by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
The Information Technology Cabinet is in need of students to help direct the way technology is implemented on campus
Jane McGuire, UNM information systems planner, said there are still openings on the cabinet for graduate and undergraduate students.
Students will help the cabinet decide how to organize technology on campus, as well as how to implement new technology. The cabinet will establish technology policy, identify priorities and allocate resources across campus.
McGuire said there are no student representatives because the cabinet was formed in May when students were busy with finals.
The Associated Students of UNM and the Graduate and Professional Student Association will choose students to serve on the cabinet.
McGuire said the ideal student does not need a deep understanding of technology, but has to understand how UNM students use it and how they would like to see it changed.
Bill Adkins, chief information officer of UNM and chairman of the cabinet, said although the cabinet has no official power, it will still have substantial influence over the direction information technology takes at UNM.
"As we look at (information technology) across campus, we want to make sure we meet the needs of all the various constituents," he said.
He said students are the most important users of the network and computers on campus, but there are also representatives in the cabinet from faculty, staff, the Health Sciences Center and administration.
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McGuire said the administration of information technology on campus is somewhat fractured. She said it is especially difficult for instructors to effectively teach their classes if they have to figure out how to get access to resources.
"If they want to have a projector and a TV, and maybe put some material on the Internet, they might have to go to three different places," she said.
Student Collin Troy said UNM needs to organize its resources more efficiently and the cabinet will be a good way to accomplish that.
"If they have consistent, good tech support, that would be excellent," he said.
Troy said tech support is good in some buildings, like Dane Smith Hall, but sub-par in others, such the Communication & Journalism building.
He said he had several experiences when class time was wasted because a DVD player or projector did not work, or was not there because the teacher did not know where to get it.
Marilyn Gruebel, political science instructor and graduate student, said she has had problems getting equipment for her classes. She said there should be one place to get projectors, TVs, DVD players and other classroom equipment.
"It would be so nice to have one telephone call to make instead of searching all over campus for equipment," she said.
Gruebel also said there should be widespread wireless Internet on campus.
"If I had Internet access in the classroom, I would use it," she said. "I feel like UNM is way behind the times with this."
Adkins said the University recently requested $500,000 from the state to implement a wireless network.
Student Shawn Weeks said he hopes to see more wireless networking at UNM.
"I'm all for more wireless," he said. "I love wireless."
Adkins said there is no budget for running the council - which meets several times a month at 7:30 a.m. - except for the coffee he buys.
"I buy them coffee every time we meet, but other than that it's free," he said. "You have to have coffee when you meet that early."
