by The Cowl Editor on October 10, 2019

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Campus

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by Jim Rizzo

HelpDesk Manager

Guest Writer

I would like to thank The Cowl news staff writer Peter Mazzella ’23 for bringing attention to issue of WiFi dead zones in some of our residence halls (“AQ Blues: Residents Connecting Over Shared Wi-Fi Issues” in the Oct. 3 issue of The Cowl). The Information Technology Department strives to achieve strong coverage in all areas of the residence halls on campus. However, due to some older construction and a variety of materials used, which can impact WiFi signal, it can be difficult for us to be sure that we have enough access points in a location until students are on campus and all of their devices have attempted to connect to the wireless networks.

 When Peter initially reached out to us, it was the first we had heard of any issues with wireless coverage in the residence halls. Without his initial contact, we would not have known that there were areas in Aquinas that lacked sufficient wireless coverage. The Help Desk takes all complaints about the technology services on campus seriously, and we look to ensure that all issues are resolved in a timely manner so that students, faculty, and staff are able to complete their work.

 As Peter mentioned in his article, we at the Help Desk both encourage and welcome all members of the college community to contact us whenever there is an issue with our technology services. We can be reached by phone at 401-865-HELP (401-865-4357), by email at helpdesk@providence.edu, or in person in any of our three locations – Phillips Memorial Library, room LL25; Accinno Hall, room 102; Ryan Center, room 117. We also have a variety of documentation guides available at the iHelp website, http://ihelp.providence.edu or http://friarsprovidence.sharepoint.com/ihelp. Our hours can be found on the Help Desk website, http://it.providence.edu/help-desk.