Upgrade Process and Schedule Student Computer Suites

What is Teaching Technologies role in student computer suite maintenance?

How often do Teaching Technologies update student computer suites?

What happens if I need an update outside of these maintenance windows?

What is the process that Teaching Technologies employ to update student computer suites?

What happens if I do not verify my application after it is installed/updated?

I am a student and would like to request a new software application.

What are the student computer suite maintenance windows?

How do I request additions/changes to my student computer suite? 

What is Teaching Technologies role in student computer suite maintenance?

The student computer facilities within the University campuses are owned and subsidised by each Faculty or School.  Teaching Technologies team within Technology Services maintain the hardware and software component as per each Faculty or School's requirements.

What Technology Services support:

• Maintain hardware health
• Provide advice on computer hardware replacement and assist areas with planning of cyclic computer replacement
• Install academic applications onto the student suites and ensure that they do not conflict with core services such as authentication, printing, email and MyUni

What Teaching Technologies do not support:

• Do not own the computer equipment or fund replacement of hardware or software
• Are not experts in academic software applications – the functionality and use of applications should be supported by each school
• Are not able to approve the installation and configuration of the software as suitable for teaching and research operations
• Are not authorised to make changes to another area's applications by a requestor from another school/faculty
• Do not provide support or maintenance of buildings (all queries should be directed to Property Services)

To this end Teaching Technologies will always request that the installation is tested and signed-off by the requesting staff member or delegate.

How often do Teaching Technologies update student computer suites?

Teaching Technologies provides scheduled routine upgrades to the computer suite image twice per annum.  These are scheduled during the mid-year and end of year breaks.

Teaching Technologies currently provides this service to over 80 individual student suites.  Due to the large number of student facilities and the highly integrated and controlled nature of the software, it is necessary to have defined maintenance windows for student suite upgrades.

What happens if I need an update outside of these maintenance windows?

Even the most minor change to a computer suite image may take a minimum of one days effort.  Some more complicated applications may take a number of days.  In additon to this work being completed, there is a requirement to have the application tested by an academic to ensure it behaves as expected. 

During the maintenance windows Teaching Technologies allocates dedicated staff to update the 90+ computer suites across the three campuses.  If software is requested to be delivered outside of these predefined maintenance windows, we will endeavour to complete the request.  However, as the work will be required to be performed out of hours, cost recovery will be sought from that faculty/school.  This will be contingent upon staff availability and may still need to be scheduled. 

This approach has been adopted to cause minimal impact to work previously arranged with Teaching Technologies team.

What is the process that Teaching Technologies employ to update student computer suites?

Teaching Technologies team has a defined process with regards to updating software in student computer suites, via an online form.  This process is in place to ensure that the requests are tracked, work is sufficiently resourced to allow adequate quality assurance steps to be incorporated, and customers are communicated with.  This reduces the instances of additional work to address issues post deployment and in turn increases staff and student satisfaction of their IT experience.

Once the request has been raised using the online form, Teaching Technologies are sent the request via email.  The request is then acknowledged in the online system and scheduled.  Upon closure of the request window, Teaching Technologies will contact each requestor regarding the work being completed and licence/media information.  When the image has been completed, the requestor will be contacted to conduct testing to ensure all applications behave as expected.  When testing has passed, the computer suite will be re-imaged with the updated image.

What happens if I do not verify my application after it has been installed/updated?

Technology Services is not able to verify that the installation and configuration of the software is suitable for academic teaching requirements.  If the software is not verified by the staff that will use it for teaching then there is a risk it may not meet the minimum requirements to successfully hold classes and classes may be cancelled.  In this case any issues identified will be treated as a new request and will be scheduled in with the current workload.  It is therefore in your best interests to test your software carefully.

I am a student and would like to request new software

As the faculties own the facilities and computer suites you should first discuss any software requirements with your lecturer. They will make the decision as to whether your software request is warranted to support their teaching requirements. Teaching Technologies is unable to accept requests for new software from students. Advice of faults from students are still welcome via the Technology Services Helpdesk (83033000).

What are the Student Computer Suite maintenance windows?

 2011

How do I request additions/changes to my student computer suite?

Requests for additions/changes to student computer suites from academics/staff only, can be lodged by clicking on the button below.  It is important that all details are complete.  Please be aware that if all details are not complete this could mean that your software request may not be actioned in time for the next teaching period.

*Please note the request window has been CLOSED, and will reopen after  Semester 1 2012.*