IT-User Services goes all out to get students connected

4:16 p.m., Oct. 13, 2004--As e-mail and the Internet become increasingly vital to academic activities at UD, staff in all units of IT go out of their way at the beginning of each semester to ensure that students are properly networked.

This semester is no exception, with record numbers of students arriving with computers, and work began fast and furious on move-in day. The pace has shown no signs of slowing yet. Strategies for meeting the increased demand have included hiring 18 Residential Computing Consultants (RCCs)—UD student computer gurus who work in partnership with professional staff. On the busiest days during the first six weeks of the semester, each student makes several “house calls” a day to resolve problems that cannot be fixed over the phone.

Dispatched by IT-User Services staff to residence halls where students need network connection assistance, RCCs troubleshoot potential problems, install McAfee virus protection software and educate their classmates about viruses, spyware and other Internet pitfalls. To facilitate dispatching and to streamline the generation of trouble tickets, two phone lines are available for students to report problems as soon as they arise.

Two resources developed by IT-Help Center—the “Before You Arrive” and “Welcome Back” web sites—also go a long way toward helping new and returning students get up and running without the help of an RCC.

Kathy Beardsley, manager of the IT-Help Center, says that although the sites have cut down on calls and enabled many students to obtain access without outside assistance, the IT-Help Center is still typically the first link in the troubleshooting chain.

“The IT-Help Center is on the front line when students have problems with their computers,” she said. She added that the volume of calls peaks significantly during the first six weeks of fall semester. Between Aug. 28 and Sept. 24, 3,500 calls were received.

“Obviously, the beginning of the fall is our busiest time, because that’s when new and returning students want help activating their UD Net accounts, checking their e-mail and accessing Web CT classes,” Beardsley said.

Carol Anderer, manager of IT-User Services, handles dispatching and routing the trouble tickets.

“Some problems are as simple to fix as inserting a plug in an outlet,” she said, “but many students have viruses on their computers when they get here, so they’re not able to get online.”

Even network-savvy students can be stymied by such viruses—often hidden—that slow computers and hinder connection. “Students don’t always know about viruses,” Anderer said. “They’re not getting the latest virus protection software. Sometimes a virus is so bad that it generates a lot of traffic on the network, and we’ll have to shut the port down to ensure that the virus does not infect the entire network.”

This is why the University requires that the McAfee anti-virus software, which it has licensed, be installed on every computer that is connected to the network, and all members of the University community understand their responsibilities for using their computers and the network responsibly.

Another hidden Internet hazard, Anderer said, is spyware--software that’s downloaded without a user’s knowledge when they visit certain web sites. Typically found on popular gaming and music downloading sites, spyware tracks where a user goes online, installs annoying pop-up ads and often slows a computer’s operating system to a crawl. Like viruses, it also can prevent students from connecting.

RCCs—often computer science majors who excel at troubleshooting—take care of most of these problems with a house call. For tougher problems, students can schedule an appointment to bring their computers to IT-User Services for diagnostic testing—and fixing. In cases where the student’s computer has been disconnected from the network, the computer must be seen by IT-User Services staff, cleaned and certified to be safe before being reconnected to the network. Off-campus students experiencing computer difficulties follow the same process with their machines in order to have them fixed by IT-User Services.

Evans Coursey, associate director of IT-Network and Systems Services, says that when students require help even after a visit from an RCC, it’s typically because of a damaged jack.

“Often, when there’s a damaged jack or plug, it’s because directions haven’t been followed properly in the hookup and installation literature,” he said. According to Coursey, when damaged jacks do occur, an IT-Network and Systems Services technician must visit the residence hall room to make repairs and replace parts.

Working jacks also can be rendered inactive on purpose by IT-Network and Systems Services technicians if a student violates UD’s Code of the Web and illegally downloads or trades copyrighted files, or otherwise misuses the network.

According to Karl Hassler, associate director of IT-Network and Systems Services, the act of remotely shutting down a port from IT headquarters is the first measure that is taken when University authorities are informed by outside sources that copyrighted material is being illegally stored and shared.

“When we receive a take-down notice (a copyright infringement letter) from a copyright holder or agent that a student is downloading and sharing copyrighted material, we act expeditiously and in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act,” he said.

Action involves deactivating network access to the computer in question, informing the student that he or she is violating copyright laws and scheduling a computer exam and cleaning with an IT-User Services technician.

Once all this has been accomplished and the student has responded in writing that the infringement activity will stop, violators are referred to UD’s Code of the Web, a web site designed to educate students about copyright laws and responsible computing habits.

“Unless we act when we’re informed about copyright infringements, we’re held liable,” Hassler said, noting that the swift and effective handling by UD authorities is causing a shift in student attitudes, if not a drop in actual violations.

“In the academic year 2003, we had 257 copyright infringement cases; in the academic year 2004, we had 284—up 10.5 percent,” he said. “But we have had very few repeat offenders, and in the past 18 months or so, I have noticed that when students talk to us, they are more cooperative than they were in the past in complying with their cyber responsibilities. A few years ago, there was defiance, whereas now there is cooperation, so I like to think that our efforts to educate are paying off.”

To get tips on computer security, setting up UD e-mail and voice-mail accounts, connecting to the UD network and bookmarking vital campus web sites, vist [www.udel.edu/help/returning.stu.html]. To schedule an appointment with an RCC or IT-User Services technician, call (302) 831-8825.

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