Today@Sam Article
Everyday Heroes: SHSU Data Analyst To The Rescue
April 7, 2020
SHSU Media Contact: Karen Leonhart
The transition to an online educational environment has been an interesting ride for the majority of college students across the nation. In this time of adjustment there are a few perks like class from bed, tests in your pajamas and the occasional show binging break. However, with the good also comes the element of technical glitches.
Most of us know that feeling of dread, when you go to register for classes, or start that important presentation and technology fails you. Kimberly Anderson, nursing student in the College of Health Sciences, felt that pain this week on April 1, of all days, when she tried to log into her Module 3 exam. Thankfully she avoided what seemed like a bad April Fool’s joke when Chas Stephens, nursing data analyst for The Woodlands Center, was able to save the day.
“The most stressed you can be is having to follow 'stay-at-home' orders, take a major test, and then have your laptop decide to quit on you. I was terrified and I wrote a very short, frantic email to Chas, the Nursing School IT magician,” Anderson said. “We worked on the phone for over thirty minutes before we realized that it was an impossible task. I could not be more thankful for Chas, he is most likely the most important person in the program for all that he does.”
After unsuccessful troubleshooting attempts, Stephens drove an SHSU laptop to her home so she could take her exam and even fixed her personal laptop.
“I’m not sure I would call it a hero moment, I would just say that I am fulfilling a promise that I make to each and every nursing student that comes through our program,” Stephens said. “My dad once gave me a bit of wisdom, ‘everything works until it breaks.’ With that in mind, I take time during orientation to instruct our students to reach out to me for any and all technology questions or issues that they have. My promise to them is that I will work with them to find a solution to their problem. From the very beginning of the program, SHSU nursing students know they can rely on me for assistance to their technology questions. After all, the last thing I want is for technology to add stress to an already stressful curriculum.”
Other students have also found the good in these challenging times. Brittany Rebeles, a student worker for COHS, believes online classes offer plenty of positives.
“Classmates have gotten a lot closer since switching to remote delivery. The GroupMe chats are full of troubleshooting tips, reminders and news from our professors. It's nice to see people coming together even though we have to physically remain at least six feet apart,” Rebeles said.
If you need any technical assistance Sam Houston State has a variety of resources available to help faculty and students during this transition to an online world. They can be found at https://www.shsu.edu/dept/it@sam/.
For more information about SHSU’s School of Nursing, visit www.shsu.edu/healthsciences/nursing or email prenursing@shsu.edu.
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