2008 Woodie Awards
If it isn't broken
IT Services is probably still supporting it
Chelsey Telliard
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Features
The words "Information Technology" seem to only cross students' minds when they are facing a blue screen or lacking an Internet connection-but Miami University's IT Service Department doesn't just deal with broken computers. Enabling students to take notes off a projector in class, check a syllabus on Blackboard, register for classes and pay bills on BannerWeb and access research of the Internet are just a few of the services students tend to take for granted.
"It's like when you turn the water on, you don't think about how it gets there, it is just expected to be there," said Cathy McVey, director of IT customer relations and communication.
McVey may sound familiar, since she sent every student and faculty member and e-mail update about switching to the new system this summer.
"My job is to find ways to tell the campus and community what is going on, what we are doing, and answer questions," she said.
Specific questions are directed to staff in the six branches that comprise IT Services.
Paychecks, protection and "Red-Hot" research
"The main thing I would want to get across would be how broad really IT Services is and the number of things that we do touch," McVey said.
IT includes academic technology services, and according to McVey, this is the unit that mainly provides support for faculty so that they can use technology in the classroom, work with Blackboard and use projectors in the classroom.
"There is also a lot of research computing-we have the second largest research facility in Ohio, 'Red Hot Cluster,'" McVey said.
Students may have the chance to use Red Hot Cluster, Miami's high performance computing cluster, when working on research projects with faculty, as it is a tool designed to aid in calculation intensive research.
Information systems and services is another branch, which according to McVey, works with administrative software and programming-taking care of BannerWeb modules to make sure that registration and bursar bills are up and that employees get their paychecks on time.
"It's like when you turn the water on, you don't think about how it gets there, it is just expected to be there," said Cathy McVey, director of IT customer relations and communication.
McVey may sound familiar, since she sent every student and faculty member and e-mail update about switching to the new system this summer.
"My job is to find ways to tell the campus and community what is going on, what we are doing, and answer questions," she said.
Specific questions are directed to staff in the six branches that comprise IT Services.
Paychecks, protection and "Red-Hot" research
"The main thing I would want to get across would be how broad really IT Services is and the number of things that we do touch," McVey said.
IT includes academic technology services, and according to McVey, this is the unit that mainly provides support for faculty so that they can use technology in the classroom, work with Blackboard and use projectors in the classroom.
"There is also a lot of research computing-we have the second largest research facility in Ohio, 'Red Hot Cluster,'" McVey said.
Students may have the chance to use Red Hot Cluster, Miami's high performance computing cluster, when working on research projects with faculty, as it is a tool designed to aid in calculation intensive research.
Information systems and services is another branch, which according to McVey, works with administrative software and programming-taking care of BannerWeb modules to make sure that registration and bursar bills are up and that employees get their paychecks on time.
Be the first to comment on this story