The Great Hall in the Memorial Union buzzed with energy on April 16 as 83 IT professionals from 38 departments across UW–Madison gathered for the inaugural IT Support Symposium.
The half-day event, designed to foster connections among university technology support staff, featured collaborative discussions, a panel session and networking opportunities focused on creating new connections between departments.
Building a community
The symposium was the brainchild of Ella Tschopik, IT Help Desk Supervisor for the School of Education, who envisioned bringing together support professionals who often work in isolation despite facing similar challenges.
“I hoped that people would begin building connections with other people on campus,” Tschopik said. “So that when they encounter a problem that they haven’t seen before, they can say, ‘Oh, you know what? (I know someone who) works on the same set of tools. Let me call and see if they’ve had that issue before.’”
The idea originated from Tschopik’s experience in the UW Lead From Where You Are program, a training program for IT staff facilitated by MOR Associates that emphasizes relationship-building as a cornerstone of effective leadership. She decided to put the idea into action after getting inspired by a lecture by Brenda Spychalla about how she co-founded UW–Madison’s IT Connects initiative.
“During the MOR program, they told us about how relationships are currency, and those connections are really important,” Tschopik explained. “People in different groups across campus rarely have the opportunity to engage with each other.”
Designed for engagement
Unlike traditional conferences that rely heavily on presentations, the symposium emphasized active participation through facilitated discussions, a World Café session and icebreakers. Topics included artificial intelligence in IT support, breaking down university silos, digital accessibility, service desk excellence, IT leadership, managing student employees and many more.
Mike Crawford, a Help Desk manager in the Division of Information Technology with 24 years of experience at the university, the last 12 in IT services, appreciated the interactive format. “For an on-site event, I thought it was incredibly well attended. People were very engaged in the conversation,” said Crawford. “We did not have enough time to cover the outline because there was so much engagement from staff talking about their experiences and advice.”
Survey respondents enthusiastically praised the symposium for facilitating meaningful connections across campus departments. 95% of respondents reported making new contacts and exchanging practical ideas they could apply in their work. Participants especially appreciated the event’s hands-on format, which encouraged active engagement instead of passive listening. The interactive discussions and collaborative activities received particular acclaim, with respondents expressing strong interest in participating in future symposiums.
Fresh perspectives
Even for long-time university IT staff, the symposium offered new connections and insights.
Sara Nagreen, IT Manager for the Department of Mathematics, who has worked in university IT since 1998, was surprised by the number of new faces she encountered.
“I met people today that I’ve never met before, which is surprising because I feel like I know everyone on campus,” Nagreen said. “I heard such great ideas, and I’m so excited to take that information back to my own department. My biggest takeaway is there’s somebody on this campus who has a great idea that’s going to help you, and you just have to find it.”
For newer IT professionals like Gabriel Maldonado, who joined the School of Human Ecology’s IT team last year and has worked at UW since 2021, the symposium provided valuable context on different approaches to common challenges.
“(The symposium) was different from other IT things I’ve been to, which are mainly just presentations and people talking the entire time,” said Maldonado. “This was a lot more collaborative. It was pretty eye-opening to see how other IT departments do things.”
Maldonado participated in a breakout session on student staff management. “It was nice to hear that everyone else is kind of in the same boat as me—not always sure (of the best approach) with their students, but trying,” he said with a smile.
Looking ahead
The event committee, composed of IT professionals from various university units, hopes to make the symposium an annual tradition, but planning hasn’t begun yet for next year’s symposium.
“If anyone is interested in knowing more about the symposium, the organizers and all the people involved would be happy to talk,” Nagreen emphasized. “We have a vibrant IT community on campus. If people are at all interested, all they have to do is ask and they will get more of a reaction than they could possibly anticipate.”
When asked what advice he would give to someone considering attending next year, Maldonado recommended: “Come with plenty of questions to ask and an open mind. Try to talk with as many people as you can as well. You can build some pretty cool connections.”
For more information about IT Support Symposium or to learn how to get involved in planning next year’s symposium, email it.support.symposium@wisc.edu.
The IT Support Symposium Planning Committee included Ella Tschopik (School of Education), Laurel Belman (Division of Information Technology), Sarah Lien (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), Reina Werth (UW Libraries), Brianna Kuhn (Division of Information Technology), Jose Valdez (Division of Information Technology) & Alex Zielske (School of Medicine and Public Health).