The AP Spotlight is on:
Sicco Rood
Web Coordinator, WSU Spokane
How does a young person from the third largest city in the Netherlands find himself serving as web coordinator for WSU’s Spokane campus? Why, via San Diego, of course!
Sicco Rood was raised in The Hague, The Netherlands, current location of the International Tribunal Court. He earned a BA in Environmental Studies from the United States International University (now Allient International University) in San Diego, California. He worked for the Soil Ecology and Restoration Group at San Diego State University, Edmin Open Systems, several nurseries and various other jobs before coming to WSU 8 years ago.
At WSU, Sicco has held positions of Web Specialist, Computer Support Analyst II, and his current position of Web Coordinator where he provides Web and online Learning Management System technical and instructional technology support for WSU Spokane. This includes system administration for web, blackboard, and video stream servers.
Sicco spends his days troubleshooting, working with content editors (including faculty, staff, and students) on web sites and online courses. He maintains and develops WSU Spokane’s web presence, keeps all other online operations running and connected, keeps up to date with developments with regard to technology, and tests new technologies.
Although he says the most difficult part of his job is putting out multiple fires at once that require full attention, Sicco thoroughly enjoys seeing folks constructively use and benefit from the technologies offered to the campus community. The stress of trying to resolve problems when – for example - the web server goes down or gets compromised during finals or beginning of class, and getting a wave of requests while at the same time having all the campuses call about Blackboard having a problem is balanced by the enjoyment of working with instructors and trying new tools in interesting ways that enhance the student and instructor’s learning and interactions.
Sicco notes that the one of the most interesting parts of his job is constantly seeing the world get smaller and more interdependent each day. He says “I think a lot of preconceived notions, deep conditioning, and value judging drop away in the virtual realm. There is much unconditional sharing for the greater good going on online that increases the world’s knowledge, equality, intelligence, and awareness, which in turn decreases suffering. Of course every tool can be used to harm as well. The outcome depends on the state of mind and intentions of the user. I think that even the proliferation of false persona building that is easier to do online, could eventually lead the folks behind these to use that as a stepping stone to more honesty and more dialogue, which could lead to more authenticity.”
Sicco believes the lack of clear boundaries in the virtual world seems to help democratize it and create more transparency, accountability, and increase individual participation. According to Sicco, “The ease of fewer barriers to publishing and finding information seem to empower individuals and groups and allow formerly oppressed and new views to be heard. In turn the virtual world is changing the brick and mortar world; it is fascinating to see the two affecting each other.”
While his normal day is anything but normal, Sicco says “there are lots of little unusual things that happen, like the strangest search terms people use to get to our website, or elephants walking down the street a few years ago.” He recalls “One time I was called into a large faculty meeting to explain a new video conferencing technology right on the spot, however, I had never heard or read about this particular vendor. I’m not sure how I got out of there…J”
Outside of his job at WSU, Sicco says he has a “wonderful family” including one daughter and animals who are all adopted. His leisure time is spent playing in the snow and on the ice, enjoying his family, fiddling with the grease-car and reading.
About Lane Rawlins, Sicco says “I only had a very brief exposure to Lane Rawlins while acting as Audio Visual support for a couple events, I really enjoyed his sense of humor.”
Sicco believes a big part of education is a drawing out the talents and unique contribution of individuals and dealing with the whole individual, as well as conferring knowledge. “Although things like life skills are perhaps taken for granted,” says Sicco, “for example, it seems that balancing a budget, cultivating emotional intelligence, questioning, becoming aware of subconscious prejudices, analysis and reflection, should be a big part of education. To work to instill a joy for continuous learning that doesn’t end with a piece of paper.”
Wanting to see a tighter integration of wellness and sustainability in the core vision of the university, based on the understanding of an interconnected whole, Sicco cites recent studies which show that for every dollar invested in wellness, you save three dollars in health care. “This is why,” he says, “an emphasis on sustainability and wellness is not mere idealism, but it makes financial sense. There will always be a gap between what is preached and what is practiced, however, difficult as this is, this process of shortening this gap is what I think of as verification of practice, and for that to be effective, it seems that it has to be done daily, moment-to-moment, rather than once in a while, to avoid complacency, corruption creep.”
In his opinion, the world around us is a reflection of the world within. Sicco’s philosophy is that “one has to create that which one wants to see outside within oneself first”.
Those who know Sicco would say he is an excellent example of that philosophy. A recipient of the 2006 WSU Spokane AP Staff Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the campus and the greater Spokane community, Director of Communications for WSU Spokane Barb Chamberlain was quoted as describing Sicco as having “an easy-going manner, pleasant to work with, and always there when you need him. He is a model for others to emulate.”
It’s clear that however he made his way to WSU, Sicco Rood is one of the AP Staff who make WSU “World Class”!
