Technology Services - Qatar Guidelines and Procedures (General)

General: Technology Services creates, maintains, expires, disables, and deletes user accounts on the TAMUQ domain. We provide full support for domain accounts. Requests relating to domain accounts are directed to the Service Desk.

Employee Accounts: Technology Services creates an employee account on the TAMUQ domain when Employment Services Team sends Service Desk an official notification regarding a new employee.
Account access is given after the staff member brings the HR New Employee Orientation Check List to the Technology Services Department to initiate in-processing. Requests for account access before the orientation are directed to the Service Desk.
When an employee leaves TAMUQ, the former employee’s account is disabled three days after the last day of the employment agreement and deleted twelve months after it was disabled. An exiting employee’s supervisor may request extended email/account access by submitting an Account Extension to our Request Catalog: https://u.tamu.edu/AccountExtension (NetID login required).

Undergraduate, Graduate and PhD Student Accounts: Technology Services creates student accounts on the TAMUQ domain when the Admissions / Office of Graduate Studies sends Service Desk the information regarding admitted students.
Students receive access to their accounts at the Technology Services session of New Student Orientation.
When a student withdraws or graduates from TAMUQ, all of their access is disabled, except email access. Their account is set to be expired twelve months after the withdrawal or graduation date. Their account is disabled two months after it is expired and deleted twelve months after it was disabled.

Supercomputer Accounts: TAMUQ has supercomputing facilities that can be used by TAMUQ employees and affiliates who are working with TAMUQ employees on TAMUQ-based research. Research Computing provides support for the research computing resources.
Supercomputer accounts are created when HR verifies that the applicant has met all of the requirements for account access. The TAMUQ Principal Investigator and the Director of Research Computing have approved the request. Access is then given to the applicant, and the Research Computing staff monitors the use of the supercomputing facilities.

Affiliate Accounts for Visitors: A Visiting Scholar, TAMUQ student worker who is not a TAMUQ student, or a TAMU employee or student who is on campus for collaboration with a TAMUQ employee, is eligible for an affiliate account on the TAMUQ domain.
An Affiliate account is created for a visitor when HR verifies that the visitor has met all of the requirements for account access. Account access is given after the visitor comes to the Technology Services - Qatar to initiate in-processing.
A visitor's account is expired on the day following the departure date listed on the Visitor Request Report. The account is disabled two months after it was expired and deleted twelve months after it was disabled.

Domain Account Username: The username of every employee and every student at TAMUQ consists of the first name and last name of the individual exactly as it is spelled on the individual passport, using the Latin alphabet. The username consists of these two names written completely in lower-case letters, first name first, then last name, with a period separating them. In the case of compound names, hyphens in the name are included in the username, and an underscore in the username replaces a blank space in the name. Exceptions are made if the name is written on the passport in a non-Latin alphabet only, if the username is already in use, or if the name is longer than twenty characters. A username may be shortened or have a number added to it, as required, to ensure a unique username for each user.​

Domain Account Password: Domain account passwords should be at least eight characters long and include at least one lower case letter, at least one upper case letter, and at least one non-alphabet character (such as a number or a symbol).

NetID Account: TAMUQ students and employees with a UIN have a NetID account based at the main TAMU campus in College Station, Texas. The Identity Management Office (IMO), on the main campus, creates these accounts for TAMUQ employees at the request of TAMUQ Human Resource Services and for TAMUQ students at the request of TAMUQ Admissions. The IMO maintains these accounts according to policies established at the main campus. We provide limited support for these accounts. For more information, please go to TAMU NetID Account Management​.

Audio-Visual Equipment: Technology Services - Qatar provides audio-visual (AV) equipment in ​classrooms, lecture halls, labs, conference rooms, and common areas in the Engineering Building. We provide full support for this equipment and hands it over to Qatar Foundation at the end of its useful service life. Reports of malfunctioning equipment are directed to the Service Desk.
The operation of AV equipment is intended to be self-service. Training classes with AV equipment are offered at the beginning of each semester and upon request. We do not provide support for functioning AV equipment during an event. All events using AV equipment should be processed through the event request workflow in Marhaba. ​​​The Service Desk should be contacted during the event only in the case of equipment malfunction.

Staff Equipment: Technology Services provides a desktop computer combo (desktop computer, two monitors, keyboard, and mouse) at the staff member’s desk in the Engineering Building. We also provide an office phone with GSM access for an eligible staff member who has had an employment agreement for more than six months.
​A desktop computer is prepared for eligible staff three days before the employment agreement's start date if HR has notified us of the new employee’s start date. All other equipment is prepared after the staff member brings the HR New Employee Orientation Check List to the Technology Services in room 137 to initiate in-processing. We provide full support for this equipment and replaces it according to the Equipment Replacement Program. When a staff member leaves TAMUQ, this equipment is returned to us. We return this equipment over to Qatar Foundation at the end of its useful service life. 
Laptops previously issued to staff members have been grandfathered, but they will not be replaced at the end of their useful service life. We provide limited support to this equipment.

Faculty Equipment: Technology Services provides a desktop computer (desktop computer, two monitors, keyboard, and mouse) and a phone (with international calling access) at the faculty member’s desk in the Engineering Building, if the term of the employment is more than six months.
A desktop computer is prepared for eligible faculty three days before the start date of the employment agreement if HR has notified us in advance of the start date. All other equipment is prepared after the faculty member brings the HR New Employee Orientation Check List to the Technology Services in room 137 to initiate in-processing. We provide full support for this equipment and replaces it according to the Equipment Replacement Program. When a faculty member leaves TAMUQ, this equipment is returned to us. We return this equipment over to Qatar Foundation at the end of its useful service life.
Laptops previously issued to faculty members have been grandfathered, but they will not be replaced at the end of their useful service life.

Research Staff Equipment: Technology Services discontinued providing a desktop and laptop computer for full-time researchers. A common phone is provided in a shared office used by two or more researchers. International calling is approved by the department head, as costs for these services are billed to the department.
Desktops previously issued to full-time researchers have been grandfathered, but they will not be replaced at the end of their useful service life. We provide support for this equipment and replaces it according to the Equipment Replacement Program. When a researcher leaves TAMUQ, this equipment is returned to us. We return this equipment over to Qatar Foundation at the end of its useful service life.
Temporary researchers (researchers whose assignments are 6 months or less) do not receive any computing equipment from us.

Departmental Equipment: Equipment stocked by Technology Services can be obtained for departmental use by reallocating funds from a TAMUQ departmental or research account. We provide full support for this equipment for the period specified in the Equipment Replacement Program, after​ which we provide limited support. This equipment is returned to us at the end of its useful service life. We return this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.
Equipment that is not stocked by us can be purchased for departmental use from an online or local vendor with funds from a TAMUQ departmental or research account. This equipment is not allowed to be joined to our domain without the approval of our management. This approval should be obtained before the purchase. We provide limited support for this equipment. This equipment is turned into us at the end of its useful service life. We hand this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.

​​Research Equipment: Principal Investigators (PIs) can obtain equipment stocked by Technology Services by reallocating TAMUQ research accounts funds. We provide full support for this equipment for the period specified in the Equipment Replacement Program, after which we provide limited support. This equipment is returned to us at the end of its useful service life. We then hands this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.
Research equipment that is not stocked by Technology Services can be purchased from an online or local vendor with funds from a TAMUQ departmental or research account. This equipment will be joined to our domain only if approved by our management and understand that the equipment will be disconnected from the domain without notice if it poses a security risk. This approval should be obtained before the purchase. We provide limited support for this equipment. In some circumstances, more support may be available by way of a customized Non-Standard Support Service Agreement. Purchased equipment is turned into us at the end of its useful service life. We then hand this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.

Academic Equipment: Equipment stocked by Technology Services is provided for academic use in labs and classrooms, as required if approved by the academic department head. We provide full support for this equipment and replaces it according to the Equipment Replacement Program. We then hand the used equipment over to Qatar Foundation.
Equipment that is not stocked by Technology Services can be purchased from an online or local vendor with funds from a TAMUQ departmental or research account. This equipment is not allowed to be joined to our domain without the approval of our management. This approval should be obtained before the purchase. We provide limited support for this equipment. In some circumstances, more support may be available by way of a customized Non-Standard Support Service Agreement. Purchased equipment is returned to us at the end of its useful service life. We then hand this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.

General Access Equipment: Technology Services provide computing equipment and multi-function printers in common areas throughout the Engineering Building for students, employees, and affiliates. We provide full support for this equipment and replaces it according to the Equipment Replacement Program. We then hand the used equipment over to Qatar Foundation.

Visitor Equipment: If a department does not have a departmental laptop available for use by a visitor, an employee may obtain a short-term check-out laptop from Technology Services  for the use of a visitor that they are hosting. To request one, submit a Short Term Laptop Checkout request thru our Request Catalog, or send a request here. Short-term check-out laptops may be checked out for 4 weeks or less. The employee is responsible for the return of the laptop when the visitor leaves. Technology Services provides full support for this equipment and replaces it according to the Equipment Replacement Program. We then hand the used equipment over to Qatar Foundation.

Student Laptops: Technology Services no longer provides laptops for students. We provide limited support for the laptops that were previously provided for students by us and the laptops provided for graduate students by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Other  Equipment: Short-term check-out laptops are available to employees in extenuating circumstances. These laptops may be checked out for four weeks or less. To request one, submit a Short Term Laptop Checkout request thru our Request Catalog, or send a request here. The TAMUQ Library stocks many input and output computer peripherals and electronic devices for short-term check-out. Requests for these peripherals and other devices are directed to the TAMUQ Library.
We also provide a networked, single-function color printer for shared usage as appropriate. Requests for a networked printer are submitted to the Service Desk. 
Any other equipment that an employee needs that is stocked by Technology Services can be obtained by reallocating funds from a TAMUQ departmental or research account. To proceed with the Purchasing of Computing Equipment, submit a request here. We provide full support for this equipment for the period specified in the Equipment Replacement Program​, after which we provide limited support. This equipment stays with the department when the employee leaves TAMUQ and is returned to us at the end of its useful service life. We then hand this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.
Any equipment that an employee needs that are not stocked by us can be purchased from an online or local vendor with funds from a TAMUQ departmental or research account. This equipment cannot be joined to our domain without the approval of our management. This approval should be obtained before the purchase. We provide limited support for this equipment. In some circumstances, more support may be available by way of a customized Non-Standard Support Service Agreement. Purchased equipment stays with the department when the employee leaves TAMUQ and is returned to us at the end of its useful service life. We then hand this equipment over to Qatar Foundation.

Computers with a Windows Platform: Technology Services provides TAMUQ-standard Windows computers according to the categorical conditions specified above. (For specs of the current TAMUQ-standard computers, please send an email to the Service Desk.)

Computers with a Macintosh Platform: Technology Services provides eligible employees with a TAMUQ-standard Mac desktop computer when a business justification is provided. (For specs of the current TAMUQ-standard computers, please send an email to the Service Desk.) If a more expensive Mac model is required, the balance is paid out of the employee’s account(s) or department’s account(s). We order the Mac. Typical delivery time is about 6 weeks.
If an employee requires both Mac and Windows computers, the employee pays for the additional equipment out of the employee’s account(s) or their department’s account(s).
Before requesting a Mac, the employee is responsible for verifying that the software they require is available for Macs.
Technology Services replaces a Mac according to the Equipment Replacement Program if a business justification is provided.

Computers with a Non-Windows, Non-Macintosh Platform: Technology Services does not provide or support any other computer platform besides Windows and Macintosh. However, in some circumstances, we support may be available for another platform by way of a customized Non-Standard Support Service Agreement.

Fraud, Theft. Loss or Damage of Equipment: Incidents of fraudulent use, theft, loss, or damage of Technology Services resources, need to be reported immediately to Service Desk for documenting the event and initiating security procedures.

Basic Desktop Computing Software for Computers Stocked by Technology Services: We provide Windows 11 OS, Microsoft Office Suite, Malware protection, and other basic desktop computing software for computers provided by us to all members of faculty and staff. We provide full support for this software.

Academic Lab Software: A survey to determine software requirements for academic labs is administered to lab managers before every semester. We then provide the selected software and provides full support for this software.

Additional Software: Requests for additional software are submitted to the Service Desk. We provide the software if possible and appropriate. In some cases, funds are reallocated from a TAMUQ departmental or research account to cover the cost of the software license. The person to whom the computer was issued has administrative privileges on that machine and can install software on it that is licensed and authorized for the use to which it is applied. In some circumstances, we support may be available for some applications through a customized Non-Standard Support Service Agreement.

Unlicensed Software: Unlicensed software should not be installed on any TAMUQ computer. Violations are documented.

Software for Macintosh Computers: The TAMUQ business platform is Windows, and limitations naturally occur for a Mac in a Windows environment. Technology Services software support for Mac computers is limited to current MacOS version (including antivirus), Microsoft Office, and basic networking access.

Software for Computers Not Stocked by Technology Services: We provide Windows Operating System and Microsoft Office Suite for computers not stocked by us but purchased with TAMUQ funds. All other software needs are the responsibility of the purchaser of the equipment.

Resources for Employees: Other Technology Services services provided for employees include: email account, personal data storage; cloud computing services; Internet and intranet; and online applications. Technology Services provides full support for all of these resources.

• TAMUQ employee email addresses are [username]@qatar.tamu.edu. We provide an employee with an email alias as well if the employee requests it.
• Emails sent to broadcast email addresses (such as faculty-staff@qatar.tamu.edu and students.all@qatar.tamu.edu) can only be sent by an authorized employee and should only contain official communication regarding the office they hold. An employee’s ability to send broadcast emails is enabled when the department head requests it in a Service Desk ticket.
• TAMUQ's internal site is https://marhaba.qatar.tamu.edu
• Some applications reside online and can be used as though they were installed on an employee’s computer. They can be accessed at https://apps.qatar.tamu.edu.

Resources for Students: Other services provided for students include: email account, online cloud storage; cloud computing services; Internet; and online applications. Technology Services  provides full support for all of these resources.

• TAMUQ student email addresses are [username]@qatar.tamu.edu. Student mailboxes are limited in size. At 9.5GB, the student will receive an email warning. At 10 GB, the mailbox will be disabled.
• Some applications reside online and can be accessed on a student's personal electronic devices at https://apps.qatar.tamu.edu.

TAMU NetID services: Resources provisioned to TAMUQ employees and students by the TAMU main campus include Aggie Account Gateway; Library Services; Howdy portal; TAMU Email account; Canvas; LinkedIn Learning (https://lil.tamu.edu), Google applications, Adobe Creative Cloud, Qualtrics, Workday, and SSO. TAMU main campus provides support for these resources.

Employee In-Processing: A new employee comes to Service Desk at the earliest convenience after arrival on campus for in-processing – including requesting equipment and requesting an appointment for an orientation. A new employee receives username and password at a one-on-one orientation, which gives account access, email access, and access to other TAMUQ and TAMU technology resources. The new employee fills and/or signs paperwork necessary for gaining access and receiving equipment. The orientation also provides an overview of available products and services.

Student In-Processing: Before the start of a new semester, degree-seeking students and study-abroad students attend a classroom-style orientation session where they fill and/or sign required paperwork, and receive username and password, which gives account access, email access, and access to other TAMUQ and TAMU technology resources. This session also provides an overview of available products and services.
Cross-registered students, transient students, and students who missed the classroom-style session, come to Service Desk at their earliest convenience for a printed version of the orientation. When they have completed and signed the necessary paperwork, they receive access to their account.

Employee Out-Processing: An exiting employee comes to Service Desk by their last day on campus (or the last day of their employment agreement– whichever comes first) to return their laptop and phone, and get the signature on their HR exit-processing form. All other equipment will be collected from their desk at the end of their employment agreement.

Student Out-Processing: A graduating or withdrawing student comes to the Service Desk in room 137 to return their laptop (if TAMUQ issued one to them), and get a signature on their Clearance Form.

Service Desk: Technology Services - Qatar is the initial point of contact for requests, questions and problems related to any of the products or services that Technology Services provides and supports. The Service Desk can be contacted by visiting room 139, calling +974.4423.0009, or sending an email to servicedesk@qatar.tamu.edu

Full Support: Technology Services troubleshoots issues for hardware, software and accounts. We make repairs in-house if possible, and sends equipment to a remote or local vendor for repair if necessary. We will install and/or set up eligible equipment, if requested. The Service Desk is contacted to request support.

Limited Support: Technology Services troubleshoots hardware and software issues and advises the user of options for repair. However, we are not responsible for repairs. We are not responsible for installing or setting up equipment. The Service Desk is contacted to request support.

Non-Standard Support: Technology Services support may be available for hardware items, platforms, and applications not included in the standard offerings of Technology Services - Qatar. Terms of support are detailed in a Non-Standard Support Service Agreement that is worked out between the customer and the appropriate staff before purchase. The Service Desk is contacted to request information about non-standard support.

Equipment Replacement Program: Desktop computers and Macintosh computers provided to eligible employees are replaced after four years of use. Laptop computers provided by us to eligible employees are replaced after three years of use. TAMUQ-issued non-computer equipment is replaced at the discretion of Technology Services . All used  equipment is returned to our inventory. ​At the end of its useful service life, we hand all equipment over to Qatar Foundation. No TAMUQ-issued equipment – new or used – can be obtained by an individual using personal funds.

Locked Account: A user cannot access their locked domain account. Email sent to a locked account is accepted by the user’s mailbox; no response is sent to the sender. An account is automatically locked when an incorrect password is entered repeatedly over a short period of time. About thirty minutes after the last incorrect login, the account will automatically unlock. Automatic login attempts entered repeatedly will cause an account to be locked if the device has not been updated with the current password. Requests regarding access to a locked account are directed to the Service Desk.

Expired Account: A user cannot access their expired domain account. Email sent to an expired account is accepted by the user’s mailbox; no response is sent to the sender. An expired account is disabled shortly after it was expired. Requests regarding access to an expired account are emailed to the Service Desk.

Disabled Account: A user cannot access their disabled domain account. Email sent to a disabled account is rejected by the user’s mailbox; a delivery-failure response is sent to the sender. A disabled account is deleted twelve months after it was disabled. Requests regarding access to a disabled account are emailed to the Service Desk.

Deleted Account: A user cannot access their deleted domain account. A delivery-failure response is sent to the sender of an email sent to a deleted account. Restoration of a deleted account is virtually impossible