Over the break I came to the conclusion that we’re all masochists to some degree or another. Take New Year’s resolutions: every year we list these lofty goals, knowing in advance there’s almost no chance of achieving them, then beat ourselves up when we inevitably fail. It’s a perverse cycle and can’t be good for your self-esteem.
So I cheated. I pulled out my calendar, figured out what I’d already be doing in January anyway and made those my resolutions. Resolution #1? “Admit that you’re not always right.” Hence the column you’re now reading.
NCSU Bookstore, Textbook Division — Students, myself included, “like” the Bookstore along roughly the same lines as “liking” root canals or appendectomies. There’s nothing wrong with the staff or the facilities per se, it’s just a little tough to win fans when your core business is the semi-annual ritual sacrifice of hundreds of dollars to the Textbook Gods of Academia.
The Bookstore seems to be aware of that image though, and makes up for it with top-notch service and aggressive pricing. Last semester, when a large number of Calculus students were trying to get their hands on the completely sold-out 2nd edition of the class textbook (most classes used the more-plentiful 3rd edition while others were still using the 2nd), the Bookstore put in a special order to make sure everyone got their books within the first week of the semester.
But more impressive is the Bookstore’s pricing. Whether by design or coincidence, their online ordering provides a generous discount off the list prices in-store and as a result actually makes them cost-competitive with local book retailers. Between that pricing, service and not having to deal with panhandlers on Hillsborough Street, the Bookstore is actually a compelling deal.
The UCO and R&R — I never had a high opinion of either the University Cashier’s Office or Registration & Records, because both suffer from the same type of problem as the Bookstore: fantastic and competent staff, but representing two of the most unpleasant tasks you’ll ever experience at this University (unless you actually “like” forking over thousands of dollars every year or struggling to create a decent class schedule that will get you graduated on time).
Even so, let no one say these folks don’t know how to do their jobs with panache. On a Friday before a major holiday, at 15 minutes before the 5 p.m. closing time, I had some slightly complicated academic business to resolve for the Spring semester. Not only were all the staff members still there, I got everything squared away between both offices in six minutes flat.
If any of you have ever dealt with other state government agencies, or actually worked for one of them, you know how profoundly rare that experience can be.
ITD — when the Education & Technology Fee came up for its first substantial increase several years back, I had some choice words to offer about the Information Technology Division and their priorities for the money. “Slush fund” was mentioned on more than one occasion, usually coupled with something along the lines of “biggest and most comprehensive waste of student fee money I’ve ever seen.” I thought the planned expenditures for ubiquitous (“wireless everywhere”) computing were particularly obscene and didn’t hesitate to level some personal criticisms at ITD staff I felt were a little too dismissive of cost concerns.
If you’re reading this column online from an un-tethered laptop on your bed, you realize why these folks get paid the big bucks while I plug away on columns for free.
More than any other department, my views on the projects started by ITD were almost totally off-base even while the fruits of those projects have been particularly impressive. Pursuing wireless computing was a prescient choice as laptop sales have boomed nationwide. Partnerships with major technology companies, like the “Brickyard” calendar using Oracle software, provide academic opportunity on top of high-grade tools for students. And when students were justifiably outraged over the WebAssign situation, the staff took those concerns to heart and negotiated a lower price for the next semester.
University Dining — complain all you want about the food; work in a job where your cuisine is largely confined to fast food and restaurants of some kind and you’ll realize it’s actually pretty good. And creating Clark Dining Hall was a stroke of genius.
One resolution down, a couple more to go.
Tell Greg admission is the first step to recovery at [email protected].