PAC Student Media

By Adrienne Serbin
Pulse Staff Reporter 

The phones are ringing in the office, and advice can be heard throughout the room. Workers are waiting to assist students with their technology problems, one student at a time. For some students, help does not come fast enough.

One major difference between this year’s and last year’s Canvas site is its appearance. The look and layout is different to make navigation easier. However, some glitches can be found and user friendliness is not always the case

“We provided campus support, and when students call us, issues are resolved,” said Michael Rodriguez, technical support technician at Palo Alto College.

When students call the Help Desk at Palo Alto College, a technician who is trained in this line of work can provide assistance. No student workers answer the phone.

“Some students can be impatient, but we do try our best to fix the problem and make sure they leave happy,” said Rodriguez.

The main issue that present itself with Canvas is logging onto the site. Messages were sent out through student emails and text alerts to students about the updates and changes happening with Canvas. Although notice was provided to students, it still did not prepare either side for the overwhelming number of phone calls asking for help.

“When I have issues logging in, I call and visit in person because on the phone they just transfer me to a voicemail. Whereas in person, someone has to help me,” said Megan Alvarez, a sophomore Nursing major. “They try to rush and act like you are bothering them.”

Rodriguez said, “We do have a lot of students that call along with faculty who face issues. For more technical issues, we cannot help them and do have to redirect them to the district office. Because of this, we do understand their frustration.”

“I go in person, but they make me feel rushed, like I am not important or they do not care about my problem,” said Ryan Truss, a sophomore Public Relations major. “They could be a little more helpful.”

While the negatives may surface before the positives, some students prefer the new Canvas. Some students are in a dual enrollment with Texas A&M-San Antonio and Palo Alto College, and they find the changes user friendly.

“I actually like the new system because it seems to work better,” said Ellen Skoll a senior at Texas A &M-San Antonio, who is majoring in English. “The new updates make navigating Canvas a lot easier than before.”

The overall rating of the new software is a split down the middle. While some problems need fixing, such as addressing issues faster, overall the system is working as it should. While students may not like the idea of change, they are slowly adjusting and noticing the new program is a good one.

Students can call the Help Desk and speak to a technical support administrator at (210)486-3777 or visit the Ozuna Mega Lab, Room 150, where student workers are trained to help troubleshoot basic problems.