Disaster Prevention and a Student Team A cost effective model of Student Computer Support at Claremont McKenna College Micheal Malsed -Asst. Director for Student Technology Services -STAT Program Director Lee Albert -Computer Lab Manager Peter Ombres -Lead RTA

A Distributed Student Workforce Faculty use online content (WebCT) –Used to be much later in the semester –Used to be much less in the semester –Means that students need connection faster!!!

A Distributed Student Workforce Faculty use online content (WebCT) Lack of staffing needed to connect every student! –We estimated we would need 1 staff member to every 100 students

A Distributed Student Workforce Faculty use online content (WebCT) Lack of staffing needed to connect every student! Student accept help from Peers –Staff walking around the dorms arouses strange looks...(men in black coats) –RTAs can act as liaisons between IT staff and students...

A Distributed Student Workforce Faculty use online content (WebCT) Lack of staffing needed to connect every student! Student accept help from Peers Produces technology leaders –Fits mission of the college –Enhances mission of IT departments

Solution RTA Program History –Residential Technology Assistants –Year 1: Four RTAs paid by hour –Informal –Insufficient, –No accountability

Solution RTA Program History –Residential Technology Assistants –Year 1: Four RTAs paid by hour –Year 2: Five RTAs paid by stipend –First trial stage. –One per quad –One floating RTA for administration and accountability

Solution RTA Program History –Residential Technology Assistants –Year 1: Four RTAs paid by hour –Year 2: Five RTAs paid by Stipend –Year 3: Fourteen RTAs paid by Stipend plus hourly –First implementation –One per dorm –Hourly paid for “Office Hours”

Solution RTA Program History –Residential Technology Assistants –Year 1: Four RTAs paid by hour –Year 2: Five RTAs paid by Stipend –Year 3: Fourteen RTAs paid by Stipend plus hourly –Year 4: Fifteen RTAs paid by Stipend plus hourly –Final implementation –One per dorm –One floating RTA for administration and accountability

Solution RTA Program History Early Training –RTAs hired April of previous AY

Solution RTA Program History Early Training –RTAs hired April of previous AY –Brought back in August One week (approx) prior to Orientation

Solution RTA Program History Early Training –RTAs hired April of previous AY –Brought back in August –Dedicated Training General Principles CMC Specific information and topics

Solution RTA Program History Early Training –RTAs hired April of previous AY –Brought back in August –Dedicated Training –Practical Usage and Issues Sports teams and early arrivals (practicum) New Students

Solution RTA Program History Early Training Updates, tools and materials –Provided with “Thumb Drives” –Provided with Tools –Provided with Deployment area on network for patches, etc.

Solution RTA Program History Early Training Updates, tools and materials Peer and Staff Support –Online discussion area –Specific staff members have access  Asst. Director  SysAdmin  Network Admin  Admin  Security Officer  Lab Manager

Results Ubiquitous Computing –98.5% voluntary ownership

Results Ubiquitous Computing –98.5% voluntary ownership –Connection history: Time: –4 years ago – no connection until financial registration, nearly two weeks. –Now – immediate connection.

Results Ubiquitous Computing –98.5% voluntary ownership –Connection history: Time: –4 years ago – no connection until financial registration, nearly two weeks. –Now – immediate connection. Number of Students: –4 years ago – approximately 60% of students (with computers) connected by the end of third week –Now – 75% connected by end of first weekend –Now – 90% connected by end of second weekend

Results Ubiquitous Computing Problems Solved and Averted –MSBlaster (August/September) Other colleges in our area took actions: –Shut down res-nets –Mandated student computers be “certified”

Results Ubiquitous Computing Problems Solved and Averted –MSBlaster (August/September) Other colleges in our area took actions: –Shut down res-nets –Mandated student computers be “certified” CMC didn’t do anything except mobilize the RTAs –CD’s with blaster patches and scanners –Checklist of rooms –Network services remained available – no restrictions –Academic resources remained online - most important

Results Ubiquitous Computing Problems Solved and Averted –MSBlaster (August/September) –Wireless rogues (January) Christmas Presents (WAPs) became a DHCP nightmare RTAs found, reported, and reconfigured (where appropriate) A sister college had network services shut off because of rogue DHCP services. CMC had minor and very short-lived problems.

Results Ubiquitous Computing Problems Solved and Averted –MSBlaster (August/September) –Wireless rogues (January) –DDoS attack (February) RTAs were instrumental in finding, cleaning and educating student “zombies”

Results Ubiquitous Computing Problems Solved and Averted –MSBlaster (August/September) –Wireless rogues (January) –DDoS attack (February) –These problems cost very little in staff hours.

Program Costs Staff member: –$50,000/year + 25% benefits = $62,500/year RTAs: –$2000/year –$14/week “office hours” (35 wks) = ~$500/year –15 RTAs = approx. $37,500 Student Benefit: –Residential support at no charge to student

Resources Presentation on the web: – Copyright Micheal Malsed and Lee Albert [2004]. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.