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OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (OTS)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General After-Hours Faculty/Staff Support Beginning Spring 2011

1. How can I get help for general questions when the Faculty/Staff Help Center or Student Computing Services is closed?
   Call 410-704-5151 (45151 from on-campus phones). Press 2 on the voice menu, then 1 for students or 2 for faculty and staff. Listen for instructions and a toll-free number.
   
   
2. What kind of topics can I get help with after hours?
   You will be able to get help in a wide variety of topics including Blackboard 9.1, Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), account (NetID) and password management guidance, remote connections with Virtual Workspace and Remote Desktop, and many other areas.
   
   
3. What things can't I get help with after hours?
   Problems that require validating identity or verifying information with other offices cannot be handled after hours. These kinds of things usually need to be addressed during regular business hours by day-time staff members who have additional security or administrative rights.
   
   
4. What if the after-hours provider can't solve my particular problem—what happens next?
   The after-hours provider will send a record of your conversation to Towson University. We will review it the following business morning and follow up by telephone or e-mail. Office or residence hall visits will be arranged if necessary.
   
   
5. Can you help me with problems with my home network equipment—a cable modem, DSL, FiOS, wireless router, and other things like that?
   Your best solution is to contact your Internet Service Provider (e.g., Comcast, Verizon, etc.) since they are most familiar with the wide range of consumer devices on the market—and have the tools to diagnose and troubleshoot problems. Neither university staff nor our after-hours partner can offer in-depth help due to practical and ethical considerations (as a state institution, servicing personally owned devices can be problematic).
   
   
6. Can the after-hours service help me with problems with my personally owned computer or smartphone?
   Service is generally limited to providing you with the proper settings needed to connect to and use campus computing and network resources. We will also provide general advice about installing university-provided or approved software. For other problems, your best solution is to contact your cellular service provider or a store that offers computer services to the public since they will be most familiar with the wide range of consumer brands on the market.
   
   
7. Can I get help for problems involving my TU office telephone service?
   No. Please call during regular business hours if you have telephone problems or questions.
   
   
8. Can I call the after-hours number for help using the computer or equipment in smart classrooms?
   No. Instructions on how to get support are usually posted in the vicinity of the podium in smart classrooms. Please refer to the instructions. If after-hours services are available, it will be through another telephone number.
   
   
9. I heard there is an after-hours service for smart classrooms, and I wrote down the phone number. Can I call the "classroom hotline" for general help, too?
   No. For general help, please use the telephone number provided in the announcement when calling 410-704-5151. Certain buildings and rooms are part of a Spring 2011 pilot classroom support initiative and use a separate toll-free telephone number, posted in the classroom. That number is meant for classroom technology emergencies only, not general support. See http://www.towson.edu/ctpilot for details.
   
   
10. Who provides the after-hours service for Towson University?
    Perceptis, Inc., one of the country’s top higher education "co-source" support providers. They have call centers in Ohio and Arizona, and will soon be opening another in South Carolina. See http://perceptis.com/. The company is providing contract-based services to Towson University using a master agreement arranged by the Maryland Enterprise Education Consortium (MEEC). See http://www.meec-edu.org/helpdesk.html