Re-purposing a Student Tech Service Group?

discards writes "I help run a student group at a Canadian University. For almost 15 years we've provided students with services such as web space, email, wireless internet on campus, cvs/svn, database access, mailing lists, etc., all using Linux and FOSS. In recent years, however, we have faced becoming obsolete. The university now provides wireless access, people get their email from other places such as Google, which also provides free svn access, web space, and so forth. Since we have a large amount of decent, usable hardware, as well as space, funding and a very fast internet connection, we are looking to possibly reform instead of just withering away and dying. We would like to ask Slashdot for ideas as to what we could do; preferably something that cultivates student research or provides an otherwise useful service to students, though all ideas are welcome."

Comments

A few basic needs.

[Talinom]

At some point every person needs tech support. They don't know how to do something, their computer died, they lost data, are infected by a virus or some basic functionality has been lost.

Tech support would be number one on my list of helpful services.

The other thing that would be helpful is basic computer education. Yes, I know that most people in college already know how to work on the computers, however some, possibly older students, might be embarrassed to admit they don't know everything they feel that they should know. Confidential, one on one tutoring can eliminate the fear of admitting they aren't fully up to speed.

Re:A few basic needs.

[vorpal22]

Even advanced computer education would be useful. I'm a PhD computer science student, so I see the holes in undergraduates' knowledge of computer technologies, i.e. things that they're simply expected to know for a class and never taught. I also see how frustrating they find it to try to fill these holes in with self-study while maintaining a full course load.

Big examples that spring to mind include things like basic Linux commands, LaTeX, Maple, MATLAB, etc. Offer workshops for students where you teach them how to at least get started with these technologies and I'm sure that you'll have some interest.

Do something for inner-city youth

[Anonymous Coward]

Forget college students. Do something for inner-city youth. Gather old computer parts from your school or lbusiness, put them together, install linux and give them to schools with limited computing resources. Involve the students in this process as well. Teach them how to install linux. Then teach them how to administer their own system.

Re:Student start-up hosting

[apathy maybe]

I can't believe that students wouldn't rather have hosting locally rather then in some place in the USA.

Make it cheap, make it usable, make it useful.

Run tech courses, educating students about different technology.

Run LAN parties.

Do things that require face to face communication, and that people can't get some other place.

Do tech support and trouble shooting for people's websites (which they won't get else where).

Try and integrate into different departments, especially science related ones, and host data, run resource intensive programs etc.

Expand your eligibility criteria, open it up to arts students.

Also check out other student groups around the world, for example: http://www.tucs.org.au/

Most of all, enjoy.