The Quadrangle

Issue date: 10/6/04 Section: Features

In 1989, Rosemary Jimenez, a young clerical worker at Verizon Telecommunications, suddenly found herself unemployed by a strike, and began working in the Registrar's office at Manhattan College. Verizon's loss was to become Manhattan College's gain. Fifteen years later, Rosemary Jimenez is simply and affectionately known at Manhattan College as "the Audix lady."

Jimenez, a Systems Analyst in Telecommunications, is the familiar and friendly voice on the Audix system that informs students of college updates and news. She is also responsible for maintaining and repairing all of the personal and pay phones, making up the college's phone directory, and the billing for administrators' phones. Jimenez also proudly serves as the President of Manhattan College's Staff Council, a position that she has held since 1997.

After attending both Berkeley and Manhattan College, Jimenez received training in the telecommunications field through various AT&T programs. Jimenez credits her on the job training as her greatest business asset. The daily maintenance of some 3,200 personal phones and a dozen pay phones can be tolling. While noting that her least favorite part of her job "is when something breaks down," Jimenez is quick to point out that "helping people" is the upside of her job.

Imagine being at the mercy of public pay phones and shared dormitory common phones. The very idea of no voicemail and no privacy is both primitive and unfathomable to the present Manhattan College student. Jimenez recalls the chaotic transitional period when Manhattan College first provided students with personal phones, stating, "Adding student phones in the early 1990's bought on a lot of responsibility."

Personal billing by outside telephone companies often made calling home for many students impossible or difficult. Jimenez was particularly concerned about the lack of flexibility in billing options offered to students by outside telephone companies.

"I felt bad for the kids because it wasn't flexible. I would feel so bad if I left at the end of the day knowing a student couldn't call home," says Jimenez.

According to Jimenez, while dealing with student's needs, she incorporates a personal mantra that is "I always relate as if it was my child."

Sometimes, that is exactly the case. Both of Jimenez's children have attended Manhattan College. Jimenez's daughter, Valerie, currently a Manhattan College student majoring in business, grew up around the school, attending events like Midnight Madness. Nick, Jimenez's son, went to basketball camps at Manhattan College and currently works in the security department.

Valerie doesn't seem to mind having her mother on campus, saying, "When I'm done with class, I go down to her room." Jimenez says, "She comes here to eat."

Jimenez also notes that working on Manhattan College's campus not only allows her the luxury of spending more time with her kids, but also eliminates commuting time, and reduces the temptation to go shopping on her lunch break.

Under the caring supervision of Jimenez, over a decade of technical improvements, consistent upgrading, and repair of our telecommunications system have propelled Manhattan College's campus into the 21st Century.

Clearly unaffected by her achievements, Jimenez humorously remarks, "When I go home I don't even talk on the phone. I hate the phone. I get enough of it at work."

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