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Teachers College, Columbia University
Help for Faculty & Staff > Getting Help

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Help for Faculty & Staff

Getting Help

CIS Help Desk ext. 3300 - email: helpdesk@tc.columbia.edu
Academic Computing ext 3302 - email: acs@tc.edu
Media Services x 3822 email: mediaservices@tc.columbia.edu
Video Services x3359 email acs@tc.edu
Telecommunications x3456 email: telecomhelpdesk@tc.columbia.edu
CIS Help Desk Purpose Statement
Mission:
       The CIS Help Desk is one point of contact that provides technology support for Teachers College Faculty and Staff using TC's technology equipment and resources.  Our number one priority is to maintain access to mission critical resources.  We assist our customers by:   Resolving issues over the phone immediately whenever possible; offering temporary workarounds; providing resources for users to attempt to solve the issues themselves; scheduling office visits; and by escalating necessary issues to the appropriate CIS team other than the CIS Helpdesk.
       The CIS Help Desk prioritizes requests on a first-come, first-served basis with the exception that urgent priority is given to issues that limit user access to mission critical resources.  We attempt to resolve all issues as soon as possible.  Response times vary based on seasonal call volume, current staffing levels, and the complexity and nature of problems in the work queue.
        Mission Critical resources are defined as those resources required by employees of Teachers College to fulfill their work responsibilities such as but not limited to: a working a computer with the ability to print; network resources such as Banner and departmental file shares; and e-mail.

Customer Responsibility:

Teachers College expects helpdesk clients to demonstrate civility and respect when working with technicians in accordance with Teachers College policy.  The client is expected to work in partnership with the Help Desk team and be willing to accept temporary workarounds that will maintain access to mission critical resources.  Members of the TC community are expected to put forth a good faith effort in learning about the technology at Teachers College through participating in CIS provided instruction and training sessions which are listed on the CIS website:

Availability
 The CIS Help Desk is available for technical support Monday through Friday, 8am - 6pm.  Walk-ins are available by appointment only.
Please call the CIS Help Desk at x3300 or email helpdesk@tc.columbia.edu.
If you get the voice mail, please leave a message including:
  • Your name
  • Telephone extension
  • Room number
  • Department
  • A description of the problem

Voice mail is checked often throughout the day and a CIS Help Desk technician will call you back as soon as possible.  If your problem is not able to be resolved right away, a trouble ticket will be created in your name, and the CIS Help Desk will do their best to give you a realistic time frame for resolution of your issue.  All calls are resolved as quickly as possible.

Due to the volume of calls and emails received, the CIS Help Desk is able to accept walk-ins by appointment only.  All requests should be made over the phone (x3300) or by e-mail (helpdesk@tc.columbia.edu).

Turn Around Time on Calls

The time it takes to resolve a call depends on many factors:

  • Current call volume
  • The complexity of the problem/request
  • The severity of the problem/request
  • Availability of replacement parts

Calls are not prioritized as first come first served!
(For example: work stoppage takes priority over software installation.)

Desktop/Laptop Support

  • Desktops and laptops must have a TC tag in order to be serviced by the Helpdesk.  (The tag will say "Property of Teachers College")
  • The CIS Help Desk does not provide support for any personal computer for any reason, regardless of whether it is used for TC work.

Installing Software

  • It is against college policy to install software that does not have a valid license.
  • It is recommended by CIS not to install software without CIS approval first.
  • Installing games, screen savers and other non-work related software is not recommended and may cause your PC to not function. If this occurs, CIS will not attempt to fix the perpetrating software. The PC will be re-built with a standard configuration.
 
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Academic Computing Services (ACS) x 3302
 
Location and Availability
ACS is located in 234 Horace Mann. The office is open Monday to Friday 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. You can reach us by calling x 3302 or send an email to acs@tc.edu
 
TC APPS Support
Academic computing supports TCApps ,  a collection of integrated applications for education that allows people to work collaboratively. Moodle, Alfresco, Mahara, Adovbe Connect, Second Life and iTunes.