Phillips Academy Office of Technology Guide to Services
September 2007
Page1. Welcome to Phillips Academy / 1
2. The Technology Office / 2
3. Services Available / 2
a. E-Mail, Intranet (PAnet) and Internet Access / 3
b. Help Desk / 4
c. Support for Academy-Owned Computer Equipment / 4
d. Support for Personally-Owned Computer Equipment / 5
i. Techmasters / 5
ii. Hardware Repair Service / 5
e. Support for Datatel and other Administrative Computing Systems / 5
f. Hardware and Software Purchase Plans / 6
g. Faculty Computer Loan Program / 6
h. Faculty Laptop Loans / 6
i. High-Speed Internet Access for Non-Dormitory Faculty / 6
j. Voice Mail / 6
k. Student Long-Distance Calling Options / 6
l. Fax Services / 7
m. Audio Visual Services / 7
n. Training / 7
4. Technology Learning Centers and Other Resources / 8
a. Phillips Academy Computer Center (PACC) / 8
b. Educational Research and Development Lab (ERDL) / 8
c. Polk-Lillard Electronic Imaging Center (PLC) / 8
d. Language Learning Center (LLC) / 9
e. The William Biggs Clift Jr. Record Library / 9
f. Audio Visual Center / 9
g. Kemper Auditorium / 10
h. Oliver Wendell Holmes Library / 10
5. Technology Learning Centers Policies and Guidelines for Use / 11
6. Other Policies / 12
a. Software Copyright Policy / 12
b. Purchase and Removal of Academy-owned Equipment / 12
c. Technology Governance / 12
Welcome to Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy prides itself on providing extraordinary and state-of-the-art technology to students, faculty and staff. Network access, Internet access, e-mail accounts and voice mail are available to all students. Some of the technological highlights include:
· Our state-of-the-art network accessible to all students from all academic, administrative and residential buildings on campus.
· PAnet, the academy’s Intranet, which provides a virtual community in which students, faculty and staff can share their works and ideas. PAnet offers the Blackboard suite of products, which is used by most colleges and universities. It includes such features as Internet access, online courses, streaming media, web-based e-mail, campus information and announcements, discussion groups and document storage services.
· Our extraordinary world-class, supervised Technology Learning Centers (TLCs), which have been nationally recognized for their innovation and offer approximately 200 computers for public use.
· Our informative and effective World Wide Web site at www.andover.edu.
For up to date information, visit our web site at www.andover.edu/technology. Answers to frequently asked questions (e.g., What kind of computer should I buy? What are the minimum specifications for connecting to the academy network?) are available at www.andover.edu/technology/faq.htm. Information about discounted computer purchase programs, including special laptop offers, can be found at www.andover.edu/technology/purchase.htm. Students planning to bring a computer to campus should be aware that Internet access is available only through direct connection via the academy’s network. Use of modems or any other wired or wireless network electronics is prohibited. Instructions to connect to the academy’s network are posted at www.andover.edu/technology/net.htm. We suggest that students bring a network cable, a UL-approved surge protector and any other necessary computer supplies. File storage accessories, network cables and mouse pads are available in the Phillips Academy Computer Center (PACC), but at a higher-than-retail cost.
Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint are the primary supported programs used at Phillips Academy and Trend Micro (which is provided free to all students and faculty) is the anti-virus software required on all computers connecting to the academy network. Microsoft Office and other software programs may be purchased at educational pricing; visit www.andover.edu/technology/purchase.htm or call the Phillips Academy Computer Center (PACC) at 978-749-4351 or the Technology Help Desk at 978-749-4357 for more information.
These certainly are exciting times to be at Phillips Academy. We will continue to post as much current information as we can to the Web. However, if you have read the information on our site and still have questions, please call us at 978-749-4357, or e-mail us at . Enjoy!
- Valerie A. Roman, Director of Technology
THE TECHNOLOGY OFFICE
The Technology Office, led by Valerie Roman, consists of three areas of focus:
- The Information Systems team, led by Judy Hoyt, focuses on application development, including Datatel, PAnet and Web delivery of information. This group ensures the daily flow of information from Datatel to our Web applications to allow for online schedules, student reporting systems and courses.
2. The Network and Systems Services team, led by Chris Joel, is responsible for providing, maintaining and servicing the academy’s telecommunications and network infrastructure comprised of over 100 network backbone devices and over 50 servers supporting 1,500 users in over 75 buildings. This group manages all networking services including our domain, exchange servers, firewall, internet access on multiple platforms (Microsoft Windows, AIX, Linux, Lotus Domino, SQL, Unidata) and all voice and data communications technology.
- The Technology and Instructional Support team, led by David Hasbany, focuses on providing dedicated resources for faculty, staff and student support, instructional technology, audio visual services and overall coordination of the Technology Learning Centers (PACC, Polk-Lillard Center, Language Learning Center, Clift Record Library). These staffed learning centers are available to support students, faculty and staff in both their individual and their use of technology in the academic program. These centers are open varied hours, 7 days a week from 8:00 am – 9:30 pm.
SERVICES AVAILABLE
E-Mail, Intranet (PAnet) and Internet Access
In 1999, the academy brought its virtual community, PAnet, online. PAnet is an intranet built on the Blackboard platform and is completely Web browser accessible. All students and faculty members are provided PAnet accounts to access Web-based e-mail, online courses, discussion groups, announcements, schedules and online academy publications. Students and faculty are also provided access to the Internet. Staff members are provided PAnet accounts and World Wide Web access upon approval of their supervisors. Parents are provided with PAnet accounts to access schedules and other information of interest.
Students and faculty who live in dormitories are provided the opportunity to connect to the academy network. Use of modems or any other wired or wireless network electronics is prohibited. For faculty members, modem use is allowed on computers not directly connected to the academy network.
Given the size and complexity of our infrastructure, service-interrupting maintenance is unavoidable. Whenever possible, this maintenance is scheduled for evening or weekend hours to minimize the impact upon the community. However, some situations dictate that maintenance be performed during the course of a normal workday. A one-week notice via e-mail and voice mail will be given for any planned interruption of service. Emergencies will be handled immediately, with notice at the time of the emergency given via voice mail and email.
Help Desk
The Help Desk is staffed by individuals dedicated to supporting all technology services on campus and can be reached at ext. 4357 (HELP). The current hours of operation are 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, plus evening and weekend hours at the PACC, excluding staff holidays. Please be aware that there are times when a caller may be put into voice mail, e.g., if the person answering the phone is helping another caller or is away from the desk for a brief period of time. However, all Help Desk calls will be responded to within 4 hours. If you experience any problems getting a response within the 4-hour window, please notify Valerie Roman ().
The Help Desk also organizes a student run support group called the Techmasters, to support students and faculty with their personally-owned computer equipment. To contact the Techmasters or to learn more about the Techmasters, please read the information posted at http://student.andover.edu.
In the event of a major (building-wide or system-wide) outage during off-hours (evenings, weekends and staff holidays), the following steps should be taken:
1. Call the Help Desk at ext. 4357 and leave a voice message describing the problem and stating how you can be reached.
2. Call Public Safety at ext. 4444. They will contact a member of Network and Systems Services at home to respond to the problem.
Each and every call into the Help Desk gets immediately prioritized and is responded to accordingly. Calls related to classroom outages, inability to accomplish critical work with legal or safety implications, or problems impacting numerous members of the community receive first priority. Requests within the same priority are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Support for Academy-Owned Computer Equipment
For questions or problems with academy-owned computer equipment, staff and faculty should contact their department’s key user. If the key user is unable to resolve the problem, he or she should call the Help Desk at ext. 4357 for answers or service. Calls that cannot be addressed over the phone will initiate a work order. Work orders are prioritized on the basis of time sensitivity and importance. The Help Desk may be called at any time to determine the status of a work order.
Support for Personally-Owned Computer Equipment
For application or system-configuration questions about personally-owned computer equipment, students should contact the Techmasters group at http://student.andover.edu. Faculty are also encouraged to contact the Help Desk at ext. 4357. Please refer to the “Hardware Repair Service” section for information regarding hardware repair for personally-owned computers.
Techmasters
The Techmasters is a student-staffed technical services team that assists other students with software, configuration and training for their personally-owned computers. This program is designed to train students to a higher level of technical competence and to an awareness of technological issues such as those around copyright. It also provides members with an opportunity to serve the community. Students interested in becoming Techmasters must show an interest in gaining technical knowledge and a dedication to serving the community. Students who qualify may choose to apply Techmaster service toward work duty credit. Interested individuals should contact Mary Ellen Witman, manager of the PACC, at .
Hardware Repair Service
For liability reasons, no members of the Technology Office or the Techmasters are allowed to perform hardware service on personally-owned equipment. An outside company is available on a billable basis to provide this service. Current information on the service is available at www.andover.edu/technology/support.htm, or contact the PACC at ext. 4351.
Support for Datatel and other Administrative Computing Systems
The Information Systems (IS) team provides three levels of support to users of administrative computing systems: ongoing systems and database administration; routine programming and report-writing services; and emergency problem analysis and resolution. For emergency problems, call the Help Desk at ext. 4357. Individual requests for systems or database support, such as adding user accounts or changing user security, routine programming and report writing services should be submitted on a Phillips Academy IS Request for Services Form. The form is available on PAnet in the Technology Section under Faculty/Staff. IS processes requests in order of need and urgency to the requesting department and the academy overall. Questions regarding the status of requests may be referred to the associate director of IS. Those planning to use the IS systems on a weekend or holiday should notify the Help Desk at least 48 hours in advance to insure there will be no conflict with scheduled maintenance, systems administrative work or backup procedures.
Hardware and Software Purchase Plans
One of the roles of the Technology Office is to provide objective information, consultation and assistance regarding the purchase of computer equipment and applications. Faculty, staff and students are entitled to educational discounts on software, hardware and supplies. Visit www.andover.edu/technology/purchase.htm for vendor information. Faculty can purchase Microsoft Office and Windows licensing for work-at-home use; contact the PACC for more details.
Faculty Computer Loan Program
Interest-free loans are available to faculty members to purchase approved computer equipment and software, as long as the faculty member is employed by Phillips Academy. Applications are available on PAnet in the Technology Section under Faculty/Staff.
Faculty Laptop Loans
A limited number of Windows and Macintosh laptops are available for faculty use for up to two weeks.
High-Speed Internet Access for Non-Dormitory Faculty
Payroll stipends are available to faculty who do not live in dormitories or other buildings connected to the Phillips Academy network. Applications are available on PAnet in the Technology Section under Faculty/Staff.
Voice Mail
All students and faculty are provided with personal voice mailboxes. Messages can be left and retrieved from any touch-tone phone at any time, including the over 50 public phones located across campus. The voice mail system automatically picks up any unanswered call within four rings. Message waiting light equipped phones are provided to students for visual indication of a waiting message.
Individuals are requested to use decorum when setting up their voice mail greeting. For instructions on the use and setup of voice mail, refer to the Directory or download voice mail instructions from PAnet.
Student Long-Distance Calling Options
Information about student long distance calling options can be found at www.andover.edu/technology/telecom.htm.
Fax Services
Students may send faxes related to the academic program or college admission process from the PACC at no charge. Students may receive faxes in the mailroom in George Washington Hall at ext. 4123 or 978-749-4123 at a cost of $1 per page.
Audio Visual Services
Audio visual setups, technical management of events, and design of technical setups can be supplied for a fee. Videotape duplication, conversions and editing, are also available fee-based services. Requests must be made to the Audio Visual Center at ext. 4560 at least one week in advance and are subject to staff and resource availability.
Training
Classes are offered during the school year to faculty and staff. A staff member must obtain their supervisor’s approval before enrolling. Separate “Technology Day” events, which focus on faculty use, are held at the beginning and end of each school year. Classes are offered for applications including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as workshops on Blackboard, html, multi-media and computer graphics. Department- specific and one-on-one training is also available.
In addition, training on Datatel and other administrative computing systems can be provided by identify training needs to the associate director of Information Systems through an IS Request Form. Because training conducted by the Information Systems team or the software vendor is not always immediately available, requests should be made at least four weeks in advance.