The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2 - 106

Kevin Guidry • Carol Anderer • David Futey • Clifton Pee

conferences such as those hosted by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International Information Technology (ACUHO-I-IT), EDUCAUSE, and other organizations that sponsored conferences related to student-used technology in residence halls may provide additional insight from those who may not have attended the ResNet Symposia. Further research using additional and alternative sources of information can shed additional light on these complex issues and illuminate solutions to contemporary technical, funding, staffing, and policy problems. For example, case studies of appropriately selected institutions using historical data from institutional and departmental archives may be a fruitful and accessible way to continue exploring these issues in depth. Application of and exploration of both the specific methodology of ethnographic content analysis and the general concept of using conference programs as a primary source could also prove worthwhile even in contexts and fields completely unrelated to residential computer networks. Although one can readily claim that such data are representative of the particular conference or sponsoring organization, the strength of the link between the conference and the larger communities for whom the conference is presumably organized remains largely unexplored and speculative and thus a topic worthy of further exploration.

CONCLUSION
This experimental analysis of programs presented at the ResNet Symposium from 1995 through 2006 not only traced a rough historical development of the concerns common through these years but also identified issues fundamental to those who maintain residential computer networks and support their users. This analysis supports and fleshes out Futey and Bender’s (2005) assertion that the “structural and cultural support of residential networks and technologies for students has changed over time for a variety of reasons” (p. 6). However, many challenges have remained relatively stable, lending continuity to the symposium and its attendees. The presentations demonstrate a commitment by those involved in the ResNet Symposium not only to ResNet student employees but also to the education and support of residential students. The presentations also reflect the importance of collaboration with other campus units to supply and enhance computing services to residents. The variety of themes identified in these presentations supports the assertion that “ResNet services are often at the intersection of academe, residential life, and technology” (Futey & Bender, 2005, p. 10) and provides us with a clear picture of the challenges IT administrators and housing officers have overcome and the ones we continually face.

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THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITy STUDENT HOUSING
The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2
