Reimaging Student Helpdesk Communication at CSI

John Adibeli, Verrazzano Class of 2026, completed major in Mathematics and minors in Business and Design & Digital Media

This project focused on improving the student experience with the Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) at the College of Staten Island by using student feedback to identify common challenges and propose practical improvements. By using a survey, I collected responses from students about their experiences with IT support, including issues with logging into accounts, connecting to WiFi, and navigating the Help Desk website. Based on this feedback, I developed design ideas such as a simplified support interface, a clearer “Report a Problem” process, a ticket tracking feature, and a more organized FAQ section. Overall, this project highlights how listening to students can lead to more accessible and effective support systems.

What made this project especially meaningful to me was how closely it connected to my own experience. As both a student and a college assistant working within OITS, I have seen firsthand how students struggle to get the help they need, while also understanding the limitations and responsibilities on the staff side. This dual perspective is what led me to choose this topic. I wanted to work on something that not only interested me but also had the potential to make a real difference within a department I am part of.

At the beginning, I expected the capstone to feel like a typical class assignment, but it quickly became clear that it required much more independence and responsibility. Unlike other projects, I had to take initiative in designing the survey, collecting responses, analyzing the data, and consistently communicating with my mentor to stay on track. In many ways, it felt less like an assignment and more like a real-world project, which pushed me to be more accountable for my own progress.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was maintaining motivation and managing my time effectively. Balancing this project alongside my regular coursework, exams, and other responsibilities was not easy. There were times when it was difficult to stay consistent, especially when I had other academic priorities to focus on. Gathering enough data was also a challenge, and looking back, I realize I should have distributed my survey earlier to allow more time for responses. At the same time, I found parts of the process enjoyable, particularly when I was analyzing the feedback and thinking about how to translate those insights into design improvements. It was rewarding to see how real student experiences could directly shape potential solutions.

 If I had the opportunity to continue this research, I would want to take it a step further by sharing my findings with leadership within the OITS department. I would be interested in seeing how realistic these ideas are from an operational standpoint and what changes would be necessary to implement them. I would also expand the survey to include a larger group of students to strengthen the data and better represent the student population.

Overall, this experience is something I take pride in completing. It challenged me in ways that went beyond a typical assignment and helped me develop stronger time management and organizational skills. More importantly, it showed me how research and design can be used together to solve real problems. This project made me think differently about how students interact with campus services and how even small improvements can have a meaningful impact. It is an experience that I will carry with me moving forward, both academically and professionally.