News from the ITS Help Desk - November 2025

Help Desk Hours and Location

Contact the ITS Help Desk at 1(805)922-6966 extension 3345 or at helpdesk@hancockcollege.edu
The ITS Help Desk is located in the library on the Santa Maria campus, next to the checkout counter.

Scheduled In-Person Support Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Outside scheduled hours or Friday: Available by appointment

If emergency assistance is needed, please call the ITS Support Extension at 3345.

Please note that this change only affects the in-person Library Help Desk hours. Our phone and ticketing system support will continue to operate as usual, ensuring you have access to help whenever you need it. Phone support is available Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT. During the summer, phone support will also be available from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM during lunch.

Updates to the ITS Help Site (ithelp.hancockcollege.edu)

We’ve made several updates to improve your experience on the ITS Help Site:

• New Article Third-Party Applications and Microsoft 365 Accounts:
  Explains why AHC restricts third-party app access to Microsoft 365 accounts and what permissions are allowed to keep college data secure.

• New Article: Guidelines on exposing data in web forms and AI tools:
  The article explains how to safely use web forms and AI tools by avoiding the entry of sensitive or restricted data into unapproved platforms, helping protect Hancock College information from accidental exposure.

Visit ithelp.hancockcollege.edu to explore these updates and access helpful resources anytime.

Essential Articles and Ticket Requests

• Updating Personal Information for Password Resets at Allan Hancock College
• How to Connect to ALLAN_HANCOCK_COLLEGE On-Campus Wi-Fi
• Canvas Instructions (hancockcollege.edu)
• Request Form - Something Broke - Report ANY IT Problem (teamdynamix.com)
• Request Form - I Can't Sign In (teamdynamix.com)
• Request Form - Install Something (teamdynamix.com)

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.
  • Update: Discussed AEO (Search Engine Optimization for Artificial Intelligence Based Rankings).
• Educational Technology Advisory Committee (EdTAC)
  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday, from 2:30-4:00 pm.
  • Update: Revised the computer obsoletion standard. ITS will update in the Knowledge Base. 
• Banner Committee
  • Schedule: Meetings are held monthly, usually on the 2nd Monday, from 9:00 - 10:30 am.
  • Update: 11/21/25 Banner Database Upgrades were implemented successfully.
• Technology Council
  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, from 2:30-4:00 pm.
  • Update: Discussed two new policies/guidelines: Article - Third-Party Applications an..., Article - Guidelines on exposing data...

Understanding Outages at Allan Hancock College – What They Are and How to Report Them

Technology powers nearly everything we do at Allan Hancock College. From phones and classrooms to Banner, Canvas, and Wi-Fi, our campus depends on a wide range of interconnected systems. When even one of those systems stops working, the impact can be immediate and widespread.

This month, ITS experienced several notable outages affecting different services. Before we recap what happened, here’s a quick guide to understanding outages and how you can help us respond quickly.

What is an Outage?

An outage is when a service becomes partially or fully unavailable to the people who need it.
Outages are typically caused by:

• Issues with the service platform (for example, a vendor like Canvas or TeamDynamix)

• Problems with the service provider (such as PG&E or AWS)

• Failures in the underlying communications network (including campus switches, routing equipment, or upstream carriers)

When an outage occurs, ITS works to restore access, communicate status updates, and coordinate with third-party providers when the issue is outside of AHC’s control.

How to report a service issue or Outage

If something appears down, slow, or inaccessible, please let ITS know as soon as possible.
There are two easy ways to report issues:

1. “Something Broke” Form (Preferred Method)

Use the Something Broke form to report outages and service issues at ithelp.hancockcollege.edu.

2. Email the Help Desk

Send a message to ithelp@hancockcollege.edu that includes:

• Your name

• Your location

• A description of the issue

When a true outage is confirmed, ITS creates a dedicated Outage Ticket, alerts campus stakeholders, and provides status updates until the service is restored.

Recent Outages at AHC

The last month brought multiple outages affecting both campus and cloud-based systems. Here’s a summary of what happened and why.

1. PG&E Power Outages and Infrastructure Damage

We experienced multiple campus power outages, including one severe event involving a downed power line near Olive Garden. This outage:

• Caused interruptions to building power

• Created downtime for essential services

• Damaged ITS server equipment

• Impacted Mitel VOIP phones

• Disrupted Banner connectivity

Because this was tied to PG&E’s regional infrastructure, resolution required waiting for their diagnosis and repairs. These events were fully outside AHC’s control.

2. ITSM / TeamDynamix Outage

TeamDynamix (TDX), our service ticketing and workflow platform, experienced:

• Periods of slow system performance

• Periods of partial or complete unavailability

These issues followed vendor-side upgrades and maintenance. Any disruptions to TDX directly impact our ability to view tickets, process requests, and communicate through the platform.

ITS monitored the situation closely and restored access as soon as the vendor resolved the issue.

3. AWS Carrier Outage (National Impact)

On October 20, a major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage affected large portions of the internet, including higher education platforms.

Canvas experienced nationwide downtime, making it inaccessible for many students and faculty.

ITS notified campus immediately, but like all AWS-based outages, resolution depended on:

• AWS restoring the carrier-level issue

• Canvas confirming full service restoration

These events highlight how dependent nearly all modern services are on upstream infrastructure like AWS, CENIC, and other national carriers.

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What You Can Expect from ITS During an Outage

Whenever an outage is confirmed, ITS will:

• Create an official Outage Ticket

• Notify affected groups (or the entire campus when necessary)

• Provide updates while the provider investigates and repairs the issue

• Notify everyone once service is fully restored

Our goal is to keep communication clear, timely, and accurate—even when the cause is beyond campus control.

October 2025 Ticket Summary

Here’s a brief overview of ITS activity:
Total Tickets (Whole Department)

• July: 537
• August: 713
• September: 589
• October: 593

Location-less Tickets

343 tickets had no location specified.

Lompoc Valley Campus (LVC) Tickets

22 tickets originated from the Lompoc Valley Campus.

Top 5 Forms Used at LVC:

1. Install Something: 9
2. Something Broke: 6
3. Problem Form: 3
4. Service Request: 2
5. Podium/Classroom Technology Walkthrough - Form: 1

5 Most Common Request Locations:

1. LVC 1: 9
2. LVC 5: 6
3. LVC 2: 5
4. LVC 3: 2

Only 4 unique buildings submitted ticket requests

Santa Maria Valley Campus (SM) Tickets

227 tickets originated from the Santa Maria Valley Campus.

Top 5 Forms Used at SM Campus:

1. Something Broke: 152
2. Install Something: 24
3. Problem Form: 12
4. Incident Form: 9
5. Service Request: 8

5 Most Common Request Locations:

1. Building F: 36
2. Building A: 25
3. Building M: 24
4. Building L: 20
5. Building S: 15

Notes