Tech Support Services
Office Technology Support and Services
Understanding Technology Support in the College
The Temple University Help desk (x1-8000 or help@temple.edu) provides university-wide support for office computers and technology issues. Faculty and Staff will receive priority service by requesting help online using TUHelp. The HELP desk should be considered your primary, central contact for assistance.
How does the Help Desk work?
When you initiate a service call either by calling, e-mailing, or filling out an online request to the Help Desk, a ticket number is issued and the following process occurs:
- A tech associate at the Help desk tries to resolve your problem by either walking you through a solution or by accessing central systems to reset passwords or implement other administrative solutions. They can also assist you with information about services available and how to access/request those services.
- If the tech associate cannot resolve your issue, your "ticket " is referred to the most knowledgeable group related to your issue. For example, if you report being unable to access the internet, then network services would receive your ticket. If, on the other hand, you report problems with Blackboard, then Instructional Support Center receives your ticket.
- If your ticket is related to your Office computer, it will be forwarded to the College of Education queue, where it will be taken care of on a first-come-first-serve basis by Lori Bailey, Quaiser Abdullah, or a team of student workers. We usually complete tickets within 4-6 hours of receiving them. You can contact the Help Desk for a status at any time.
- Issues that the College is unable to handle internally are escaled to MicroComp/Lan Service and Support.
What about the College Tech Staff?
The College has essentially three sources of "internal" technology support:
- Our designated MicroComp/Lan support specialist (Yinka Olabinjo)
- Assistant Director of IT for the College and Tech Support Manager for ECC lab (Quaiser Abdullah)
- Director of IT (Lori Bailey)
MicroComp/Lan Designated Support Specialist
Many issues reported to the Help Desk are routed to our designated Computer Services support technician, Yinka Olabinjo, from MicroComp/Lan. Yinka services all of Ritter Hall and Ritter Annex, as well as two other buildings on campus. Thus, Yinka has a very full plate and must work to prioritize issues and resolve issues on a rolling-basis. For example, if you report that Microsoft Word appears to be missing a toolbar, your issue would be considered less critical than a user who cannot login to his/her computer. Yinka also passes on smaller issues to either Quaiser Abdullah or Lori Bailey to insure a timely response.
Assistant Director of IT and ECC Senior Tech Support Specialist
Quaiser Abdullah's primary duty is to insure the smooth operation of our multi-classroom computer lab, the ECC (Education Computing Center). Quaiser is available to help instructors prepare for classes, learn new software and technologies, and get on-demand assistance during class. In addition, Quaiser oversees the maintenance of all hardware and software in the lab, insuring we have current and working equipment for use by our instructors and students. As our acting Assistant Director, Quaiser also manages Help Desk requests in the College. . Requests are assigned via the Help Desk or the Director of IT's office.
Director of Information and Instructional Technology
The College recently established the Director of IT position to oversee management of technology throughout all our programs, departments, and centers. The Director's primary responsibilities are to develop systems of data collection and reporting, track and oversee acquisitions of technology assets, develop and promote technology integration in the curriculum, and oversee and manage technology-related spending. The Assistant Director will support these responsibilities, as well as oversee student workers and manage tech support issues in the College. The Director's office maintains a small student support staff to assist with setups and installation of hardware and software and to quickly resolve smaller support issues.
Director of IT and the 5-Minute Rule.
While the Help Desk should be the primary contact for office support issues, the Director of IT's office assists in resolving small issues quickly and efficiently. Thus, we apply the 5-minute rule: if our staff can resolve the issue in 5 minutes or less, we will. If however, the issue is more complex, requires follow-up, or is related to network systems not under our domain, we will refer the user to the Help Desk to submit a formal request.
Director of IT as Help Desk Liaison
In addition to answering your simple tech support issues, the Director of IT serves as the College's liaison between users and the Help Desk. If, after contacting the Help Desk, your issue remains unresolved after 72 hours, unresolved after a visit from tech support, or expands to include new and additional concerns, you should forward your ticket number, along with a brief history of the problem to the Director of IT. The Director will then work with the necessary Temple services to resolve your issue promptly and completely.
Before You Call
Before you call for tech support, please make sure you rule out these common errors:
Access or Power Issues: Insure cords and plugs are securely attached.
Passwords: be sure you are using your current password, the caps lock key or number lock key is correctly set, and type slowly and carefully.
Printers: Do not change the ink cartridge until printing is noticeably lighter. If jobs do not print, go to your PRINT QUEUE and clear all jobs. Turn the printer off, pause, turn on again and retry your print.
Who Should I Call?
Below is a short list of issues and the recommended first-responder for each. If you cannot find your issue or are still unclear on who to contact, your best option is to contact the Help Desk (x1-8000, help@temple.edu, or TUHelp online request form).
| Issue/Request | Who to Contact First |
|---|---|
| Purchase/install new software | Department* |
| Purchase/install new hardware | Department* |
| Reinstall/update existing software | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Can't login to e-mail, TUPortal, or Blackboard | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Request NEW access to shared or network drive | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Can't access EXISTING shared or network drives/printers | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Cannot login to Windows (your computer) | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Help creating blackboard account or content | Instructional Support Center |
| Reserve "Smart Cart" or equipment for your classroom | Classroom Technology Support |
| Reserve "Smart Cart" or equipment for special event | Department |
| Training on new or existing technology or software | Director of IT |
| Printer jam or malfunction | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Printer supplies (paper/ink) | Department |
| Computer won't turn on or serious malfunction | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Mouse or keyboard stops working | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Adapters, extension cords, USB memory sticks (flash memory) | Department |
| Pick-up of unused or surplus items | Department |
| Help with home computer | Help Desk / TUHelp |
| Submissions to Ed's Up (College of Ed Newsletter) | ednews@temple.edu |
*All requests for purchases of new office equipment or software must be approved by your grant P.I. or your department chair.