Part of OU’s IT operation moves into Baker Center’s first floor
By Megan Moseley
July 3, 2008
The days hiking down Union Street while lugging your messed-up laptop, or venturing for a new student ID, are over.
Sean O’Malley, information technology communication manager at OU, confirmed last week that some parts of the university’s IT office were going to move this week from the HDL Center on West Union to the first-floor computer lab in new Baker Center.
The plan to move has been in the works for over a year, he said, and yesterday, the new and convenient location was supposed to be up and running.
The plan, O’Malley said, is to have a one-stop full-service area for students so they can pick up ID cards, purchase software, buy computers and drop off laptops or computers for repair, among other business that students and staff previously had to do at the old location in the HDL Center.
“The idea is to have a one-stop service shop for all people on campus,” he said. “We wanted to become more accessible. Our main complaints over the past few years have been about our location.”
After meeting with Student Senate and devising a plan for the move, O’Malley said he and his staff decided that moving during the summer would be the most convenient and efficient way to execute the move.
“We wanted to move during a time where it would not disrupt, or stress, a lot of people,” he said. “So summer just seemed like the best option.”
Despite this week’s move, a few issues are still in the works.
The first-floor computer lab in Baker Center will continue to serve as a lab, he said, while half of the room will turn into the IT office.
Since half of the lab will continue to be accessible for students, IT plans to erect a divider between the two areas in order to limit noise and congestion between the two areas.
However, the divider will take a few weeks to be installed.
While it’s a small space to move into, O’Malley expressed confidence that the move will be a success.
“Baker Center is a more convenient location,” he said. “We already have space in there, so now we can take advantage of that and have other services there, too.”
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