Technology Support Services - Service Level Agreement

Please note: These are general terms of the TSS Service Level Agreement with supported departments. Individual department agreements may vary slightly.

Summary of Services

Purpose: This Service Level Agreement (SLA) outlines the scope, expectations, and responsibilities for Information Technology (IT) and Audio/Visual (A/V) support services provided by the Health Sciences IT Technology Support Services (HSIT TSS) team at Yale University. It establishes clear standards, responsibilities, and communication channels to ensure effective service delivery, supporting operational efficiency, research capabilities, educational activities, and collaboration across Yale.

In-Scope Services: Includes IT support via Tier 1 (Help Desk), Tier 2 (business-hours desktop support), and Tier 3 (specialized IT for Yale-managed devices), plus A/V support with comprehensive coverage for standard rooms (maintenance, troubleshooting), best-effort legacy room support, and fee-based A/V services (event setup, after-hours, equipment rentals).

Out-of-Scope Services: Excludes IT support for students, personal/unmanaged devices, satellite offices (billable travel). Travel to off-campus locations or personal homes.

Full Scope: For the full scope of support, including client expectations and procedures, see Appendices.

IT Support General Terms and Conditions

Support Structure

Support Tiers

  • HSIT TSS delivers IT support through a tiered structure designed for efficient triage and to address a range of technical needs across operations.
    • Tier 1: Yale ITS Help Desk
      • This tier serves as the first point of contact for all break/fix incidents and routine service requests.
      • Provides support for IT issues, such as password resets, software usage problems, and initial troubleshooting.
      • Accessible via https://its.yale.edu or by calling 203-432-9000.
    • Tier 2: Desktop IT Support
      • Offers standard desktop support for faculty and staff, including hardware and software troubleshooting, workstation configuration, and general support for Yale-managed devices.
      • Support is provided by smaller organized teams who share responsibility for a selected group of departments. Departments are not assigned individual staff for Tier 2 support services.
      • Walk-in support is also available at the HSIT Technology Support Services Center (lower level of the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library), open Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. While not required, appointments are recommended and can be made by visiting HSIT website.
      • Examples of services include deploying new Yale managed computers, troubleshooting hardware and software, and assisting with Yale-approved applications and services.
      • Project-based work scoped and funded separately as requested.
    • Tier 3: Specialty IT Support
      • Delivers advanced support for labs, research centers, and environments requiring specialized IT services beyond standard desktop support.
      • Includes IT consultations, server administration, networking setup, compute resource management, storage solutions, and security configurations.
      • Project-based scoped separately as needed.

Service Availability

Hours of Support

  • Tier 1: Yale ITS Help Desk provides support via phone, chat, and email.
  • Tier 2: Desktop IT Support standard operating hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, excluding Yale-recognized holidays and recess days.
    • Official Yale Holidays: No support beyond Tier 1.
    • Recess Days Coverage: Every effort will be made to provide on-call staff to support emergency issues or patient care-impacting incidents during Yale-designated recess days.
    • After-Hours Support: Support outside of standard operating hours requires prior arrangement with an HSIT manager and may incur additional costs (e.g., technician overtime). Detailed cost structures are available on the HSIT Website.
  • Technology Support Services Center (TSSC): Walk-in support is available Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM, excluding Yale-recognized holidays and recess days. The TSSC may temporarily close for meetings, unscheduled staff absences, or other operational needs as priorities shift.

Support Locations

  • On-site support is limited to Yale-owned or leased properties within a reasonable and safe walking distance of the Yale Shuttle service locations, all other locations will be classified as satellite offices
  • Clients located at West Campus receive support from Yale ITS and are outside the scope of HSIT Technology Support Services.
  • Travel to satellite offices is billable at the expense of the requesting department, with a minimum charging at rates outlined on the HSIT website.
  • Technicians do not use personal transportation for work purposes, enter personal homes, or travel to off-campus locations not owned or leased by Yale due to liability constraints.
  • Support staff operate from centralized offices, with office locations determined by HSIT TSS management based on resource needs and support priorities.
  • Each supported department is responsible for coordinating building and room access for support staff and ensuring appropriate procedures are followed, including any special approvals or health clearances when required.

Support Operations

Eligibility and Scope

  • Support is available to faculty and staff employed by Yale University and working within the departments and units outlined in this SLA. Student support is not provided and will be referred to the Student Technology Collaborative.
  • Remote support and troubleshooting are prioritized to improve efficiency and meet SLA targets. On-site visits are scheduled only when necessary.
  • Support is limited to Yale-managed and approved workstations and software. Unmanaged devices and systems will receive best effort support at the discretion of the support technician and HSIT TSS management. Personally owned devices are not supported.

Requesting Support

  • Incidents (unplanned disruptions) and service requests (planned services) follow distinct prioritization and SLA timelines, tracked through the ticketing system. 
  • The first point of contact for all IT issues is the Yale ITS Help Desk, accessible at https://its.yale.edu .
  • Urgent support requests must be initiated via phone by calling the Yale ITS Help Desk at 203-432-9000.
  • All incidents will be assigned standard priority unless they are reported by phone to the Yale ITS Help Desk and identified as high priority or impacting patient care.
  •  General and routine service requests (not classified as incidents) should be submitted online by selecting the appropriate service at https://its.yale.edu. Service levels for these requests will vary based on complexity and will be outlined for each service offering.
  •  All support requests must have an associated ticket with detailed information, including a description of the issue, contact information, location, and relevant device details (e.g., device name and serial number). HSIT TSS will not provide service without an assigned ticket detailing all necessary work.
  • For certain services, technicians may close a request and direct clients to complete the appropriate service request form to ensure all necessary requirements are properly captured and the appropriate teams are engaged based on pre-defined workflows.

·        To ensure accurate and transparent documentation, updates regarding requests will be communicated from Yale University ITS servicenow@yale.edu. Responses to these e-mails will automatically update your request and provide notification to IT staff.

  • Direct emails, phone calls, text messages, etc. to individual support staff are not an acceptable method of requesting support. Such requests may be ignored and will result in support delays.
  • Your request history, including active tickets, is available via https://yale.service-now.com/it?id=my_items

Prioritization and Resolution

  • Definitions:
    • Incident Response Target: The maximum time allowed for acknowledging and beginning work on an incident after it has been reported.
    • Incident Resolution Target: The time frame within which the incident should be fully resolved.
    • Business Hours: Monday- Friday 8:30a-5p, excluding University Holidays and Recess Days
    • Calendar Hours: Sunday through Saturday, 12:00am- 11:59pm
Incident Priority Support Hours Response Target Resolution Target
Priority 1- Major Incident 24/7 15 Minutes 2 Calendar Hours
Priority 2- Critical 24/7 30 Minutes 4 Calendar Hours
Priority 3- High Business Hours 2 Business Hours 1 Business Day
Priority 4- Normal Business Hours 1 Business Day 5 Business Days
  • Incidents (unplanned disruptions) take priority over service requests (planned services).
  • Patient Care Impact incidents follow Priority 2 response and resolution targets.
  • The measurement of Response and Resolution times begin upon confirmation that an Incident has been created.
  • Service requests (planned services) have varying service targets based on the complexity of the request.  Every effort is made to fulfill them as efficiently as possible.
  • An incident is considered resolved when operational capacity is restored through a workaround, alternative solution, or remediation. This may include temporary equipment, software adjustments, or other measures that restore functionality.
  • Once resolved, the incident ticket will be closed, and if further action is needed (e.g., repairs or device replacement), a separate service request will be opened to restore original functionality.
  •  Delivery of timely services requires active client participation. Resolution time measurement may be paused while awaiting client responses or when activities are scheduled in agreement with the customer.
  • Requests may be marked as resolved or closed due to lack of client engagement if the client fails to communicate, reply, or actively participate within a reasonable timeframe, despite multiple contact attempts.
  • Software and Hardware provided by Yale New Haven Health are outside of the scope of this SLA.

Patient Care Impact Definition

  • A Patient Care Impact incident is an unplanned disruption that directly affects the ability to provide timely and effective patient care. This includes system failures preventing access to critical records, malfunctioning workstations or applications essential for treatment, and issues with telemedicine or clinical communication systems that lack viable alternatives
    • To qualify as Patient Care Impact, the issue must:
    • Lack a viable workaround that allows operations to continue with minimal disruption.
    • Cause immediate risk to patient safety or delay in treatment without an alternative solution.
    • Prevent compliance with regulatory or institutional requirements (e.g., HIPAA, medical documentation).
    • If a workaround is available and allows clinical operations to continue without major impact, the incident may be re-classified to a lower priority rather than patient care impact.

Performance Metrics

  • Average Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)
    • Resolution times are influenced by the technician-to-client ratio, which varies based on staff turnover and adequate funding.
    • As of January 2025, the HSIT TSS IT team operates at a technician-to-client ratio of 1:450.
    • Estimated MTTR based on technician-to-client ratios:
      • 1:200 – 2.5 business days
      • 1:300 – 3.8 business days
      • 1:400 – 5.3 business days
      • 1:500 – 6.6 business days

Asset Management

Equipment Handling

  • All IT and A/V equipment remains Yale property. Departments are responsible for reporting theft or damage and must adhere to disposal policies, including Information Security, Environmental Health and Safety, and HIPAA where applicable.
  • Loaner devices, such as laptops, are available in limited quantities and provided only as needed for existing support requests (e.g., when a primary device fails or during hardware repair downtime), at the discretion of HSIT TSS staff, based on the impact to your work.
  • Physical equipment moves are managed by Yale TR&S and external contractors. HSIT TSS may assist with the disconnection and reconnection of computer equipment only.
  • For remote workers requiring equipment repairs, the department is responsible for covering costs and coordinating shipment or delivery of equipment to designated locations for HSIT TSS support.

Hardware and Software Procurement

  • All hardware and software purchases must be in line with Yale University Information Security Standards. Yale ITS provides a list of curated offerings available through standard procurement channels.
  • Support staff may offer consultation on hardware selection but do not place orders, receive shipments, or deliver equipment to any on-campus or off-campus locations.
  • All software consultation and purchasing requests should be submitted through the “HSIT Vendor or Custom Application Request” available at https://its.yale.edu .   

External Dependencies

Data and Information Security

  • Technicians do not manage, move, modify, or delete data on behalf of clients. This includes the general maintenance and management of access to the directories where data is stored.
  • Data security and compliance questions should be directed to Yale’s Information Security team. Clients are responsible for adhering to Yale’s Minimum Security Standards (MSS) and completing Security Plan Assessments (SPA) for all software, hardware, and storage solutions and implementations.
  • Support technicians may provide basic guidance on security compliance but do not conduct Security Plan Assessments or review Minimum Security Standards on behalf of clients.
  • HSIT strongly recommends the use of Storage @ Yale solutions. Data stored locally on any end-user device is the sole responsibility of the customer and may not be recoverable in the event of a catastrophic hardware/software failure. Please visit https://storage-finder.yale.edu/ to review Storage @ Yale solutions.

Outages and Service Disruptions

  • Central IT outages, such as network failures, email disruptions, or cloud service issues, are outside the scope of HSIT TSS and not covered under this SLA. Yale ITS is responsible for communicating updates on service impact and resolution. Active, Scheduled and Completed Outages, both planned and unplanned, can be reviewed on the ITS System Status Page: https://its.yale.edu/status
  • Outages of software systems and hardware systems not centrally managed/supported by Yale ITS and/or HSIT are not covered by the SLA.
  • Yale New Haven Health systems are not supported by HSIT and are not covered under this SLA.

Coordination with Other IT Services

  • HSIT TSS collaborates with Yale ITS teams, including the Help Desk, Endpoint Engineering, Collaboration, Networking, and Information Security teams to provide efficient service and timely resolution.
  • Support requests requiring assistance from other teams may impact resolution times. HSIT TSS is not responsible for delays introduced by other teams during troubleshooting and resolution.
  • HSIT TSS prioritizes the use of centralized and supported services, such as virtualization, storage, and server solutions, when recommending and scoping IT solutions.

Audio/Visual (A/V) Support General Terms and Conditions

Support Structure

Support Tiers

  • A/V support is available to faculty and staff within the Yale School of Medicine.
  • Support staff provide classroom and event support, including setup, testing, monitoring, and basic troubleshooting and repair of A/V equipment.
    • Comprehensive Support (Standard Rooms)
      • Covers day-to-day operations in designated spaces. Does not include event support.
      • Onsite support for A/V spaces designed to meet Yale’s current A/V standards, as defined by the ITS Audio-Visual Systems Design team.
      • Includes proactive maintenance, remote monitoring (where supported), licensing costs, basic troubleshooting, and repair of A/V equipment.
    • Best Effort Support (Legacy Rooms)
      • Limited troubleshooting and repair for existing A/V spaces not upgraded to Yale’s current standards as defined by the ITS Audio-Visual Systems Design team, subject to staffing availability.
      • Aimed at maintaining basic functionality; additional equipment or vendor costs may apply and will be billed as incurred.
    • Fee-based Support
      • Additional A/V services for classes and events, after-hours support, or equipment rentals (e.g., microphones, projectors).
      • Examples include after-hours support, specialty event staffing, temporary equipment configuration, and setup/teardown.
      • Billed per request, with rates and availability detailed on the HSIT website.

Service Availability

Hours of Support

  • Standard A/V Support Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, excluding Yale-recognized holidays and recess days.
  • After-Hours Support: A/V support outside of standard operating hours requires prior arrangement and is billed at the minimum rates outlined on the HSIT Website.
  • Fee-Based Event Support: In-person A/V event support is available upon request for setup and system checks billed hour at the rates outlined on the HSIT Website.
  • If additional monitoring is needed beyond 15 minutes after the event starts, additional fees apply as outlined on the HSIT Website.

Support Locations

  • A/V support is provided only for spaces specified in the SLA at Yale-owned or leased properties within a reasonable and safe walking distance of Yale Shuttle service locations.
  • Clients at West Campus receive support from separate teams and are outside the scope of HSIT TSS services.
  • A/V staff do not use personal transportation for work purposes, enter personal homes, or travel to off-campus or satellite locations.
  • Support staff operate from centralized offices, with office locations determined by HSIT TSS management based on resource needs and support priorities.
  • Departments are responsible for providing building and room access and ensuring compliance with any special approval or health clearance requirements.

Support Operations

Eligibility and Scope

  • A/V support is only provided in rooms located on the Yale School of Medicine New Haven Campus.
  • Remote support and troubleshooting are prioritized for efficiency, with on-site visits occurring when necessary.
  • Support staff provide classroom and event support, including setup, testing, monitoring, and basic troubleshooting and repair of A/V equipment.
  • Cost of hardware replacement outside of warranty is the responsibility of individual departments.

Requesting Support

  • Urgent incidents requiring immediate attention should be directed to the HSIT TSS A/V team phone at 203-432-2057.
  • General and routine A/V service requests must be submitted through the HSIT services page.
  • All A/V requests must have an associated ticket with detailed information, including event type, dates, times, location, and required equipment.
  • Direct emails, text messages, or phone calls to individual support staff are not an acceptable method of requesting support. Such requests may be ignored and will result in delays.

Prioritization and Resolution

  • Incidents (unplanned disruptions) take priority over routine A/V service requests (planned services).
  • High-priority incidents impacting classrooms or events have a response target of 15 minutes and a resolution target of 1 hour during normal support hours.
  • Normal-priority incidents with minimal impact to operations have a response target of five business days.
  • Service requests (planned services) do not have defined response targets but are fulfilled as efficiently as possible.
  • An incident is considered resolved when operational capacity is restored through a workaround, alternative solution, or remediation. This may include temporary equipment, software adjustments, or other measures that restore functionality.
  • Once resolved, the incident ticket will be closed, and if further action is needed (e.g., repairs or device replacement), a separate service request will be opened to restore original functionality.
  • Fee-based A/V Support Conditions
    • Any Fee-based A/V support services requests are subject to the following conditions:
      • Clients must create a support ticket through a request form.
      • Provide a 15-business day lead time when requesting support for scheduled requests during normal business hours.
      • Provide a 20-business day lead time when requesting support for weekend events and evenings.
      • Requests are evaluated and confirmed based on available staff and equipment resources.
      • Requests will be confirmed within 2 business days of submission.
      • Requests are not guaranteed until confirmed.
      • If YSM A/V does not have the staffing capacity, your request (with client approval) will be forwarded to an external A/V contractor. Clients will be responsible for the A/V vendor costs and are subject to their availability.
      • This fee for service does not provide:
        • Video recording services
        • Support at any off-campus (non-Yale) locations/venues
        • IT support
        • Live streaming

Support Cost

A/V Room Tier Definitions & Rates

  • A/V support tiers are assigned based on room characteristics—complexity, utilization, and capacity—that determine support requirements and staff effort. These tiers ensure equitable resource allocation for A/V spaces. HSIT TSS reserves the right to assign tiers through individual room assessments, guided by usage data and support demand.
    • Legacy Rate: Applies to rooms not meeting Yale ITS Audio/Visual Systems Design standards. These spaces often have outdated equipment, necessitating increased support effort due to limited functionality and higher maintenance demands.
    • Standard Rate: Applies to rooms compliant with Yale ITS Audio/Visual Systems Design standards. These spaces feature modern, consistent technologies with remote support capabilities, requiring less effort for maintenance and troubleshooting.
  • The following table outlines tier parameters, example room types, and associated annual support rates:
Support Tier Tier Parameters Example Room Type
02 N/A Digital Signage
1 Low Complexity, Low Utilization, Low Capacity Huddle Space
2 Low Complexity, Moderate Utilization, Low Capacity Small Conference Room
3 Low-Moderate Complexity, Moderate-High Utilization, Medium Capacity Large Conference Room / Small Classroom
4 Moderate-High Complexity, Moderate-High Utilization, Medium-High Capacity Medium to Large Classroom
5 High Complexity, High Utilization, High Capacity Auditorium / Lecture Hall / Collaborative Spaces
63 N/A Control Room / Service Room / Infrastructure Closet
  • Notes:
    • ¹ The Legacy Rate is new for FY26. This rate is necessary to recognize the staff time involved in supporting legacy spaces. For FY26, this rate will be discounted at 25% total cost to recognize the change in charging models and impact to budget.
    • ² Tier 0 (Digital Signage): Reserved for digital signage spaces, tracked for inventory purposes only. HSIT TSS does not provide support or charge for these spaces.
    • ³ Tier 6 (Control/Service Rooms): Reserved for rooms housing A/V components for an associated room or group of rooms (e.g., control rooms for auditoriums or service rooms with infrastructure). Tracked for inventory, but support costs are included in the associated room’s tiered rate.
    • Detailed rate structures and updates are available at HSIT Website.

 

Event Rates

  • Costs for fee-based A/V event support are charged per request as follows:
Category Description Cost
After/Before-Hours A/V Support Staff overtime (minimum 4 hours) or external vendor services Available upon request, subject to staffing
Specialty Event Support HSIT TSS support or
Vendor support: Varies by vendor, requires separate SOW¹		 Per hour or per SOW¹
Equipment Rentals Microphones
Projectors
Screens
Additional items per inventory²		 Varies by item
Other Fees Event setup
Non-supported A/V space diagnosis/repair
Emergency support		 Varies by use
  • Notes:
    • ¹ Specialty Event Support: Specialized vendor work requires a separate Statement of Work (SOW) and SLA for scoping, prioritization, and resourcing.
    • ² Equipment Rentals: Full inventory and costs available upon request via HSIT Website.