Faculty and Staff FAQs - Technical Support

How do I contact technical support?

The CUMC IT Service Desk is the main technical support group for faculty, staff and students at CUMC. You can call extension 5-Help (212-305-4357), email 5help@columbia.edu, or stop by the Service Desk on the 2nd floor of the Hammer Building above the Library.

What are the hours for technical support?

The CUMC IT Service Desk hours are:
Monday through Friday 8am* to 7:30pm
Saturday 9am to 5pm
Sunday 10am to 6pm
* Phone support begins at 7:30am

Can I bring my computer to CUMC IT Service Desk if I need help?

Faculty and staff should not bring computers to the Service Desk without prior approval by CUMC IT, and must know the help desk ticket number given to them after contacting us for support. Additional information can be found on the Computer Support rules and guidelines page.

In addition, many departments and divisions can have different procedures regarding computer support and a technician cannot work on a computer without knowing that these procedures have been completed. Please contact your supervisor or Department Administrator for details.

Is there remote support?

CUMC IT offers eSupport, a tool that allows us to remotely connect to a computer to make the troubleshooting process faster and easier. It allows the technician to see the remote computer's screen, control the cursor and type. This eliminates over the phone instruction and any wait involved with having a technician come out in person.

Once connected:

• You'll be able to see any work the technician is doing on screen
• There will be a chat window where you can exchange instant messages with the technician
• You'll still be able to use your mouse and keyboard (though for troubleshooting purposes it's best to not interrupt!)
• There will be a button on screen that you can select to cancel the connection at any time.

Your computer must have network connectivity in order to use eSupport, and can only be initiated after contacting CUMC IT. A technician will send an invite code to allow you to connect. It is currently only available for Windows computers.