Charles Sturt is one of the largest providers of online tertiary education in Australia. Online students may be studying at any time of the day and night. We need to provide a flexible learning experience that fits around their lives.
In February 2019 we extended the availability of IT support services for our students to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to our existing IT support services delivered by Student Central and the IT Service Desk, we partnered with Blackboard Student Services to provide telephone support outside business hours. We have renewed this extended support service for 2020.
The availability of IT support around the clock helps to alleviate some of the stress involved with using online systems and software. It provides peace of mind for students to know that help is there when they need it.
Students can access 24/7 support by calling the Student Central support line, which redirects to Blackboard outside business hours. Blackboard Student Services has access to our knowledge base, enabling them to offer first-level support for problems with technology and Interact 2. Any interactions requiring in-depth troubleshooting are escalated to the IT Service Desk to resolve during business hours.
The service is integrated with Cherwell, which means that all calls are logged, with reporting and analytics available at any time. Full integration also means any escalated calls are never missed.
Over the last 12 months, the Blackboard support service has been stable and available, but its usage has not been very high. The Division of Student Services is proposing to market the service more broadly in 2020, to ensure that more students are aware it is available and feel comfortable using it.
Designed to provide basic IT support as well as Blackboard Learn (I2) support, this service helps to build our relationship with students. It strengthens our ability to remain competitive with other universities, offering another good reason for students to opt to study at Charles Sturt.