Working with a college student budget sometimes means making sacrifices to afford the important things. Academic Technology and User Services, Western Washington University’s technology integration and support department, offers a convenient solution for students who need access to various tech equipment with their equipment loan program.
Working out of Haggard Hall Room 114, the classroom services department helps rent out tech equipment to students who may need it. Offering anything from laptops to projectors to cameras, they have it all.
In order to check out a piece of tech from ATUS, all students need is their Western ID. While the checkout times may vary depending on the type of equipment, most can be rented for a standard allotment of 48 hours. Students who need the equipment for longer than the initial rental period can renew it for some extra time.
Technology rentals aren’t the only reason for students to visit the classroom services office, though. The employees are also available to offer tech support for anyone who needs it. Whether you are having trouble with your laptop or want some tips on getting the right shot with the camera you just rented, the classroom services team is happy to help.
“I give people recommendations all the time depending on what they're looking for,” said Evan Redman, a Western fourth-year and a longtime ATUS employee. “I even teach them how to use it if they need me to.”
To Redman, working at ATUS isn’t so much a chore as it is an opportunity to talk about things he loves.
“I love when people come in to get camera gear and they actually want lessons on how to use the camera or techniques for getting good shots,” Redman said. “Whether that be portrait or landscape photos, or somebody wants to just nerd out about photography, I love to dole out any knowledge I might have on the topic.”
While the rental of expensive technology may seem intimidating, anyone who visits the office will quickly realize that classroom services aren’t scary at all. Muymuy Gregorio, a fourth-year at Western, learned firsthand just how willing the employees are to help out.
“I was very anxious to ask around and see what they have,” Gregorio said. “But I decided ‘I'm gonna be nosy,’ and it got easier to ask questions. I found out you can rent so much more there than you would think.”
The Basic Needs Hub, a department that is dedicated to supporting students’ needs by connecting them with essential supplies, tries its best to uplift resources like ATUS and its equipment loan program.
“We're definitely trying to make all the resources like [ATUS] on campus known,” said Gina Ebbling, the basic needs resource navigator at Western. “We like to build relationships across campus, so that's been a big goal of ours.”
On the Basic Needs Hub website, students can take in all the resources the Hub provides and those they amplify, ATUS’ equipment loan program being among them.
Some people think that ATUS still isn’t utilized enough by students. Gregorio, who is a member of a film club on campus, thinks that this is because Western isn’t doing enough to spread the word about ATUS.
“I feel like the school itself could do a lot more kind of advertising for [ATUS],” Gregorio said. “I want to get to the point where there's another production that's taking [the] camera [I want]. That makes me smile.”
Running out of equipment isn’t something that ATUS is concerned about, however. With more than 70 different types of rentable equipment, the classroom services office houses all the tech a student could need.
“We have more gear than you think,” Redman said. “Just come on in, we probably have more laptops and more cameras than you could ever want.”
Students who are interested in utilizing equipment available at ATUS can view their full inventory here. The classroom services office is open to students Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Aidan Hadley (he/him) is a campus life reporter for The Front this quarter. He is a third-year student at WWU studying news/editorial journalism. Outside of reporting, Aidan enjoys baking, eating good food and finding a new TV show to watch. You can reach him at aidanh.thefront@gmail.com.
