You shouldn't have to train people any more than you train users for MS Windows. You simply deny applications with no knowledge or willingness to pick up GNU/Linux skills. GNU/Linux isn't that difficult. Supporting it isn't that difficult even if you don't support the distributions. You just have to NOT buy dumb appliances that deny access to non-MS Windows users and things like that. Your IT people can at a minimum ask the vendor if they support GNU/Linux and demand that in any contracts they sign with third parties. It doesn't cost more to support GNU/Linux if you have people with even half a brain. The real reason universities don't support it is people are lazy as hell. Most universities have people with basic computing skills (well, most user don't have basic skills, so don't go go saying this is non-sense) and that is all that is required to support GNU/Linux. Help desk people should be able to provide basic support for GNU/Linux. Lots of universities do it- even small publicly underfunded ones. To say it costs too much is utter BS.
A far as non-standard stuff. Nobody is suggesting that they support recompiling a kernel. We're JUST demanding basic GNU/Linux support. Like connecting to the network. They shouldn't implement appliances without checking compatibility with non-ms windows platforms. When a GNU/Linux users isn't able to connect to the Internet at the school the help desk should have someone who can reasonably investigate the situation. Running a live-cd to test the network card isn't that hard. If it is a network card issue it'll be pretty obvious. If it is a software configuration issue the answer is pretty simple "reload GNU/Linux" if they can't figure it out. Supporting GNU/Linux is NOT that complicated.