Help Desk Sourcing Options: One University’s Solution

This research bulletin discusses the factors that drove Roosevelt University's decision to "co-source" the information technology (IT) help desk, the unique challenges raised by the use of contracted services as part of a technical support solution, and how this solution fits within the context of outsourcing in higher education. It includes a description of how the service addresses the needs of the three principal constituencies -- users, agents, and technicians -- as well as an overview of the accommodations that institutions might need to make in order to develop this type of support solution.