What Amado Can (and cannot) Help You Do
Faculty and graduate students are sometimes unsure what kind of things they can expect Amado to help them with or what the full scope of his responsibilities are. This guide has been prepared by the IT Committee to answer those questions. It is a general account that cannot cover the large number of things that fall within Amado's capabilities or answer every one of the questions that may arise about what you can ask of him, but it will give you a good general idea. If you have a question not answered by what follows send it to the Chair of the IT Committee, kkressel at(@) psychology, and you will get an answer.
IT COMMITTEE: Chair: Ken. Members: Gretchen, Tony Porcelli, and Le Matus (Newark Computer Services). Ex-officio: Harold Siegel.
This outline is divided into 3 sections:
1) Things Amado Can Help Individuals With;
2) Things Amado does for the Department;
3) Things Amado Does Not Do.
Things Amado Can Help Individuals With
1. Computer and equipment repairs
Amado will repair your malfunctioning computer(s). The top priority goes to University owned equipment at school offices and labs. Though not an "official" responsibility, Amado will also repair personal computers that you use at home for your work if you fill out a ticket briefly explaining the problem and if you bring the malfunctioning machine in to school. There is no charge for his repair services (except parts, if necessary). He also maintains the networked printers in the commons and labs. He can assist with the personal printer on your desk at school if it malfunctions.
Please note: 1) Bring in malfunctioning computers sooner rather than later. Users occasionally
create worse problems by trying to fix problems themselves.
2) Do not abuse Amado'’s repair services —e.g. by bringing in multiple home computers; making
multiple requests in a very short period of time; bringing in friends’ equipment, expecting
repairs to be done "immediately."
2. Computer and other equipment purchases
Amado can consult on any IT equipment purchases you are contemplating, either in connection with departmental or grant funds or for your own personal use. This includes computers, printers, hardrives, scanners, etc. He will discuss your needs and conduct a search of product availability and costs in order to maximize your options and minimize your expenses.
3. Computer and equipment installation and configuration
If you buy a new lap top or desktop Amado will help you configure it so that it can access the
internet via the department network, access printers, and transfer files and programs from your
old computer (if the data to be transferred exceeds the size of a usb key capacity; aka more than
2gigs). The same applies to other IT equipment (e.g. external or internal hard drives) with which
you need help.
NOTE: Configuring your computer to access the internet is NOT the same as
configuring your email and/or web browser programs so that they work. Please see section on
Email/Web browsers below.
4. Maintaining your Server/Internet access
As with newly purchased computers, Amado will ensure that your current computers are configured to
connect to the internet and that they are doing so properly.
NOTE again that this is NOT the same as configuring your internet or email software (see below).
The NCS helpdesk is also a good place to go for maintaining internet access if Amado is not
immediately available. (See below for complete Helpdesk contact info).
5. Establishing and maintaining wireless access at school
Any users who wish to access the wireless internet may contact Amado so that he may activate your internet access. Wireless access is available on all floors of Smith Hall.
6. Helping with Webmail
Psychology webmail is an online email access program that allows department members to access their email accounts directly on the Psychology server. It is a good alternative if you are having difficulty configuring your mail browser. Amado can show you how to access and use webmail (e.g. logging in or out).
Webmail is accessed directly from the department webpage at: https://psychology.rutgers.edu/webmail or at https://webmail.psychology.rutgers.edu. You can log onto and use webmail from any computer anywhere in the world that can access the internet. Please note that webmail is NOT the same as Outlook, Eudora, Mac Mail or Thunderbird. It is not a mail browser.
7. Obtaining Software
Amado maintains a software inventory of commonly used software for which the University has license agreements. Microsoft programs are available at no charge. (For a complete list of programs for which Rutgers has site licenses go to http://software.rutgers.edu). Amado can also help with purchasing software which is not available via Rutgers site licenses (e.g., adobe CS). He will discuss your needs and conduct a search of product availability and costs in order to maximize your options and minimize your expenses.
8. Assisting with your departmental web page
Amado maintains the department web page and assists with faculty web pages linked to it. You can ask him to do routine, periodic updating of your web page, including changes in text, insertion or change of photos or publications, links to other relevant sites, etc. Send him the files you want updated and he will do it. If you fill out a ticket to request it, Amado can also arrange for you to have secure access to the server, and he can teach you how to update your own webpage.
Please note: Amado does not do complex web design (or redesign) nor is he available for frequent, ongoing changes to your web page. He will upload changes you have made but do not expect him to enter data or text files. In general, Rutgers does not provide intensive web page support. Faculty and labs typically hire web programmers to do this for them.
9. Printer Problems
Do NOT attempt to fix printer jams or any other printer problems involving the commons or psychology lab printers. Call Amado. The ONLY exception: Inserting a fresh supply of paper in the paper tray.
Things Amado Does for the Department
The computational needs of the Psychology Department have exploded in recent years. New faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and staff members now require state-of-the-art servers, database management, programming, and networking to run computer-based and brain imaging experiments and to analyze, mine and store enormous quantities of resultant data. These needs are new. In the (recent) past, Psychology had only one main server, one shared printer, minimal IP addresses, and 45 workstations. The department's IT resources now include a heterogeneous network of 32 servers, over 175 workstations and over 20 printers in 16 research and teaching laboratories, as well as a large telecommunications system, copiers and several advanced pieces of audiovisual equipment.
Amado's responsibility is to make sure all this shared equipment works and is not invaded, degraded, or outdated (consistent with our budget). Here’s how it breaks down in terms of what he does for the department as a whole:
1. The oversight and proactive maintenance of 32 departmental and research servers, over 175 workstations, over 20 printers, plus their network and dept. software spread across 16 labs with the goal of ensuring 99.9% uptime.
2. Programming for specialized data analyses, maintaining participant recruitment databases and webmail, and supporting over 75 daily users in the fMRI Center, research labs as well as students using the departmental teaching labs.
3. Maintain network infrastructure, including Wifi & upkeep network firewalls to prevent break-ins, thefts, and data piracy, 24/7. Necessitates monthly night and weekend hours.
4. Coordinates the department's long- and short-term IT strategic planning. Assists faculty in strategic IT planning for their individual research and teaching needs. Plans and budgets for regular equipment and software replace cycles for department, fMRI Center, and faculty labs and rebuilds old computers and servers for continued use.
5. Maintain telecommunications systems, dept. website, A-V equipment and scientific measurement devices and departmental copiers.
6. Provides occasional workshops for faculty and grad students —e.g. "How to become a "power user" on a PC or Mac", "How to Secure your Computer."
What Amado Does NOT Do
1. Email and Web Browser Configuration
Amado monitors every single computer on Psychology's network to ensure that each one has constant access to the internet. He can determine remotely whether your computer is configured to access the internet and whether it can currently get access. If your email program or your web browser says it CANNOT connect to the internet and Amado can see that the computer itself CAN access the internet, then this is a software configuration problem. Amado cannot personally configure each of the dozens of web and email browsers that individual department members use.
Information about how to correctly configure your email and web browsers is available on the Psychology IT site as well as the NCS site (see below for contact information). The NCS helpdesk is available to guide you through the configuration process if you need it. They are trained to deal with many specific software packages.
2. Helping you make your software do what you want it to
This is the BIG one. If you can't figure out how to do things like make Power Point make your text zoom in or Word start page numbering after the first page you will have to get help elsewhere (e.g. from your colleagues or students, from the Help menu of your software, from the NCS Help Desk). Helping people use their software is simply not in Amado's job description (and Amado frequently does not know how your software works anyway).
3. Helping you with Blackboard
See #2, above. Blackboard is run by Newark Computing Services (NCS). They offer a lot of help and instruction. See below for details.
4. Fixing the copy machine or helping you when it malfunctions
Talk to the Administrative Assistant (Carmen). She will either be able to help you or she will contact Xerox to send a service person.
5. Assisting with swipe card access to buildings, rooms, labs
Contact Carmen. She will get the process going to get you an access card.
6. Changing door lock combinations or locks
Contact Carmen. She will contact the key shop.
7. Changing passwords or otherwise assisting with login on non-Psychology Department systems (e.g. Andromeda, Gmail, Yahoo, MSN)
For Andromeda, contact the NCS Help Desk. For other systems outside of Rutgers,contact the service provider.
8. Maintaining the proper temperature in your room or lab
Call Physical Plant at extension 5441.
Other Useful Information
A single document cannot answer or anticipate all questions. Our individual and departmental IT needs and wishes are complex and evolving. Sometimes it will not be clear who to contact or what to do even after a thorough reading of all the guidelines provided above. When in doubt: Query Amado thru the ticketing system. He will help you if your problem falls within his area of responsibility. If not, he will help you figure out where to get assistance. In addition, we provide the following three categories of information:
1) The Psychology IT Website and its resources;
2) Procedures for resolving confusion or conflict;
3) Contacting and using the NCS Help Desk.
I The Psychology IT Website
Amado has created an IT webpage on the department website (http://psychologyit.rutgers.edu). You should consult it. It contains information on such things as:
• Poster printing polices & FAQs
• Configuring your email client
• Help docs (on things like printing PDF files, problems with Office 2007 documents)
• Schedule of IT classes (in house and conducted by NCS)
II Procedures for Resolving Confusion or Dissatisfaction with IT Services
Our goal is collective learning and improved IT service. It is also customer satisfaction. For these goals to be met everybody needs to do their part in behaving professionally and acting with respect and courtesy. You should provide your feedback or information to the Department Chairperson if:
• You have an IT issue not covered by these guidelines and not resolvable by consultation with Amado..
• You are dissatisfied with the services you have received. (In this case you should also contact the Chairperson, to
whom Amado reports and with whom Amado meets on a regular basis.
III The Newark Computing Services Help Desk: A Good Place to Try
If you need help that Amado does not supply or if Amado is unavailable when you need help he does provide, you should try the NCS helpdesk. The helpdesk is designed to assist you with many routine software questions and problems, including difficulty connecting to email or internet services from home. See below for specifics.
Help Desk: Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday: 8:00am - 8:00pm
Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Help Desk: Phone 973/353-5083. Email: help@newark.rutgers.edu
Services provided by Newark Computing Services Help Desk
Overview of Services
http://help.newark.rutgers.edu
Email (Andromeda/Pegasus)
http://help.newark.rutgers.edu/email.htm
Configuring email clients
Webmail
Outlook 2003
Outlook XP
Outlook Express 5.X/6.X
Eudora 5.2.1 SSL
Netscape Communicator 7.0(POP)
Netscape Communicator 7.0(IMAP)
Macintosh OS X Mail
Thunderbird
Internet Access
http://help.newark.rutgers.edu/netaccess.htm
Account Management (Andromeda for Faculty/Staff)
http://help.newark.rutgers.edu/acctmgmt.htm
Create an Faculty/Staff Andromeda account
Change your Andromeda password
Change your UNIX "finger name" or other information
Check your account quota