George Washington University Adds Walk-In Tech Support

George Washington University is continuing to buck the outsourcing trend for tier 1 technical support with the recent expansion of its in-house tech support services. The university already offers 24-hour in-house tech support, and has now added Tech Commons, a new walk-up IT help desk to provide in-person tech support for faculty, staff, and students.

The walk-up help desk is a partnership between the university's Division of Information Technology, which supports technology in offices, residences, and administration, and Academic Technologies, which supports technology for teaching and learning.

Tech Commons is housed in Gelman Library, the university's largest library, which is located at the center of campus. According to the university, the partnership between the Division of IT and Academic Technologies, as well as the centralized location, serve to provide faculty, students, and staff with a wide variety of services in one place without the need to schedule an appointment.

Services available at Tech Commons include:

  • Computer tune-ups and maintenance;
  • Residence hall telephone, Internet, and cable TV support;
  • Mobile device configuration and support;
  • Dell and Apple warranty repairs;
  • Virus and malware computer cleaning;
  • Full support for both Windows and Mac operating systems; and
  • Computer lab support.

While the Division of IT offers 24-hour tech support through its IT Support Center, the new Tech Commons help desk is not 24-hour, but does offer in-person support on evenings and weekends. The Division of IT offers support through Tech Commons during weekdays, weekday evenings, and Sunday evenings, while Academic Technologies provides additional support on weekend afternoons.

George Washington University in Washington, D.C. serves 25,000 students and employs nearly 1,200 full-time faculty.

Further information about George Washington University's Tech Commons walk-up help desk can be found at it.gwu.edu.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • digital brain made of blue circuitry on the left and a shield with a glowing lock on the right, set against a dark background with fading binary code

    AI Dominates Key Technologies and Practices in Cybersecurity and Privacy

    AI governance, AI-enabled workforce expansion, and AI-supported cybersecurity training are three of the six key technologies and practices anticipated to have a significant impact on the future of cybersecurity and privacy in higher education, according to the latest Cybersecurity and Privacy edition of the Educause Horizon Report.

  • cloud icon connected to a data network with an alert symbol (a triangle with an exclamation mark) overlaying the cloud

    U.S. Department of Commerce Proposes Mandatory Reporting Requirement for AI, Cloud Providers

    This proposed rule from the department's Bureau of Industry and Security aims to enhance national security by establishing reporting requirements for the development of advanced AI models and computing clusters.

  • close-up view of a heavily barricaded metal door with a large

    Kaspersky Closes Down U.S. Operations

    Security software company Kaspersky has announced it is ending its United States operations. The news comes just days before a federal ban on sales of its products was set to take effect, due to concerns about cyber espionage.

  • stylized illustration of a global AI treaty signing, featuring diverse human figures seated around a round table

    World Leaders Sign First Global AI Treaty

    The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and several other countries have signed "The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law," the world's first legally binding treaty aimed at regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI).