Managing on oft overlooked resource: student employees

With the ever-present need for quality user services support, a computing center can ill afford to overlook any resource which might aid in accomplishing it. To arrive at this end, a staff must remain abreast of the constant change in computer technology, as well as the changing needs and wants of its users. At the University of Notre Dame, we have found that student employees have the potential to excel in the area of user services support, and many times they can do so in a more cost effective manner than a full-time staff member. With careful planning and consideration on the part of those supervising the students, their employ can grow to benefit themselves, the full-time staff, and most importantly, the users. If the process of successfully utilizing students were as easy as it sounds, this paper would have no raison d'être, but there are serious questions to be posed when considering student employees: who to hire, and why; how they should be trained; how to motivate them to reach their fullest potential; and how to most effectively manage them.