Ideas for the Opening of Academic Year 2001

While very many things worked very well in Fall 2000, the ideas below could make Fall 2001 even better.


Expand the pool of problem solvers; increase number of students who can solve (or avoid) own problems 
  1. Common Solutions guide: email to RAs (did it ever go out this year?) and post on CIT Web page
  2. Involve RAs in getting students to Help Fairs and even in solving common problems
  3. Include computer help information  -- and URL for "Connected" page -- in UVM Home Page article, "Welcome (back) to UVM"

Computer Pick-Up (Distribution)
  1. Business Administration check-in closer to entrance
  2. You must set up your computer now while we're available to help

Help Fairs
  1. Publicity!
    • Be sure RAs and other Residential Life personnel know dates and locations
    • Plug Help Fairs at first floor meeting
    • Stuff student mailboxes with Help Fair schedule
    • Earlier sign posting for Help Fairs
    • Help Line greeting give Help Fair schedule
    • Word of mouth
  2. Shorter hours -- pretty dead after 7:00 or even 6:00 pm
  3. More Help Fairs?
    • Repeat Help Fairs second week
    • Or do a "Laptop Fair" where students bring their laptops to the experts
  4. Split up personnel and run two or three concurrently?
  5. Business Administration 
    • configuration basics documented for Help Fair workers
    • BSAD help desk closed at 4:30; students referred to help desk after it had closed for the day
  6. Ice cream

Help Line
  1. About 2,600 calls from Fri. Aug. 25 through Fri. Sep. 1 -- but down to 921 from Sat. Sep 2. through Fri. Sep. 8
  2. Balance Help Line load better with Pick-up and Help Fair staffing -- adding regular CIT staff really helped
  3. Add administrative staff or operators to give live voices
  4. Anticipate and answer common questions in greeting
  5. Get rid of schedule-driven ring/no ring so we have flexibility to answer phone extra hours
  6. Labor Day weekend Help Line coverage?

Macintosh UVM software installer and Windows Ghost image agreement
  1. Netscape and Eudora prompts for user profile
  2. desktop icons
  3. applications and versions
  4. Set-Up guide on all desktops
  5. Application icons on all desktops
  6. Freeze images sooner (April 30?)
  7. Were there some Macintoshes without UVM software?

FAQ heard at computer pick-up and beyond
  1. Can I rent Microsoft Office Pro from Business School? [Yes, if you're a Business student.]
  2. Dell Latitude: Do I have to put the CD into the drive bay? [Yes, only the floppy drive works on the parallel cable.]
  3. Is this [USB cable] my printer cable -- or -- I didn't get a printer cable.
  4. Is Microsoft Office preloaded? [No, because not everyone chose to buy it, and installation requires a product key that's unique to each person.]
  5. How to I report a nonworking network port? [68888]
  6. Des Dell Latitude laptop come with a floppy dirve? [Yes]

Last update: 14 Sep., 2000, djw