From January 2026 there will be some changes to how staff IT support will be provided through the IT Service Desk at the Information Centre.
To ensure we can offer consistent, timely and high-quality support for all staff, we are standardising how IT issues are raised and managed. This will allow us to prioritise requests appropriately, reduce waiting times, and make best use of specialist expertise across the team.
Accessing IT support
From January 2026, all staff IT support requests must be logged via the UniDesk Self-Service Portal (https://stir.unidesk.ac.uk/) or submitted by email (information.centre@stir.ac.uk).
Logging a request ensures your issue is properly triaged by our first-line team and, where necessary, escalated to second-line specialists. This structured approach allows us to track progress, prioritise urgent issues, and provide clearer communication throughout.
Once logged, support will be provided in one of the following ways, depending on what is most appropriate:
- Response via UniDesk
Our emails will now include a link to the Self-Service Portal, where you can view updates, see the full history of your request, respond to queries, and close the call when resolved. - Remote support appointment
Support may be delivered via Microsoft Teams or BeyondTrust, our secure remote support tool. - Office visit
Where required, a member of the team will arrange a visit to your office. - Laptop surgery appointments
Regular specialist-staffed laptop surgeries will continue at the Information Centre. These will be bookable via our appointment system, with reserved slots available for urgent issues.
If you have an urgent issue that prevents you from working, please log your request via UniDesk or email and include “URGENT” in the subject line. These requests will be prioritised.
Ask IS – drop-in advice sessions
We are also introducing a new weekly Ask IS drop-in session for general advice on using University technologies. This is intended for guidance and discussion rather than technical fault resolution.
- Wednesdays, 1–3pm
- Information Centre
Teaching spaces
There is no change to support for teaching spaces. The emergency phone line from lecture theatres and teaching rooms will continue to be monitored and responded to during core hours (9am–5pm, Monday–Friday).
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we put these arrangements in place. They will help us manage demand more effectively and ensure staff receive the right level of support, at the right time, in a sustainable way going forward.