Employee Support Policy
Requesting Support
The following methods can be used to request support. We have presented the options in the order that we think works best:
- Email your problem to helpdesk@tamug.edu. Please include your name, extension, location and a brief description of the problem.
- Call and talk to help desk person at x4714. They will enter the call in our help desk system and assign it to a technician. If no one answers you will be prompted to leave a message. Please leave your name, extension, location and a brief description of the problem. We will call back and confirm that we got your message.
- Drop by and see us in CLB 113.
Response Time
Our response time policy for IT support (software application, computer hardware, data network, phone, help desk, etc) is:
- the majority (over 50%) of all support requests will be resolved by the close of the next working day
- 95% of all support calls will be resolved with in 3 working days
- the customer will be notified of the status and expected completion date of any call that takes longer than 3 working days
If you put in a support call that isn’t resolved at the end of 3 working days and you don’t hear from IS we encourage you to call us.
Applications Support
IT is unable to meet all the requests we get for applications support in a timely manner and with a high level of expertise. One problem is the large number of different software applications used by the faculty, staff and students. We can’t be expert at all of them.
Our policy is to offer:
- the highest level of support for the software applications used by the majority of people on campus (Fully Supported).
- a lower level of support for software applications used by limited groups. This is often software that was previously used by the majority of the staff but the majority of the staff have shifted to a new package (Limited Support)
- as available support for products used only by a few people (Non Supported)
We will maintain a list of Fully and Limited supported products.
We will provide the following types of support for each level:
Fully Supported
- computer based training (CBT) and/or listings of locally available training
- reference materials
- consistent/high quality support
- installation support
Limited Support
- training will have to be arranged externally by the individual
- IT will have limited experience with the applications and requests for support for these applications will have a lower priority
- customers will be encouraged to switch to fully supported applications
Non Supported
- IT will normally have no experience with the products
- IT will help on a time available basis, providing support to these applications will receive our lowest priority
Fully Supported Software Applications
- Windows Operating Systems
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access)
- Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge
- Outlook
- Hummingbird
- WS FTP
Hardware Support
(University Owned Devices Only)
We will troubleshoot all hardware problems and try to identify the major component that has failed (computer, printer, monitor, etc.) We have limited expertise, equipment and parts to work on hardware. Our repairs are limited to changing major modules of the most common systems. Departments will be required to purchase all parts (not covered under manufacturers warranty) that we use and for the full cost of repairs on any items sent out for repair.
The following is our guideline on what we work on versus what we send out for repair.
We will support standard PC workstations and servers at the following level.
- Mother board replacement
- Ram Upgrade
- Video board replacement
- Ethernet card replacement
- Hard Drive Replacement
We can't get certain parts from some vendors (HP, Gateway), because we do not have service technicians certified by those companies. It is not cost effective to have our technicians certified. Machines with these part failures will also have to be sent out for service. Machines under warranty will normally have parts available.
- All monitors will be sent out for repair
- All printers will be sent out for repair
- All Apple computers will be sent out for repair after limited troubleshooting by the IS staff
- All other hardware is normally sent out for repair