CENG Information Technology (IT) Support
College of Engineering Faculty and Staff –
As President Armstrong has previously communicated, a number of campus services are being centralized to find financial and operational efficiencies. One of these areas is Information Technology Services. The most significant near-term impact of this change is that CENG IT staff will become ITS staff. The transition date for staff is still to be determined, though most likely around spring break. Adding to the complexity of this transition is the Early Exit Program, which reduces our current IT staff by 40% as of Jan 1.
This transition in the way that IT operates in CENG is a challenging one for all involved; given our wishes, we would not be making these changes on this rapid a timeline. Over the past month, a team consisting of the CENG IT staff, the Dean’s Office, Department Chairs, and Faculty computing champions has developed an organizational structure that we feel not only addresses the near-term constraints and challenges we face, but also will provide a real opportunity to improve our IT infrastructure across the college. Really big thanks to all who participated in this effort, but especially to the IT staff who are the most impacted by this change, and who are viewing service to the faculty/staff/students as their primary focus.
On Jan 1, we will switch over to our shared support model in CENG; it is our hope and expectation that we will be able to provide at least the level of support our faculty & staff have come to expect, and we even hope for some improvements. But things will be different. We are moving from a model where faculty & staff knew and interacted with “their” IT technician to a model that is likely to feel less personal. We are all working hard to ensure that the service provided by this model, even under our reduced staff, will be seen by the faculty and staff as both responsive and effective. But it may take a while for the dust to settle.
As of Jan 1, IT support for CENG faculty, staff, and students will transition from “Department-Based” to “Zone-Based” coverage. This allows our IT technicians to concentrate on areas of support that best align with their strengths and interests.
The three CENG support zones are:
- Academic Computing – specialty computing needs such as LINUX support, High Performance Computing, support for Cybersecurity efforts, research projects, software licensing, and export control.
- Classroom Technologies – support for computing and A/V technologies in CENG classrooms and laboratories, including classroom software and remote access.
- Client Support – CENG help desk for general troubleshooting and rapid onsite response.
All CENG service requests will be processed through our Client Support zone and fulfilled by the appropriate area of support. We will be using the ITS service request system (servicedesk@calpoly.edu, 756-7000 or the Cal Poly Service Desk. This system will automatically identify CENG faculty/staff/students and immediately route requests directly back to our CENG technicians in the Client Support zone.
For URGENT requests, there are three ways of directly contacting our CENG Client Support zone:
1. Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is the preferred method of communication directly with our CENG Client Support zone. Teams allows for real time chat/video/remote access to computers to resolve most technical issues. Instructions for using Microsoft Teams is available on the Printable Guides tab of this webpage.
2. email: ceng-support@calpoly.edu
3. phone: Call the ITS Help Desk (805-756-7000). Identify yourself as a CENG faculty/staff and they will immediately route your call to our CENG Client Support zone.
Phone assistance is currently provided M-F 8-5, but we hope to expand this over the winter quarter to ultimately provide support via MS Teams and email during all CENG scheduled class hours.
As you can imagine, the winter quarter will be extremely challenging for our IT staff, as they adjust to a new organizational structure, develop new processes that span operations across the entire college, and manage a workload with reduced staffing. We are working on approval to hire to boost the team numbers from what they will be on Jan. 1st, but this will take some time.
We ask that during this transition, you “give back” to the IT techs through a combination of self-help (via the information available on the ITS support website), patience, and flexibility. We hope that you understand that the team will be triaging requests as they come in, and that in most classes urgent classroom requests will take priority. If there are any concerns or issues with service, please work with your Department Chair, or contact Bob Crockett in the Dean’s Office directly (rcrocket@calpoly.edu).
Thank you for your help in this transition. While it will take some adjustment, and we do certainly need to rehire some lost positions, the IT team does believe that there are some exciting opportunities for significant improvements to our classroom technologies, remote access, and user experiences.
Q1) Where do I go to find General ITS Help Resources (i.e. Adobe Suite, VPN, Office365, AWS Appstream, etc.)?
A1) Visit the Cal Poly ITS Knowledge Database.
Q2) Where do I go to find teaching resources, such as Zoom and Canvas?
A2) Visit the CTLT Teaching Resources webpage.
Q3) I have issues printing on campus, who do I contact?
A3) Please create a support ticket by calling the Service Desk at x67000 or 805-756-7000.
CENG Remote Desktops and Apps is currently available for AERO, BMED, CE, ME, and MATE students.
Requirements:
- Windows 8 or 10
- MacOS 10.13 or later
- Minimum Download Speed: 5 Mbps
- Global Protect VPN
- Browser: Chrome (Recommended), Firefox, Edge
To access site, you must be running Global Protect VPN.
Please create a support ticket by using the request portal or calling the Service Desk at x67000 or 805-756-7000.