinics in the dorm on various topics and meet with students as needed to
troubleshoot word processing problems, etc. etc.
(for more details see the Wellesley CWIS --www.wellesley.edu (under campus
info/admin and campus services/ computing/dormnet)
Advantages of not living in the dorm is the "no one will pound my door at 2
am", but my experience has been that the RCCs living in the dorm they
consult in are happier and the residents have a sense of knowing the person
and it is an overall better situation for us. I feel the idea of
distributed support---putting it out there where it counts---is important.
This residential computing thing is not just will the technology work...
this is where students live and study etc. We see being part of the
residential community as very valuable and work hard to partner with our
residence staff to bring technology support to the dorms with a "human
face"...the face of one or two students that have ownership in the dorms.
As far as the knocking at 2am deal...I tell the women who work for me that
they have to be assertive and good managers of their time. True
emergencies they have to deal with, but overly demanding students are
another matter. I encourage them to make appointments and not to be driven
by the last in first out thing. Each dorm has an electronic bulletin that
they use for residents to post requests to the dorm consultant. Then she
replys on the bulletin and makes appointments etc. We also have one hour a
week that she is in the computer room in the dorm for walk ins. We
encourage her to get non emergency folks to come to the walk in hour. All
in all it has worked out very well.
We even have an RCC who is assigned to our nonresident students. They have
a bulletin and can contact her for help with modems at home etc. if they
have questions. It is not a service that is heavily used, but helps the
attitudes of the off campus group that often feel they are left out of the
mainstream and not receiving the same services as dorm residents.
Factors that I feel would affect the decision to have a centralize versus
decentralized RCC model would be:
Percentage of student living on campus
Percentage desiring connections
Governement of the individual halls (each of our has its own council and
rules)
Computer clusters in the dorms (if you have them you need someone on site)
So that is my 2 cents.
Pattie Orr, Manager User Services
Wellesley College
