Thomas Prichard

ITS Division: Customer Support & Student IT Enablement

Service Area: Classroom, AV Support, & Student Technology Services

What services do you and your teammates provide to campus?

Within ITS I work for Classroom, AV Support, & Student Technology Services. Our team is one entity in two offices-- the Main Campus office in White Hall Rm. 312, and the HealthCare office in College of Nursing Rm. 207. Classroom, AV Support, & Student Technology Services is responsible for maintaining the technology in the Registrar’s classrooms. So when an instructor or student has an issue in a classroom we will remedy the issue as quickly as possible. We also are responsible for some equipment in computing labs. Additionally, we lend our services to work on equipment in departmental spaces when available. 

We loan equipment such as projectors, microphones, speakers and some video cameras to the UK community for presentations or events both on and off campus. Our managers do consultations with administrators and academic departments to design the AV for classrooms, custom learning environments, and labs.

We also support Distance Learning in classrooms. Our department operates and maintains the Echo360 classroom capture units. We had several rooms on campus equipped for Zoom connections and many with Echo devices before COVID-19, and are working diligently to have many more before fall semester starts. Our team in White Hall is currently working on campus installing Echo360 capture devices and Owl conferencing devices to prepare for the new normal in the classroom. We also have been working on updating the classrooms from analog to digital equipment to provide better performance and more operability with personal devices.

What campus units do you collaborate with?

Our department works with almost every academic department supporting Zoom and Echo360. We work with Networking Infrastructure to insure the classroom computers are updating properly and have the proper software. We work with Facilities Management, Physical Plant Department (PPD) and external vendors to complete renovations or installs, keeping all work up to code. I’ve been supporting classrooms since 2000 and often work with faculty, students and staff on a regular basis.

What are your workplace values?

I would have to state first and foremost that I would never work anywhere I didn’t feel that mutual respect was the norm. We all need to get along and mutual respect is how it’s done. Responsibility is also key. Nobody likes to work with people that shirk their responsibilities. Expedience is necessary in customer support. We don’t like to leave an instructor waiting in a classroom full of students (or even a third full of students) with technology issues. Diligence is also important to getting the job done.

What is your favorite part of working in ITS and UK?

I love the people! Nowhere in the world have I found a better place to meet awesome people. I’ve worked at UK for two years as a student crew member at UKTV in 1998-99 before I applied to be regular staff. Those two years given me the opportunity to work with so many interesting people. Many of those folks later became colleagues. I get to meet new people almost every day-- and I consider them all friends!