Technology Support Services FAQs

Our IT support model is organized into three tiers to provide effective and timely service across the Yale School of Medicine (YSM).

Tier 1 – Initial Support

Providers: Yale ITS Help Desk & YSM Technology Support Service Center.

• Handles basic customer issues (usage problems, service desk requests).
• Free of charge, available to all Yale community members.
• 65% of all requests are resolved at Tier 1.
• Escalates issues to Tier 2 when necessary.

Contacts:

• ITS Help Desk
• YSM Technology Support Service Center (M–F, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM)

Tier 2 – Desktop IT Support

Provider: YSM Desktop Support Team

• Organized into teams (4–6 staff) covering multiple departments.
• Each department has a primary contact, but any team member can assist for coverage.
• Handles complex desktop issues and escalates to Tier 3 when needed.

Typical Tier 2 Services:

• Technical projects & documentation
• Desktop hardware/software install, repair, replacement
• Workgroup computing solutions
• Active Directory & Group Policy management
• Testing of systems & software
• Backup and recovery
• Training of support staff

Support Levels:

• Baseline Support: Defined by school-wide ratio of staff to IT support technicians.
• Above Baseline Support: Departments may purchase additional support (50%+ FTE blocks) for faster response times and dedicated coverage.

Tier 3 – Specialty IT Support

Provider: YSM IT Specialists (M&P staff)

• Handles specialized areas: compute, data/storage, networking, identity management, and information security.
• Not responsible for desktop IT support.

Acquisition Methods:

• By Retainer: 50%, 75%, or 100% FTE blocks for ongoing specialist support.
• Project-Based: Teams assembled for projects with defined scope, timeline, budget, and project manager oversight.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Response times begin once a support ticket is submitted or escalated.

Average Mean Time to Resolution (MTR) depends on the staff-to-technician ratio:

• FY25 starts at 1:410 (MTR: 5.4 days)
• Projected to reach 1:460 (MTR: 6.0 days) by June 2025

Support Scope & Expectations

• YSM desktop support staff serve faculty and staff across YSM, including:
  • West Campus (via dedicated West Campus staff)
  • VA locations (via assigned VA staff)
  • Remote sites (via remote support; in-person only if necessary)

Support Staff Do Not:

• Provide in-person support at locations not owned/leased by Yale
• Enter personal homes
• Use personal vehicles for work-related travel

Device Support:

• Only Yale-managed (Bulldog) devices are fully supported
• Personal or unmanaged devices: staff may offer advisory-only (“over the shoulder”) support; users should contact ITS Help Desk or visit TSSC
• Device procurement is handled through the Life Cycle Refresh program (not by IT staff)

Submitting Support Requests

• Always use official channels:
  • Yale Help Desk (203-432-9000)
  • Submit a Support Request
• Direct outreach to IT staff (word of mouth, email, text) is discouraged.
• If a request is made directly, the technician must re-submit it into the system, which delays resolution.

AV Support Scope

• Support is provided only for Yale School of Medicine (YSM) AV spaces that:
  • Have been refreshed to the current hybrid AV standards, and
  • Maintain an active yearly AV support contract with YSM AV.
• Specialized equipment provided by departments in AV spaces will not be supported by YSM AV.

AV Support Costs

• YSM AV support is based on tiers, which are determined by:
  • Space size and occupancy
  • System complexity and configuration
  • Intended use of the space
• The assigned tier determines the annual support cost for that fiscal year.

Comprehensive AV Support

Available for AV spaces that meet current YSM/University AV standards and maintain a yearly support contract. Benefits include:

• Hybrid functionality with unified AV interfaces across the university
• Room monitoring support
• Hot-swappable component architecture for quick recovery when failures occur
• Support ratio: approximately 1 AV technician per 50 AV spaces
• Single yearly cost, covering comprehensive support across four categories:

YSM AV Technical Support

• General support (response time: within 5 business days)
  • Maintenance of systems and equipment (batteries, lamps, filters, incidental supplies)
  • Regular walkthroughs for proactive maintenance
  • Orientation sessions for staff, faculty, and student assistants
  • On-site technical support in the event of system failure
  • Remote monitoring and remote control of supported systems (typically not available in Tier 1 spaces)
• Emergency support (response time: within 15 minutes during normal YSM AV operating hours)
  • For issues that prevent a presentation or session from taking place

YSM AV Software Licensing

• Coverage of software licensing costs for AV spaces (e.g., Zoom Room licensing).

Remote Monitoring

• Continuous monitoring and alerts on equipment health and status, when the space supports this capability (Tier 1 spaces generally do not).

Automatic Replacement of Broken Equipment

• Yearly pooled fund cost based on room size.
• Immediate “hot swap” replacement of failed standard AV components.
• If major components fail, temporary workarounds (e.g., portable projectors, speakers) will be provided until permanent repairs are completed.

Best Effort AV Support

For spaces that:

• Have not been upgraded to hybrid AV standards, or
• Departments that do not renew their yearly support contracts.
• Support ratio: 1 AV tech per 150 spaces
• Provided only as staff availability allows
• Troubleshooting and repairs are billed, including equipment and vendor costs

Fee-Based AV Support Services

YSM AV also provides additional services on a fee basis. Examples include:

• Public address system microphones
• Video projection
• Limited technical support for Zoom meetings, Yale Panopto recordings, and webcasts
• Podiums
• Digital audio recording
• Presentation aids (e.g., laser pointers, wireless remotes)

Rates

• Outside normal hours: $150/hour, 4-hour minimum (covers staff overtime and project management)
• In-person technical support for events:
  • $75/event (includes setup, system check 30 min prior, and 15 min monitoring after start)
  • If additional time is requested, $100/hour will be charged
• Additional charges may apply for:
  • Extra equipment requests
  • Setup/tear down outside normal room configuration

Request Process

• Submit requests via: AV Event Setup – IT at Yale
• Lead times:
  • 15 business days for scheduled weekday requests
  • 20 business days for evenings and weekends
• Requests are confirmed within 2 business days of submission
• Requests are not guaranteed until confirmed
• If YSM AV cannot support due to capacity, requests may be referred (with client approval) to external AV contractors. Clients are responsible for vendor costs.

Exclusions

This fee-based service does not include:

• Video recording services
• Off-campus (non-Yale) locations
• IT support
• Live streaming

Roles and Responsibilities

YSM AV

• Partner with departments to support events and spaces
• Implement university AV standards and best practices
• Provide proactive monitoring, maintenance, and emergency response

Departments

• Appoint a primary contact person for coordination
• Provide access to service areas and systems as needed
• Offer regular feedback to YSM AV managers
• Adhere to Yale IT AV standards for equipment and installations