News from the ITS Help Desk - February 2024

Date: 2/23/2024

Updates to ithelp.hancockcollege.edu

The ITS Help Desk website, IThelp.hancockcollege.edu, has undergone significant updates to better serve the Allan Hancock College community. Here’s what’s new:

• Added - "Quote for Orders of Computers or Equipment" - A new feature to facilitate quotes for ordering computers or equipment directly through our website. Learn more.

• Surplus Pickup Available via Facilities - You can now request surplus equipment pickups directly through our website, making it easier to manage unused or old equipment. Request pickup.

We're committed to continually enhancing our digital resources to support your educational and professional needs at Allan Hancock College.

Updates from Technology Council and Committees

• Web Services Committee

  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st Thursday, from 9:30-11:00 am.
  • Approved previous meeting notes without changes.
  • Discussed portal improvements, including widget customization and a new notification system to streamline communication.
  • Analyzed device usage trends and considered the relevance of 'unique sessions' metrics.
  • Added a Fine Arts panel to the homepage, with future plans to link to events.
  • Agreed to implement the Starfish widget with Pathify, pending new developer availability.
  • Recognized the need for more research on header and footer best practices.
  • No update on the catalog sequence due to an early departure.

• Educational Technology Advisory Committee (EdTAC)

  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
  • Determined a location to test a Clickshare Wireless Presentation tool.
  • The Clickshare demo unit was tested and returned. Watch demo.
  • Held discussion on staff device standards and equipment choices.
  • Committed to addressing current device and obsolescence/end of life standards for technology.
  • Suggested a super meeting of all tech council and subcommittees to expedite decision-making.

• Banner Committee

  • Schedule: Meetings are held monthly, usually on the 2nd Monday, from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
  • Notification of planned updates on 2/9/2024 leading to an outage from 6AM-9:30AM.
  • Banner updates were completed on 2/9/2024, with service restored by 9:23AM.

• Technology Council

  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
  • Reviewed notes from the November technology townhall and updated our list of activities in the technology masterplan.

Library Device Updates

Now available for student use are devices with ChromeOS, Windows, and MacOS. This diversity in operating systems ensures that all students have access to the tools and platforms they need for their studies.

Ticketing Report Summary

We've compiled a summary of ticketing reports to highlight trends and areas for improvement:

• Most Common Tickets in December:

  • Something Broke: 114 tickets
  • Request Computers and Equipment: 47 tickets
  • Computer Help: 36 tickets
  • I Can't Sign In: 29 tickets
  • Classroom/Cart Maintenance Request: 24 tickets

• Most Common Tickets in January:

  • Something Broke: 220 tickets
  • I Can't Sign In: 56 tickets
  • Computer Help: 52 tickets
  • Classroom/Cart Maintenance Request: 48 tickets
  • Request Computers and Equipment: 42 tickets

This analysis highlights a significant increase in "Something Broke" tickets from December to January, suggesting a potential area for improvement in maintenance or user training.