Who You Gonna Call?

When you find yourself unable to log in, when your computer gives you the blue screen of death, when you struggle to boot up your classroom, who do you call? Well, when you reach for the phone or zoom into a help session, you’re talking to a member of Carrie Arnold’s crack IT team.

When Carrie was growing up, she considered becoming an English teacher or a potter until she discovered the wide world of electronics. In an era where that meant VHS tape players, boom boxes with double cassette tape decks, and the advanced Apple II computer, Carrie learned that she had a knack for fixing technology and took great pleasure in solving technological problems.

(pictured: Carrie and her IT Team at their holiday Zoom session)

She is now the IT Services Manager at Blackhawk Technical College, where she manages the help desk and several other specialized services. She’s also responsible for managing the lifecycle of BTC campus computers and printers, keeping the equipment up to date, and recycling pieces as technology continues to evolve. 

When Carrie started at BTC 16 years ago, the help desk barely worked with students - only for password resets. Back then, the help desk exclusively supported classroom technology and faculty needs, and distance learning consisted of compressed video between one room at Central Campus and one room in Monroe.

“We are lucky to have evolved drastically,” said Carrie. “Now we have the resources, expertise, and a fantastic team to support our students’ IT needs as well as our faculty and staff, and our MyEdChoice technological classrooms.”

The Infrastructure and Management Information Systems (MIS) teams at BTC have gone above and beyond to keep up with the latest technology to meet students’ expectations. Blackhawk has adopted cloud services, single-sign-on, cybersecurity tools, and much more to create a streamlined experience. Classrooms have developed into audio/visual marvels. Learning platforms allow instructors to deliver nearly any content – from dissecting a cadaver to business math to welding and automotive demonstrations – in a virtual format.

The pandemic shifted much of Carrie’s work to ensuring remote devices and services were available and worked well, along with remote support that met students and employees wherever they were working. These challenges were all present pre-pandemic, especially with the college shifting to more MyEdChoice (flexible learning) options, but quickly became the absolute and ubiquitous priority as March’s lockdown became long-term remote work for students and staff alike.

“The needs during the pandemic have transformed from its early days,” Carrie explained. “We thought this might be over in a few weeks to realizing this was going to go on a long time. We needed to modify our services, support, and strategy in a more long-term way. It continues to alter the way we think and plan for the college’s future technology strategies.” 

So, the next time you need to reach out for help with technology, say thanks to Carrie for putting together a team that understands how it works, so you don’t have to.

“I am lucky to be surrounded by an amazing team of extremely committed people, and I couldn’t do my job without them,” said Carrie. “I have watched Blackhawk grow exponentially over the years and look forward to being a part of our continued service to our communities.”

# # #