Off Campus Support Policy
Off Campus Support Policy
Overview of IRT's Off Campus Support Policy...
The University of St. Thomas (UST) recognizes that students, faculty, and staff require access to computer resources from off campus. However, the university also recognizes that because of the variety of hardware, software, and connection alternatives available for the off campus user, it is not cost effective to provide the same level of service off campus as is provided on campus with the university's standardized technology.
This policy is intended as a guideline for technology support that off campus users may expect from Information Resources and Technologies (IRT).
The technical support provided by IRT for off-campus UST faculty, staff and students.
IRT offers limited support for the UST community located off campus. Faculty, staff and students may request assistance with supported software applications and general software and hardware questions.
Tech Desk consultants are available for off-campus user assistance.
The Tech Desk will be available as the point of contact for all user-related questions and concerns. When requests require assistance beyond the standard support provided by the Tech Desk, the consultants will contact the appropriate administrators or technicians, remaining the central point of contact for all user concerns.
Hours are available on the web on the Contact IRT page.
(Note: Hours may be reduced during holidays, spring break and summer sessions.)
Contacting the Tech Desk
There are several methods available for contacting the Tech Desk.
Clients of Service
All current faculty, staff, and students of the university are eligible for this service.
There is no charge for services supplied by IRT. Charges accrued from suggested outside sources are the user's responsibility.
Scope of Service
IRT supports UST-owned computer hardware.
Special arrangements may be negotiated between IRT and UST faculty and staff when off-campus hardware is UST-owned or leased.
When UST-owned or leased computers designated for home use no longer function properly, the user may contact the tech desk and arrange a time to bring the hardware in to campus for service. Sorry, IRT is not staffed to do house calls.
IRT does not support personally-owned computer hardware.
When a personally-owned computer no longer functions properly, the user may contact the IRT Tech Desk for assistance in determining that the problem potentially exists with computer hardware. At this point, the Tech Desk consultant may offer suggestions for further resolution (e.g., Computer City, Comp USA, the computer manufacturer) but cannot accept responsibility for resolving the hardware concern.
With the variety of software manufacturers, applications, and versions, the Tech Desk cannot provide comprehensive support for all software available. However, IRT provides support for a number of applications both on campus and off campus.Because of the university's licensing agreements with vendors, several of the standard software applications are available for faculty and staff home use at no charge to the user. IRT will provide the software media; however, because of the potential variables in off-campus computer configurations, IRT cannot guarantee that the software made available for home use will function properly or that the installation of that software will not cause problems with existing software. Further information for UST-owned or licensed software for faculty and staff home use is available by sending an email to IRTPurchase@stthomas.edu.
It is understood that software manufacturers frequently release new application versions and that it's not always possible or feasible for the home user to upgrade to the current version. Yet in some cases, particularly Internet browsers (i.e. Firefox and Internet Explorer), the Tech Desk may request that users upgrade the software to current standards in order to receive the fullest support available by IRT. In the case of Internet browsers, both applications are available free of charge and UST resources such as e-mail, online registration, etc. may require the improvements (e.g. security features or Java support) available only in newer versions. However, it is further understood that newer software may not always function on home computers. Upgrading decisions are left to the user's discretion.
The use of certain applications and tools may work differently from on-campus and off-campus. In some cases, it may be impossible to accomplish a task from off-campus.All UST resources must be accessed through the Internet when not on campus. The university neither recommends nor supports any Internet Service Provider (ISP). The selection, quality, and cost of service provided by an ISP are the sole responsibility of the off-campus user. The university's technology staff may make note of known problems with certain ISPs but will not try to resolve these problems.
IRT recognizes that there are many avenues of connectivity for off-campus users. With the variety of modem types (i.e. analog, cable, and digital), the range of speeds, and the assortment of brands, it is not cost-effective to provide testing of all possible alternatives. However, IRT will make a good-faith effort to test off-campus access to UST resources when providing new services and to verify that existing services known to be available off-campus are functioning as expected.
Quality of Service
IRT strives to provide effective and efficient technology support for off-campus users within the boundaries outlined in this document. All questions and concerns regarding off-campus support should be referred to the IRT Tech Desk at (651) 962-6230 or email IRTHelp@stthomas.edu.
This policy is a working document and will be periodically evaluated and updated to reflect changes in staffing resources.
