'The class must go on' – The classroom tech team that saves the day

If there was such a thing as a five-alarm fire for computer glitches, Daniel Benard would be the first racing to the scene, sirens blaring and lights flashing. Alas, reality is not quite as dramatic for Benard, an instructional support technician with the Classroom Technology Services. He and nine other members of his team stand at the ready to come to the rescue of instructors facing IT challenges, often at the least opportune moments, such as the beginning of a lecture.

When Benard or one of his teammates hops into a golf cart, it usually means an instructor can't get the screen to work, a laptop won't connect to the projector, or a PowerPoint prepared for today's lecture just won't launch, while students are getting restless and pulling out their phones to pass the time. 

"Once we get a call, the first thing we have to do is assess the problem, because we can't rely on what we're being told alone," says Daniel Garcia, instructional technology professional at CTS, which is part of University Information Technology Services. "For example, if the projector is not working, it could mean a laptop that is not connecting properly, or it could mean the laptop itself isn't working."

Considering that most class periods are only 50 minutes long, the team's priority is responding as quickly as possible, and finding a quick fix takes precedence over exhaustive troubleshooting and thorough repair, Garcia explains. 

"By the time we get there, most likely they're already five minutes into the class, so we have to get there and get things up and running as fast as possible," he says. "We are able to resolve many of our calls within minutes of walking into the room." 

The team prides itself on being able to provide at least a temporary fix in the vast majority of cases. Any fixes that require more time will be scheduled to avoid disrupting classes. 

"Most of the time, putting up a ladder in the middle of a classroom full of students and unloading a bunch of equipment is just not practical in that situation," Garcia says. 

The CTS team is in charge of keeping the trains running – or rather, the electrons flowing – in all the roughly 300 classrooms administered through the central room scheduling service, plus a growing number of venues administered by various departments and units across campus. 

Benard, who has been with the team for 20 years, remembers a time when his job involved "mostly pushing carts with projectors from classroom to classroom," replacing burnt-out bulbs in overhead projectors and unjamming carousel slide projectors. 

In addition to saving the day when something goes wrong during a classroom session, the CTS team offers one-on-one consultations and troubleshooting sessions with instructors to minimize the risk of a class getting derailed by IT troubles. 

Instructors are encouraged to run the equipment they plan to use in their classroom through its paces and make sure everything works as intended, Benard says, ideally before the beginning of a semester. Being prepared also helps avoid crunch time, typically the first two weeks of the semester, after which the team's call volume usually slows down considerably. 

"We get a lot of what we refer to as laptop calls," Benard says. "I would say at least half of instructors bring their own laptops, so we have to be versed in different operating systems. We can't just know our own equipment – we also have to know our clients' equipment and how it interacts with ours." 

Some rooms have more complex tech than others, and certain devices may present more cause for hiccups than others, Benard says. Many classrooms are equipped with touch panels that control the various IT functions and devices the user has at their disposal. 

"They're fairly simple to use, but if you have never seen one of those before, that can be a problem," he says. 

"On any given day, you might have eight different instructors going in and out of that room, each bringing their own computer," Garcia adds. "And even though you may not realize it, there could be as many as 15 devices in a signal chain behind the scenes, and all it takes is one acting up or not playing nice with that computer to throw everything off."

Garcia estimates that his team is responsible for about 7,000 tech components that are inventoried, such as computers, monitors and projectors, and an equal number of smaller components that aren't – think cables, connectors, adapters, computer mice, keyboards and the like. 

To keep all the hardware in good working order and software up to date, the CTS team sets aside several weeks during the summer break, going through everything from room to room. The summer is also the time for more in-depth repairs and installation of new tech. 

"As soon as classes are out of session, out come the power tools and up goes the ladder," Benard says. "That's when we change hats and we go from running software updates to being up in the ceiling, running conduit."

Because the CTS team is versed not only in IT support but also design and installation of technology solutions, its portfolio has expanded from classroom IT support, according to CTS Assistant Director Brandon Howell.

"We have several special projects going on right now, including conference room installations and departmental instructional space upgrades, in addition to the rooms we normally support," Howell says. 

"Say a department or other campus unit wanted to have a refresh in a conference room or classroom that is not one of ours," Garcia adds. "They can request a consultation through our website, we'll meet with them, see what they need, develop a quote and go through the whole process with them." 

Benard wants clients to know that they should never hesitate to call when they experience an IT issue, even if they suspect an easy solution or an error on their part. 

"Sometimes they have figured it out by the time I get there," he says, "and I like those kinds of calls. I'd rather have it be something simple than something being broken, you know? The class must go on." 

For quick classroom support, call 520-621-3852. To request a consultation or an IT classroom checkup, visit the CTS web page.