U consolidates info tech services in Coffman

Though technology offers many alternatives to in-person communication, the University of Minnesota’s Office of Information Technology is aiming to increase face-to-face time, at least in the realm of tech troubleshooting, with a new Coffman Union help center.

In an effort to bring one-stop-shop help to students, staff and faculty, OIT has closed several of its walk-in tech-help locations and opened a more comprehensive center in the former STA Travel location on Coffman’s first floor January 26. They celebrated with a grand opening Thursday.

“This is all-in-one,” Simin Hickman, OIT director of customer engagement, said. People can get help setting up a computer, getting rid of viruses, connecting to wireless networks, other consulting and some repairs.

Though OIT has previously offered in-person help through “minute clinics” in computer labs, and Centennial Hall and West Bank help centers, Hickman said Coffman’s Tech Stop has more services in one place than any previous location.

A Shepherd Laboratories tech help station closed last fall, and with the opening of Coffman’s Tech Stop, OIT also closed the Centennial location.

Though St. Paul is without walk-in tech help now, OIT plans to open a Tech Stop, similar to Coffman’s, in Coffey Hall this summer.

The Student Unions and Activities Board of Governors , which voted in Tech Stop last November, thought it was a good fit for Coffman, board president and accounting and history senior Tim Weiske said. OIT approached them about using the space, which was vacated when STA Travel closed last summer, he said.

The University terminated STA’s lease, which would have lasted through this June, to rent the space to OIT, Jason Hancock, associate director of student unions and activities, said.

Other rental options would have been limited by an agreement with University Bookstores and Dining Services that requires their approval of any business that would compete with them, like a clothing or food retailer, Hancock said.

But OIT approached Coffman before any other potential businesses, so the issue didn’t arise, Hancock added.

The location is already opening about 50 “tickets,” which OIT uses to keep track of each customer’s problems daily, Hickman said, and they plan to expand their services.

Paul Honsey , an OIT supervisor, said they’re in the processing of getting certified to do warranty work for Apple, Dell and Lenovo, so for the first time, students can go through OIT to get services covered by their machines’ warranties.

Coffman’s Tech Stop isn’t set up to do bigger repairs, so people will still need to get those done at OIT’s University Avenue location. But Tech Stop staff can evaluate problems and do some repairs, Honsey said.

Simply being able to see customers’ problems reduces troubleshooting time, Hickman said. It’s hard for people to ask the right questions and effectively communicate over the phone when dealing with computer problems, she said.

Economics sophomore Justin Varghese , who answers OIT helpline calls, agreed.

“Most people can’t explain their computer problems over the phone,” Varghese said, adding that he’s been directing many callers to Coffman’s Tech Stop.

It’s an improvement over the one-person “minute clinic” in Coffman’s basement computer lab, he said, because there are more people to help out if one employee can’t answer a question.

Human resources development and business and marketing education sophomore Staci Lee Smith was using Tech Stop for the second time Thursday.

“Should I add the standard or the custom version of Firefox?” she asked. She was getting help setting up her computer and removing unnecessary programs.

“Everyone needs computer help all year round,” she said. “I think it’s a much better use of space [than STA Travel].”