Service Policy
Policy Authorisation:
Associate Dean
Policy Administrator:
Stuart Lees
Aim: To provide prompt and appropriate IT support for the Faculty in teaching, research and administration within reasonable budgetary parameters.
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Loan Resources
Equipment
- Loan equipment is to be booked, picked up and returned through the ArtsIT Helpdesk, 4th Floor, Menzies Building.
- Equipment may be borrowed without prior notice. However, if less than 24 hours notice is given, there can be no guarantee that the equipment will be available.
- A Monash University Equipment Loan Form (http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/finance/assets/doc/loanform.doc ) must be provided when the equipment is issued. Because of the high insurance excess at Monash, borrowers are advised to get confirmation of their liability risk from their own department.
- Responsibility and liability for all equipment borrowed rests with the person who signs it out.
- Overdue loans. Excessive delays in returning equipment after a reminder will result in the loss of borrowing privileges for the individual concerned, and the suspension of any further loans to the Department until all outstanding equipment has been returned.
Laptops
- Maximum loan period is 4 weeks. The loan will not be made if the duration of any trip involving the equipment exceeds this maximum.
- No extension to the loan periods will normally be made.
- Laptop loans are intended for exceptional circumstances only. They are not a long-term solution for the long-term requirements of any individual or department for portable computing.
Projectors and Presentation Equipment
- Maximum loan period is 2 days.
- The equipment is to be used only at the Clayton Campus.
- In exceptional circumstances, special loans may be negotiated.
CD Burner
- Maximum loan period is 2 days.
Software
- Installation software is loaned out on the condition that the software licences are adhered to. It is the borrower's responsibility to ensure they have the right to install the software. For further details see the ArtsIT - Software Policy.
- Loans are for a maximum of 3 days.
- Overdue loans. Excessive delays in returning equipment after a reminder will result in will result in the loss of privileges for the individual concerned, and the suspension of any further loans to the Department until all outstanding software has been returned. Future software installations for the individual concerned will only be provided by ArtsIT staff as time permits.
- Loss or non-return of the software may result in the borrower being required to pay for the software licence, as well as a fee for the replacement CD -ROM.
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Helpdesk
Access Times
- The ArtsIT Helpdesk is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding University Holidays.
Job Requests
- Staff will attempt to answer queries as they are raised with the Helpdesk. Any that cannot be answered immediately will be logged for further action, and assigned to the appropriate ArtsIT staff member.
- For very urgent situations (for example a computer virus outbreak), Helpdesk staff may leave the Helpdesk to tackle the problem immediately. In these instances, the Helpdesk will be temporarily unstaffed.
- ArtsIT has implemented a new job logging system, which includes automatically generated e-mails that are sent to the client with the details of the job, the job number, and any relevant progress reports.
- All requests, regardless of source or urgency, are to be made in the first instance by phone, e-mail or in person to the ArtsIT Helpdesk, room S410 in the Menzies Building. Jobs that are not logged through the Helpdesk cannot be assured of being dealt with in a timely manner, and may not be correctly logged and prioritised.
- All follow-up queries for existing jobs are to be made to the Helpdesk.
Support Response Times
- It is recognised that all jobs are urgent. They will be dealt with as soon as practicable given the constraints of resources and time, but clients must realise that it is not possible to provide immediate action for any non-critical work.
- While all jobs are regarded as equally important in principle, some may be given accelerated priority where the need is critical.
- Jobs that have not been logged through the correct channels and been assigned a job number may not be prioritised correctly and the work may be delayed.
- Where a computer is not functioning properly because individual users have modified its installed software, network access or operating system (this can include the installation of software that has not been approved by ArtsIT ), it will be repaired but will be given a low priority for action.
Products Supported by ArtsIT
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Products Supported
- All products, both hardware and software, supplied by ArtsIT will be supported.
- Software such as Callista and Syllabus Plus that is centrally managed at Monash will be installed by ArtsIT on request, but training and support responsibilities will remain with the central organisation.
- Any hardware or software purchased in consultation with ArtsIT will be supported. Any limitations on that support will be discussed at the time on a case-by-case basis.
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Products Not Supported
- ArtsIT do not have the resources to support Macintoshes. Anybody using these machines will need to rely on the warranty supplied with the product. However, networking and modem access are fully supported. In addition, a limited range of software is available for loan. For further information see the ArtsIT Network Policy.
- Items written off or disposed of by ArtsIT or any department will not be supported if they are returned to service.
- Support for items purchased without consultation with ArtsIT may be provided on a case-by-case basis, and generally only where the item would have been recommended or agreed to by ArtsIT.
- ArtsIT cannot support items such as Palm Pilots, personal laptops or home computers, though networking and modem access is fully supported. For further information see the ArtsIT Network Policy.
- Support will not be provided for any computers supplied by ArtsIT that are functioning poorly or not at all because of access by unauthorised individuals, such as family members installing games or upgrading the installed software. Any such system will be reimaged rather than repaired. This means that the hard drive will be removed from the computer and erased, and a clean installation of software will be carried out. While care will be taken to preserve any data on the drive, no guarantees can be given about the integrity of the data.
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Repair under Warranty
- Items purchased directly by departments are to be serviced by the supplier under the accompanying warranty and service conditions.
- Items purchased by ArtsIT will be serviced by ArtsIT , with ArtsIT liaising with the supplier where warranty claims are concerned.
Groups Supported by the Helpdesk
- ArtsIT will support general and academic staff-time (full-time, part-time, temporary or casual), as well students while acting in a temporary or casual staff role. In addition, it will support PhD students, where the requirement is to repair faulty hardware or software that it has provided.
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Staff Resource Centre
Access Times
- The Staff Resource Centre is open at the same times as the Helpdesk. Hours outside these times will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and will depend on the availability of staff.
- A booking system for resources will be introduced once demand exceeds the supply of resources available.
Resources Provided
- The Staff Resource Centre has been established as a self-use, centrally located pool of specialised equipment that is not readily available in all schools. Some equipment may be located outside the Centre. One example is the Faculty colour laser printer which is managed by GES as the principal user of the machine.
- The range of equipment available is under review, and will be modified in response to demand and finances.
Staff Assistance
- As the Staff Resource Centre is located in the same room as the ArtsIT Helpdesk, there are staff on hand to provide assistance and advice on how to use the resources. However, it is a self-use facility, and the Helpdesk staff cannot complete unfinished tasks.
- Information is provided at each bay on how to use the equipment and programs.
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Installations / Upgrades
When Performed
- Upgrades and installations of software and hardware will be carried out in consultation with the recipient. While arranging the installation or upgrade, the staff member concerned will be informed whether they are required to be present, and if so, a suitable time will be arranged in advance. Installations and upgrades will not be carried out where the staff member is not available.
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Preservation of Data - Duty of Care
- In the process of carrying out their duties, ArtsIT staff will take all possible care to ensure that data integrity is maintained. However the final responsibility for the preservation of data remains with the owner, and the onus is on them to ensure their data is properly backed up. As a contribution to implementing good data preservation procedures, ArtsIT have equipment for loan (currently a CD-ROM burner and a Zip Drive) and will provide training in its use.