BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – While in the process of adding a few finishing touches to the grade-determining final project that has taken all semester to complete, suddenly the laptop screen goes black and the computer refuses to start.
For many college students, this nightmare scenario rings a bell familiar enough to evoke waves of paralyzing terror and accompanying nausea.
In situations where computers seem to become the enemy, Illinois Wesleyan University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) staff members are on-hand to remind the campus community it’s possible to “become friends with technology,” said ITS Coordinator Lisa Caughron. “We’re very empathetic to crises such as these, so we already have strategies in place to deal with them. Computer problems can be frustrating; as much as it’s possible to do so, we try to plan for those situations.”
At Illinois Wesleyan, ITS works toward its mission to “create a culture of life-long learning” and “provide the best information resources possible” by working as partners with the campus community. “Once upon a time, ITS was just come in and ask questions,” said Caughron. “But we’ve started focusing on the big picture, on showing you technology is not something that has to impinge on your lifestyle. We want people to understand that technology can be a tool that really enhances your life.”
The ITS Help Desk staff provides service to the campus community in the form of guidance, resources and advice, and the Service and Repair staff provides diagnostics and personal computer repairs at no charge for Illinois Wesleyan students, staff, faculty and retirees. Services are available via telephone at (309) 556-3900, email at it@iwu.edu, online at both the ITS website and blog and in person at the HelpDesk center at the ITS House, located across from Shaw Hall at 1311 N. Park St.