Get Technology Help from CAIT: Support Options and Ticket Preparation

CAIT offers several ways to get technology help. Choose the option that best fits your situation, then provide enough information for us to understand and respond to your request.

Choose the right support option

Before you submit a ticket

Include the following information whenever it applies:

• Affected service: The account, application, device, room, or system involved
• What you need: The request or expected outcome
• What happened: The exact error message or unexpected behavior
• Impact: What you cannot do and whether other people are affected
• Device: The computer, phone, tablet, printer, or other equipment involved
• Location: The building, room, or off-campus location
• Date and time: When the problem began or was last observed
• Steps attempted: Anything you already tried
• Contact information: The best way to reach you if follow-up is needed

Clear details help CAIT understand your request without requiring several rounds of follow-up questions.

Include service-specific details

Account or access request

• The affected user’s name and CalArts email address
• The application, account, folder, or resource involved
• The access or permission needed
• The department, school, course, or role connected to the request
• The approving manager or resource owner, if applicable
• The date access is needed

Computer or mobile-device issue

• Device type and operating system
• CalArts asset tag, if present
• Whether the device is owned by CalArts or personally owned
• Whether the problem happens consistently or intermittently
• Any recent changes, installations, or updates

Network or Wi-Fi issue

• Network name
• Building and room
• Device type
• Approximate time of the problem
• Whether other devices or users are affected
• Whether the issue affects Wi-Fi, wired networking, or VPN access

Do not include your Wi-Fi password or other credentials.

Printing issue

• Printer name or location
• Document or application used
• Device and operating system
• Exact error message
• Whether the print job was charged
• Whether other users can print

Classroom, room, or A/V issue

• Building and room
• Class or event name
• Scheduled start and end time
• Equipment involved
• Whether the room is currently in use
• A contact person who is present in the room

Add a useful screenshot

A screenshot can help when it shows the complete error message, the application or webpage involved, and enough surrounding context to understand what happened.

1. Close unrelated windows and browser tabs.
2. Remove or obscure private information.
3. Make sure the text is readable.
4. Capture the relevant area rather than the entire desktop when possible.
5. Briefly explain what the screenshot shows.

Protect sensitive information

Never include the following in a CAIT ticket:

• Passwords, MFA codes, verification codes, or password-reset links
• Credit-card or banking information
• Social Security numbers or government identification
• Medical, academic, employment, or financial records that are not necessary
• Private information belonging to another person
• Authentication tokens, recovery codes, or security keys

CAIT will never need your password or MFA code to assist you. If protected information is genuinely required, ask CAIT for an approved secure-transfer method. Do not send it through a normal ticket comment or email attachment.

Emergencies, outages, and urgent problems

Personal safety emergency

Contact Campus Safety or emergency services immediately. Do not wait for a CAIT response.

Widespread service outage

If many people cannot use the same service, check the CAIT Help Center first. Submit a ticket if the interruption is not listed, your experience differs from the reported problem, or you still need assistance after service is restored.

Active classroom, room, or event disruption

Submit a ticket with Urgent classroom or room issue in the subject. Include the building, room, event, contact person, and immediate impact.

Ordinary support request

Submit a normal ticket for issues that are not emergencies or active room disruptions. Response timing depends on urgency, impact, complexity, and current request volume.

After you submit

CAIT will review your request and respond through the ticket. Watch the email address associated with your request in case the team needs clarification or additional information.

Reply to the existing ticket when adding details. Submitting duplicate tickets for the same issue can separate important information and delay coordination.

In-person support

Location: E200g, in the Library

Fall and spring semesters:
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Summer hours, May–September:
Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Hours may change during holidays, campus closures, or special schedules. Confirm current hours before visiting.

Quick ticket checklist

Before selecting Submit, confirm that you have included:

• The service or device involved
• What you need or expected to happen
• What happened instead
• The exact error message
• The impact on your work, class, or event
• The location and approximate time
• Steps you already tried
• A useful screenshot, if appropriate
• No passwords, MFA codes, or unnecessary private information