About IT Pros at IU

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About IT Pros
Roles of IT Pros

About IT Pros

At Indiana University, IT Pros include anyone who provides IT services or support (full-time or part-time) to the faculty, staff, students, patients, donors, guests, partners, or alumni of IU, and can be classified by IU Human Resources as an IT professional, or faculty managing technology in support of research. Many departments and schools have one or more IT Pros who provide direct support to faculty and staff, although the term "IT Pro" can be used in a broader sense as well.

Note:

To learn the name of your department's IT Pro, consult your supervisor, your departmental website, or IT People. If you still cannot identify your IT Pro, call the UITS Support Center at 812-855-6789 (Bloomington) or 317-274-4357 (Indianapolis).

IT Pros at IU represent the entire spectrum of skill sets in the IT industry, from part-time support technicians, to developers, security analysts, webmasters, videographers, graphic designers, system administrators, and researchers. Under the inclusive umbrella of the term IT Pro, some specific roles have more formal definitions:

IT Pro: Any person engaged in the support, creation, teaching, analysis, administration, or management of IT personnel, resources, and/or knowledge. This may include part-time and full-time employees, faculty, and students at IU and IU affiliates.
Registered IT Pro: Any person identified as an IT Pro and affiliated with an IT unit within IT People (see About IT People). Currently, only IT Pros appointed by an IT Leader (IT Manager or Director within an IT unit) are registered. As part of the appointment process, access to a set of default support tools and resources is authorized. Registered IT Pros are sometimes referred to as Departmental IT Pros when the scope of their access/authorization is relevant.

Roles of IT Pros

Following are some roles that IT Pros may have (see the linked descriptions below for details):

Desktop support
System administration
Database administration
Security support
Web administration
Web programming or design
Application development
IT management

Desktop support: One of the most common roles of an IT Pro is to support faculty and staff use of desktop computers and departmental peripherals. Desktop support includes hardware, operating systems, applications, networking services, intra- and internet connectivity, and more. UITS offers resources like IT Training, customized IU downloads from IUware, Configuration Manager, and remote access utilities to assist IT Pros in these areas. Using the various websites, applications, and services available from UITS and OVPIT empowers IT Pros to provide exceptional support.
System administration: Many IT Pros install and maintain a variety of IT resources which are critical to the unique needs of university units. Examples include installation and securing of file and print servers, web applications, and database servers; management of Active Directory objects and scripts; and risk assessment, resource planning, and maintenance.
Database administration: A database administrator (DBA) at IU often works with a combination of departmental data and enterprise data pulled from the Indiana University Information Environment (IUIE). A DBA needs to know how to securely handle that data, whom to contact in order to access enterprise data, and how to properly apply best practices.
Security support: IT Pros are often responsible for making sure desktops and servers can connect to one another, IU services, and the internet. Troubleshooting DNS, DHCP, MAC address registration, and network cabling is a critical skill for providing security support. Understanding the security landscape at IU, including how to monitor, detect, and respond to security incidents safeguards the operational experience and functions users need to accomplish work at IU.
Web administration: At IU, web administrators may manage their own web servers running any number of web services. They need to know how to properly secure and maintain sites, request DNS entries, troubleshoot connectivity problems, and work closely with programmers and developers in their departments. In some departments, the same person is responsible for web administration, programming, and design.
Web programming or design: In many cases at IU, the same person who is programming a web page is also making design decisions. At IU, these people need to be aware of visual identity guidelines, university policies regarding privacy notices, and standards of practices regarding authentication and e-commerce, among many other concerns.
Application development: At IU, there are communities of interest for iOS development and .Net development, as well as a large number of Java developers.
IT management: IT managers at IU are responsible for policy compliance, disaster recovery/business continuity, career development planning, project management, and often many additional executive responsibilities.