Abstract
Brigham Young University, like most institutions, has experienced rapid growth in the use of distributed computing systems. However, the maintenance and support of distributed computing has not kept pace with its growth. BYU has researched several methods of support, ranging from departmental autonomy to a central hot-line for total campus support. Each method has met varying degrees of success as well as some major problems.In light of their research, BYU implemented a method of computing support known as the "Computing Support Representative" (CSR) Program. This has provided the coordination and economy of scale of a centralized support organization, while retaining the autonomy and responsiveness of a decentralized support team. The CSR Program was patterned after a national business franchise that provides the standards, support, and training of a centralized administration, while allowing each unit to operate much like an independent small business.