Information Technology Service Commitments

As a department, we commit to you that we will:

1. Reply to your email and voicemail messages and respond to help tickets in a timely manner.  This means that we will reply no later than the next business day, even if our reply is simply to tell you that we are working on the issue and will get back to you soon with additional details (in which case, we will get back to you in a timely manner).  
2. Carefully review your email and voicemail messages and engage fully in conversations and meetings so that we can properly and completely answer all of your questions, provide you with the requested information, or provide you with appropriate support.
3. Research your questions fully before we answer you, especially if our answer will be to say that something is not possible.  
4. Discuss and document project and task deadlines and timelines with you so that there is a mutual understanding as to when you need our help and when we will be able to complete your request. Sometimes other projects or tasks may need more urgent attention on our part in which case we will discuss with you how that will impact our agreed to deadline and timelines.
5. Continue to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the systems that we are responsible for supporting so that we can answer your questions and provide proactive suggestions on how you can best use these systems.  
6. Take the time to try to figure out how something can be done, rather than simply, and quickly, reply that this isn’t the way we have done it, are doing it now, or should be doing it.
7. Admit when we don’t know something.  We will then take the time to learn about it so that we can provide you with an informed answer or opinion.
8. Ask questions that help us to better understand what you are asking of us, what you are trying to accomplish, and, sometimes, why you are asking, as there may be more than one way to help you achieve the same goal.  We may also ask you to document your question or request in writing to help ensure there is no misunderstanding.
9. Not blindly say “yes” to everything.  Sometimes the best answer is a reasoned and principled “No” or “No, but…”  However, before we say “No,” we will first follow these principles.
10. Partner with you to help you use the technology resources of the College to meet your needs and achieve your goals.