NACS sponsors two important coordination groups on campus, the Computer Support Coordinator (CSC) and Computer Lab Coordinator (CLC) groups. Both groups are aimed at helping support the departmental computer staff who support end-users. The groups try to build consensus about UCI computing environment directions, facilitate discussions of computer related matters, share information, and establish peer support. Topics of past CSC meetings include Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 networking and security, and a discussion of NT E-mail and Directory Services protocols. Topics of past CLC meetings include establishing minimum configuration guidelines for the purchase of desktop computers, and a presentation of NACS’ Uniprint Print job cost-recovery system.

The CSC and CLC groups meet on the last Wednesday of each month, alternating every other month. Meeting times and agendas are announced by e-mail using the UCICSCG@UCI.EDU and COMPUTER-LABS@UCI.EDU LISTSERV mailing lists, which campus computing supporters are welcome to join.

If you support computing and/or networking at UCI, you are invited to attend future CSC and/or CLC meetings. If you do not support computing yourself, please pass this invitation along to those in your department who do.

An important issue confronting UCI is the provision of adequate computing and electronic communication support to faculty, staff, and students. Below I summarize NACS’ view concerning the relative roles of central and departmental computing support.

NACS provides electronic communication infrastructure (the campus network, as one example) and basic computing and communications services to all faculty, staff and students. Two examples of the latter are the student Educational Access (EA) computing cluster and the E4E electronic mail service for faculty and staff.

NACS also provides expertise and services best provided by a campus-wide computing organization, such as contract UNIX support, and network management consultation. NACS provides a help desk for NACS services, common campus-wide questions, and to make referrals to other support resources where appropriate. NACS staff are also available to assist departmental computing personnel, and coordinate campus-wide discussions on technical issues.

However, with the rapid expansion in network and computing utilization over the past decade, it is neither possible nor appropriate for a central organization to provide the majority of direct user support. As is the case at most major Universities, UCI now relies on departmental and school support personnel to maintain local computing services and administrative systems and to provide direct assistance to faculty and staff. The common wisdom is that the optimal support strategy involves a combination of local and central staff, working in harmony, and following campus-wide computing standards.

Even with the combined staff of departments and central support organizations, UCI does not currently have sufficient staff to meet all UCI technology demands. The current support situation is under review, as it creates a fair amount of frustration on campus and slows UCI’s efficient use of technology.

The document referenced below contains NACS’ draft recommendations on local support. We invite your feedback on support issues, via e-mail to NACS@UCI.EDU, or directly to myself, to Dana Roode (NACS Associate Director), or to Jan Vescera (NACS Departmental Support Coordinator).

William H. Parker
Director, Network & Academic Computing Services

Draft Local Support Recommendations:
http:// www.nacs.uci.edu/support/local-support-recommendations.html