Background

Students in the Center for Convergence and Emerging Network Technology (CCENT) in the School of Information Studies worked with Francis House, a residence for people with terminal illnesses located on Syracuse’s North Side, to audit and update the organization’s information technology.

CCENT receives Chancellor's Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship

The Challenge

The IT infrastructure at Francis House was piecemeal and aging. It needed an immediate revamp and update of the existing IT infrastructure.

How CCENT helped

CCENT conducted a thorough analysis, along with interviews with each of the staff members, to determine what equipment was on hand, what was needed, and what was realistic according to the community’s finances as they are financed through donations.

The team of students at CCENT worked with the members of Francis House to first map it’s infrastructure and then recommended a set of solutions that have already been implemented.

The staff members commented that not only would the students’ work make them more efficient, but it was also “invaluable”. The students were described as “a pleasure to work with, and very respectful of the staff, residents, and family members at Francis house while doing their work.”