By Chaz Vanhaltren and Glen Omandam
The Silliman University Information and Communications Technology (SU-ICT) began plans to add new access points for the Silliman Hotspot Wi-Fi and operate its newly launched help desk.
The additional Wi-Fi access points will be placed inside classrooms, ICT Division Chief Dr. Chuchi Montenegro said.
Montenegro said 200 routers are already planted across the 33-hectare campus “in strategic areas such as hallways.”
However, she said that signal strength and connectivity will vary depending on the distance.
“In network, dili jud mi ka guarantee nga it is [turned on] all the time, 24/7. That is our ideal scenario nga on jud siya, pero there are a lot of variables that we have no control of,” Montenegro said.
She also said that students experiencing slow or unstable connections should report their concerns through the new ICT Helpdesk to verify and address recurring issues.
SU launched the ICT Division Helpdesk last July 2 as the official platform for ICT-related concerns and service requests from students, faculty, and staff.
The Helpdesk assigns requests by category, tracks their progress, and enables administrators to monitor concerns through a centralized system.
Montenegro said it was developed to have “an organized way of addressing student requests, issues, and problems,” rather than through email, which she said becomes difficult to manage at volume.
“Okay lang kung ikaw ra [mo email]. So, imagine kung naay 100 kabuok nag email sa imoha. Unya, daghan biya na siya kaayo. The moment you click, makalimot na ka,” she said.
Montenegro also said that connectivity concerns will be addressed more effectively when submitted through the new HelpDesk.
The ICT Division also plans to expand the platform by allowing other University offices to adopt it for managing their own requests.
She said the help desk is currently limited to ICT-related concerns while the ICT Division evaluates its effectiveness.
“Currently, it’s just being run for ICT concerns, but if we find it okay, amoa ni gamiton and i-expand to other departments if ever,” she said.
The ICT Helpdesk was officially launched on July 2 after undergoing pilot testing earlier this year.
