Madeline Friedman, from the Communications team in Global Technology Services in New York, discusses upgrading IT at the global sites, starting with the recent upgrade at NYU Paris.
Sometimes a small change can have a large impact. When it comes to life at NYU’s global study away sites, a simple IT upgrade can revolutionize everything from professors’ teaching styles, to students’ learning abilities, to administrative staff’s workload.
That will be the case with the NYU Academic Center in Paris, France, which has just moved to a new building with new technical capacities in the city’s Latin Quarter. “It’s going to be night and day in terms of the technical possibilities and capabilities there,” said Janet Alperstein, Senior Director of Academic Support for NYU Global Programs said.
Upgrades Provide New Possibilities
Several upgrades to IT services have been done so that students, faculty, and staff will have a seamless technological experience at the NYU Paris campus. The campus will have NYU-NET wired and wireless, that includes internet, voice, video, and data, ensuring access is consistently available. NYU print services will also be a new feature that will allow students to print documents from any computer via print stations at the Academic Center. The Center will also have increased capacity for videoconferencing, boasting two dedicated videoconferencing classrooms with full equipment.
“Now, it’ll be as if we are already on the New York server. It will make accessing certain applications easier and faster,” said Ivy Vo, Housing and Student Life Assistant for NYU Paris.
Unique Challenges
Updating the IT infrastructure at NYU’s locations across the globe often requires creative problem-solving skills for unique challenges that arise in different regions.
Global Service Delivery Manager Brian Schiesser mentioned that upgrading services and wiring in old buildings can be a challenge in cities like Paris. “One problem we had [in the new Paris Academic Center] was that one side of the flooring was weaker than the other side, because they were built in different centuries.”
Despite the challenges it provided for technology, many people appreciated the old Center’s charms. “The building had moulding, the floors creaked. It felt old world,” said Schiesser. “The new building is art deco. It’s in an amazing location. The top floor has 360 degree views of the city. Both locations are very different spaces, but both are great and come with their own benefits.”