Staff Profile

Pam MorrowPam Morrow works in the Operations group in Shared Services. She was recently honored as an IT Services Quarterly Exceptional staff member for Fall Quarter.

How would you describe your current job responsibilities?

I work in the IT Services Billing Office, in conjunction with the Order Management group. I manage collection activities and Remedy tickets to resolve client billing issues. I collaborate with other departments and project groups associated with the University to administer the client's needs. The goal is to answer the client's inquiries and resolve any issues the client is facing; service resolution efficiently with a SMILE :}

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

Resolve, assist, educate, and train the clients (faculty, staff, students, and vendors) on where to get the information they need to answer their questions. Equip all parties involved with proper documentation. Most of all, the birthday lunches!

What did you do before you came to Stanford?

I had various positions. I was an Office Manager of Northern DataCom-Telecommunications Company and had positions in sales, catering, and holiday planning. Another interesting career path was as a wedding consultant.

What do you like to do when you're not at work?

I enjoy driving out to the coast or country. Of course, I bring along a good book, stop for lunch, and chat with the locals. I enjoy strolling through art and craft festivals. In the winter, the change of climate brings out my creative side for writing poetry. I love to travel and I plan to make time for more of it.

My passion in life is helping youth turn their lives around. I volunteer at two juvenile hall facilities within two counties that detain youth from ages 8 to 18. I teach and equip them to be leaders within the community. The success rate has broadened to other facilities.

What is your favorite movie, book, song?

Regarding my favorite movie and favorite song—there are too many! My favorite book is the Bible. I have many other favorites, but behind every great book is the author.

Staff Happenings

Comings and Goings

  • Arlen Jew has joined the Production Control Group (PCG) as a full time staff member. Arlen has been working with us at the PCG for three months as a temporary employee. His previous experience includes MediaLive International (aka Ziff-Davis Events) where he spent many years in several positions. MediaLive is responsible for Interop, Comdex, and many other well-known technology based events/tradeshows. Arlen was a member of the Show Networking/Registration teams, as well as Corporate IT where he held the position of Network Engineer and Systems Administrator. Arlen brings a wealth of experience on Windows, Networking, Backups, and various applications. We are extremely excited to have him become a permanent member of our team!
  • Matthew Cochran has joined the PCG as a six month temp, backfilling the position Arlen was in until recently. Matt (as he prefers) has been consulting and contracting in a support role for various companies and brings a broad set of skills and experience to the PCG/CD including PC, Networking, Windows, and Telecomm systems. We are glad to have Matt on board and are very much looking forward to getting his training completed and having him help complete the team!

    • - Erik Cummings
    Shared Services; Production Control Group

  • Rita Lo has joined the Shared Services, Operations group. She will be working in Order Management.

Wayne Duckworth Retires

We have officially reached the end of an era. Wayne Duckworth ended his 36 year career at Stanford as ITSS bid farewell to the last member of the active mainframe support groups, Console Operations. He has been the manager of the group for several years, working his way through the ranks from an entry-level position so many years ago to leader and manager of the group. The group was laid off on August 31 following the shutdown of the University and RLG mainframes, and the transition of the hospital mainframe to Perot Systems.

Wayne has been on vacation for several weeks and had his retirement party Tuesday night. It was impressive to see all who came to wish him well and to understand the impact that Wayne had on the Stanford community. With his smooth and calm exterior that we've all come to appreciate, it was hard to keep a dry eye listening to all of the people he has touched over the years. Wayne is an excellent example of what it means to be at Stanford and to fully embrace the entire experience. His involvement in minority support groups, working with and supporting our students and faculty, and helping to develop and support our staff was truly remarkable.

Wayne looked great last night, dressed true to his personality; very smooth and very polished. But I will always remember him walking through the halls of Forsythe in his cowboy boots, headed for line dancing. Please join me in wishing him well on his retirement as he continues to dance into the next stage of his life.

To learn more about Wayne's time at Stanford, there is an excellent article in the Stanford Report.

- Jay Kohn
Shared Services

Changes in Shared Services Operations

Greg Steiger transferred from Order Management to Facilities Engineering on November 1st. Greg's new role will be that of a Facilities Engineering Project Consultant. In his new role, Greg is responsible for coordinating Facilities Engineering construction efforts along with facilitating clients' orders and other tasks currently performed by other Shared Services groups. This will improve our project support to the various construction groups on campus and ties into the Order Management redesign goals of improving work flow processes and improved client service. Over the years, Greg has held many roles in ITS and he is a welcome addition to Facilities Engineering.

The MEM group name has changed to Communications Systems Maintenance (CSM). MEM was the acronym for Maintenance and Enterprise Monitoring. Since the Production Control Group's Control Desk is now responsible for systems monitoring, it was appropriate to change the MEM group name to reflect the change in the both groups' responsibilities. The CSM Group (Gayle Delia, Dan Miller, Nelson Fong, and Rod Wilson) is responsible for 24x7 hardware and software component level maintenance of the production voice services.

- Bert Stubbs
Shared Services; Operations

Tremolo Praxis

Ben Patterson, of Client Support's Computer Resource Consulting team, is the keyboardist in the breakout musical group "Tremolo." The band has a local appearance this Friday night, November 18, at Border's Books in Palo Alto at 7:00 p.m.

Tremolo has already been featured in a profile on A&E's Biography Channel and is slated to play the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on November 26. The band has a unique focus on changing the world through the concept of praxis (what happens when people extend themselves to do good and how their capacity to do good increases because of it). Congrats, Ben and friends.

- Chris Lundin
Client Support; Help Desk Services

its in bits welcomes detailed employee news submissions from all staff. Please send to:
itsinbits-submissions@lists.stanford.edu

Tech Briefings

Macromedia will present a special, all-day Tech Briefing Friday, November 18. John Schuman from Macromedia will be in Turing Auditorium to present sessions on Breeze, Captivate, Contribute, Flash, and Studio 8 (with a focus on Dreamweaver).

This will be a unique opportunity to see the latest Macromedia products in action and ask questions.

For the complete schedule, a map to Turing Auditorium, times, and a list of topics, visit the Tech Briefings site.

Technology Training Courses

Seats are still available for the following IT Services Technology Training classes the week of November 28:

  • Excel Calculations, Level 2 (ITSS-1106), Thursday, December 1, 8:30 - 12:00, $150
  • Excel Charts (ITSS-1111), Thursday, December 1, 1:00 - 4:30, $150

If you are interested in signing up for one or more of these courses, we advise you to register by Monday, November 21. Classes with low enrollments may be cancelled one week in advance.

Please see the registration page for complete information on using STAP funds and signing up for classes.

- Phyllis Olrich
Technology Training Services

IT Employment Opportunities

There was one addition to the IT Services job requisition postings for this week.

Req #9238--Computer Information Systems Analyst--Karen Zack, Manager
Provides expert-level contract desktop and local area network support and analysis to University departments. Technical expert regarding all aspects of desktop and server computer support. Manages and responds to customer calls, troubleshooting, resolving technical issues and answering questions related to network connectivity, software, and hardware. Has considerable experience in multiple computing and information technology areas. Performs advanced server administration (troubleshooting, management of domain controllers, firewalls, database servers) on Windows and Macintosh based servers.

To view the complete listing or to apply for a position, visit the StanfordJobs web site at: jobs.stanford.edu.

There are other open Information Technology positions at Stanford. To see what other opportunities exist on campus, link to the full list of open positions from: itss.stanford.edu/staff/itssjobs.html

Survey

Has your manager or director discussed the organization's Winter Closure plans in a recent staff meeting?

Yes
No

Quote of the Week

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"

- Erma Bombeck

News

Survey Results

In the last issue, we asked "How do you feel about the IT Services newsletter moving onto the Web?" There were 61 responses:

  • 9 preferred it in email
  • 13 thought it was OK
  • 39 loved it!

Looks like we'll be sticking to the Web. In this and future issues, we'll try to include a survey on a typically terse topic. See this week's survey at the bottom of the second column.

- The Editors

The Wireless Map is Alive

Sample GraphicLast month, IT Services brought automation to Stanford's Wireless Network web site and updated the pages' content. Joining other recently-launched self-service web sites, wirelessnet.stanford.edu now features an interactive campus map that lets users zoom in and view wireless "hotspot" locations across campus. In addition to the "virtual map pin" view that the interactive tool provides, the site also dynamically generates text lists of wireless-available buildings. All of the "hotspot" information is kept up-to-date with the latest Networking and Facilities records.

The project is a an example of true cross-departmental teamwork. Creating the interactive map interface, linking it to accurate network information, and updating other site content involved some first-time collaboration among the Networking, Maps & Records, and Documentation group—with additional support from Unix Systems and Applications.

Credit for the successful site goes to Marco Wise (Documentation) for his lead development role, as well as to Cynthia Endriga (Documentation), Dobie Howard (Maps & Records), Christopher Kittle (Documentation), Wilson Lee (Maps & Records), Linda Pilkin (Documentation), Dave Ream (Documentation), Kent Reuber (Networking), Kristina Seyer Smith (Maps & Records), and Sunya Yang (Networking).

- Dave Ream
Client Support; Documentation, Design, & Delivery

Winter Closure Update

Stanford has decided to suspend operations, where feasible, during the winter holiday season. In support of this decision, IT Services offices will be closed from the end of the day Friday, December 16, 2005 through Tuesday, January 3, 2006 at 8:00 a.m. As a reminder, the designated University holidays for this period include:

  • Friday, December 23, 2005
  • Monday, December 26, 2005
  • Monday, January 2, 2006
We recently announced plans for coverage and support during these time frames. Please refer to the Winter Closure web site for additional information.



Of special note, there have been some changes in the Service Order processing cutoff dates. To ensure that telecommunications services and ITSS service orders are processed in advance of this year's winter closure, we have established the cutoff dates. Any request submitted after these dates will be reviewed when the office resumes business on January 3, 2006. Department contacts for IT Services can use the web portal to place orders.

Cell phone service orders will be accepted through December 1, 2005. All other service work order requests (non-project) will be accepted through December 8, 2005. To change your building's extended Campus Card access door locks schedule during winter closure, we must have received your HelpSU request by December 8, 2005.

- Nancy Ware
Business Planning; Strategic Communication

Summer Quarter Client Report Available

Since inception, the Account Mangers and Liaisons have collected information about IT Services clients' projects and their requests for additional services. The Account Mangers submit reports on a weekly basis. At the end of each quarter, a report is put together summarizing the work of the last quarter. These reports have been more inclusive each quarter. The Summer Quarter's report is now available (PPT file) and will be the standard format going forward. The Spring Quarter report is also available (PPT file) with a little less content.

I encourage you examine the Summer Quarter's report as you'll clearly see the type and quantity of support that IT Services, as a whole, is providing to the campus community. You'll also see the services that our clients are asking for from us.

- Phil Reese & The Accounts Management Team
Client Support; Process & Account Management

New Course Finds Immediate Audience

Working in a technology-oriented department, some of us sometimes accidentally forget that not all of our clients have the same access to, or sophistication with, computing tools. So back in late 2004, when a client approached Technology Training and suggested it offer a course covering tips and tricks for using common office tools such as email, calendaring, voice mail, etc., the group questioned whether it would get enough students to warrant creating a session. But we decided to take a chance. We built it and did they come!

Using Technology to Manage the Ever-Increasing Workload at Stanford is a half-day class covering some of the most useful, but lesser-known, time-saving practices available with commonly used office productivity tools. It is specifically designed for administrative office staff (but has helped many others, too) and teaches them how to use general computing keyboard shortcuts, effective searching techniques, filters for email, pre-recorded voice mail messages, the "tentative" feature on Sundial, and much, much more.

Since the course was introduced in winter 2005, it has played to full houses. This past summer, two departments requested special sessions just for their groups and this Fall Quarter we had to add an additional session due to increasing demand. The course was designed and developed by Leni Silberman and Mark Branom with input from the rest of the IT Services Technology Training staff. Mark teaches the course. 

So, when working with clients who you think could benefit from some tips on using their office productivity tools, send them our way: techtraining.stanford.edu.

- Leni Silberman
Client Support; Technology Training Services

Office of General Counsel System Migration

I am happy to report that the server and desktop migration for the Office of General Counsel was a success and that our clients are enjoying a much more secure, stable, and up-to-date computing environment.

Not only was the migration a success, but this was truly a cross-team and cross-department effort that should be acknowledged and celebrated. This would not have happened without the help of several volunteers who showed up on the migration date and gave up their evenings to help us out. I cannot express my gratitude enough to everyone who assisted with this migration.

Migration Volunteers: Greg Chong, Chris Pickle, Kelly Rollefson, Shougafa Sarwar (Volunteer from the Office of Development), and Karen Zack (who baked us some delicious melt-in-your mouth brownies).

Windows Systems Group volunteers included Leroy Altman and Sean Riordan. Volunteers from Day to Day Support were Shanh Karp, Andrew Romey, and Kevin Stephens.

Due to all of the help and support from the wonderful folks mentioned above, the Office of General Counsel is now enjoying new server class hardware that is housed in the data center, an upgrade from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2003, and migration of all desktops to the WIN domain.

Thanks again to everyone who helped ensure a virtually seamless migration for our clients.

- Maria Maravilla
Client Support; Computer Resource Consulting

Password Resets Whenever

With some 45,000 active SUNet IDs, forgotten passwords are an inevitability. And as willing as the Help Desk staff is to reset forgotten passwords, the finite hours of the Help Desk aren't a match for the myriad times folks need their complicated, secure passwords and can't recall them.

In Fall Quarter 2003, our Registry programmers created a password self-reset tool.

We feature a link to this new tool prominently on both the HelpSU web request page and on our new IT Helpsite.

Getting much use? Boy, howdy. All trends are up.

The community seems to be using this tool more and more on their own, to afford themselves greater anytime self-service. The tool really helped out in September, when HIPAA-related "You-need-to-change-your-password" letters went out to some 7,000 staff. More that 700 individuals used the tool that month to reset their forgotten passwords--avoiding what would have been a big bottleneck at the Help Desk.

Building on success, Tim Torgenrud also created a Remedy password self-reset tool for the 1,200 users of Remedy applications who sometimes have a slightblank spot. That's available off the HelpSU for Consultants site.

We assure you our metrics staff are not tracking the use of these pages by individuals. We're just happy folks can help themselves.

- Chris Lundin
Client Support; Help Desk Services

About its in bits

A regular summary of IT business, news about personnel, and pointers to other information of interest to IT Services staff. Coordinated, compiled, and published by the Communication Strategy and Standards Team. its in bits is published on the first and third Wednesday of the month.

Please send submissions, by Noon on the first and third Monday of the month, to itsinbits-submissions@lists.stanford.edu for consideration. its in bits is distributed via email to its-all-staff@lists.stanford.edu and the new subscription list itsinbits-subscribers@lists.stanford.edu. People outside of IT Services can self-subscribe via majordomo.

The next its in bits will be published on Wednesday, December 7, 2005