Requesting Service from IT
Summary: This document describes how to determine whether a project request or a standard service request should be submitted to IT.IT is responsible for ensuring that our central technology resources are effectively employed in accordance with the University's mission. In order to plan and manage our resources productively, IT attempts to separate project requests from standard service requests. We provide online and phone-based systems that enable you to easily submit requests for standard services, which should then be routinely fulfilled without further intervention on your part. However, project requests require much more consultation, planning, evaluation, and specific approval. The line between standard service requests and project requests is sometimes difficult to see. IT uses the following general criteria to classify requests as projects:
- Requires purchase and/or implementation of new hardware/software outside of existing standards, or of standard hardware/software in large quantities (e.g. Please install Oracle on a server and make it available to students in my class. Also, please set up the 30 new computers that we bought yesterday.)
- Requires a significant change in the functionality of existing systems, software, or applications (e.g. Please enable us to sell xxx online and automatically update the accounting systems.)
- Requires a significant commitment of staff resources (e.g. We need IT to set up a special network and provide support for our national conference.)
- Requires expansion of existing maintenance commitments or recurring expenses (e.g. Please install SAS on all the computers in our office.)
- Requires new programming or application/system development (e.g. Please create an online system for faculty senate elections.)
- Requires technology expertise and/or staff not currently available (e.g. Please configure Solaris on the new Sun server we just bought.)
- Requires research into new technology services, applications, or systems (e.g. Please help us evaluate new housing management systems and determine integration capabilities with SIS.)
- Requires involvement of other units besides IT (e.g. We're changing this office into a computer lab. Please set up the equipment.)