OUT AND ABOUT:
CUSTOMER-FACING UPDATES
 
VU/VUMC Internet Service Separated!
On May 21, 2019, after years of detailed work and preparation to assure that critical services were not interrupted, the VU/VUMC shared internet service was separated. VUMC and VU now have independent internet connectivity. This initiative was undertaken to meet the legal separation SLA requirements between VU and VUMC.
Contact: Dave Mathews
New Wireless Enhancements at VU
This past month, VUIT unveiled several new wireless services and enhancements on campus: VUGuest, eduroam, and a new wireless device registration system. These enhancements provide an improved and more secure WiFi experience for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. They also align VU’s WiFi service with other institutions by offering eduroam.
Contact: Dave Mathews
Network Services
Network Services provided both WiFi and wired connections for Commencement as well as enhanced outdoor WiFi coverage for “The Party.” The VU network was used for video streaming the Commencement exercises as well as sharing photos and interviews in real time. This impressive capability allowed friends and family who were unable to attend the ceremony to still enjoy the events.
Contact: Marcus Newman
THE INSIDE SCOOP
Flexible summer schedule guidelines
VUIT employees granted a flexible summer schedule may begin working their alternate hours the week of June 3, 2019, and resume their regular work schedules the week of August 12, 2019.
Guidelines:
- Your manager will communicate any additional guidelines they choose to implement and ask for requests from interested employees.
- If you are interested in a flexible summer schedule, you must submit a request to your manager via email as soon as possible.
- To be eligible for a flexible summer schedule, employees must have a minimum performance rating of “Meets Expectations”
- Approval of a flexible schedule is at the discretion of your manager.
- If your request is approved, your manager will work with you to develop and document a weekly schedule for the summer that also assures coverage for your team. Managers will retain the documented schedules until the end of the summer.
- Schedules must adhere to the standard 40-hour work week and should not have a negative impact on your work or project progress. Options include:
- Working four 9-hour days and one 4-hour day each week
- Working four 10-hour days each week
- Working four 8-hour days, one 4-hour day, and report 4 hours of PTO
**Schedules that result in an employee working less than four days per week on site will NOT be permitted
- There is no need to complete the official VUIT AWA form.
- Schedules will continually be assessed to assure that the needs of the department and the university are met. Your manager may choose to end your flexible summer schedule at any time.
NOTE: Due to the unique business needs of VUIT, some teams will not be able to accommodate flexible schedules for the summer. Employees who work in such areas will continue to follow their regular schedules.
Please review VU’s Alternative Work Arrangement policy for more information.
If you have any questions, please contact Alex Wilson.
Please help the Tech Hub welcome the class of 2023!
The Tech Hub is seeking volunteers to work the Tech Hub booth at the CommonVU Information Fair on Saturday, August 17. Volunteers will talk with new students and their families about VUIT’s services, answer questions, and assist with basic troubleshooting. Last year VUIT assisted more than 625 customers and more are expected this year.
There are two shifts available on Sat., August 17:
1) 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
2) 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please email Todd Newsome with your preferred shift, shirt size, and contact information.
Check out the photos from the May All Hands meeting and awards ceremony in VUIT’s flickr account
Did you know that VUIT has a Twitter account?
Follow VUIT on Twitter to stay abreast of news, outages, and alerts at @Vanderbilt_IT.
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Write informative emails to your customers
Here’s how:
- Clearly outline the customer’s issue or concern in language that he/she understands.
- Read the email carefully, and take your time when responding.
- Anticipate questions your customer may have and be prepared to answer them.
Here’s why:
- Email communication is one of the most widely-used communication channels in the IT industry, and every effort should be made to have a positive customer experience – even in writing.
- Communicating thoughtfully in writing shows the customer that you care about his/her issues, which will help you build a positive rapport.
- Taking the time to think about your email responses will eliminate the possibility of sending incorrect information to the customer.
For more information on this topic, watch this short video on Lynda.com.
Contact: Kelsey Anito, kelsey.e.anito@vanderbilt.edu
“SkyVU in Review” newsletter
The SkyVU in Review newsletter is released twice a month and provides a brief summary of new features, tips & tricks, updates, and announcements. Check out the most recent issue.
*Please visit the SkyVU website and/or follow SkyVU on Instagram for additional information.
TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
JT Taylor, Senior Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
Hometown: Mount Juliet, Tennessee
Time with Vanderbilt: “I have been with Vanderbilt for almost seven years. I started out as a technical support specialist supporting clinical workstations in the Medical Center. From there I moved to my present position as a senior technical support specialist with VUIT End User Services.”
Current Project:
“I’m currently working on a computer refresh of several classrooms\labs for biological sciences.”
Fun Facts: “I love to learn and I’m always reading\studying something. I even have my own computer test lab at home to help me learn more about networking\security.”
Entertainment: “I enjoy reading fiction, biographies, technical, and business books. I spend most of my free
time studying for certifications and tinkering with my home servers\computers.”
Why VUIT?
“What I enjoy most about my job that it is never boring. I may have a ticket in the morning to help a research lab that is studying the way the brain functions, and in the afternoon help a user in earth and environmental science who is studying how the shape of an object affects its trajectory when falling so they can predict the trajectory of rock slides.”
UPDATE FROM HUMAN RESOURCES
VUIT New Hires
Nathan Dryden- BI Delivery
VUIT Departures
Dwayne Wright- Network Services
Dianne Webb- IT Business Operations
Dennis Van Hove- Operator Services
Joshua Foster- IT Security Operations
Kenyata O’Neal- Operator Services
VUIT Job Postings
Java Application Developer #1801529
Principal Security Architect #1900090
Mgr. Network Operations #1900387
Manager, Audio Visual Design #1900472
BI Developer #1900565
Java Application Developer #1900637
Network Security Analyst #1900676
Supvr, Operations #1900699
Operator Svcs. Rep #1900878
Contact: Christine Maci
Customer Kudos
Kudos to Michael McAllister, Senior Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
Michael assisted a Spanish and Portuguese professor in A&S.
“I’m writing to mention that I have had the chance to work with Michael McAllister on VPN issues. Michael initially tried to help me with the transition, but I needed to make a visit to the Apple Store with my Ipad. There were some significant glitches with the Apple ID verification, and after those issues finally were resolved, I met again with Michael. I want to commend him for his wealth of information, courtesy, and exemplary patience. As you may recall, I am about as low-tech as they come, and Michael’s ability to instruct and empathize is laudable. I asked him to give me his supervisor’s name so that I could express my gratitude.”
Kudos to Patti Parks, Brian Williams, Michael Waugh, Phillip Payne, Marcus Newman, and Jake Kassinger
These staff members each played a part in the connection and configuration on the Crestron Mercury device being used as a single hub in for Board Chairman Bruce Evans’ office in Kirkland 103.
Kudos to Chris Sheppard, Tim Dugan, Eric Nupp, Jeremy Plate, and Adam Morgan
“Chris Sheppard, Tim Dugan, and Eric Nupp have been superb in supporting me through a number of laptop issues and the eventual efforts to replace it. Whether I walked up to Tim unannounced before 7:00 am or tracked him down in the middle of him overseeing a projector repair effort in 221, caught Chris in passing in the parking lot, or Eric in the hallway, they would always begin working my requests expeditiously. They have never once complained (at least not that I know, lol) about me not following the proper protocol of entering a service ticket to get their support.
In addition, I also have a great appreciation for the work that was being done by others “behind the scenes” to ensure my issues were resolved as quickly as possible. When I would run into Jeremy Plate in the office or in the parking lot during lunch or when heading home in the evening, he would constantly keep me informed as to the status of the arrival of my new laptop and when I could expect to receive it. Adam Morgan even got in on the act when he saw me wandering aimlessly in your area looking for someone to give me a helping hand on a temporary device that I was using.
I know I have issues (and more than just computer-related, lol), but I never thought it would take a whole “committee” to straighten me out. Thanks for your team’s time and please let them know how much I appreciate them and the work they have done for me.”
Kudos to Eric Nupp, Senior Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
“Eric recently went above and beyond to help me out with a Pulse issue that has been plaguing me for about a year. He was so incredibly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable…and he did not stop working/helping/following up until he completely resolved my issue (when no one else has been able to completely fix the issue before). It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had working with the helpdesk – he definitely deserves a pat on the back.”
Kudos to Vishu Gunupalli, Senior Application Developer with Administrative Solutions and Heather Smith, IT Project Manager
Vishu and Heather helped the Interim Executive Director/Protection of Minors Director for Risk and Insurance Management.
“I wanted to send a note of recognition for the outstanding work of both Vishu Guntupalli and Heather Smith for the Protection of Minors (POM) application improvement project.
Vishu was able to take the verbalized goal of an improvement item, suggest ways to achieve it, and develop the functioning item in the application. His management of multiple detailed items, coupled with the knowledge of the effect of changes to the Application demonstrated a core understanding, which is a true asset for me as the customer.
Heather demonstrated key project management skills in timeline development, keeping the parties on task, and asking good questions to line priority items with the flow of the work. In my initial meeting with her, I was impressed with how quickly she was able to understand the POM Application function and document the achievables for each item. She helped keep everything on track, which resulted in meeting the deployment goal.
The team was great to work with throughout the project and I appreciated all their efforts!”
Kudos to Josh Culley, Lead Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
Josh provided Owen email migration support at midnight for someone in Hong Kong.
Josh Culley was extremely helpful to me in setting up my email. I’m in Hong Kong, and I needed help. I texted him asking when I could talk to him. This was at 11:30 PM Nashville time. He said it was fine to call him then and I did, and he spent 20 minutes on the phone talking me through the necessary steps. I really appreciated it.”
Kudos to End User Services’ team members Rachel, Eric, Kyle, Adam, Joshua, and Chris
“I wanted to reach out to you to say that the Office for Inclusive Excellence appreciates all of the support the Managed Desktop Program/End User team provides our office. They are always responsive, make it over to our office ASAP, and are incredibly helpful and patient. Rachel, Eric, Kyle, and Adam Griffin have all been excellent, and I wanted to give an extra praise to Joshua Torres and Chris Sheppard for being so helpful with Vice Provost Thomas-Hunt’s email and transition on 5/10. Truly, they were the MVPs of a chaotic move.”
Kudos to Jarrod Gream and Nathan Fischer, Senior Technical Support Specialists with End User Services
Jarrod and Nathan helped the office manager in the Equal Employment Opportunity Office
“I have been meaning to e-mail you all day from my perfectly working computer to let you know how much I appreciate you and Nathan going above and beyond to get my computer back in working order for me yesterday evening. Thank you for staying over a while to make sure I could get my work done. I am really, truly grateful for you and the rest of the IT folks who are so patient with my non-tech self and who work so hard to keep me up and running. Thanks again!!”
Kudos to Parker Jones, Associate Application Server Administrator with Hosting Services
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Windows Application Support Team, and in particular to Parker Jones, for outstanding service. Parker always treats you like a VIP customer, completing requests promptly, and communicating throughout the process. We recently needed a virtual server for vendor testing and POC. Parker had the server and software installed ahead of schedule, allowing us to vet the new process. Many thanks to Parker and the Windows team for their ongoing support of internal customers!”
Kudos to End User Services’ Matt Chumley and Marcus Carrell
Matt and Marcus helped the executive director of Programs for Talented Youth with Schooldocs.
“I know it took a lot of time and effort on your part to help us problem solve and create different scenarios that allowed us to limp along until we were able to finalize a new system. We are so appreciative of your support and collegiality. I know we had an ambitious goal in getting the new system up and running this spring and thanks you to we were able to help accomplish that! Everything is in place and we are collecting student welcome paperwork for our VSA summer programs that are occurring in just a couple of weeks! We are quite pleased with the new system and we feel more confident in our data collection and registration procedures. Our families have also noticed a difference in style, efficiency, and ease of use…Thanks again for your support. We definitely couldn’t have done it without you!”
Kudos to Joe Hastings, Senior Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
Joe Hastings provided a graduate student/research assistant with information and resources for training and access to the Children’s Learning lab website.
“Joe is always a great help!! He is kind, patient and much appreciated!”
Two Kudos for Tim Tucker, Senior Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
- Tim resolved a monitor/display issue for an administrative officer at Peabody College.
“Our tech support person, Tim Tucker, is most assistive. Always willing to help and timely. I cannot say enough good things about Tim.”
- The entire IT staff at Peabody College received a kudos after Tim helped an administrative officer with a phishing issue.
“Tim Tucker and all of the Peabody IT support team are always helpful whenever needed and provide answers and follow-up to make certain that resolution is met. Excellent support always!”
Kudos to Michael Gaines, Senior Technical Support Specialist with End User Services
Michael helped a director at the School of Nursing set up up a netcam and time-lapse videos for the construction/renovation of their facilities.
“Michael was fabulous. and did a great job. Throughout the 18 months of our building project, he was always attentive and prompt to respond to any questions.”
Kudos to Roman Di Gaetano, Senior Media Support Specialist with End User Services
Roman assisted three faculty members with a last minute need for a room with Skype ability and a laptop.
“I just wanted to drop a note and say we really appreciate Roman’s support today for the Owen faculty. Roman pulled everything together seamlessly on incredibly short notice. We are grateful for his outstanding work!”
Kudos to Robert Leffler and the Windows Services Team
“Robert Leffler and his team provided excellent planning, communication, and execution migrating our WaveGuide Servers to the Vanderbilt Data Center. Our servers are running very well, and everyone is happy with the result.”
Kudos to Kelsey Anito, John Lutz, Rich Germano, and Shanmuga Sundaram for VUIT Institute
Kelsey Anito received feedback from a VUIT staff member:
“Just a quick note to express gratitude for putting together the training. I was unsure of what this training would involve before arriving yesterday, but it was very informative and gave a better perspective of how Vanderbilt works and how we fit in. Kudos to John, Rich, Sundaram, and yourself for making it great.”
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Complimentary Gartner Webinars: June
Each month, Gartner offers free webinars that are open to everyone. Below are the options scheduled for June. Please feel free to attend as many webinars as your time allows. If you have any questions or have trouble accessing the training session, please email gartnerwebinars@gartner.com.
June 5, 2019
Selecting the Right Conferencing Technology
June 10, 2019
The Cloud Strategy Cookbook
June 11, 2019
Trends, Disruptors and the Future of Business & IT Services
June 12, 2019
Talent Strategies to Drive Network Innovation
Blockchain Unraveled: What Succeeds and What Doesn’t
June 13, 2019
Gartner L2 Digital IQ Index Insurance Report
June 17, 2019
CEO and Business Executive Survey 2019 – Results and Implications for CIOs
Secrets to Maximizing the Success of Your Account-Based Marketing Program
June 18, 2019
How to Fulfill Your Customers’ Rising Service Expectations
CIOs’ Strategic AI Technology Use Cases And Developments in Asia
June 19, 2019
The Current State and Future of the CDO
Panel Discussion: Drive Growth in the Face of Change
June 24, 2019
Driving Business Value To Verticals with an Artificial Intelligence Strategy
Optimize IT Operations to Drive Business Value for Midsize Enterprises
Q&A: Stop Cutting, Start Growing – Lessons from Gartner CFO Conference
June 25, 2019
DACH CIO Agenda – Be a Digital Business Change Agent
Willful Disruption: 7 Digital Disruptions You Might Not See Coming
Top 10 Emerging Trends Impacting Infrastructure and Operations in 2019
June 26, 2019
Gartner Supply Chain Top 25: Lessons from Leaders
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