Information Technology Support Services: Crisis or Opportunity?

                         J. Michael Yohe
       Director, Information Systems and Computing Services
                   University of Northern Iowa
                          Gilchrist 255
                   Cedar Falls, IA  50614-0007
                      Phone: (319) 273-2178
                       FAX: (319) 273-5836
                    E-mail: Mike.Yohe@uni.edu


ABSTRACT:

Information technology support services are in crisis, 
particularly in small colleges and universities.  Rapid advances 
in hardware technology fuel new opportunities in applications, 
raise unrealistic expectations, and create unstable and 
unmanageable technological environments.  Support services are 
expected to deliver everything that's new, virtually instantly; 
continue support of legacy systems beyond their reasonable 
lifetimes; assure interoperability of disparate and sometimes 
incompatible applications; and do it all with resources that are 
rapidly dwindling in proportion to the work at hand.  We explore 
these issues in some depth, and look at several ways this crisis 
can be turned into an opportunity for growth: standardizing 
"core" resources; distributing responsibility for management of 
end-user resources; collaborative support structures within and 
outside the institution; on-line helps; and various forms of 
partnerships.  


Standardizing
  Hardware
  Operating Systems
  Core applications
  Protocols
  Conversion packages

Distributing management
  LAN servers
  Desktop systems
  Application software selection

Collaborative support structures
  Training centers
  Single point of contact (help desk)
  Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtables

  "Virtual Consulting Service"
  Shared documenation, training modules, etc. (e.g., IREN)
  Shared training
  Inter-institutional personal networking

On-line helps
  Local information
  Pointers to information on the web

Partnerships:
  Liaisons
  Co-op 
  Student jobs related to curriculum
  Team management of resources
  Faculty use in teaching workshops