So it begins... the fall semester thread

[apl68]

Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.

I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.

Sigh.

Could that be due to a lack of staff?  When I worked for a university library, I was the immediate supervisor of a department that had a number of printers and copiers, mostly for microforms.  All of the machines had to be kept loaded with paper and toner, and most of them had quirks that could cause minor glitches.  I, or a student worker who had paid attention to my instructions, could clear most of these problems without having to call for help from the technical staff.  Sounds like maybe your institution doesn't have staff keeping on top of the day-to-day stuff needed to keep the machines all running smoothly.

[traductio]

Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.

I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.

Sigh.

Could that be due to a lack of staff?  When I worked for a university library, I was the immediate supervisor of a department that had a number of printers and copiers, mostly for microforms.  All of the machines had to be kept loaded with paper and toner, and most of them had quirks that could cause minor glitches.  I, or a student worker who had paid attention to my instructions, could clear most of these problems without having to call for help from the technical staff.  Sounds like maybe your institution doesn't have staff keeping on top of the day-to-day stuff needed to keep the machines all running smoothly.

The technology I use -- that worked fine before the pandemic (last time I was regularly in a classroom) -- has been a nightmare this semester. First, the university didn't know I was teaching in the classrooms where I am assigned to teach, so Security refused to open the doors. (It's all remote -- hence the technology complaint.) As they told me, if they unlocked the doors, then anyone could get in. I wanted to explain that was the point...

And the classroom -- in both my grad seminars, I have international students who haven't received their visas yet. (It's a country-wide problem, so I know it's not just me.) To accommodate them, I've transformed the seminars into hybrid-format, despite my desire (and the university's directive) not to. But the computer towers from which I run Zoom take up to ten minutes (I wish I were exaggerating, but I am not) just to recognize a mouse-click. When I called on Wednesday evening during my seminar, the poor guy running tech for the entire university at that point (47,000 students!) said he couldn't leave the his post because he was the only person who didn't have Covid in the entire department. And he was new. (I felt for him -- he was as helpful as someone stuck in that situation could be. And he still had a sense of humor about it.) He reassured me, though, that the mouse-click thing was a known problem, and they had plans to upgrade all the computers on Thursday.

I was reassured, let me tell you!

[Larimar]

Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.

I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.

Sigh.

Could that be due to a lack of staff?  When I worked for a university library, I was the immediate supervisor of a department that had a number of printers and copiers, mostly for microforms.  All of the machines had to be kept loaded with paper and toner, and most of them had quirks that could cause minor glitches.  I, or a student worker who had paid attention to my instructions, could clear most of these problems without having to call for help from the technical staff.  Sounds like maybe your institution doesn't have staff keeping on top of the day-to-day stuff needed to keep the machines all running smoothly.

This is possible, but I don't know. When I've called for help, they've arrived quickly, and this morning when I was having yet more software issues, there were 3 staffers at the IT help desk, one of whom looked like he had phone duty.

The technology I use -- that worked fine before the pandemic (last time I was regularly in a classroom) -- has been a nightmare this semester. First, the university didn't know I was teaching in the classrooms where I am assigned to teach, so Security refused to open the doors. (It's all remote -- hence the technology complaint.) As they told me, if they unlocked the doors, then anyone could get in. I wanted to explain that was the point...

And the classroom -- in both my grad seminars, I have international students who haven't received their visas yet. (It's a country-wide problem, so I know it's not just me.) To accommodate them, I've transformed the seminars into hybrid-format, despite my desire (and the university's directive) not to. But the computer towers from which I run Zoom take up to ten minutes (I wish I were exaggerating, but I am not) just to recognize a mouse-click. When I called on Wednesday evening during my seminar, the poor guy running tech for the entire university at that point (47,000 students!) said he couldn't leave the his post because he was the only person who didn't have Covid in the entire department. And he was new. (I felt for him -- he was as helpful as someone stuck in that situation could be. And he still had a sense of humor about it.) He reassured me, though, that the mouse-click thing was a known problem, and they had plans to upgrade all the computers on Thursday.

I was reassured, let me tell you!

Yipes! That does sound like both a teaching and an advising nightmare for you and the student, and a nightmare for the lone new IT guy too. Crossing my fingers for you.

[Sun_Worshiper]

So far my semester has been surprisingly (and refreshingly) low key. I'm teaching a lot at the moment, but not much grading so far and I've taught the classes before, so not much prep necessary. I'm only on one committee and we've never met.

I'm sure it won't last, but enjoying it while I can.

[paddington_bear]

How did we receive fewer applications for this semester than we did during the pandemic years? How is our enrollment lower now than during the pandemic years? Ugh.

[AmLitHist]

End of Week 6 here--it's gone fast so far. A plagiarism case already, but otherwise, no real student problems so far.

I got my Spring 23 teaching schedule this week.