Distributed IT Support Staff in Oxford

1. Distributed IT Support Staff in Oxford Tony Brett IT Support Staff Services Oxford University Computing Services

2. Agenda • Who? • How Many? • Where they work • What they do • Management • Training • IT Committees • IT Support Staff Group • Coordination & Communication • OUCS Services for ITSS

3. Who are they? • Staff engaged in IT Support in Colleges, Departments, Central Units • Some full-time, some part-time, some students • All ages, all levels of experience, approx 10% annualised staff turnover

4. How Many? • Approx 500 registered IT Support Staff (ITSS) • Around 100 in Colleges • Around 400 in departments • (of which about 100 are OUCS) • Approx 20 students work on OUCS helpdesk and as demonstrators

5. Where ITSS Work • Colleges • Departments / Faculties / Divisions • Libraries • Online catalogue, borrowing records etc. Many “public” terminals. • Central Admin • Business Systems (payroll, student records, HR, Estates etc) • OUCS • Backbone network, Infrastructure services (email, web, VLE, Helpdesk, teaching staff) • Associated institutions • Approx. 170 units • Colleges financially independent • 39 colleges, 6 permanent private halls • Departments think they are! • Depts organised into 5 academic and 2 service divisions with considerable autonomy

6. What ITSS do:a juggling act! • Local user administration • Software advice, purchase, installation • Design, supervise network installation, manage LAN, firewall etc. • File, web, mail server purchase, install, management • PC purchasing, installation, maintenance • Supporting use of central services (OUCS, OULS, Admin) • Front-line support for local users (and their laptops…) • Manage other ITSS • Participate in wider University activities, committees etc.

7. How do I get an email account? How can I write formulas in LaTeX? Can you recover this document? The internet is Broken! So how do I back up my files now? We’re running out of IP Addresses… Can you open this Wordstar file? … and can you network this building? Which computer should I buy? Why can’t I download MP3s? I forgot my password…. I need to access this database… And so on… Which Password?

8. Management • Federated structure. • No central management of all ITSS • Divisional IT Committees. • ITSS have different management depending on size and nature of unit. • College – Bursar, Computing Fellow • Department – IT Committee, Administrator • Proper structure in larger units. • E.g. OUCS, Physics, Engineering • Line management often difficult in small units (especially Colleges) • ITS3 will assist with career development, recruitment etc.

9. IT Committees ICT Committee University IT Users Group Colleges’ IT Users Group IT Support Staff Group Learning Technologies Advisory Group Research Technologies Advisory Group Network Advisory Group OxTALENT Electronic Resources Committee IT Special Interest Groups

10. Colleges IT Officers Forum • Informal but very useful!

11. IT Support Staff Group • Formed after first ITSS Conference • Chairman appointed by IT Committee • 3 members elected from/by membership of the IT Support list • 1 member appointed by ITUG • 1 member appointed by Colleges IT Group • 1 member appointed by MIS • 1 member appointed by Libraries Services • 1 member appointed by/from Departmental Administrators • 1 member appointed by/from College Administrators • 1 member appointed by OUCS • The staff of OUCS's IT Support Staff Services group • Other members to be co-opted as deemed necessary • Oversees and advises work of IT Support Staff Services

12. Conference and Suppliers exhibition • Conference late June • Plenary sessions and workshops • 250 delegates • One day event • Suppliers Exhibition mid-December • Organising outsourced to EML • They pay us!

13. Social Events • BBQs • Posh Dinners • Lunchtime “surgeries” • But free lunches before seminars attract far more people!

14. OUCS Services for ITSS • ITS3 – IT Support Staff Services • Fast track to Registration and Helpdesk • New IT Staff Induction sessions • Regular seminars • OUCS Briefings • Technology Showcases • Rich web resource • ITSS-Restricted facilities

15. Coordination and Communication • ITSS Register • All IT Staff • Application form and recommendation • itss-announce • itss-discuss • Newsgroups • ox.it, ox.sig.*

16. ITSS Register and Facilities • ITSS Register maintained by OUCS • The key to getting ITSS Services

17. ITS3 Web Site

18. ITS3 Web Site

19. ITSS Induction • Introductions (2.30pm) • Organisation of IT in Oxford & Distributed ITSS (2.40pm) • Life at the Coal Face – Simon Thomson (2.55pm) • Computer Room Tour - Oliver Gorwits and Coffee (3.10pm) • IT Security – David Boucher (3.50pm) • The ITSS Register - Beth Crutch (4.15pm) • OUCS ITSS Restricted Info, mailing lists, preferential treatment • OUCS Services – Software, Training, Accounts (4.30pm) • IT Support Staff Services • Committees, Groups, etc. – Jeremy Worth (4.45pm) • Communication & Information Resources

20. In-House Training • We coordinate and buy this in or provide ourselves • Saves travel and cost, builds relationships working together

21. OUCS Helpdesk • ITSS have fast-track access • Advisors know if caller is IT Support Staff • We will reset passwords etc. for users at request of their ITSS

22. Thanks • To UCISA for inviting me to to come and speak • To Jane Littlehales for a couple of slides about ITSS Induction • To James Dore for the IT Support Tasks slide