Creating a Training Program for Departmental IT Support Staff

Kate WebsterKate WebsterKaren KralKaren Kral

University of Delaware

Land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant and Land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant and urban-grant institutionurban-grant institution

21,000 students21,000 students 3,400 faculty and staff3,400 faculty and staff

Early 1990s

Centralized servers → distributed Centralized servers → distributed computingcomputing

More faculty use of technologyMore faculty use of technology Departmental investmentDepartmental investment Need for customized support within Need for customized support within

departmentsdepartments

Campus InformationTechnology Associates

Employed by departmentEmployed by department Work with IT unitWork with IT unit Currently 54 CITAs at UDCurrently 54 CITAs at UD

IT’s Involvement with CITAs

Define the jobDefine the job Help recruit for the positionHelp recruit for the position Provide orientation to IT at UDProvide orientation to IT at UD Inform CITAs about current IT issuesInform CITAs about current IT issues Assess training needsAssess training needs

The New Millennium

Support: discipline-specific → Support: discipline-specific → operationaloperational

University IT standardsUniversity IT standards Informal interaction between Informal interaction between

CITAs and IT staffCITAs and IT staff Need to clarify IT/CITA Need to clarify IT/CITA

partnershippartnership

Spring 2001 Announced Career Ladder for CITAsAnnounced Career Ladder for CITAs

Announced Training ProgramAnnounced Training Program

• More precise job descriptionsMore precise job descriptions• Defined IT/CITA relationshipDefined IT/CITA relationship

To help CITAs become as self-sufficient and To help CITAs become as self-sufficient and knowledgeable of IT as possibleknowledgeable of IT as possible

Getting Started – June 2001

CITA surveyCITA survey

What technical or organizational

information?

IT staff brainstormingIT staff brainstorming

What topics do you need to learn more

about?For which topics

would you benefit by taking

a training course?

For which topics would you benefit by

studying from a book?

What would help you be more

effective in your job?

Training Team

User Services and Help Center staffUser Services and Help Center staff Diverse groupDiverse group Plan and implement a training program Plan and implement a training program

within that fiscal yearwithin that fiscal year

Areas of Interest

OrientationOrientation TechnicalTechnical

Three Modules

Module 1: Orientation informationModule 1: Orientation information

Module 2: Self-service training materialsModule 2: Self-service training materials

Module 3: Formal training optionsModule 3: Formal training options

• On the webOn the web• Includes standards informationIncludes standards information

• ManualsManuals• Online trainingOnline training

• Customized, on campus, instructor-ledCustomized, on campus, instructor-led• Off campusOff campus

Module 1: Orientation

Updated and reorganized IT web pagesUpdated and reorganized IT web pages IT Professionals OrientationIT Professionals Orientation

• IT OverviewIT Overview• Getting Started for CITAsGetting Started for CITAs• Help & ResourcesHelp & Resources• PoliciesPolicies• IT StandardsIT Standards• IT Professional DevelopmentIT Professional Development

http://www.udel.edu/cita

Takin’ it to the CITAs

Direct CITAs to essential informationDirect CITAs to essential information Review for reinforcementReview for reinforcement Restrict some resources to CITAs Restrict some resources to CITAs Provide Provide “perks”“perks” upon completion of upon completion of

Orientation moduleOrientation module

WebCT

Technical Skills Training

Skills assessmentSkills assessment No required trainingNo required training Topics from brainstorming and surveyTopics from brainstorming and survey Variety of learning stylesVariety of learning styles

Module 2: Self-Service Materials ManualsManuals

Online trainingOnline training

User Education resourcesUser Education resources

• VTCVTC• OracleOracle

• Online manuals from SANSOnline manuals from SANS• $200 allotment$200 allotment

Module 3: Formal Training

On campus On campus – – IT paidIT paid

Off campus Off campus – – IT and department shared IT and department shared costcost

• Windows 2000Windows 2000

• SANS SecuritySANS Security – – included IT staffincluded IT staff

Results

0

10

20

30

40

50

Books VTConline

Oracleonline

Windowsclass

Securityclass

Off-campus

Problems/Concerns

Minor usability issuesMinor usability issues Non-participating CITAsNon-participating CITAs

• those who need trainingthose who need training• those who are already skilledthose who are already skilled

Limitations of department fundingLimitations of department funding SchedulingScheduling

Added Benefits

Improved IT-CITA and CITA-CITA Improved IT-CITA and CITA-CITA interactioninteraction

Organized IT web pages for everyoneOrganized IT web pages for everyone Better communication within ITBetter communication within IT Increased morale among CITAsIncreased morale among CITAs

The Future

Budget tightened Budget tightened Narrowing focus for topicsNarrowing focus for topics More CITA input on topicsMore CITA input on topics SchedulingScheduling Training doesn’t solve all problemsTraining doesn’t solve all problems

Conclusion

Successful project with many benefitsSuccessful project with many benefits

www.udel.edu

Thank Thank you!you!