September always seems far away, until it’s suddenly here. Yes, we are just settling into summer. Many of us haven’t taken our vacations yet, but now is the time to start planning for the return of classes. Over the years I’ve noticed the best planners are “glass half full” people. We all tend to assume things will go as planned. The best planners are better at anticipating how things will go off the rails.
As you prepare for the fall, here are some things to consider as well as some resources that may help. I find it useful to make a checklist. It probably won’t eliminate every surprise, but it’s a great way to help you and your team plan the next several weeks, prioritize work, and establish your deadlines.
- What do you need to accomplish before students come back?
- What will new faculty need? (Tech Checklist for New NYU Staff)
- What are the issues that will come with the fall, how are you working to anticipate and proactively prepare for them?
- What info does your community need to feel supported (and will reduce service desk tickets)?
- What resources should they be aware of that support their success?
I also encourage you to refer to and share the IT support resources below—and please give me feedback. Every minute we spend improving and unifying our support content translates to hours (or more) saved by reducing tickets (answering the same questions over and over)—and goes directly to supporting the success of our students, faculty, and staff. Win, win.
IT Support Resources to Use and Share
- Tech Info for Schools and Units: If you’re unsure where to begin, this page is your guide to resources on the NYU IT website and beyond
- Getting Started: links to role-based tech guides for students, faculty, and staff
- Top Troubleshooting Tips for Tech Services: links to support for some of the most commonly asked tech questions
- Cybersecurity Checklists: role-based checklists assist staff, researchers, and everyone at NYU in making NYU a more cybersecure place to work and study
- Navigating Research and Instructional Technology: a guide to tech services for teaching, learning, and research, including stories about how services are being used by the NYU community.
In addition to the above, we’ll be sending an issue of the Download specifically to faculty on August 12 (don’t worry if you don’t get it via email; you can always find the Download online), and on August 26, we’ll be sending a tech guide email to the entire University highlighting many essential tech services.
I Want to Hear Your Thoughts
In closing, I’d like to encourage you again to let us know what you think of these resources. We’ve collaborated with partners across NYU, but no resource is so good that it can’t be improved. Diverse experiences and opinions are a must to creating the most effective support environment possible.