User Services
Can't figure it out? We can help.
User Services, a unit of the Consulting
& Support Services, Information Technology Services, provides the
following support services to faculty, staff, and students at Penn State:
- Consultation
on software, applications, and hardware configurations.
- Acquisition, installation, and maintenance of software and databases.
- Development and publication of electronic and printed news and information.
Following are examples of specific tasks and projects undertaken by the
staff of User Services in our continuing effort to make it easier for
you to use computers at Penn State.
Graduate Assistants and undergraduate students provide the User Service's
front-line support at two ITS
Help Desks and many lab locations, including 24-hour consulting services
at Pollock Lab. In addition to walk-in service, the Help Desk provides
support by phone and e-mail, with full-time consultants providing backup,
expertise and training. Staff provide specialized consulting in areas
such as modem connections, use of Internet resources, MS Word macros,
Windows operating systems, the production of camera-ready copy for book
publishing, and ANGEL (A New Global Environment for Learning).
Over seventy lab consultants provide assistance in a number of
ITS student computer labs. Student consultants can help with general
questions about Penn State Access Accounts, lab equipment, software, and
printing. However, they are not permitted to help students with course
assignments.
User Services provides news to Penn State faculty, staff, and students
through several channels.
Our newsletter, The ITS Academic Computing Newsletter,
features articles on technology use around the University as well as current
computing updates and learning opportunities. The newsletter is available
both on-line and in hard copy.
Paper versions of Newsletter can be obtained through the ITS
Help Desks or in the ITS Student
Computing Labs.
The ITS Computing Service
Alerts Web page provides users with current information about changes
to computing services that affect the Penn State community.
Additionally, the Consulting and Support Services News
& Information Web page features articles about new and innovative
computing use on campus, general alerts and bulletins, and links to other
news sources at Penn State.
ITS also offers a LISTSERV called "ITS Lion Link" that e-mails
subscribers a bulletin of current news and information about ITS resources
and services. Lion Link is typically sent out once a month. New
subscribers can join by sending mail to Lion-Link-subscribe-request@lists.psu.edu.
No subject or message text is required. The system picks up the name and
address from the e-mail headers.
A Web link to the calendars can be selected on Penn State's home page.
The Web version provides general information on events and links to details
at sponsor sites.
User Services staff produce electronic and printed publications for computer
users at Penn State. In addition to printed
information, many Web pages are developed
and maintained to help computer users.
Computer users can check the Web for the status
of the ITS servers that handle Internet services such as e-mail and
Netnews. A Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP) posting test has been
added to verify posting ability to the news server.
At the ITS Help Desks, the following software is provided at no cost
to students, faculty, and staff:
- Symantec Anti-Virus
Software: A leading anti-virus software is now available to
to Penn State students, faculty, and staff. This software is also included
on the PAC-ITS CD.
- PSUthesi:
a software package for Microsoft Word users that helps writers format
their theses according to Graduate School guidelines.
Consulting and Support Services (CSS)
is one of several University departments collaborating on the Electronic
Theses and Dissertations (eTD) initiative at Penn State for the electronic
submission of dissertations. Penn State is actually part of a larger project
known as the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, NDLTD.
A software package
that helps writers format their theses according to Graduate School guidelines
was developed and is available through the Computer Building Help Desk.
See the eTD Web site for additional
information.
Work Bench
The Work Bench offers faculty, staff, and students hardware evaluation and software problem
resolution for their personal machines. Equipped with a variety of diagnostic hardware and software tools,
the Work Bench staff evaluate and troubleshoot computers, modems, and pieces of hardware in 14 Willard Building.
Machines may be dropped off from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and must be left at the Work Bench. Problem resolution
may take up to two weeks.
Staff support the provision of the ITS's news
and information on the Web. Staff
also provide assistance to the Office of University Relations for development
and maintenance of the Penn State home page and gateway pages to colleges,
departments, and organizations within the university. In addition, staff
maintain the Consulting and Support
Services site, which guides visitors to information pertaining to
the use of computers, information systems, networks, and telecommunications
services. This site also provides pointers to the appropriate contacts
for learning opportunities, help desk staff, and information technology
service providers.
User Services offers Web services
for the Penn State community. All students, faculty, and staff are eligible
for a limited amount of free Web space, with the option to purchase more
space through student bursar accounts or departmental accounts. Departments
are also invited to purchase space at a low cost. The ITS Help Desk and
staff provide assistance and maintain on-line information to support Web
publishers.
Following are some of the Web pages the staff of User Services maintain
to help you with computer use at Penn State. We welcome your suggestions
and comments.
|
