The Information Technology Services Help Desk in Murray Hall has been moved to Pelletier Library. Students worked at the IT Help Desk and those who worked at the circulation desk in the library will now be trained to perform similar duties.

According to User Support Specialist and User Services Coordinator Drew McMillin, the change was mostly made out of fear that students needing technological help were not taking the time to walk to Murray.

“It’s kind of just to centralize student help,” McMillin said. “It’s mainly just the help desk [moving]. Our offices are going to remain [in Murray].”

James Fadden, the director of Information Technology Services, believes the move is beneficial to the college’s general mission.

“Obviously one of the goals of the college is how we can support … students as a whole,” Fadden said. “Where are students doing their work? They’re doing their work at Pelletier.”

Fadden said the move made sense since students were already asking for technological help at the circulation desk in the library, and there were various issues the circulation desk workers did not know how to address.

“I think the fact that we will have three of our user services team in the library ten hours a day … will help IT [knowledge] in general in the library,” Fadden said.

Fadden said he hopes the move will encourage more adminstration and faculty approaching the desk for technological help when they need it as well.

McMillin said it is hard to know if more students are seeking help as a result of the move.

“It’s early on, and we’re always busy at the beginning of the year,” McMillin said.

After students graduated in 2016, McMillin said the number of student workers in ITS fell to seven from their usual 12 to 15. However, because the circulation desk has merged with the Help Desk, there are now around 30 students in need of training.

“We’re trying to get all our students to the same IT and library knowledge,” McMillin said.

Fadden agreed, saying the students would have more extensive and comprehensive training than they previously would have received.

“They have a pretty significant amount of things they need to know,” Fadden said.

Circulation desk worker Kassie Hill, ’20, said she and her co-workers have been collaborating with the ITS workers a lot while they are all learning, but even in the last week the amount they rely on each other has decreased. She also said she has been approached by numerous students in the last week.

“A lot of people come in and are confused [because of the move],” Hill said.

Hill said she believes the amount of people unaware of the move has been decreasing as well, and she expects that trend to continue.

According to McMillin, the end goal is to have the ITS student workers be able to aid with any “tier one level” issues that need to be handled, such as issues with wireless connections or downloading the college’s antivirus software.

McMillin also said this change will open up more opportunities for potential hours students can work. While Murray is only open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, the library is open seven days a week with later hours.

Not only do the workers have more options, but help is available for others for more of the day as well.

“Our students are there literally all day,” McMillin said.

As well as the Help Desk being shifted to the library, Coppola Enterprises, Inc., has been moved, and Fadden said it will be working out of the library for 10 hours a week.

According to Fadden, Coppola Enterprises provides equipment assistance for students that ITS cannot, such as hard drive issues. It charges a small fee, but Fadden said it offers good deals for students and is accessible and reliable.

ITS will see the benefits as well, as Fadden said the inside arrangement of Murray can now be improved. Various offices have already been rearranged, with furniture throughout the halls marked with “remove” tags.

As usage of Murray has increased, Fadden said the move and rearrangement will allow meeting rooms and classrooms to operate without impeding the concentration of the ITS team, and vice versa.