New Director First Focuses on One Thing

When she arrived at Smith three months ago, Sharon Moore, the college’s new director of telecommunications in Information and Technology Services, had one main issue on her slate.

Or, more accurately, one card—that is, the OneCard.

Moore’s immediate directive has been to implement Smith’s new OneCard system. The OneCard, used by students (and eventually by staff and faculty members) as an identification card with the capability of accessing many campus services, is replacing the college’s former ID card system.

And though that implementation has taken most of Moore’s time since her arrival, she has a few other tasks, too.

As telecommunications director, Moore oversees the college’s telecommunications facilities and services, managing the campus telephone system, including billing of student telephones and long-distance services. She also manages the operation of the campus voice messaging systems and the installation and maintenance of cabling systems among other duties.

Though the first phase of the OneCard implementation is complete, Moore says, she will continue to add new applications to the system, such as the capability to access copy and vending machines on campus.

And while she wasn’t afforded any time to settle into her job, Moore says she has appreciated the immediate challenge of getting the OneCard system off the ground at Smith.

“Getting the OneCard system up and running was a lot of work, but it was also an exciting challenge that required many individuals from different areas to pull together,” says Moore, who came to Smith in July from her former job as a regional manager at AT&T Education Markets. “I enjoyed the sense of camaraderie that I immediately felt at Smith. In the corporate environment I came from, I didn’t always get the same sense of a team.”

Moore, a UMass graduate who specialized in higher education equipment and accounts during her 13 years with AT&T, says she’s happy to now be employed at a college. “I had always worked around colleges and universities and have enjoyed the higher education environment,” she explains.

Moore is considering a new telephone system for the campus while she continues expanding the role of the OneCard. But most of all, she appreciates her new surroundings.

“It’s been an exciting transition and the support I’ve received here has been wonderful,” she says. “I’m proud to be part of such a welcoming and diverse community.”