Bridging the student support gap

In recent years, the use of a computer has become a requirement for success in a collegiate environment, and the demand for mobile computing has sharply increased. In response to these trends, Bucknell University has taken a proactive role in supporting the computing and technology needs of its students, faculty and staff.To meet these needs, Bucknell University created a student support model for personally-owned computers. This model currently consists of our Techdesk, Techdesk Advanced Support Team, the Bison Laptop Program, and the Student Laptop Loaner Program. These areas will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the Bucknell University student community.The various parts of the support model each have a valuable contribution to the overall level of service and support that we are able to offer to the Bucknell University student community. Our Techdesk and Techdesk Advanced Support Team answer general questions and resolve hardware and software issues. The Bison Laptop Program helps reduce the variety of hardware and software that we encounter, which reduces support requirements. The Student Laptop Loaner Program provides assistance during long-term repairs for students outside our laptop program. Together, these components allow us to provide a premier level of support.We plan to share our experiences and explain how the portions of our support model allow us to support the Bucknell University community. We believe that this could greatly benefit other institutions seeking to create or refine their student support model.