IT Business Operations (ITBO) acted fast to ensure Bobcats had access to the technology they needed when COVID-19 forced everyone to learn, teach, and work remotely.
ITBO is part of the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology. It includes the IT Business Services and IT Marketing and Communications work groups. Here is a look at how each contributed to helping the university thrive during changes forced by COVID-19.
IT Business Services (ITBS)
ITBS staff immediately started reviewing contracts and licensing policies for software and hardware prior to spring break. They had to get a feel for what the university currently had available in order to work and learn from home. Resources not available for remote work became their next priority.
Staff procurement and financial professionals worked with vendors, such as Adobe, to remove restrictions on software for remote use. They assisted the university community with software and hardware purchases, such as Verizon Mi-Fis for mobile hotspots, as well as laptops, microphones, and cameras.
While doing all of this, ITBS helped Texas State’s sister universities in the Texas State University System (TSUS). As administrators of TSUS-wide agreements, they fielded questions from the sister schools to make sure they could do what they needed for their own campuses.
ITBS Director José Rodriguez said everything his team did was vital and praised everyone’s ability to work together.
“That was something beautiful to see, because it showed everyone’s loyalty and pride, and they took so much to heart to make everything happen,” Rodriguez said.
IT Marketing and Communications
Communications staff served on the IT Division’s COVID-19 Taskforce, a team put together to quickly evaluate the technological aspects of remote working, teaching, and learning. As part of the taskforce, MarCom assisted the IT Assistance Center (ITAC) with the creation of a webpage for students, faculty, and staff that provided information about technology resources.
The team increased communication to people about specific tools they could use for remote work, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, through social media, posts to the IT Division blog, and email.
Blog posts gave information about services for remote working. The posts also included tips for success to help people become familiar with tools they may have never previously used.
Communications staff helped other departments with their unique communication needs due to the pandemic. They helped ITAC create videos for the online New Student Orientation program in the spring and summer. They created presentation materials for Camp Canvas, an ITAC virtual training series for Texas State faculty who needed to learn about the university’s new learning management system.
“We are always trying to communicate with the university community about the technologies available to them and the people in IT who can help them succeed,” said Scott Ayers, director of IT Marketing and Communications. “COVID-19 was a challenge for everyone, but I hope the fine work my team did made it a little bit easier for students, faculty, and staff to access and use the tech tools they needed to study, teach, and work remotely.”
Steffanie Agnew is a digital marketing strategist in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
