Dorm tech helpers get mixed reviews

Though officials declared the ITA program a success, some students disagreed. Although the faculty and administration have declared the new residential computing system a success, the program has some students seeing red. Those running the 24-hour, in-house information technology advisor program speak of shorter waiting periods for computer assistance and rising numbers of working ethernet connections. The number of residences wired for ResNet nearly doubled this year. But as a direct result of the ITA program, a larger percentage of students have working ethernet connections than did at this time last year, according to Residential Faculty Council Chairperson Al Filreis. Fifty-five percent of students in ethernet dormitories are now hooked up, as compared to 38 percent last year, Filreis said. And Ira Winston, who directs computing services for the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, said the program is especially helpful to arriving freshmen. "The freshmen moving in feel it is sort of a welcome sight that there's someone to help them hook up their computer," he said. Yet the success of the program is marred by complaints about the experience of its ITAs -- who are predominantly freshmen. In order to apply for the ITA work-study jobs, interested freshmen completed an on-line application asking about their computer experience. But since there was no uniform requirement used to measure experience, the 118 ITAs arrived on campus early to attend a three-day training session. Students who have used the service reported that ITAs varied greatly in skills -- from "absolutely wonderful" to "computer illiterate." College junior Erin Cassidy said the ITA who assisted her could not determine how to remove her computer's outer casing and then installed her ethernet card into the wrong slot. "He obviously knew less about computers than I did --Ewhich is pathetic," she said. "This is a very nice service to have, but they have to train their employees better." After ITAs installed an ethernet card into College freshman Abbi Dauber's working computer, several other systems malfunctioned. The computer was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Computer Resource Center the next morning. Dauber said she was bewildered by the ITAs' lack of experience. "They said 'Wow, this is the first new computer we've touched -- actually this is only the second one we've worked on altogether'," she said. Students frustrated with the ITA system have limited recourses since the Computer Resource Center has been told to turn away students living in dormitories with an ITA program. But Filreis guaranteed that all problems will be eventually solved by either the ITAs themselves or the overseeing upperclassmen and professionals. Administrative Assistant for Academic Programs in Residence Amy Phillips, who directs the project, said she expected a certain degree of unfamiliarity at the beginning. "Most homes are not hardwired so ethernet installation and ResNet software -- particularly for freshmen --is brand new," Phillips said. "I think they're getting better, and that's all we can ask from them -- that they're willing to try." Although the ITAs are supposed to refer problems they can't solve to a listserv or a superior, some students complained that their problems were never passed on to more expert technicians. Cassidy said her ITA "basically hemmed and hawed and said he'd bring someone else back." A week later, she is still waiting for help installing her ethernet card. But Filreis said a waiting period is normal when a more sophisticated problem arises since the problem will be discussed on the ITA listserv -- possibly for several days. Not everyone, however, has had a negative experience with the program. College freshman Jacob Stahl praised his ITAs for their willingness to devote time to his complex computer problem. The ITAs themselves said the experience has been both fun and educational. "I have learned a lot about computers and its nice to help people other people," College freshman Laura Fung said.

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