Earlier this year, I took a new job within Wharton Computing: “IT Director of Student Experience,” a position that acknowledges the need for a dedicated liaison between students and the various contingents of our large IT organization.
Students are challenging constituents because they’re transient and incredibly busy—there’s little opportunity to develop long-term relationships. Aside from that challenge, the whole not-coding-for-a-living thing has been an adjustment. Now when I do something wrong, there’s no error message to explain the problem.
But so far it’s been a fun ride. Last week I had the opportunity to attend EDUCAUSE 2010 and, along with a colleague, tell the story of why we created the Student Experience role and what we hope to accomplish. I’m especially proud that Spock, The Dude, Harry Truman, and Wile E Coyote make appearances the presentation.