In addition to serving the technology needs of students living in UNC-Chapel Hill’s residence halls, ResNET provides IT support for the University’s Department of Housing and Residential Education, encompassing 45 full-time employees and 450 part-time employees spread out over 20 office locations around campus.
ResNET gradually increased its role with Housing
ResNET began providing departmental support to DHRE three years ago in an effort to partner with Student Affairs IT and to provide DHRE staff with a better quality of service. This was due in large part to ResNET’s successful track record supporting residents and ResNET’s increasing role in DHRE departmental projects in an advisory capacity. That support includes such tasks as troubleshooting computers, printers and software applications. ResNET also guides DHRE on IT solutions and processes to enable the department staff to make more informed decisions.
ResNET helps develop Housing’s IT strategic vision
This year ResNET joined the Housing Leadership Team, which is made up of 10 individuals who oversee the various operational functions of the department. This team includes the Director of Housing and nine Associate or Assistant directors who oversee the various operational functions of the department, including groups such as business operations, assignments, facilities and residential life. As part of this team, ResNET is directly involved with identifying technological solutions for the needs of the department and helps develop the department’s strategic vision for IT.
Housing leaders past and present express appreciation
Larry Hicks, a retired DHRE Director, worked with ResNET from its inception and saw the program transition to its current involvement with DHRE.
“Over the years we were successful in incorporating ResNET into administrative support as well as student support, providing community office assistance as needed and helping with the big-picture items such as pervasive wireless,” Hicks said. “The ResNET team has always been great partners to Housing.”
Rick Bradley, DHRE Associate Director, said the Housing and ResNET partnership “has been an outstanding one for many years.”
The success, he said, “relates back to the talented staff that they employ. I’ve been particularly impressed with the management team and their ability to relate to their customers. ResNET is an IT group that makes great efforts to first understand the business needs of the organization that they are supporting and then maps the right IT solution to the issue. They are the perfect partners to our operation. Even when an IT solution is not feasible or scalable, they still offer other suggestions to help streamline our complicated processes.”
Check back here at ITS News on Thursday for the conclusion of our three-work series on ResNET.