Introducing the UIC Help Center
An easier way to get support, find answers, request services and submit tickets!
Technology Solutions is proud to introduce the new UIC Help Center, a modern, mobile-friendly IT service management (ITSM) tool that provides a one-stop-shop to get support, request services, find answers and so much more!
What is the UIC Help Center? Heading link
The UIC Help Center (help.uic.edu) is part of a new service management solution, powered by TeamDynamix, that will provide a centralized location for students, faculty and staff to get support, find answers, and submit and manage service requests.
- Get Support
UIC Help Center provides a centralized location to request services, get support and submit tickets. No more going to different websites or trying to remember what email address to send to for help! This replaces accc.uic.edu/services. - Find Answers
Knowledge Base articles, online guides with answers to frequently asked questions, how-to guides, and troubleshooting tips, will be available in the UIC Help Center and directly linked with service listings. This replaces answers.uic.edu. - Manage Requests
This new system is mobile-friendly and easy to use enabling you to monitor, manage and access your service requests. This replaces accc.helpdesk.uic.edu, also known as RT (Request Tracker).
When is this happening? Heading link
- The UIC Help Center launched on Monday, February 22, 2021, and is being made available to all units starting with those currently using the ticketing system, Request Tracker (RT). Transition work will be occurring on Saturday and Sunday, February 20th and 21st between 10:00am and 5:00pm, which will result in some downtime for our website and support systems.
- In the first phase of implementation, the UIC Help Center will be consolidating the Technology Solutions catalog of services, the service request and problem reporting forms, and all of our self-help documentation (knowledge base).
- Future phases will make the platform available to other units for implementation and adoption. This graphic provides a high-level timeline for the phases.
What is changing for me? Heading link
- Where to Get Help
Support requests will be submitted in the new UIC Help Center at help.uic.edu, starting Monday, February 22, 2021. - Support Inboxes Retiring
Many support email addresses that would receive service requests and create tickets in RT will be retired and will no longer be accepting requests. Additional communications have been set up to notify individuals emailing these inboxes of the approaching retirement. Our primary contact points such as consult@uic.edu and some others will still remain active, but you are encouraged to submit your support requests via the UIC Help Center at help.uic.edu for the best support experience. - Emails from Tech Support will Look Different
Email correspondence from the support team related to your UIC Help Center request will have a new look. - Request Tracker (RT) is Retiring
Our current ticketing system, known as Request Tracker (RT) – accc.helpdesk.uic.edu – will be retired and will not be accepting new requests. After February 22, any outstanding RT tickets will still be worked on and resolved in RT, but new tickets will no longer be created in that platform. Longer term tickets will be recreated in the UIC Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions Heading link
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Why is this happening?
The TeamDynamix product behind the UIC Help Center is being implemented by many units across the University of Illinois System. The goals of the system-level implementation are:
- To improve the customer experience. Customers are often inconvenienced by having to navigate the university organizational structure to locate the help needed.
- To create a seamless ticketing system with a modern, mobile-friendly interface that supports all customers regardless of unit affiliation.
- To replace ticketing systems and project portfolio systems that have reached their limits of effectiveness and adoption.
- To enhance support operations and enable support staff to work cross-functionally and collaboratively with other IT support staff and units.
- To enable leadership to more easily and accurately understand the effort and impact of IT at our universities.
At UIC specifically, an additional goal is to expand the UIC Help Center beyond just IT services, enabling a true one-stop portal to various services and resources across the university.
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How will I contact you to get help?
The primary method for getting help will be visiting the UIC Help Center to see and request our available services and self-help documentation, and submit a question or report a problem. However, you will also still be able to reach us at consult@uic.edu or by phone at 312-413-0003.
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How will I use the UIC Help Center?
Once the UIC Help Center is launched, you will just visit the website and search for what you need or use the Services or Knowledge Base tabs at the top of the page! Be sure to log in to the site for the best experience, as you can then mark certain services or self-help documents as Favorites, along with being able to see additional content and your current and past tickets with us.
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What should I be aware of when I contact you after UIC Help Center is launched?
There are a few substantial changes that come with this transition to the UIC Help Center.
- If you send an email to us to request support, anyone else you copy on your message will not be added to the resulting ticket. Instead, you should note in the body of your email any additional individuals (with email addresses) that you would like to be added to the ticket, and we will add them.
- All emails coming from the UIC Help Center will originate from the same email address: servicereplies@uillinois.edu. For example:
- If you email consult@uic.edu, you will receive a notification that a ticket was created, and that will come from servicereplies@uillinois.edu. You will be able to either reply to the email or select the button within the email to visit the UIC Help Center to interact with your ticket.
- However, you are not able to send a new email to servicereplies@uillinois.edu to create new tickets.
- The UIC Help Center is integrated with the UIC directory. This means your experience will be best when you log in when visiting the Help Center, and also when you are sure to send email to us from your UIC email address. This will allow you to see all of your current and past tickets, and personalize your experience on the website by marking certain services or self-help documents as Favorites, and more!
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What is going to happen to answers.uic.edu (knowledge base)?
Technology Solutions is transferring all knowledge base articles to the UIC Help Center, and answers.uic.edu will be turned off.
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Will I still be able to access RT and look up old tickets?
Historical RT tickets are not being transferred to the UIC Help Center. RT will be available in a read-only mode for a period of time, before being fully shut down. During the read-only period, historical tickets may be viewed but you won’t be able to update them.
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My unit currently uses RT. How does this impact us?
There are no immediate changes to your use of RT, but Technology Solutions will be reaching out soon with more details to help schedule and plan for a transition to TeamDynamix.
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I have more questions. Who do I ask?
If you have additional questions, please reach out to us via email at consult@uic.edu, and we’ll be happy to address them.