TechKnowledgy Bar

University of Texas at Dallas Launches TechKNOWledgy Bar: A Walk-Up Technology Center

In today’s digital era, technology plays a pivotal role in education, research, and student life.

Facilitating the significance of a seamless technology experience, University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Office of Information Technology (OIT) established the TechKNOWledgy Bar to ensure that students can fully leverage the university’s technological resources and learn the amazing ways to use consumer technology in the same place. Education, personal use, and fun all exist in one place!

The TechKNOWledgy Bar serves three main purposes. It is a walk-up technology support center that has been implemented to foster stronger student engagement with campus technology. It is also a space where students can hear lectures and see instructional videos on the latest tech and utilize a gigantic screen to get creative. Finally, a large showcase has revolving consumer and professional technologies where students, faculty, and staff can get their hands-on the latest gear or take the latest application for a test drive.

This innovative space strives to provide students with a convenient and dependable place to get assistance, ensuring that technology never becomes a source of anxiety or an obstacle to their academic career. By empowering students to effectively utilize technology, the initiative aims to boost their confidence and equip them for success in their future careers and current classroom. The journey of this vision began in 2019 when OIT first conceived the idea. Over time, this idea evolved into a tangible reality, gaining significant momentum, and ultimately coming to fruition by the end of 2021. This service offers numerous advantages to students in their interaction with technology, exemplified by the following specific instances:

Design and space: The space was designed with students in mind with a very modern look and inviting feel. We took inspiration from Microsoft, Apple, and other technology showcase locations. The idea was to stand out from other venues in the Student Union while creating an inviting atmosphere. In higher education space is always at a premium. We were thrilled to be approached by the leader of Student Affairs who believed in our vision and provided a premium space in the Student Union.

Services: Device Setup, offers students the chance to prepare their personal laptops and/or mobile devices with essential applications, update operating system, Security Check, Software installation, and setup a reliable data backup with tools like Microsoft OneDrive. This initiative also provides personalized support to help students connect their devices to the university’s secure network, configure email accounts, and troubleshoot any technical issues that may arise. By doing so, it ensures a seamless transition into the University’s technological ecosystem. Additionally, guidance is provided on best practices for securing personal devices and navigating privacy settings in different applications and platforms to safeguard sensitive information.

Training:  TechKNOWledgy Bar offers training sessions and programs on various technology such as Microsoft 365 services and applications, Last Pass, Duo, cybersecurity awareness, and Tech Tip Live Training Sessions, hosted by OIT. By attending these training sessions, students gains practical skills and insights that enrich their academic experience and equip them for success in their future careers.

Programs: The Microsoft Ambassador program, a program remarkably close to our heart was initiated by OIT, provides students with comprehensive training on various products in the Microsoft suite. This training offers students a dual advantage: excelling in their UT Dallas classes and acquiring professional skills that can be directly applied to their resumes as valuable experience. To demonstrate their acquired knowledge, students are afforded the chance to present on a topic of their choice using any Microsoft application during an event held at the TechKNOWledgy Bar. This opportunity enables students to highlight their learning by applying their skills in a practical setting. Upon successfully finishing the semester-long program, student ambassadors will receive certificates from OIT and Microsoft and an email badge showing their qualifications.

The Office of Information Technology is thrilled with the success of the space and the positive and immediate impact this location has had on the University of Texas at Dallas campus. This is just the beginning. We strive to continually innovate by being laser focused on bridging the gap between technology and its users. Our goal is to make technology easy both at enterprise level and the consumer level. This is truly a unique space where students and other members of the campus can hang out, relax, learn, and accelerate their tech journey. This entire space is managed and staffed by the incredible student employees of UT Dallas. In fact, the name of this space, TechKNOWledgy Bar, was conceived from student input. Technology for students by students with guidance from experts!