People of SFU: Meet Mike Klassen, endpoint device specialist, IT Services
Mike Klassen has seen the technology, people and institution itself change quite a bit in his 18 years with IT Services. Let’s just say when he started, he remembers an employee using a typewriter and even more using floppy disk drives.
As an Endpoint Device Specialist, Mike keeps our devices running smoothly; he’s a problem solver through and through. His role lives within IT Services, a crucial service area to the daily operations of SFU. IT Services empowers the university to thrive and innovate through the effective use of data and technology and are responsible for several university-wide services including maintaining an enterprise service desk, setting technology standards and policies and managing the devices that use our services (along with much more!).
A day in the life of an Endpoint Device Specialist
Mike’s day starts by checking the service desk queue, prioritizing the issues for the day and then he heads out to resolve. Whether it’s a device acting up or setting up a workstation for the first time - the service requests are limitless. Understanding what the client needs and finding a resolution in the least disruptive way possible is the name of the game.
The end goal of his role? Find the problem, fix it, and make sure you, the user, are happy! But it’s not that easy. If the situation involves a teachable moment Mike steps up to educate clients on resolving issues by themselves in the future, while assuring them that he’s just a phone call or email away if they need further support. If the problem can’t be fixed in one visit, he’ll gather as much information as possible and go back to the office to figure out how to triage – what tools, systems access or support he needs to get the job done.
“One time, a Board of Governor (BOG) member had their SFU supplied iPad crash on them and when it came back, their documents were not syncing properly. I called them to follow up on their request for support and over the phone was able to walk them through several troubleshooting techniques until we found the problem. I determined that a sync had been broken and walked the user through restoring the connection. This fixed the problem, and the user was able to download their documents for the next BOG meeting just in time.”
When he’s not out supporting clients, you can find Mike working on streamlining Client Services projects or processes. He also continually takes part in training that keep his skills up on new hardware and software packages up to date.
One of the best parts of his job is that he gets to meet a wealth of folks from across SFU: staff, faculty or executive members. He adds value wherever he goes by ensuring the community has the tools to do their jobs. It’s rewarding and no two days are the same.
“I love working with people. The clients are great to work for and very understanding even when I’m fixing a problem that may result in a hiccup to their day. My coworkers within the Desktop Support team and all IT Services are exceptional. We keep the university safe and working!”
Working in post-secondary is particularly rewarding for Mike. He may not be teaching but his efforts are contributing to the community getting the skills they’ll need to tackle the problems of tomorrow.
It’s not all work and no play, though. Mike makes sure to check in with his fellow colleagues at the Renaissance Café for a coffee. Don’t hesitate to say hi if you see him around the office!
IT Services empowers the university to thrive and innovate through the effective use of data and technology and is focused on improving the digital experience for our students, faculty, researchers, and staff. IT Services continues to seek out solutions and services to support SFU’s academic and research mission.
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This is a story in our People of SFU series, where we’re celebrating SFU’s unsung heroes—those who go above and beyond the call of duty to create community, advance SFU’s mission and make the university a great place to work and learn. You can read more stories here.