Result Summary for Survey:University Computing Priorities Survey (staff)

University Computing Priorities Survey (staff)
February 2008

1. Please rate the importance of the following client services:
	Not familiar with this	Least Important		Neutral		Most Important	Rating Average	Response Count
A) Replace your computer more often than 4 years (portable computers) or 5 years (desktop computers)	3.6% (6)	6.5% (11)	3.0% (5)	24.4% (41)	35.1% (59)	27.4% (46)	3.63	168
B) Identify and articulate, in consultation with faculty, staff and students, the services that University Computing will provide	1.8% (3)	3.0% (5)	1.2% (2)	19.0% (32)	52.4% (88)	22.6% (38)	3.85	168
C) Support your needs for specialized databases	4.2% (7)	5.4% (9)	3.6% (6)	24.4% (41)	33.9% (57)	28.6% (48)	3.64	168
D) Provide timeline for responding to each request for assistance with information technology	1.8% (3)	3.0% (5)	3.0% (5)	26.2% (44)	42.9% (72)	23.2% (39)	3.75	168
	answered question							168
	skipped question							0

2. Please elaborate, if you'd like, on any of the answers you provided above:
(See summary of open-ended responses at bottom)

3. Please rate the importance of the following items, which relate to education and skills development:
	Not familiar with this	Least Important		Neutral		Most Important	Rating Average	Response Count
A) Educate W&L community about IT security concerns	0.6% (1)	4.8% (8)	3.6% (6)	25.6% (43)	47.6% (80)	17.9% (30)	3.68	168
B) Consult with departments to better understand their needs and help them implement information technologies to meet those needs	1.2% (2)	0.0% (0)	2.4% (4)	13.1% (22)	38.7% (65)	44.6% (75)	4.22	168
C) Help students to learn technology skills in support of their academic and professional work (including work for W&L departments)	4.2% (7)	4.8% (8)	1.8% (3)	32.1% (54)	39.3% (66)	17.9% (30)	3.51	168
	answered question							168
	skipped question							0

4. Please elaborate, if you'd like, on any of the answers you provided above:
(See summary of open-ended responses at bottom)

5. Please rate the importance of the following core services and systems:
	Not familiar with this	Least Important		Neutral		Most Important	Rating Average	Response Count
A) Use a single user name and password to access all W&L services requiring authentication, such as e-mail, network storage and web services	0.0% (0)	2.4% (4)	3.6% (6)	18.8% (31)	37.0% (61)	38.2% (63)	4.05	165
B) Increase e-mail and file storage quotas	0.0% (0)	4.8% (8)	1.8% (3)	23.6% (39)	35.2% (58)	34.5% (57)	3.93	165
C) Consider moving from GroupWise e-mail/collaboration services to a different solution such as Outlook/Exchange	4.8% (8)	13.3% (22)	9.1% (15)	34.5% (57)	13.9% (23)	24.2% (40)	3.12	165
D) Provide remote access to any application (e.g. office productivity or discipline-specific academic applications), by running them within a web browser	6.7% (11)	3.6% (6)	6.7% (11)	31.5% (52)	30.9% (51)	20.6% (34)	3.38	165
E) Consolidate voice mail, e-mail, fax and other messaging services into a single "inbox"	3.0% (5)	10.3% (17)	10.9% (18)	32.7% (54)	32.1% (53)	10.9% (18)	3.13	165
	answered question							165
	skipped question							3

6. Please elaborate, if you'd like, on any of the answers you provided above:
(See summary of open-ended responses at bottom)

7. Please rate the importance of the following enterprise applications and academic services:
	Not familiar with this	Least Important		Neutral		Most Important	Rating Average	Response Count
A) Provide blogs, wikis and other social networking and collaboration tools. Blogs facilitate online discussions in web pages, while wikis allow participants to collectively build documents on the web (wikipedia is a prominent example).	10.9% (18)	24.2% (40)	9.7% (16)	38.2% (63)	16.4% (27)	0.6% (1)	2.27	165
B) Provide personalized access through a single web page to e-mail, training resources, network file storage and other core services, such as payroll and course information	4.2% (7)	9.1% (15)	10.3% (17)	33.9% (56)	33.3% (55)	9.1% (15)	3.10	165
C) Provide secure, long-term storage for important documents, in electronic form	1.8% (3)	2.4% (4)	5.5% (9)	18.2% (30)	43.0% (71)	29.1% (48)	3.85	165
D) Provide capability to easily search for documents in long-term storage	1.8% (3)	2.4% (4)	7.3% (12)	15.8% (26)	44.2% (73)	28.5% (47)	3.84	165
	answered question							165
	skipped question							3

8. Please elaborate, if you'd like, on any of the answers you provided above:
(See summary of open-ended responses at bottom)

9. What have we left out? What other issues or initiatives would you urge University Computing to consider?
(See summary of open-ended responses at bottom)

10. Please add any other comments:
(See summary of open-ended responses at bottom)

11. Please indicate your affiliation:
		Response Percent	Response Count
College		79.8%	87
Williams School		4.6%	5
Law School		15.6%	17
Other (please specify)			51
	answered question		109
	skipped question		59

12. How long have you worked at W&L?
		Response Percent	Response Count
Less than 5 years		40.1%	65
Between 5 and 10 years		22.2%	36
More than 10 years		37.7%	61
	answered question		162
	skipped question		6

13. What type of position do you hold:
		Response Percent	Response Count
Administrator, full-time		31.5%	51
Administrator, part-time		3.1%	5
Staff, full-time		59.9%	97
Staff, part-time		5.6%	9
	answered question		162
	skipped question		6

14. Is your University-owned computer a Windows-based PC or a Macintosh?
		Response Percent	Response Count
PC		91.8%	145
Macintosh		5.1%	8
I use both		3.2%	5
Other, such as Unix (please specify)			3
	answered question		158
	skipped question		10

15. What kind of hardware do you have in your office? Check all that apply:
		Response Percent	Response Count
Desktop computer		84.3%	134
Laptop computer with docking station		25.2%	40
Laptop computer without docking station		16.4%	26
Smartphone (uses Windows or Palm operating system)		1.9%	3
Blackberry		16.4%	26
Printer		75.5%	120
Scanner		34.6%	55
Other (please specify)			10
	answered question		159
	skipped question		9

Summary: open-ended questions

These themes were most common in the responses to open-ended questions:

Simplify and streamline data processes. For instance: create electronic work flows for account charges; create electronic work flow for forms that require action by multiple offices; simplify purchasing procedures
Work with offices to understand their technology needs. Provide more consulting to help departments develop solutions and workflows to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Provide more kinds of technology education, including one-on-one assistance and classes. Provide incentives for employees to get training. Some specific training needs mentioned: Datatel applications, GroupWise, graphics applications such as Photoshop and InDesign, Microsoft Office
Better communication through Web, Campus Notices, other means
Clarity on whom to call for assistance
GroupWise and e-mail comments:
- GroupWise has significant shortcomings and should be jettisoned
- If you change from GroupWise to something else, make sure it’s an improvement: the tool should be intuitive and easy to use and compatible with other tools. Also, the new tool should offer increased storage and greater compatibility with Macintosh.
- GroupWise is not perfect, but switching to another tool would be disruptive and not worth the trouble
- Accelerating the replacement cycle (replacing desktops more often than every 5 years, and laptops more often than every 4 years) is unnecessary; just make sure my computer is working well, and replace or re-image it when it stops working well
Provide increased storage for documents, digital media and other needs

UC is solid organization, but new leadership is bringing helpful changes.