**This position is no longer accepting applications.**

The DoIT Technology Support Center is looking to hire additional consultants to work during the Fall. Please see our job description below and visit our job posting on UMBCWorks to apply. 

(Search for TSC Student Consultant.)

TSC Student Consultant Job Description

Technology Support Center (TSC) student consultants are the first points of technical contact for the UMBC community and those who do well often go on to work in other areas of the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). Minimally, consultants are expected to provide initial triage and support for a wide-range of information technologies including accounts, hardware, instructional technologies, networking, software, telecommunications, and basic web development.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide technical assistance to users by phone, online and in person;

• Answer TSC phones in a professional and courteous manner;

• Create, update and resolve tickets in the Request Tracker (RT) ticketing system;

• Create, update, suggest and recommend relevant FAQ articles to users (www.umbc.edu/faq);

• Provide direct assistance to users on technical issues they cannot easily resolve on their own;

• Complete in-person or online training about quality support as defined inumbc.edu/go/ticketrubric;

• Respond to all work related communications in a timely manner;

• Escalate urgent problems to the Full-Time staff, as appropriate.

Required Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate by phone or in person.

• Demonstrated writing ability.

• Demonstrated ability to achieve successful outcomes in handling difficult situations and customers.

• Demonstrated analytical and troubleshooting skills.

• Ability & willingness to learn coupled with clear understanding of one’s technical abilities, so as to triage and escalate an issue that leads to an effective solution for the user.

Note: The following is adapted from a Library news story originally published on 8/15/15 

Thumbnail shows equipment part of the program which includes a choice in either a Dell Latitude or Macbook Pro. Also included with the laptop are their respective chargers and carrying bag. 

With support from DoIT, the AOK Library & Gallery has expanded its Equipment Loan Program to include laptops. 

DoIT has provided the program with access to five Macbook Pros and five Dell Latitudes. The laptops are available on a first-come-first-served basis at the Media Desk, located on the second floor on the library. Laptops may be checked out until the Media Desk closes the next day.

The Digital Media Lab also provides the UMBC community with access to audio/visual equipment suitable for a wide variety of video, audio, and graphic design projects. 

You can find more information regarding available equipment and loan policies here

As midterm evaluations continue this week, the instructional technology team reminds faculty about the challenges of using Force Complete for assessments distributed through Blackboard.

When originally developed, Force Complete was intended to prevent students from navigating away from an assessment to minimize cheating. When the students left an assessment, Blackboard would submit whatever answers had been completed. However, if students encountered technical issues, such as losing an internet connection while on wi-fi or clicking too quickly through assessment questions, the test engine would consider that to be an attempt to leave the assessment -- even if it was a technical problem. If students are locked out of their assessments, the TSC and DoIT staff will NOT reset a student's assessment attempt. Students MUST contact the instructor of record to allow them to start over with a new attempt.

Since Force Complete has the potential to cause numerous frustrations for students and faculty alike, we recommend four strategies:

1. Only use Force Complete in an on-campus, hardwired and proctored environment so that any technical issues can be immediately addressed by the instructor or proctor.
2. Use the Set Timer and Auto Submit options. For example, if a student loses his internet connection for 10 minutes on a timed test, at least he can access the test again and continue. When the exam period expires, Blackboard will collect the student’s responses and submit them to the grade center. 
3. Limit availability to the assessment. Reduce the window of opportunity to take an assessment to a smaller timeframe. For example, if you normally give students five days to take an example, decrease the number of days to two.
4. Use the Respondus Lockdown Browser, a custom application that students from copying/pasting, screen capturing, printing, chatting, and accessing other applications.

For more information about test delivery in Blackboard:

• Review the FAQs on

• Force Complete

• Test Exceptions

• Respondus Lockdown Browser

• Request support via RT