The Who What Where When and Whys of IT help at Shenandoah University

No, you can't use force powers to fix you MacBook

Everybody knows that IT problems can be confounding.  When you need help you are already most likely frustrated because, let's face it, serious IT problems are a major headache.  On top of the mounting frustration of on going computer woes, you are expected to go to the right people, at the right place, at the right time, and ask the right questions.  Believe me, I understand your pain.

Today's blog is all about mitigating as much of that IT frustration as possible. So, together, let's all take a collective deep breath, exhale, stretch-out something sore, and get ready to sift through the turbid haze of IT assistance. Once you learn how to get help efficiently, tech problems become way less worrisome. So let me share with you some tremendous SU resources.

This poor lil fella probably just needed some IC Help Desk love

What to do when problems arise:

Depending on the nature of your current situation, you might want to take a few different actions. So stop and think about what is going to work best for you and your schedule.


For example:

•  Go to the Help Desk if you are on campus and have a few spare moments, you can strut over to Howe Hall room 112 and get immediate assistance.
• Submit a work order if you find that you are so slammed that you could not possibly make it to Howe Hall. While your busy life is taking place, somebody in IC can help you handle your inquiry from behind the scenes without you waiting around. 

IC Resources:

IC Help Desk
Howe Hall: Room 112
Phone: 540.665.5555
Email: Helpdesk@su.edu
If you happen to be at our Health Professions Building or our Northern Virginia campus, you're in luck because both sites also have a Help Desk

Submit a work-order.  

A great feature about the work order system is that there is a paper trail left behind whenever a work order is submitted.  Why it is a great feature is that the entire processed is tracked and monitored so that all inquiries are handled in a timely and coherent fashion. Additionally, after enough work orders are filed and resolved, a well-organized F.A.Q. section will emerge with answers to common problems which will be tremendously beneficial to others.

Additional IC resources:

In the rear entrance of the Smith Library, you can access the Institutional Computing office and find a gentleman by the name of Devon Taylor at the first office on the right.  Devon's job is to help SU users interface better with technology.  If you're curious about how to make Gmail work a little bit more efficiently or need to know how to use your iPad more effectively, then Devon is going to be a great resource for you.

If you have issues with Blackboard prior to log in, you need to seek out help from the Help Desk.  If you have issues with Blackboard after log in, you need to submit a work order to receive help.