Requesting technical assistance at the University of Rochester has become easier. In an effort to improve University-wide computing support, the University IT Help Desk has unveiled new online self-help services.

The University IT Help Desk is a resource for University of Rochester faculty, staff, and students who utilize computing services. Cynthia Hervey, Help Desk Manager for University IT, states, “Our goal is to ensure support from the IT Help Desk is efficient and easy to use.”

The new self-help features, which can be found on the University’s website, provide options such as the Knowledge Base (featuring tips and FAQs), online chat support, as well as online self-service and IT Service Request Forms. Users requesting help that is not urgent can simply submit a help ticket online and receive immediate confirmation of the request. Similarly, the online IT Service Request offers a streamlined alternative to the traditional paper IT Service Request form.

According to Hervey, the new services were created out of a demand for quicker turnaround times for help requests. There was also a demand for email confirmation and the ability to track, in real-time, the status of tickets. Simply having another approach for requesting assistance was appealing for many users. “Picking up a telephone and calling the Help Desk is not always the most convenient method for our clients. Depending on their schedules and the severity of the issues, sometimes an online option can better suit their needs,” says Hervey.