5195 Technical Support Specialist

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Technical Support Specialist

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 5195

GRADE 30

CLASSIFICATION Nonexempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISION Associate Provost for the Extended Campus and International Programs

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Provost

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Technical Support Specialist provides help desk services and technical support for faculty teaching internet-based courses and online students. The Technical Support Specialist provides user account management services for online courses through the course management system (CMS), such as creating courses, setting up new users, and changing passwords, and assisting faculty and students with questions about various CMS features. The Technical Support Specialist works with faculty and shows them how to use various components of the CMS as well as helping them resolve questions about class registrations and class rosters. The Technical Support Specialist assists students with creating PINs and active directory accounts, explains how to use features and components of the CMS, and troubleshoots problems. The Technical Support Specialist provides administrative support for the Distance Learning department.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A high school diploma or the equivalent and thirty to sixty hours of college credit are required. An Associate’s degree with an emphasis in a computer-related field is preferred.

Experience: A minimum of two years of experience working with applications such as a course management system is required; experience providing user support or help desk services is preferred. Administrative support experience is preferred.

Skills: Must be able to quickly learn the course management system software and how to support faculty and staff information needs, diagnose problems, and resolve them. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required to work effectively within a team-oriented environment and with a multi-disciplinary faculty with varying levels of instructional technology skills. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Effort: Extended periods of time at a microcomputer work station is required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provides technical support for the Missouri State Online Program (Internet-based instruction) by providing help desk services and technical assistance for faculty and online students related to Internet-based instruction, establishing and maintaining student user and faculty accounts for online courses, and handling agreed on “after hours” technical assistance for online students.

2. Supports faculty teaching online classes, both one-on-one and by producing training modules, by explaining features and components of the CMS and how they can be used to present course content, such as Breeze and Captivate, digital drop boxes, online testing, and discussion boards and providing assistance in resolving problems with course registration and class rosters.

3. Supports students by helping them use the CMS to access course materials and participate in course events, such as tests and discussion boards, and providing user management services as needed (changing passwords, resetting timed events, etc.)

4. Serves as a liaison between Missouri State Online and the Academic Technology Associate, who administers the CMS, regarding issues with the CMS.

5. Provides administrative support services to the Distance Learning department by reconciling and maintaining accounts, serving as p-card coordinator, assisting with mailings relating to online classes, preparing personnel action forms, processing student payroll, and preparing correspondence, etc.

6. Works with the Media Production Coordinator by duplicating and captioning multimedia materials, determining the priority of telecourses requiring transcription, and supervising the production of transcripts.

7. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

8. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as directed by the Director of Academic Outreach and Distance Learning.

9. Contributes to the overall success of the Distance Learning by performing all other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Technical Support Specialist is supervised by the Director of Academic Outreach and Distance Learning and supervises student employees.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JANUARY 2017

JOB FAMILY 3

Factor 1: Educational/Experience Requirements of the Job

Level 5.0 - 985 Points: A combination of education and experience equivalent to a Level 5 as indicated by the Equivalencies Chart, when permitted by the Minimum Acceptable Qualifications.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 3.0 - 897 Points: Regular but limited supervision and training of small numbers of student or part-time workers is required where the nature of supervision is largely confined to scheduling work and/or assigning tasks. Supervision at this level may also involve directing the work assignments of one or more full-time employees, but supervision typically does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities, and the supervisory duties typically do not consume a large portion of the work day.

Factor 3: Skill, Complexity, and Technical Mastery

Level 3.0 - 1000 Points: Knowledge of few basic information technology terms and methods such as those acquired through on-the-job training in one or more simple work processes. Knowledge permits the employee to carry out a variety of related and recurring assignments that can be quickly mastered. Alternatively, knowledge of the processes, methods, and procedures associated with a limited range of technical objectives or common problems, or knowledge of an extensive body of standard rules, procedures, processes, operations, tools, or equipment requiring extended training and experience to perform a wide variety of interrelated and nonstandard tasks and resolve a wide range of problems. Knowledge permits the employee to carry out a variety of related and recurring assignments that can be quickly mastered.

Factor 4: Budgetary Control

Level 1.0 - 193 Points: Jobs at this level involve no budgetary control except for the normal responsibilities associated with monitoring and reporting everyday expenses.

Factor 5: Work Environment and Physical Demands

Level 1.0 - 25 Points: The work environment has only everyday discomforts associated with an office or commercial vehicle. The work area is adequately lighted, heated or cooled, and ventilated. Work is largely sedentary involving mostly sitting with occasional walking, standing, bending, or carrying of small items. No special physical demands are required of the work.

Factor 6: Work Impact and Effect

Level 1.0 - 900 Points: Work products or services facilitate the work of other individuals. Work activities may be complex, but normally involve addressing conventional problems or situations with established methods to supply others with information, software, or equipment they use to perform their work. Improperly performed work and/or equipment or software failures normally will directly impact the ability of other individuals to timely complete specific tasks or processes, but usually on a person-by-person basis. Although improperly performed work and/or equipment software failures are typically noticed and corrected relatively quickly, after hours repairs are not available. While improperly performed work and/or equipment or software failures may create delays and inconvenience for specific individuals, the overall impact on the unit is minimal.