Creating a Training Program for Departmental IT Support Staff

1. Creating a Training Program for Departmental IT Support Staff Kate Webster Karen Kral

2. University of Delaware • Land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant and urban-grant institution • 21,000 students • 3,400 faculty and staff

3. Early 1990s • Centralized servers → distributed computing • More faculty use of technology • Departmental investment • Need for customized support within departments

4. Campus InformationTechnology Associates • Employed by department • Work with IT unit • Currently 54 CITAs at UD

5. IT’s Involvement with CITAs • Define the job • Help recruit for the position • Provide orientation to IT at UD • Inform CITAs about current IT issues • Assess training needs

6. The New Millennium • Support: discipline-specific → operational • University IT standards • Informal interaction between CITAs and IT staff • Need to clarify IT/CITA partnership

7. Spring 2001 • Announced Career Ladder for CITAs • Announced Training Program • More precise job descriptions • Defined IT/CITA relationship To help CITAs become as self-sufficient and knowledgeable of IT as possible

8. Getting Started – June 2001 What technical or organizational information? • CITA survey What topics do you need to learn more about? For which topics would you benefit by taking a training course? • IT staff brainstorming For which topics would you benefit by studying from a book? What would help you be more effective in your job?

9. Training Team • User Services and Help Center staff • Diverse group • Plan and implement a training program within that fiscal year

10. Areas of Interest • Orientation • Technical

11. Three Modules • Module 1: Orientation information • Module 2: Self-service training materials • Module 3: Formal training options • On the web • Includes standards information • Manuals • Online training • Customized, on campus, instructor-led • Off campus

12. Module 1: Orientation • Updated and reorganized IT web pages • IT Professionals Orientation • IT Overview • Getting Started for CITAs • Help & Resources • Policies • IT Standards • IT Professional Development http://www.udel.edu/cita

20. WebCT Takin’ it to the CITAs • Direct CITAs to essential information • Review for reinforcement • Restrict some resources to CITAs • Provide “perks” upon completion of Orientation module

28. Technical Skills Training • Skills assessment • No required training • Topics from brainstorming and survey • Variety of learning styles

29. Module 2: Self-Service Materials • Manuals • Online training • User Education resources • Online manuals from SANS • $200 allotment • VTC • Oracle

30. Module 3: Formal Training • On campus – IT paid • Off campus – IT and department shared cost • Windows 2000 • SANS Security– included IT staff

31. Results

32. Problems/Concerns • Minor usability issues • Non-participating CITAs • those who need training • those who are already skilled • Limitations of department funding • Scheduling

33. Added Benefits • Improved IT-CITA and CITA-CITA interaction • Organized IT web pages for everyone • Better communication within IT • Increased morale among CITAs

34. The Future • Budget tightened • Narrowing focus for topics • More CITA input on topics • Scheduling • Training doesn’t solve all problems

35. www.udel.edu Conclusion Successful project with many benefits Thank you!