Support for Information Systems

CLAS Information Technology Group

The College’s Information Technology Group (IT) provides support for computer and instructional technology in departments. Aletia Morgan, Director of Information Systems (138 MacBride Hall, 335-1418) supervises the College’s web specialist as well as the computer consultants who work with clusters of departments. She also serves as the College’s liaison to the University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) and campus-wide committees that work on instructional technology policy and implementation.

Technical and User Support

Collegiate computer support encompasses:

• Troubleshooting PC and Mac hardware and software problems, including recommending repair or replacement.
• Installation of new systems, data migration from old systems for faculty and staff office computers, and verification of computer asset placement.
• Informal one-on-one training for new faculty and staff, and/or for new computers and software applications. IT may also recommend other university-sponsored training to individuals and identify needs for more general training to be offered by the College or other sponsor.
• Coordination of support and repair calls with the ITS Help Desk.
• Departmental instructional computing facilities (not including ITCs)

Software applications that IT supports include:

• Windows (95, 98, 2000) and Macintosh desktop operating systems
• Microsoft Office (97, 98, 2000)
• Eudora
• Corporate Time
• Netscape and Internet Explorer web browsers

IT does not support faculty research computing, department-owned servers, or the regular maintenance of departmental web pages.

As time permits, IT may assist with the support of department-specific software, the installation and support of computers in graduate assistant offices, and the resolution of other departmental information systems issues, including departmental web pages.

Computing Maintenance and Support

The College will assist in maintaining desktop computers purchased with University funds. This arrangement does not cover equipment purchased with external grants or personal funds.

Before requesting repair  services from ITS, the department should contact the College’s Information Technology Group (335–3554). A computer consultant will examine the machine and may be able to make repairs at no cost to the department. If repairs are needed that the College’s staff cannot do, departments share in the cost by paying a $150 deductible per repair.

For each repair that cannot be made by College staff, the department sends a Blue Requisition (Purchase Requisition) to the Dean’s Office, identifying the MFK against which the total repair cost should be charged. Organizational account number 400 should be used in the MFK for the amount over $150. The equipment to be repaired should be identified on the requisition by make, model, UI property number, and manufacturer’s serial number. This information enables the College to monitor maintenance needs and to review the maintenance policy regularly. The College will pay only for those repairs that IT deems cost-effective.