The helpdesk at most colleges and universities is still not firmly established to everyone’s satisfaction. A fresh round of discussions on the topic of helpdesk organization and function rolled through the EDUCAUSE CIO list as recently as mid-September. Interestingly, helpdesk basics appear less often in forums for commercial and corporate IT these days: that world seems to be having fewer questions in terms of how to provide this service effectively. Why is helpdesk still a hot topic in the academic world? What in the campus IT environment might be hindering resolution of this long-running issue?