Top Ten Reasons to Join the Technology Support Program

If you provide technology support to your department and are not yet familiar with the Technology Support Program (TSP), read on and find out why 306 of your colleagues are now enrolled in this program.

The TSP is coordinated by the Division of Information Technology and is designed to help departments plan and implement the use of information technologies. The program was launched in Summer 1995 following the explosion of information technology use on the campus. Since then, participation has grown steadily. By July 1998, 198 campus departments had joined the program.

By enrolling in the TSP, you will become known as a Technology Support Coordinator (TSC) and will gain access to a number of services, including:

Ongoing training. In 1997-98, approximately 50 courses were offered on a variety of topics, such as administering servers, technology consulting, developing a departmental technology plan, Perl, networking concepts, and supporting UC Davis administrative applications. The Fall 1998 list of courses will be available on the Web at http://tsp.ucdavis.edu/ in early September. Note: You have to be enrolled in the TSP to be able to access the list of courses.
An individual IT Representative who acts as your personal contact if you are unable to solve a problem.
Special electronic support services. You will be subscribed to two electronic mailing lists: one for announcements and the other for open discussion among TSCs. You will also have access to online documentation via the Web at http://tsp.ucdavis.edu/.
Outside technical support services and IT-sponsored events. Many times these special events are scheduled early to provide TSCs with future product information that may help them anticipate or address departmental technology concerns.
Invitations to IT-sponsored training sessions. TSCs will often be provided with advanced training on products to help address departmental technology migration and transition concerns.
Gartner Group Research and Publications. The Gartner Group is an information technology industry research group that provides services to the campus (at reduced fees) by arrangement with the UC Office of the President. Gartner Group consultants provide insight into current and future trends in information technology and the ways in which new information technologies may affect how departments will function in the future.
Participation in beta test programs will give you the opportunity to evaluate and provide feedback to vendors on future versions of products.
Regularly scheduled informal TSC gatherings provide a forum for focused discussion and problem solving on topics selected by TSCs.
Inclusion in the TSC directory. A quick reference guide to all TSCs in the support network, including phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.
Use of Computer Training Facilities. As a TSC, you will be able to schedule time at an IT computer training facility to conduct computer training sessions focused specifically on your own department's needs.

Enrolling in the TSP will not in itself solve all your departmental computing and support needs, but it will provide a resource for good, reliable results. If you wish to join or obtain more information about the Technology Support Program, send email to tsp@ucdavis.edu or visit the TSP Web site at http://tsp.ucdavis.edu/.

This article is adapted from information posted on the TSP Web site.