CITES Divisions

Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES) has two leadership areas: Educational Technologies and Information Technologies.

Classroom Technologies (ClassTech)

Mike Smeltzer, Director

Supports instruction using fixed media equipment in general assignment classrooms. Delivers audiovisual services to all levels of the university, from the campus as a whole to the individual instructor. Concentrates efforts on the Integrated Teaching Systems (ITS) classrooms, with attention also to other campus media environments.

Instructional Support

• Responsible for ITS cabinets and security codes
• Offers ITS equipment training through group and individualized sessions
• Holds user groups and workshops to provide guidance in effective audiovisual presentations
• Conducts thorough preventative maintenance between semesters as well as weekly checks in all ITS classrooms
• Responds in an appropriate and timely manner to a technical need or crisis in an ITS classroom
• Available to campus departments for the same type of services offered in the ClassTech ITS classrooms, for a fee

Knowledge Resource for Presentation Technologies:

Campus resource for the latest innovations and technology in the audiovisual industry (e.g., projectors, display devices).

As a campus consultant, ClassTech offers advice on a variety of audiovisual-related subjects:

• Advise architects and engineers in new building construction and remodeling
• Counsel departments and individuals with their special audiovisual needs
• Host annual presentation products exhibition. This informational event is open to all of campus and the community.
• Host specific manufacturer demonstrations throughout the year as requested

Presentation System Design:

Works with campus clients in designing high-quality presentation systems for learning and executive settings, from initial needs assessments to drafting detailed drawings and documentation. Examples of resulting distinctive solutions for academic and executive environments include:

• Lecture halls
• Classrooms with movable tables and chairs
• Multi-purpose rooms
• Auditoriums
• Training rooms or seminar rooms
• Boardrooms
• Videoconferencing spaces
• Other learning environments that involve audiovisual technologies

Audiovisual system installation:

Carries out installations and supervises media integration projects. Manages audiovisual projects from concept to completion. Coordinates the audiovisual project efforts with other project members outside the audiovisual specialty.

Educational Technologies (EdTech)

Leslie Hammersmith, Director

Leads the campus effort for a cohesive strategy for instructional technologies and online learning. Provides core pedagogical online services and continually explores effective new technologies and ways to incorporate them in the core infrastructure.

Production services

Provides campus the following online learning applications:

• Illinois Compass
• Mallard

Course Web site hosting

Hosts course Web sites using a variety of applications that facilitate instruction.

Training for faculty and TAs

Provides training in online learning applications. Sessions are held on-site at EdTech or by arrangement at departmental sites.

Consulting for faculty and TAs

• Troubleshooting and just-in-time consulting for online learning applications
• Pedagogic use of desktop applications
• Effective use of "smart classroom" technologies
• Course redesign with educational technology

Online instructional materials

Provides instructional support materials on online learning applications and troubleshooting.

Research and development

Researches and develops technologies and pedagogies.

Departmental collaboration and custom training and workshops

EdTech is always interested in collaborating and partnering with departments and faculty who are exploring technology and teaching. We can provide consulting, custom training and workshops, and help with technology pilots, and are always interested in topics and faculty exemplars of educational technology for brown bags, articles, and campus presentations.

Communications Technologies

Beth Scheid, Director

Designs, implements, and maintains network data and voice services for campus. Provides long distance and campus voice services.

Cabling Installation and Maintenance Services

Installs cabling infrastructure within campus buildings. Maintains the external infrastructure between buildings. Installs and maintains voice services and data connectivity for customers.

Plant Engineering

Designs and implements the communications infrastructure inside and between buildings on campus. Engineers the conduit and manhole system for the distribution of fiber and copper cabling to new and existing buildings. Designs the fiber and copper cabling within buildings. Creates and maintains the AutoCAD records for the campus telecommunications cabling plant and the telecommunications standards for the Campus Building Standards manual.

Long Distance Services

Provides long distance telephone service to campus. Supports the billing and records systems for campus telecommunications service.

Customer Support Services (CSS)

Dan Jacobsohn, Director

Serves as a gateway to all CITES services, presenting a well-defined customer-oriented entry point for faculty, staff, and students. Responsible for the CITES web site and for providing information on how to use CITES services effectively. Researches and develops best practices for customer input and customer service.

CITES Help Desk

Provides walkup, phone, online chat, and email consulting for CITES services and other computing needs. Also creates NetIDs, resets NetID passwords, provisions Express Email accounts, and assists with other CITES accounts.

Communications Customer Service

Serves as a single customer contact for CITES voice communication services. Provides consulting, processes orders, and cares for trouble tickets related to the following services: telephone, cellular, pocket paging, voice mail, data circuits, and local/long distance calls.

Documentation

Creates, edits, and publishes print and Web-based documentation to help faculty, staff, and students learn more about CITES services and how to use them effectively.

Strategic Communications

Coordinates efforts to increase awareness of CITES services and programs, including developing promotional materials, creating and/or reviewing time-critical messages, developing campaigns for incoming students and others new to campus, serving as focal point for CITES media relations, and researching and planning CITES' overall marketing strategy.

Telephone Operators

Provides callers with telephone numbers and other information. Intercepts all calls to out-of-service campus lines and reroutes callers to an appropriate number. Answers the main TTY number for campus and relays information to the appropriate person/department. Facilitates the CITES Teleconference Service for campus.

Networking

Mike Smeltzer, Director

Engineers and implements wide-area and campus-area networking and communications systems. Designs the campus backbone data network (UIUCnet). Provides Internet connectivity to the campus and remote network access to students, faculty, and staff. Provides DNS services. Develops and implements network monitoring and management tools. Researches and develops emerging network data, video, and voice technologies.

Network Design and Maintenance is responsible for the design and implementation of wired and wireless networking in campus buildings. Responsible for the ongoing operations of all aspects of the campus network, including buildings, the campus backbone, and the intercampus fiber ring. Coordinates campus input and collaboration on the Campus Network Upgrade Project, as well as on broader ongoing network issues.

Network Design Office (NDO)

Designs and implements in-building local-area networks (LANs) and wireless networks for buildings on campus. Facilitates connections to the University network (UIUCnet) for campus-related buildings.

Network Maintenance

Constructs, maintains, and repairs campus networks. Provides backup support for local-area networking. Provides 24x7 response for critical problems affecting the core campus network.

Emerging Network Technologies and Services

Researches and develops emerging network data, video, and voice technologies.

Network Engineering

Provides leadership in communications technology. Engineers and implements wide-area and campus-area networking and communications systems. Designs the campus backbone data network (UIUCnet). Provides Internet connectivity to the campus and remote network access to students, faculty, and staff.

Systems and Technology Services (STS)

Randy Cetin, Director

Manages production systems and services that are available to the entire campus, serve a large portion of campus, or provide a core infrastructure upon which other large-scale campus services rely. Provides a reliable and robust infrastructure. Develops and manages middleware solutions to integrate campus services. Researches and develops emerging technologies and services for the campus.

Hardware Maintenance (Unix Systems Hardware Group)

Provides hardware maintenance services to University staff and affiliates who own Unix workstations and servers.

Instructional Computing Services (ICS)

Maintains and operates computer labs open to students, faculty, and staff for instruction and walk-in computing. Educational Technologies (EdTech) provides strategic and instructional direction.

Integration and Software Engineering

Provides system and middleware research and development as well as development of service integration tools and utilities. Researches new technologies and services for campus enterprise deployment, including third-party and locally developed solutions.

ITPro Services

Provides a framework of services for supporting IT professionals across campus, including the Computer Consultant Support Program (CCSP), an avenue for announcements and collaborative support to all campus IT professionals.

Operations Center (OpCenter)

Supports existing CITES networks and services through monitoring, technical assistance, and problem tracking among the various CITES groups and campus IT providers. Oversees the Data Centers, where many critical campus services reside. Provides Network Administrator Support (NAS) services, including technical assistance, training, and general network consulting to campus IT providers.

Production Applications

Provides service (or application) administration of centrally provided campus-wide services.

Systems Management (Systems Management Group (SMG))

Manages Windows and Unix systems in support of CITES centrally provided services, manages Unix systems on a cost-recovery basis in support of department/unit research and teaching activities, manages Unix operating system licensing, provides general Unix technical assistance, and manages the campus Active Directory.

Office of the CIO

CITES often partners with staff in the CIO's office.

CIO Staff and Responsibilities