Incoming Students Get High-Tech Tech Support

October 07, 1999

SEARCH THE GAZETTE

HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

By Ken Gewertz
Gazette Staff

Nick Ricci, manager of the Technology Products Center's warehouse at 175 North Harvard St., scans inventory tags on computer boxes. Photo by Kris Snibbe

Remember when buying school supplies meant going to Woolworth’s for a loose-leaf binder, some No. 2 pencils, and a wooden ruler?

Since computers entered the picture, getting ready for the start of school has become a great deal more complicated. MAC or PC? Desktop or laptop? What kind of monitor? How many megabytes of RAM? What kind of software? Peripherals? Cable connections?

And that’s only the selection process. Then comes waiting for delivery, getting the equipment set up and connected, and finally getting it to work. In today’s digitized learning environment, students without a working computer system can miss out on a whole cyberworld of academic and extracurricular information.

But at Harvard, thanks to a University-wide collaboration of technology wizards and savvy administrators, making that all-important computer connection has become almost as quick and problem-free as yesteryear’s trip to the five-and-dime.

"We focus on making it as easy as possible for freshmen to purchase their computers and get them to their rooms," said Frank Urso, director of Technology Services.

Among the key events marking Back to School Week for Technology Services is the Freshman Computer Fair. In partnership with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Computer Services, which assists students with network connectivity and support, Technology Services co-sponsors the event during which hundreds of entering students purchase the computers, printers, and other equipment they need to become fully functioning members of the academic community.

In years past, freshmen who bought computers through Harvard’s Technology Products Center (TPC) had to pick up their purchases at the Center’s warehouse across the river at 175 North Harvard St. One sure sign that the term was beginning was the procession of students hugging huge cardboard boxes as they staggered across the Larz Anderson Bridge. But in the past five years all that h as changed.

Now, during Back to School Week (this year it was Sept. 11-12), students pick up their equipment at Robinson Hall, a short distance from the freshman dorms. This year, 219 students took advantage of this service, while another 63 chose the option of having the computers shipped to their homes before the term started.

To make things even easier, there are abundant handcarts available, and for those whose schlepping skills are unequal to the challenge, an army of student helpers stand ready to give assistance.

In addition to the Robinson Hall distribution, Technology Services staff are available in the Science Center, allowing students and their parents to make last-minute purchases. And what is truly remarkable is that if a student orders a system by 2 p.m. on Saturday, the staff will have it available on the same day. That includes not just off-the-shelf models, but systems with special features (extra memory, for example) that must be "built" before delivery.

Tod Hadley, customer service manager at TPC, also arranges for representatives from the major computer manufacturers to be present at the Science Center to answer questions about their products and to provide a hands-on look at some of the latest technology available.

No effort of this kind could succeed without smoothly coordinated teamwork, and Back to School Week is no exception.

"This is a project that dep s on a lot of people. It’s a real collaborative effort," said Colleen Warshafsky, a manager in Technology Services who coordinates the event.

Back to School Week has also succeeded in pleasing its customers.

"It’s a much more streamlined operation now than it was a few years ago," said Freshman Dean Elizabeth Studley Nathans. "It really takes into account how eager students are to have a computer up and running."

Lorri McDaniel, administrative assistant to the dean of freshmen, agreed that the tec hnical assistance offered by TCP is consistently helpful and trustworthy: "The staff sp a lot of time answering questions from students and parents. There’s never a sales pitch, just what makes sense for that student."

Freshman Megan Buckingham said that her experience ordering a computer through TCP has been an entirely hassle-free one. "My dad ordered the computer for me over the summer, and it was here when I arrived. They helped me set it up and everything worked fine. The whole thing went extremely smoothly," she said.

The Robinson Hall distribution is only the point of a process that begins months earlier when representatives of Technology Services meet with specialists in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to match up student requirements with the latest technology.

A similar planning process is also undertaken with representatives from the professional schools to discuss the needs of graduate students. Out of these meetings comes a series of custom catalogues that are sent out with regular mailings to entering students.

Upperclassmen and graduate students do not arrive at Harvard until after Back to School Week and so cannot pick up their orders at the Robinson Hall event. But Technology Services makes other arrangements for them to receive their equipment, and, overall, these students have been pleased with the arrangements.

"It’s a great service that Technology Services performs," said Scott Hartman, senior technical specialist at the Graduate School of Education.

The students also get good deals. The approximately 25 percent of the freshman class who buy computer equipment through TPC get quality equipment and software at competitive prices.

"Back to School Week is an especially good time for students to update their software. The savings are huge," Hartman said.

With catalogue in hand, students can place their orders, either by phone or online, and know that the product will be waiting for t hem when they arrive at school.

TPC staff fielded more than 8,000 phone calls during the month of September, making Back to School one of the busiest times of the year. However the changes during Back to School Week are representative of widescale changes within the organization aimed at improving service to the University.

These improvements are reflected in the rise in departmental sales. Six years ago, sales to individual students, faculty, and staff amounted to more than 80 percent of TPCs volume of 3,500 computers. Last year more than 80 percent of the 9,000 systems distributed by TPC went to departments.

The organization’s reputation for excellent service has also created demand from surrounding colleges and hospitals that are interested in relying on Technology Services for their system acquisition and setup. Technology Services has only worked with other universities when the arrangement created sufficient volume to benefit Harvard customers directly in terms of price or availability.

Despite the dramatic growth in institutional volume, Urso noted that "the Freshman Computer Fair is one of the most important things we do, and the most fun."