Editor’s note: this article is part of a series that will focus on campuswide problems.

Crowds of students sit in the computer lab, as others circulate looking for a computer to use. While there are more than 26,000 types of computers, some that are broken do not see repair.

“It’s a challenge to support the information needs of the campus,” Don Treat, Information and Technical Services technician, said. “Right now, I have six technicians who handle all the support on campus, plus the satellite facilities in Inglewood and Torrance.”

Treat said that he cannot estimate how many computers are up and running at any given time.

“Most of the time, we’re about fifteen or twenty work orders behind,” Treat said.

“But it’s a matter of what level a problem is that determines how many computers are down at one time,” he said.

Treat said that his job is difficult due to the equipment becoming more complicated each year.

Treat and the ITS help desk handle the installation of new equipment, the upgrades of EC computers and the networks from the word processors in the library to the complex auto CAD systems used by the Technical Arts Division.

ITS does not maintain the computers in each one of these labs on a daily basis; instead, individual lab technicians are assigned to do this work.

“We’ve got thirty-five (computer) labs, each of which handle most problems independently of the ITS,” Alex Kelley, acting vice president and former ITS director, said.

“(Individual lab technicians) contact our help desk when they can’t handle a problem,” Treat said.

Amir Kahn, computer networking security major, works with computer software in the Library Media Technology Center as a part of instructional services.

“If the computers aren’t responding, I go back, change the settings and connect them,” Kahn said.

However, there are still at least five computers in the library basement that have out-of-order signs on them.

Kelley said ITS is in the process of reworking the main EC computer system to ensure consistent operation and functionality.

Once the system is up and running, students will be able to access computer-controlled services at any time

Services include the website or telephone-registration.

“The process should take about a year, with the new equipment arriving in early summer,” Kelley said.