Name: Michael G. Prais & Nanette SuittsInstitution: Northern Illinois University
E-mail Address: mgprais@niu.edu
Format: Paper presentation
Suggested Audience: Lab support and user services staff and management
Presentation Outcome:
1. recognize many operational facets of a large lab support organization at a regional university
2. recognize the rationale and tools used for lab and user support
3. recognize how the organization has changed
4.recognize additional anticipated changes
Presentation Content:
Northern Illinois University is a public regional university. In 1989 we were not in the same place as those famous public universities such as Illinois, Wisconsin, or Michigan (to say nothing of those famous private universities such as Northwestern). In 1996 we are probably still not in the same place as these schools, but we are not in the same place that we were. In the last seven years our student labs have changed dramatically. In 1989 the Amdahl was the BMOC, computer science was our major client, the students used terminals, the attendants were expected to answer all questions, and Tech Support took the network down whenever it was convenient for them. To tell you about the hardware changes is to tell you a twice-told tale that you know all too well. However, the changes in the assumptions, values, and artifacts of the lab staff, the support staff, the students, and the faculty is a more interesting story. Those changes have occurred along side of changes in objectives, staffing, training, management, distribution of information, technical support, promotion of the labs, and technology. Today we provide service as a professional lab management organization. We would like to tell you about ourselves then and now-- illustrating the what and why of our tools, and to tell you some about what we think we should be doing now to prepare for our future.