New IT Services Building will make its teams more efficient

An information technology building set to begin construction in May on Utah State University’s Logan campus is expected to increase the effectiveness of the school’s IT services.

Currently, USU IT’s staff and services are spread out across campus.

“There will be more communication among IT staff,” said Eric Hawley, USU’s chief information officer. That should result in more efficient IT services, he said.  

Hawley said, however, that the services will not be changed.

According to Hawley, IT currently employs about 70 full-time workers and 80 to 90 students, mostly in its student labs.

“Utah State University doesn’t exist for servers and wires,” Hawley said. “Servers and wires and technology services exist to help students and faculty and staff get done what they need to get done.”

Among the services IT offers at USU are technology support and hardware repair for students, faculty and staff, as well as computer labs where students can go for software and technical help.

While the building will combine IT staff and resources, the associated labs across campus will remain where they are.

The IT Services Building will replace the parking lot just north of the Nutrition and Food Science Building, which houses the Aggie Creamery. 

Project Manager Lorin Wilcox said his team just finished determining user requirements and is now in talks with Hawley about the schematics. Wilcox anticipates the project to be “substantially complete” in July 2021. 

Although Ben Berrett, the director of planning, design and construction, says the weather is already a challenge to construction, Wilcox asserted the project is on schedule.

—william.bultez@aggiemail.usu.edu

@willistheginger