Syllabus

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

 

Course Title:

Technical Customer Service            THIS IS AN ONLINE COURSE

Course Prefix & Number:  EECT 1300

Section:  0390 

Semester/Yr:  Fall 2020 8/24-10/17

Semester Credit Hours: 3

 Lecture Hours: 48

Lab Hrs: 0

ONLINE

 

Course Description (NCTC Catalog):

The main purpose of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the IT environment and the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to work in the user support industry. Students will learn problem-solving and communication skills that are valuable when providing user support. Through hands-on exercises and case projects students will learn how to apply their knowledge and develop their ideas and skills. They will also learn how to work individually and in teams, which will prepare them for a team-oriented work environment.

Course Prerequisite(s):   None

Required or Recommended Course Materials:

(1) Textbook: Beisse, A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, Sixth Edition, Course Technology, ISBN- 978-1-285-85268-3.

(2) Access to the internet and a personal computer with MS Office 2016 or higher.  This class will be delivered fully online

               

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:

Judy Archer

Campus/Office Location:

Corinth Campus

Telephone Number:

940 498 6439

E-mail Address:

jarcher@nctc.edu

OFFICE HOURS

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

10 AM to 11 AM

As Needed

10 AM to 11 AM

As Needed

As Needed

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

 

Identify internal/external customer relationships

 

Address customer questions and complaints in a polite and thorough manner

 

Update customers on work progress to maintain customer satisfaction and public relations

 

Communicate technical information in a clear, precise and logical manner

 

Identify verbal and non-verbal communication skills

 

GRADING CRITERIA

Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

Point Values

11

Chapter Assignments and Quizzes

350

3

Exams

300

1

Course Work

175

1

Training Presentation

150

1

Final Project

175

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Work is scheduled each week. Canvas attendance is required. Late assignments are not accepted unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. 

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is September 26th

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

If you feel you have needs for services that the institution provides, please reach out to either Wayne Smith (940) 498-6207 or Yvonne Sandman (940) 668-4321. 

COURSE TYPE

o           Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

o        Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

x        WECM Course

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

  1.  Zero for the work
  2. Academic suspension

 

 

 

 

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Susan Svane

Office Location:

Room 232, Corinth Campus

Telephone Number:

940 498 6292

E-mail Address:

ssvane@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean:

Debbie Huffman

Office Location:

Gainesville

Telephone Number:

940 668 3357

E-mail Address:

dhuffman@nctc.edu

 

   GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECT MATTER FOR EACH LECTURE/DISCUSSION

 

Topic

General Description of Subject Matter

 

 

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Computer User Support

Ways to classify end users

Common problems users encounter

Common ways to organize and provide support services

 

 

Chapter 2:  Customer Service Skills for User Support Agents

The importance of communication skills and customer service relationships for support agents

Aspects of effective speaking and nonverbal communication for user support

Strategies support agents use to handle difficult clients

 

 

Chapter 3:  Writing for End Users

Types of end-user documentation

How technical writing differs from other writing

How technical documents are organized

How to plan effective user documentation

 

 

Chapter 4:  Skills for Troubleshooting Computer Problems

The troubleshooting process and the thinking skills required for successful troubleshooting

Communication skills for troubleshooting

Information resources to help solve computer problems

 

 

Chapter 5:  Common Support Problems

Several categories of common end-user computer problems

Problem-solving processes that can be applied to typical support problems

 

 

Chapter 6: Help Desk Operation

Help desk operational procedures, The multilevel support model

The incident management process, Best practices in help desk operation

 

 

Chapter 7:  User Support Management

The mission of a support group and the features of a mission statement, Items in a typical user support budget, Staffing a help desk, Support staff training programs, Evaluations of support staff performance

 

 

Chapter 8:  Product Evaluation Strategies and Support Standards

How product and support standards emerged, Common tools and methods for evaluating and selecting computer products

Information resources and decision-making tools for evaluating and selecting computer products

 

 

Chapter 9:  End-User Needs Assessment Project

Basic strategies for performing end-user needs analysis and assessment. Tasks in managing a user needs assessment project

 

 

Chapter 10: Installing and Managing End-User Computers

Major site preparation steps for computer installations

Pre-installation site preparation tasks. The purpose and contents of a site management notebook. Tools needed to install hardware

Steps to install and configure hardware, operating systems, networks, and application software

 

 

Chapter 11: Technology Training for Users

Goals of training activities, Steps in the training process, How to plan a training session, How to prepare a training session

 

 

 

         

 Childcare Reimbursement Program

The Childcare Reimbursement Program provides support services for NCTC students pursuing a career in a technical field of study to help them complete their career plans. The program will reimburse technical declared students a percentage of their daycare expenses if the child is attending a licensed or registered daycare facility.  This is on a first come first serve basis and is available to students on all 5 campuses. Please note, we do not have a childcare facility on any of our 5 campuses. This is a reimbursement program only.

 

Students who wish to become eligible for Childcare Assistance Program need to:

  • Declare in a technical field of study
  • Establish financial need
    • Ex: Pell Grant recipient, Food Stamp recipient, W2, etc.
  • Complete a Childcare Reimbursement Program Application and provide all necessary documentation. 

 

The  Application can be found online at http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/Childcare.aspx

For more information, please contact Yvonne Sandmann on the Gainesville Campus at 940-668-4209 ext. 4321, or by email at ysandmann@nctc.edu.

 

 

 

Syllabus Addendum – Fall 2020 – Student Services

 

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. The center links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free online tutoring.  The program helps students acclimate to college by providing free interactive online workshops. For more information, please visit your nearest Student Success Center.

 

Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, and a Math Lab to assist new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/student-success/tutoring/index.html

First generation students can also participate in TRIO which offers specialized services.

http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/trio-student-support-services.html

 

Completion Center

The NCTC Completion Center is a comprehensive student engagement program that increases retention and completion rates of first-time, low income students. Services include:

Success coaching to address students’ academic and non-academic challenges and issues; Success Seminars, and a centralized career readiness and job placement program.

http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/completion-center/index.html

 

Career Services Center

The NCTC Career Services Center is the place you can go for educational and career planning. Services include: Career/Degree Exploration, Job Search Tools and Resources, Resume and Professional Portfolio Development, Interview Skills and Preparation. Our Career Advisors partner with you in making your educational journey an efficient process towards a rewarding career. http://www.nctc.edu/career-services/index.html

 

Counseling and Advising

Support Services, Counseling and Advising staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration) and much more.  http://www.nctc.edu/counseling-advising/index.html 

 

Testing Service Center

The mission of NCTC Testing Services is to provide high-quality testing services that adhere to the professional standards and guidelines to meet the needs of students, faculty, and community members. http://www.nctc.edu/testing-center/index.html

 

Early Alert and CARES          

The NCTC Early Alert program assists students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Faculty and staff may refer students through the Early Alert process at any point in the semester in an effort to provide appropriate intervention and access to support services. Examples of behaviors that could prompt an Early Alert referral could be missing assignments, failing tests, excessive absences, or personal circumstances impacting academic performance. A student submitted as an Early Alert will be contacted by an academic advisor or success coach through text, phone, and/or via their NCTC e-mail address to discuss any current challenges as well as helpful resources and success strategies-we want our students to finish strong and know that education is a partnership!

 

The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team is concerned not only about our students' academic success, but also their emotional and physical well-being. The CARES Team promotes a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff and is committed to taking a proactive approach in helping our students succeed by addressing the mental, emotional or psychological health and safety of the NCTC community. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior which could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student, such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. Visit the NCTC CARES site to also locate campus and community resources, or email counseling@nctc.edu to get in touch with a member of the CARES Team directly.  As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately.

 

 

Financial Aid

Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information.   http://www.nctc.edu/financial-aid/index.html

 

Student Success

At NCTC, student success​ is progress towards collegiate goals, reached in an affordable and timely manner, under professional guidance, empowering students to serve skillfully in their chosen role within their community

 

Equity

NCTC defines equity as encompassing the practice of acknowledging individual differences and systemic disparities when developing new programs and resources for our campus community, which may sometimes challenge our own beliefs and assumptions, in order to ensure balanced educational opportunities toward completion.

 

Affinity Groups

Staff and faculty representing the Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s), along with academic advisors, counselors and success coaches, serve as mentors for NCTC’s student-centered ​Affinity Groups​.

 

An ​Affinity Group​ is a population of students who have specific needs, barriers or systems they are needing to navigate not only within college, but within life. Providing mentorship, support and resources for identified Affinity Groups such as Black/African American students, veterans and active military, single parents, students with disabilities, adult learners, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness, enables us to make more impactful, meaningful connections with students who are in dire need of equity and understanding.

 

 

 

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