1

Building capacity and support for your staff and students

Tony Brett

Head of IT Support Staff ServicesDeputy Manager, Information and Support Group

tony.brett@oucs.ox.ac.uk

2

OUCS provides many services to help make your unit’s IT more efficient

• Services for end users: Helpdesk & Paid Services○ Local or central provision?

• Services for IT Support Staff○ Managing, developing and expanding IT Support

• Courses and Learning Technologies• Innovative communications• Boosting your conference trade• Strategy and review• Information Security and Privacy• Encouraging your people to use our offerings• Talking to us on a non-technical level via Reps scheme

3

Helpcentre is a backstop and source of extra expertise and temporary capacity

• Support should always be sought from your own IT staff (the “local IT staff”) first

• Helpdesk is available○ In-person 8.30am - 8:30pm

Mon-Fri○ Phone or Email contact

• Comprehensive self-help web resource

• Open user area○ Macs, PCs, Printers, Scanners, Video Editing etc.○ Help on hand○ More economical than buying your own facilities

4

Chargeable services can take the load off your own IT Support Staff

• Hardware assessments and repairs available○ We will advise against uneconomic repair

• We’re Apple-accredited so can do warranty work

• Backups and re-installs offered• Take the load off ITSS to let them be

more strategic and do more interesting things

• Specific expertise not economical at the unit level

5

Breakdown cover not just for cars!

• Hardware breakdown cover available for College, Department and Personal computers and more including iPods

• Extremely favourable rates• Covers accidental damage too• Can “book” to start at end of warranty

6

We work best with and through your IT staff

• Plenty of OUCS services for end-users but…• Coal-face IT staff (ITSS) are essential in a collegiate

and devolved structure like Oxford○ They are your best asset in IT

• OUCS depends on local ITSS for high-quality delivery and support of services to customers

• Balance between ITSS and OUCS is essential• Not “how to get rid of your IT Staff” but “how can

OUCS help you to help your ITSS”

7

Some things better locally, some centrallyLocal IT Service Provision

Central Service Provision

Expertise in business processes (e.g. your college room allocation system)

Economies of scale for systems that we all use (e.g. Nexus)

One-to-one user support with a familiar support person

Standardised but not personalised helpdesk

Understanding of strategic needs of local unit

Understanding of strategic needs of wider University

Services can be tailored to business processes and this often drives development

Services need to be one-size-fits-all and this can lead to improvements in business processes

8

What OUCS provides for IT Staff• Induction for new (and rusty!) staff• Rich web resources including Wiki• Tools for local user management• Priority helpdesk and registration access• Technical training• BCS group membership• “Lunch & Learn” seminars• Annual Conference and Exhibition• Social events – invaluable for networking• Are your IT staff using all this?

9

We can help recruit new IT staff as well as support existing

• Many experienced recruiters and managers in OUCS• We will Shortlist and Interview with you• We have a large stock of Job Descriptions & Adverts• We’re up-to-date with best practice training• Job description reviews (for re-grades) offered• Help with workplace IT related issues – but we are IT

experts, not Personnel Services!• Please ask us early!

10

Learning and teaching is about much more than just courses…

• Wide range of courses available○ Free at point of use – huge saving on

commercial offerings○ Course books available in ITLP portfolio

• We’re an Apple authorised training centre

• Lecture rooms are state-of-the-art○ And you can hire them!○ We can advise on creating your own○ We have lots of kit you can try

• Guidance & advice on teaching with technology○ Pedagogical expertise on tap…

11

The virtual learning environment we provide for you is Weblearn

• Brings together teaching and learning activities• Many tools and functions

○ Tutorial sign-up○ Surveys○ Questionnaires○ Reading lists○ Chat○ Assessment

• And lots more

12

We can help you communicate with people how they like to communicate

• We can help you formulate policies on and safely use:○ Facebook○ Twitter○ Blogs○ RSS (news syndication and use on websites)

• Text messaging to mobile phones○ Emergency use○ Reminder use○ Out-of-term use

• WebEx Service and Skype byte-size course○ Including for interviewing

13

Podcasts & iTunesU speak to tomorrow’s, today’s and yesterday’s students

• Oxford’s iTunesU brings your material to their iPhone, iPad, iPod etc. via iTunes○ Reach potential students – attract good candidates○ Reach current students – distribute course material○ Reach alumni – maximise development opportunities

• We offer wide expertise in recording, editing and distributing online material and can do as much or as little for you as you wish

• We know all the legal issues and can help you through them

• 8 million downloads in first 2 years!

14

Find a library book, find a bus, find a lecture, find a post box: all from a mobile• Personal computing is

moving from laptops to mobiles

• Quick way to get info to students and staff

• We can work with you to provide your information

• Mobile Oxford is an award-winning service

15

Keep your conference delegates happy and make them want to come back

• Eduroam○ Ideal for other HEI members○ Tools and setup help for ITSS○ Big disadvantage not to have○ Perfect for staff across Oxford too

• OWL-Visitor○ Ideal for non-eduroam users○ Resource for organisers, porters etc.

• Laptop hire (via ITSS)○ Favourable rates and custom configurations○ For in-house teaching as well as conferences

16

Where is your IT? Where’s it going? Do you have an IT Strategy?

• IT reviews/audits available○ Staff & Student interviews○ Surveys○ Technical reviews○ Advice and recommendations

• Ongoing implementation support• Help you to develop IT strategy & budget in line with unit

strategy and budget

17

Reputation is valuable and you don’t want to waste money dealing with data loss• Information Security affects everyone especially

those of us responsible for how our departments and colleges operate

• Recent self assessment tool showed it as a weak point• Breaches can cost reputation and money• Information Security Best Practice Group will provide

help with Policy and Toolkit○ Specific advice for Bursars and Administrators

• Information sheet available today• This is not just an IT issue

○ Should be considered in all business processes

18

How to point your users at our services

• Our marketing materials available on our web site

• Display in common areas• Use in information packs• Brighten up student

computer rooms• Remember you don’t

have to provide everything

19

Have you got an OUCS rep?

• Reps scheme provides a contact point for a unit other than via IT Staff

• Enables non-technical dialogue about things that OUCS offers

• Reps are high-level and strategic○ Many senior OUCS staff involved

• Bring OUCS reports to meetings & committees if you wish

• Will work in the best way to fit your needs• Always work in consultation with ITSS

20

Thank you for listening

• Please ask me about anything in this presentation• Afterwards over coffee

• tony.brett@oucs.ox.ac.uk• (2)83354

• We’re here to help you get the most out of what we can offer in partnership with your own ITSS