IT help while in the classroom

[geheimrat]

One of the classes that I teach is in a computer lab and is pretty dependent on technology.  I use technology in my other classes, but if something goes wrong it is much easier to switch to a back up plan in those classes.  Today there was a problem in the computer lab that I needed help with, so I called the IT help desk.  They told me to put a ticket in and that they had no way of knowing how long it would be before someone was able to come help.  Is this how it is at most places, or is there dedicated personnel who are able to come to the classroom if there is a problem with the technology?

[Liquidambar]

Our IT has its flaws, but they'll send someone promptly on a golf cart if a technology problem arises during class.  Would that our facilities people were so responsive to classroom issues.

[Hegemony]

Yes, our IT people come over right away too.

[Morris Zapp]

I called IT the other night and the guy on call said he couldn't do anything because he was working from home -- which was a bummer, since the computer in my classroom wasn't working and I was in the middle of a lecture.  Not sure that dude should be allowed to work from home.

[aside]

We have dedicated classroom IT folks who will come right away if they cannot solve your problem over the phone.

[saffie]

We can call a hotline that will dispatch someone from IT support. I've had to do this during class time for things like a non-functional mouse and burned out projector lightbulbs.

[Caracal]

We can call a hotline that will dispatch someone from IT support. I've had to do this during class time for things like a non-functional mouse and burned out projector lightbulbs.

Yeah ditto. Our campus is big and they come within 10 minutes.

[Parasaurolophus]

We can call a hotline that will dispatch someone from IT support. I've had to do this during class time for things like a non-functional mouse and burned out projector lightbulbs.

Yeah, in theory, us too. I haven't yet had to, thankfully. But even if I did, I don't think I would, just because I suspect the instructor looks incompetent when that happens, even if it's clearly no fault of their own. I think I'd just suck it up, do my thing, and call them after, or during a break if it was a long class.

[EdnaMode]

We have phones in our classrooms that have instructional podiums, and in our labs too. Any time I have a problem that is impacting teaching, I call and they come within 10 minutes. If it's just a minor issue that doesn't impact my ability to teach, I put in a work ticket and it gets fixed within a day or two.

[summers_off]

If you call during the day, they will send someone over.  The tech usually arrives within 10 minutes or so.
However, I had a problem during my night class last week.  I got a call-back 2 days later....

[downer]

I teach an evening class at a sub-campus away from the main campus. I've taught there 4 semesters already. The way they have their computers set up is unhelpful. Even though I log in under my own user name, it deletes all preferences I set up each time. It means it takes 10-15 minutes to set up each time I arrive.

I expressed concern to people who then notified IT. IT took action and made it worse, so now I have to change display options every time.

I learned my lesson. No more asking IT to do anything.

I adopted the same attitude as IT with the school.

[DrSomebody]

For that sort of situation, they come right away, and we are not known for our speedy anything. That sounds ridiculous to me.

[Caracal]

Yeah, in theory, us too. I haven't yet had to, thankfully. But even if I did, I don't think I would, just because I suspect the instructor looks incompetent when that happens, even if it's clearly no fault of their own. I think I'd just suck it up, do my thing, and call them after, or during a break if it was a long class.

I wouldn't worry about looking incompetent. The larger problem is that it just takes too much time. If you wait ten minutes for them to come and then it takes another ten minutes to fix everything, you've just lost a significant amount of class. I only do it if I have something that I really can't work around.