IT Team Working to Improve Users’ Technology Experience

By Ann Kovalchick
Associate Vice Chancellor of Information Technology

Steve Jobs envisioned perfection in technology, in both form and function, a passion that remains his legacy to this day.

This quest was, to many around him, like searching for a unicorn; the legendary balance of beauty and strength, seen by few, if any. Much like taming a magical beast, working with technology can be a frustrating experience, and requires us to be patient and adaptive.

In a recent NPR story entitled “A Good IT Person Needs To Be Half Technologist, Half Psychologist,” we are reminded that we still haven’t found the unicorn. As we continue to integrate technology more into our lives, we also become more emotionally invested. That is why UC Merced’s Information Technology team continues to work on new ways to improve your technology experience.

Hopefully, our efforts will help you to tame that magical beast you depend on so much every day.

Efforts to improve service

Over the summer, a number of efforts were implemented to do just that:

The structure of IT has been streamlined to provide more functional and efficient service. This includes the formation of a core leadership team with assigned areas of responsibility. Each IT division and its director will focus on building staff capacity and coordination to improve the delivery of service.

A request for information (RFI) for a next-generation network (NGN) has been published and closes Sept. 5. This RFI will inform the subsequent RFP to be awarded by the end of fall 2014. This enables work to begin in January 2015 on building the NGN. The first phase of the NGN will include:

• Implementing Res Net, which will segregate network traffic between the residence halls and the remainder of campus, increasing network efficiency for instructional and research needs;
• Improving wireless coverage and density;
• Hardening the network against security threats;
• Increasing overall campus bandwidth to the Internet; and
• Streamlining and automating network management

Additionally, campus business offices have agreed to standardize on a single tool to support paperless workflows and electronic documents. A project steering committee has been formed to take the lead on developing process standards to insure the technology is easy to use and to establish project priorities.

An IT communications officer joined the team and is leading the redesign of the IT website with a goal toward increased functionality and easier access to IT’s knowledge base and services.

We also launched a simpler IT status page that focuses on the most critical campus systems.

Knowledge is power

​We recognize that the greatest difficulty in supporting technology here on campus stems from our greatest strength.

UC Merced IT supports a bring-your-own-device philosophy. We understand that technology is not only an essential tool but a personal one, and its use reflects the style and preferences of each individual.

Classrooms are designed with the expectation that faculty members carrying mobile devices can plug them into instructor stations, reducing setup time between classes and the need for just-in-time tech support. Not every configuration works perfectly every time, but we are still searching for that unicorn.

However, as technology is now commonplace, it’s important for each of us take the initiative to understand it as it applies to our own lives. The more we know about the devices we use, the less frustrated we are when they don’t do what we want.

We don’t yet live in a world where we have our own tech support staff from birth, and the IT Help Desk is only open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In the spirit of self-empowerment, IT, in partnership with Human Resources, now offers unlimited, free access to more than 2,500 online videos for business, software, technology and creative skills development. Check out our Lynda.com resources located in the MyUCMerced portal under the Training tab.