Technical Liaison Program

Student Affairs Information Technology (SAIT) assigns an employee to be a technical liaison to each Department in the Division of Student Affairs in order to facilitate communication between that Department and SAIT. Created in 2005 when SAIT became a department, the purpose of the technical liaison program is to help prevent a separate IT services department from becoming inaccessible and out of touch with the culture and needs of the rest of the Division.

Several departments have established productive relationships with their technical liaisons while other departments have not. SAIT is attempting to increase the number of productive liaison relationships by better defining the technical liaison program and making new employee assignments. Departments are encouraged, but not required, to utilize the services of their assigned technical liaison.

What is a Technical Liaison?

• Actively foster communication between the Department and SAIT
• Help the Department navigate the Division’s IT support system
  • Service requests versus SAITOC projects
  • New equipment purchasing practices
  • Guidance providing the correct information for service and SAITOC requests
• Review and discuss new ideas or technology
  • Help define how the new idea will support Department needs
  • Help distinguish needs versus wishes
  • Provide the big picture of technology usage in the Department and Division
• Advocate for department
  • Copy on critical and/or time-sensitive support requests
  • Track critical and/or time-sensitive support request tickets
• Network with other Division departments, UITS, and the rest of the University IT community with the Department’s interest in mind
• Proxy to the Department when SAIT has a significant question

What a Technical Liaison is not:

• Is not a path to create service request tickets
• Is not the department technical support person
• Does not track (is not aware of) every Department service request ticket
• Does not decide how to solve problems or if SAIT will do the requested work
• Does not prioritize project or service request work for the Department

How does the Technical Liaison communicate with the Department?

• Attend Department meetings when appropriate
  • Department management meetings
  • General staff meetings
  • Attendance may be routine or ad hoc
• Meet with Department decision-makers
  • SAITOC representative
  • Department head and sub-unit managers
• Periodic visits to Department offices

Technical Liaison Assignments

Comments or Questions

Comments or questions about these service procedures can be directed to Tom.Bloom@uconn.edu