Piedmont University has been dealing with information technology issues for several months, which have caused significant disruptions to daily operations and academic activities.
These issues have included network outages, slow internet speeds and difficulties accessing essential software and systems. As a result, both students and staff have faced challenges in completing their work efficiently and reliably.
The Piedmont University IT Department sent out an email on Sept. 8 stating that the Office of Information Technology Services would be performing maintenance on August 6 to create a new wireless network called “Lions”. The “Lions” network was created for the campus community using personally non-Piedmont-owned devices. Users would be able to connect to this network using their own credentials.
The IT department also created a new network for guests as they arrive on campus called “LionsGuest”. This network would only be available for 24 hours. Users would have to connect via SMS or email.
This email was sent out to students seemingly in a rush, as students would be set to return to campus for the fall semester eight days later.
The rushed communication left many students, faculty and staff confused about the changes and unprepared for the new network setup. This lack of clarity caused additional challenges during the start of the semester, as users struggled to connect and access the necessary resources.
“More information will be provided to the campus, and we apologize for the last-minute notice,” stated the IT department in an email sent out on August 5. “There will also be additional maintenance windows continuing during this week. We will keep you updated.”
The IT department set up the new Wi-Fi network in a few days, officially sending out information on how to connect to the new network on August 9. Despite this, many students on campus were unable to connect to the new network, particularly those residing in Mystic Hall.
“I don’t appreciate IT sending out last-minute emails,” stated freshman film major Allie Watkins. What do they expect us to do when we don’t have any Wi-Fi?”
The IT department would then start performing emergency maintenance on the new Wi-Fi networks, attempting to resolve the ongoing wireless connectivity issues that have been reported. Students would then incur intermittent outages while maintenance was underway.
While the IT department has continued to partake in emergency maintenance and scheduled maintenance of the new Wi-Fi network, they also sent out an email on Sept. 11 to all students, faculty and staff stating that beginning Sept. 16, the Office of Information Technology would be instituting Talk with a Tech. An IT technician will be available to assist those on campus in the Student Commons every Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon throughout the semester to address any issues or concerns that individuals may have.
In the email sent out on Sept. 11, the IT department also announced that they have established a Wiki that provides many frequently asked questions regarding how to resolve commonly addressed technology issues.
To access the Piedmont Technology Wiki, visit https://wiki.piedmont.edu/ and log in with Piedmont credentials to search for topics that may pertain to you.
Students, faculty and staff may also call the help desk directly at 706-894-4205 for email/MFA issues or email [email protected] for further assistance.
