Technology Services and Support

DASNR's Technology Services and Support (TSS) is an information technology (IT) support and training unit for those Units and Departments that comprise the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (DASNR) at Oklahoma State University (OSU). TSS is comprised of six full time equivalent (FTE) support staff, three part time student workers, and 0.1 FTE secretarial staff. All six FTE are located at OSU's main campus in Stillwater, OK.  Our contact information can be found on the Contact Us page. Our responsibilities include:

• Provide secondary support for Unit and Departmental computer support personnel;
• Develop and maintain processes for utilizing data maintained by OSU central administration's and DASNR to meet DASNR Administration reporting needs and various federal reporting systems;
• Provide services and Administrative support to the Dean and Director, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES), Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station (OAES), Agriculture Finance, Agricultural International Programs and College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR);
• Provide training and technical support services to off-campus OCES and OAES personnel.

TSS has organized resources to respond to certain technology needs within DASNR:

Services

• Development and maintenance of reporting and accountability database management systems;
• Organizational software contracts or development (such as the OSU Microsoft Campus Agreement);
• Assist in developing grant proposals and funding initiatives;
• Review and implement appropriate security and intrusion detection systems;
• Design and activation of web pages; and
• Maintenance and support of facilities, computing labs, and multimedia classrooms used for Resident Instruction.

• Deployment and maintenance of file and resource sharing network architectures;
• Operational guidance and maintenance of e-mail, web, file, and print services;
• Assistance with Internet access and operation of World Wide Web servers;
• Facilitating computer based distance education and conferencing strategies; and
• Cooperation with both internal and external network and communication partners.

• Development of awareness, training and IT reference materials;
• Group training and workshops on use of general information technologies;
• Individual training on specialized or unique IT topics;
• Evaluation of computer based training alternatives and opportunities; and
• Cooperation with distance education initiatives.

• Professional advise on IT hardware/software alternatives and purchasing;
• Coordination of purchasing programs;
• Assistance with hardware/software installation;
• Diagnostics and recommendations to repair or replace broken hardware/software;
• Applied research of new technology developments;
• Interaction with regulatory agencies and land-grant institution partners.

Goals and Objectives

Technology Services and Support will lead DASNR programs in information technology adoption and use through education, partnerships, and a strong commitment to service. Our mission is to assist faculty and staff in identifying and implementing solutions for their computing and information needs, enabling them to be more effective in providing clientele with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet their social, economic, and environmental demands.

1. Coordinated information technology solutions will be developed and used to facilitate the exchange of information among faculty and staff, and between faculty, staff and our clientele.

Objectives:

a. Assist DASNR administration to identify areas of operation and function that would benefit from use of new technology which aids in the acquisition and dissemination of data.

b. Develop a human resources database accessible through a web interface. This database would be accessible to both internal and external audiences and would provide these audiences with information that can be easily and quickly searched.

c. Develop and implement a system for publishing county and unit web pages. This system will provide those counties who desire to disseminate information via the Internet with a process and storage facility to hold these web pages.

d. Provide services for personnel within DASNR including email, scheduling/calendaring, file and printer sharing, database design and programming, and web publishing facilities.

e. Develop a web-enable interface that allows clientele to search all web pages associated with DASNR. Because of the decentralized computing environment in DASNR, it is important to allow audiences to search available web resources for information, regardless of how the back end services are provided.

f. Enhance the existing "ask the expert" web-enabled system to more easily link clientele with the faculty members and Extension Educators best qualified to answer their questions.

g. Assess need and, if appropriate, design and develop centrally maintained applications for OCES program areas.

h. Develop a web-based student recruitment and tracking system to be maintained by CASNR administration and accessible for DASNR teaching faculty.

i. When and where possible, evaluate and implement electronic data warehousing alternatives for long term storage of electronic forms, scanned images of organization documents, and other electronic documents subject to open records regulations.

j. Provide information to DASNR personnel about upcoming events for new and ongoing projects.

k. Allow for an on-line, web-accessible CASNR scholarship application form to be used by incoming and transfer students.

l. Coordinate with University Personnel Services to ensure accurate data within the Human Resource System.

2. Information technology hardware and software are replaced through self-initiative, contracts or outsourcing of workstation installation, maintenance, and upgrade throughout the state.

Objectives:

a. Identify, evaluate, and implement contractual services for regular replacement, maintenance, and upgrade of workstation level computers, printers, and software throughout the state. Bulk purchases and scheduled upgrades will allow DASNR to capitalize on possible economies of scale related to computing and IT purchases.

b. Establish a system of annually budgeting funds for information technology replacement throughout all levels of the organization.

c. Evaluate and participate, when and where applicable, in multi-user licensing initiatives such as the Microsoft Campus Agreement.

d. Research applicable solutions to hardware and software problem.

3. Faculty at all levels of the organization will have unlimited access to the technology infrastructure, training, and support to conduct their education mission using appropriate distance education technology.

Objectives:

a. Acquire and implement online course software and hardware that allows courses and training materials to be accessible through the web.

b. Acquire servers and software for streaming audio, video, and slide shows to clientele through the Internet.

c. Assist campus units in the planning, acquisition, and installation of Internet based video conferencing equipment for use with Resident Instruction, district offices, and selected Research Stations and county offices. TSS will provide technical support to DASNR units who use these technologies. The use of IP-based video conferencing helps bridge the time and geographic separation between internal and external audiences. Internet based video conferencing capability within the county offices allows specialists throughout state and nation to directly educate and interact with clientele in helping them make decisions that affect their professional and personal lives.

d. Design and develop web pages that showcase leading edge technology, database connectivity, and high impact graphics.

e. Provide telephone, on-line, and one-on-one technical support and assistance for hardware and software related issues.

f. Work with DASNR faculty and staff to design and develop high performance, interactive multimedia presentations.

4. Broadband access to the Internet for all county Extension offices and Research Stations should be a high priority. This provides the capability for counties to become Internet learning centers as a means of providing their clientele with education that improves their lives. It also serves to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of networking with others in their program areas and other state and federal agencies.

Objectives:

a. Install local area networks in all county Extension offices and Research Stations. Local area networks allow for increased communication capabilities between office personnel. For those offices that have a single point of access to the Internet, a LAN allows everyone on the network to simultaneously access the Internet.

b. Coordinate with Extension Educators and other county officials to acquire high speed, full time, connectivity to the Internet, using such technologies as ISDN, cable, DSL, frame relay, T1, and wireless relay. High speed Internet access allows Extension Educators and Research Station personnel to take advantage of the video streaming opportunities now being published by DASNR and others. Also, using digital image capture tools, Extension Educators can transmit over the Internet digital images to specialists for expert diagnosis, and they have rapid access to a full library of digital images to develop effective educational programs. As high speed Internet access becomes available to the office, it will be important to work with providers to gain access to this technology at reasonable prices.

c. Equip county Extension offices with publicly accessible networked computers and other related equipment to conduct educational activities for all clientele. County Extension Educators regularly conduct educational programs using Internet resources. It is important that we provide their our clientele with access to the latest information technology and Extension education through these county learning centers. Publicly accessible networked computers will facilitate this learning process.

d. Provide guidelines and suggestions for computer and network security.

5. DASNR faculty and staff will become comfortable using the latest information technology innovations to more efficiently and effectively conduct their education and support missions.

Objectives:

a. Coordinate appropriate activities with the Director of Staff Professional Development.

b. Develop a competency based training program on major technology applications. Access to information technology trainers and support personnel can help build these competencies.

c. Provide increased opportunity for faculty and staff learning using both synchronous and asynchronous delivery of educational material.

Opportunities for Collaboration and Partnering