OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Technical Support Guidelines

The Information Technology department has prepared the following guidelines to be used by district personnel when requesting technical support, troubleshooting computer problems and purchasing computer equipment. This document will be updated at the beginning of each school year. 

TECHNICAL SUPPORT REQUESTS

HELP DESK Requests for hardware and software technical support are to be submitted through the Technical Support Help Desk at 231-7436. This desk is manned by two technicians between the hours of 7:30 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday. Friday hours are from 7:30 AM until 3:00 PM. Friday mornings are reserved for staff meetings, planning and training. The Help Desk is closed on all district holidays. The Help Desk receives 80 to 100 calls each day, and many times technicians will be taking other calls. For this reason, we have an answering machine to pick up calls when both lines are busy. We urge you to leave a message on the answering machine. These calls are placed in the call login database and a support technician will return your call.  When placing calls to the Help Desk be prepared to work with the technician over the phone to resolve the problem. If the problem cannot be corrected during the call, the technician will enter the call in the Help Desk database for dispatch. Calls requiring on-site visits will be assigned to the appropriate support technician. (See technician assignments above.)

GROUPWISE/NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE Information Technology provides technical support for GroupWise, the district's standard communication software. For all requests for network accounts, password issues and technical GroupWise issues, please call the GroupWise Desk at 231-7470 Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and Friday, 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM. For all network problems call 231-7436 Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

SASI Support for SASI, the district's student information system, is available through Information Technology Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Please call in your requests to 231-7475.

MUNIS Support for MUNIS, the district's management information system, is available through Information Technology  Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please call in your requests to 231-7468 or 231-7469.

PRIORITIES

Although every effort is made to respond to incoming calls on a first-in first-out basis, each call must be carefully evaluated. The following are the guidelines Information Technology has adopted for determining priorities:  1. Administrative or instructional networks that are completely down. 2. Instructional computer labs problems. 3. Media Center (and related software) problems. 4. Problems with Database Specialist workstations. 5. Problems with school administrative workstations. 6. Problems with administrative workstations. 7. Additions to present equipment. 8. New installations or upgrades.  9. During the course of the school year, in addition to normal support priorities, major technical initiatives, new projects and infrastructure expansion are ongoing. Information Technology works with schools and departments to plan, prioritize and implement these activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Each school will appoint a staff member to serve as assistant administrator of the local area network and act as a local support person. This person shall assist in the initial troubleshooting of problems, and will contact the Help Desk with unresolved problems. While it is strongly recommended that the Information Technology Specialist serve as the local support/contact person, some schools may choose a different individual. Any school selecting a different support person may do so with the prior approval of the school principal. Each school will submit the name of the designated local assistant administrator to Information Technology at the beginning of each school year. Information Technology will serve as an equal partner in all local system administration matters and will assume additional responsibility on a site-by-site basis during the summer months. 2. Information Technology, in concert with the Electronic Resources Committee, maintains the district's Internet filtering hardware and software. All questions and requests regarding "blocking" or "unblocking" specific Internet sites (URLs) should be directed to the Chair of Electronic Resources Committee, Wayne Martin (231-6798).  3. Networked software applications, unless a specific contract requires vendor participation, will be installed by Information Technology. 4. Information Technology will be responsible for planning and maintaining Local Area Networks and the district's Wide Area Network.  5. School and district personnel will be responsible for moving and reconnecting computers and related equipment. 6. The local support person is responsible for contacting the hardware or software vendor for hardware or software warranty related problems and issues. 7. All new computers and computer equipment must be unboxed and in place before Information Technology support staff arrives to complete desktop configurations and network connectivity. 8.  Information Technology cannot install, service or support individual's home computer equipment. Any individual with district equipment being used at home must bring that equipment to Information Technology for servicing.