John McAuley

Assistant Director

Customer Services

Telephone: (0114) 22 23069

Responsibilities

Provide and contribute to the leadership and direction for the Department as a whole, and specifically within Customer Services area
Work with a team of 75 splendid staff who take care of the running and development of all customer facing services. This includes customer service, communication, website, IT support, UCards, Computer Registration, Voice and Data support, AV Services and Student Computing Rooms
Overall responsibility for the following areas: Security, Regulations, Policy, Customer Service Strategy, Communication Strategy, Learning and Teaching Support Strategy
Responsible for the management of complaints about computer systems misuse

Biography

I have been a member of the University of Sheffield since I left my native Liverpool in 1978 to study here. I set out to take a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, but changed my mind and ended up with a BA in Psychology instead.

I then worked in the University of Sheffield Research Institute for Photosynthesis (RIP), which is now called the Robert Hill Institute. I held the dubious title of "Experimental Officer" and was funded by the Royal Society Paul Instrument Fund to develop instrumentation for the measurement of oxygen evolution and fluorescence in photosynthesis.

In 1988, I joined what was then the University of Sheffield Computing Service. I was one of the few heretics involved with the new religion of micro-computers, while the rest of the Department faithfully worshipped the Big Blue idol in the basement. I took an interest in the developing area of PC networking and later lead the group responsible for the development of the Novell and PC service, until the formation of CICS in 1996. In my time in CiCS, I have lead the user services and frontline support areas and I am currently responsible for the Customer Services Section of the Department.