Broken or Buggy Laptop? Bring it to TSTC

Many of us have been there— we have a final project due and all of a sudden our laptop stops working. It’s frustrating, but luckily CNM can help in situations like this. Inside the Student Resource Center on Main Campus our ITS department runs something called the Technology Service and Training Center where professional technicians can diagnose and often fix whatever’s gone wrong.

“TSTC is another way that CNM is trying to ensure that students have every resource they need here on campus,” says Alex Silage, the ITS Director of Customer Support Services.

During the Fall Term, TSTC will be open from 8 a.m-4:30 p.m. and staffed with experienced techs that have certifications from major tech companies including Dell, HP, and Apple. Simple software or hardware problems on your laptop, tablet, or cell phone can often be dealt with on site. For more complicated problems, the techs will create a ticket, take the device, and return it once the problem is fixed.

Students, staff, and faculty are allowed to bring in personal devices as long as the personal devices are being used to help with school. The TSTC will not fix a computer that downloaded a virus while you were gaming at home. But they can help with issues like software upgrades or problems with your wireless connection.

In addition to on-site help, the TSTC office is a place where students, staff, and faculty can learn about the newest technology being used on campus. Right now, for example, TSTC is building a room in the office that will house a computer dedicated to augment reality projects (AR). They’re also installing a virtually reality (VR) headset that can be tested by anyone interested in the technology.

“We encourage everyone to see what’s new and to find out how these technologies might work for their needs,” says Lawrence Chavez, a Tech Support Specialist.

Finally, TSTC also serves as a software training center. If you have questions about a piece of software used by the college, most technicians can help at the walk-up desk. If they can’t, TSTC offers scheduled individual trainings and group trainings, a list of which can be found on the website. Those trainings cover everything from Office 365, to Sharepoint, to the new Salesforce software.

For questions about the TSTC, or to make an appointment, please contact techtraining@cnm.edu or call 224-4357.