The UA’s University Information Technology Support center held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the showcase and celebration of their re-modeled center in the Martin Luther King, Jr. building on Oct. 11.
The more than 300-member service unit has a mission to support the university’s need for technological services. They are the go-to place for UA students, faculty or staff, according to their website.
The space that UITS had before the re-modeling presented some challenges, according to Susan Legg, assistant director for IT support services.
Prior to the reopening, the 24/7 center was spread out all throughout different rooms in the building.
There were also two groups in the same building who were wanting to have changes in regards to space, according to Legg. The African American Student Affairs looked to expand their space, and the Registrar’s Office wanted to have a space where they could all be together.
“Immediately we said, ‘Fantastic, this is exactly what we have been looking for, and this gives us the opportunity to get the team all together,’ ” Legg said.
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The changing of rooms began over the summer after the Registrar’s Office proposed the swapping of rooms.
UITS saved the grand opening of their new center for after the rush of school because they did not want to take away from their customer service.
Now, the African American Student Affairs is located in one of the rooms where the UITS once was located, and according to Legg, the proposal resulted in a win-win for everyone.
“The space is definitely a lot more collaborative. It’s better not only for our team but for customers as well,” said Breiden Gamble, an IT manager. “We are able to have all of our technicians in one room and we’re are all able to bounce ideas off each other. The new walk-in area makes it so the space feels more interactive and open.”
Legg said she felt it was mainly due to the hard work of facilities and their business manager that they were able to finish and pull off the new center during the summer.
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Jeff Albano, information technology manager, said that because the process was over summer there was no interruption in service.
Albano said that the main focus of the remodel was to ensure it didn’t impact client service and experience.
“I would like to thank Jeff Albano …,” Legg said. “He was the main person who coordinated with the faculty, business manager and partners at African American Student Affairs. He coordinated all the moving parts and pieces.”
Albano said that overall, the new center will provide better service for customers.
“One of the main focuses we have here is the spirit of sharing and collaborating,” Albano said. “A critical part of our jobs and our success is information sharing. Being able to walk up to someone and ask, ‘Hey, what’s going on with this?’ is valuable to us.”
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