Whether you are a freshman struggling with D2L, or a senior looking to perfect your Microsoft skills, University Information Technology Services has your back.
Little-known to students across both campuses, UITS hosts weekly workshops throughout the semester. These workshops are designed to train students in any technology that they might need in their classes, and the costs are included in the technology fee.
“Student fees make it all free,” said Randall Dean, a technology trainer for KSU. “Free is better than paying for anything off of campus.”
The workshops will start out with the basics for KSU students: D2L training, Excel and the new KSUmail system. Later in the semester, they will transition to higher level software, such as Access, Photoshop, InDesign and other Adobe products.
“Excel is definitely the most popular,” Dean said. “It’s my favorite to teach, and it is the most used later in life. Adobe is popular as well, but we mostly see upper classmen in those.”
Dean has been teaching the workshops since 2014, and one thing he noticed is that attendance is never as high as it should be.
“It usually starts off strong early in the semester, but then it tapers off,” Dean said.
Dean said that these workshops teach essential tools for college success. He always starts off the lesson simple but is constantly pushing forward to keep students engaged. After multiple lessons, Dean believes that students can become experts on the software.
Another plus of these workshops is that students don’t need any equipment.
“All tools are here in the labs,” Dean said. “These run out of the Kennesaw campus, Marietta campus, and we even have Webinars for the students stuck at home.”
The Webinars utilize a technology called Blackboard Collab Ultra. This allows students to watch and interact with the lesson without needing to purchase the expensive software being taught.
“All you need is a computer and an Internet connection,” Dean said. “You’ll be able to text, watch videos and chat with the instructor if you have any questions.”
The UITS workshops on the Kennesaw campus are operated out of the Pilcher building, room 106. The workshops on the Marietta campus are operated out of Norton Hall in room 059.
The full schedule for the UITS workshops is available at the KSU UITS website, and students can register for the workshops online at owltrain.kennesaw.edu.
Whether you are struggling with an assignment or just want to add “proficient in Excel” on your resume, check out what lessons the UITS offers.
