Program

• Background
• Mission Statement
• Process
• Objectives
• Goals in support of the Objectives
• Miami University Technology Support Team Model

Background

The TSR program is designed to provide coordination of technologies among Campuses, Divisions, and Departments.  The TSRs function as a “networked” technology support team responsible for achieving common technology standards and solutions where appropriate and for assisting in the implementation of technology throughout the university.

TSR members are appointed by their respective Dean or Department head to fulfill the client needs for solutions and information and serve as liaisons to IT Services. The TSR is also expected to serve as advocates for  technology issues among their Dean or Department Head, clients, and IT Services.  TSRs participate in group meetings coordinated by the TSR Steering Team. 

Each TSR has primary job responsibilities not discussed here.  Some TSR members have primary responsibilities for technology support in their Division or Department; others have a less formal role in technology support.  The TSR can be a local computer “techie,” a skilled secretary or faculty member.  It is important for the TSR to be a full-time employee with interest in learning about and supporting technologies.  TSR members will both learn about new technologies from other group members, and teach TSR members about technologies within their own areas of expertise.  See the section below titled, “Miami University Technology Support Team Model” for background on Miami’s tiered technology support model.

In sum, TSRs serve as:

1. Local technology support providers for the clients in their department or division.
   
   
2. Advocates for technology issues and information among their clients, Dean/Department Head, and IT Services, promoting discussion and consensus.
   
   
3. Advocates of their department’s/division’s position.
   
   
4. Advocates to their department/division on standards.
   
   
5. Members of an advisory group to the Vice President for Information Technology.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Technology Support Representatives (TSR) group is to achieve common technology standards and to assist in the implementation and support of technology throughout Miami University’s academic and administrative areas, through collaborative efforts toward shared goals, information sharing, and skills transfer.

Process

Initiatives may arise from within IT Services, from the TSRs, from Dean, Department Head, VP and Presidential requests, and from advisory and Senate committees.  As appropriate, the TSRs are involved in project teams to develop recommendations.  Thorough research and testing of a solution is carried out in development of a recommendation, and input from the entire University community is solicited via the Recommended Solutions Process. 

In addition to receiving input from and providing input to their respective units, the TSRs as a group make recommendations to the Vice President for Information Technology for Computing and Information Services, thereby functioning as an advisory group to the Vice President for Information Technology.  The Vice President for Information Technology will then take the initiatives or recommendations to Deans, Department Heads, and appropriate advisory and/or Senate committees, as well as the VPs for final approval and endorsement in the implementation by IT Services and the TSRs.  As appropriate, input is given to the Resource Allocation Priorities Committee.

Objectives

The objectives of the “Technology Support Representatives” Group are as follows:

1. To make collaborative recommendations to the Vice President for Information Technology on issues of university-wide concern, in order that the Vice President for Information Technology may be informed, take appropriate action and, when needed, obtain VP, Dean, and Department Head support. 
   
   
2. To effect and promote the achievement of common technology directions and standards.
   
   
3. To both propose and receive direction from clients and management on technology issues of university-wide concern.
   
   
4. To provide effective and consistent information to clients and management on technology directions, standards and issues.  Establish appropriate means of facilitating communication about technology within each division and department.
   
   
5. To facilitate the transfer of skills among TSR group members, through information sharing and training.
   
   
6. To participate in technology task forces which effect service improvements.  Some task forces may be initiated by the TSR group with management approval; other task forces may be requested of the TSR group by IT Services and all levels of management (Deans, Department Heads, VPs).

Goals in support of the Objectives:

Completed:

1. Recommended Solutions Process.  Develop and recommend a formal mechanism for university-wide participation in recommended solutions.  COMPLETED via the Recommended Solutions Process, approved by the Committee on Computing and Information Services, COAD and the Vice Presidents, April 1998.
   
   
2. Office Suite Recommended Solution.  Recommend a university standard office suite, and pursue a volume purchasing plan.  COMPLETED Summer 1999.
   
   
3. Bulk Purchasing.   Develop and recommend a process for bulk purchasing of hardware and software by August 1, 2000.  COMPLETED Summer 2000, with more than $200,000 in savings as of May 2001.
   
   
4. TSR Training.  Hold 3 training sessions per year for interested TSR members.  (Began in 1999; ongoing)
   
   
5. TSR Training.  Establish a formal mechanism for sharing of information among TSR group members to aid in skills transfer and TSR training, by July 1, 1997.  COMPLETED by participation in the Campus-wide Strategic Technical Training Committee report, May 19, 1999.  (Proposal presented to VPs by Kris Froehlke; VPs referred to Office of Personnel.  Report subsequently partially incorporated into the Personnel Office’s 5 Year Training Plan, as of September 2000.)
   
   
6. Universal Disk Space.  Establish a mechanism to offer network-accessible disk space to all students, faculty and staff.  COMPLETED  Summer 1998.
   
   
7. Print Charging.  Establish a mechanism for laser printer charges to students in labs across campus.  COMPLETED Summer 1998.
   
   
8. TSR Self Support.  Develop mechanisms for support of TSRs.  Ongoing effort.

In Progress:

1. Technology Equipment Inventory.  Develop a mechanism for comprehensive university inventory system, in conjunction with Inventory Control
   
   
2. TSR Personnel Issues.  Recommend programs, procedures, and/or policies to address various personnel issues for TSRs across the university.  Proposal to be submitted to Personnel.
   
   
3. Future Planning.  Proactively examine new technologies and issues to enable the university to more effectively employ technology.

Miami University Technology Support Team Model

Understanding the role of the TSR group discussed above requires an understanding of Miami’s tiered technology support model.  In order to provide the most responsive and specialized support to students, faculty and staff in their use of technology at Miami University, a tiered team model has been adopted.  Much of the responsibility for first-level (initial, direct) support has been distributed to the divisions and departments, with divisional and departmental staff assigned primary technology support duties.  Generally, it is one of these people who serves as the Technology Support Representative.  This section discusses the relationship between IT Services and the divisional/departmental support staff.

This method of technology support is designed to provide the coordination and economies of scale of a centralized support organization with the specialization and responsiveness of a decentralized support team.  This model has been the de facto standard at Miami University for several years, becoming progressively more formalized as the use of technology becomes more pervasive across campus and more critical to teaching, learning, and managing.   There are some technology activities which are best provided and coordinated by the central IT organization (ITS) and other support activities best provided by divisions or departments themselves.  Sometimes, the needs of a division or department require use of a solution that is not centrally supported.  This model makes use of the economies of scale where appropriate for universal or broad-based solutions while permitting divisions and departments latitude to employ more targeted, specialized solutions where needed.

TSRs or other local technology support staff usually function as First Level support for their faculty and staff clients.  They in turn may request help from IT Services as second level support , either as a standard procedure or upon individual request.  Local support providers, for instance, may direct their clients to call the IT Services Support Desk with certain types of problems while asking that other problem types be logged and sent directly to the local support provider.  Small divisions or departments without a local support provider usually contact IT Services directly.  Students will receive support from IT Services for designated universal services (e.g., electronic mail); specialized academic support may come from faculty or from divisional support providers. This team model is visually displayed below.

The advantages to Miami’s students, faculty and staff are seen as follows:

1. The tiered team support model allows the “best of both worlds:” centralized support for universal services and local support for specialized needs.
   
   
2. Local support providers are freed from the support of universal services to the extent that would otherwise be required if all technology support came from local resources.  This provides more flexibility to the local support providers in providing specialty services/technologies to meet the unique needs of the division or department.
   
   
3. Local support providers can often be more responsive to the needs of their clients than IT Services.

Technology Support Representatives (TSR) page at Miami University