Microcomputer Services

Departmental Apprentice Guidelines

Description of the Program
Microservices hires and trains students to provide hands-on computer support within a building or geographic region on the UO campus. The departments benefit from additional computer support, and the student apprentices learn valuable job and computer skills.

Who We Are
Microcomputer Services provides computer support for students, faculty and staff at the University of Oregon, and we are responsible for managing the apprentice program. Common questions include network connection, use, and configuration on Macintosh and Windows PCs. For a detailed description of our services, see our web site (http://micro.uoregon.edu/services). We are a group within Information Services.

Apprentice Scheduling
We recommend the hosting department allow the apprentice to schedule their own hours between 8am and 5pm weekdays. The student must work 15 to 20 hours per week and post their schedule. Two hours per week are retained by Microservices to keep in contact with apprentices. It is critical for apprentices to work the posted hours for the program to function.

Apprentice Contact
The apprentice will post his or her schedule and contact information in whatever places and by whichever means are appropriate for the hosting department. We ask the apprentice to introduce themselves to staff and explain how to contact them. Faculty, staff and students can then contact the apprentice directly for assistance by phone, email or in person. The apprentice then schedules a time to resolve problems, allowing them prioritize issues and projects. Functionally, our apprentices almost always assist staff and faculty, while most students contact Microservices directly for help. When possible, users calling our Helpdesk (346-4412) will be referred to the appropriate local apprentice when an office visit is required.

What Can The Student Do?
Common duties include office visits to troubleshoot email problems, printing issues, or accessing a network resource. Their duties are described by "basic computer and network support." They can re-install an operating system and help with general troubleshooting. They can transport a computer or printer for repair. Apprentices often help departments to select, purchase and install new computer hardware and assist with inevitable rotation of equipment that follows. Our experiences show that distinct computing problems with a finite scope can best be handled by the apprentice. Due to the transient nature of all student positions, we ask that apprentices to not set up systems that require ongoing maintenance (e.g. production servers, database applications or web sites). The students are not expected to program or be involved in long term projects. The students are not replacement or additional staff for labs, but they do provide direct assistance to a large set of users. For example, an apprentice could be called upon to troubleshoot an ailing computer in a computer lab, but he or she should not be asked to fill a desk shift at the lab. In some cases advanced projects interest the student (even within the exceptions noted above). Apprentices can participate in these projects, provided the supervising staff member approves and oversees the project.

What Does the Hosting Department Get Out of It?
Because the students' wages are paid by Information Services, the hosting department gets additional computer support nearly free of charge. The student is also asked to give the hosting department top priority. We have not had a case where the student was unable to complete the work in the hosting department within reasonable amount of time. Should this occur, we would investigate the situation to understand why it is occurring. If the student is truly over-booked, we will reduce his or her coverage area.

What is Required of the Hosting Department?
The hosting department is responsible for providing, solely for the apprentice's use, a desk and a voicemail box. The office space and telephone can be shared, but the desk and voicemail box must not be. We will supply a reasonable networked computer, including network activation, in the student's office.

Who Manages the Apprentice?
Some departments involve themselves more than others. As long as the program is functioning well, decisions on management style are left up to the hosting department. Departments cannot take serious action such as firing and re-hiring apprentices. Issues with an apprentice should be discussed with Microservices' management staff. In some departments the student is provided a lot of guidance. In others the student works very independently. We attempt to hire apprentices who are capable of independent, intelligent action.

Final Statement
Since the program's inception, we have never had a department tell us they were unhappy with this program. We have had issues arise, and we attempt to resolve them as quickly as possible. Overall the Departmental Apprentice Program greatly benefits all of those involved.