By SHANNON O. WELLS
Based on what it called a “comprehensive review” of its help desk operations, Pitt Information Technology, now rebranded as Pitt Digital, has eliminated all 13 of its help desk analyst positions as part of its transition to an outsourced, vendor-managed model, the University Times has learned.
An email sent to “Pitt Digital colleagues” this week and shared with the University Times on July 23 by an affected employee, said, “Effective today, Pitt Digital will transition to a fully vendor-managed help desk model.
“We will move from our current hybrid approach, where tier-one support is provided by both internal staff and our external partner, to a fully outsourced solution.”
The decision, the message read, was “not made lightly,” as it involves the “elimination of 13 help desk analyst positions.”
A Pitt Digital representative said IT and the administration are “working closely with impacted employees to ensure a thoughtful and supportive transition process.”
Help desk management employees will be reassigned to “other high-priority initiatives” within Pitt Digital, while there will be “opportunities for current help desk staff to apply for roles” with the vendor partner, which the message did not name.
“While decisions like these are always difficult, this transition to a trusted vendor is a strategic move designed to enhance service quality through increased capacity and improved response times — especially during peak periods like Welcome Week,” the University spokesperson said on behalf of Pitt Digital, confirming that affected employees will receive “resources and support” to assist in the transition.
“This change is not a reflection on the performance of the Help Desk staff,” the spokesperson added. “We appreciate the significant contributions of our colleagues and are dedicated to supporting them with compassion and respect throughout this process.”
The departmental email message had explained that despite the internal team’s “dedication and hard work,” Pitt Digital continues to “face challenges with service consistency due to staff coverage and scalability during peak periods.”
Calling the existing after-hours support services from the partner vendor “successful,” the Pitt Digital message said a “comprehensive review” of operations made it “clear” that a transition to the vendor “will enhance our response times and resolution rates through more consistent and scalable solutions.”
The change, the message continued, will allow the department to “better align resources with the University’s evolving needs.”
Responding to a request for comment by University Times, Jen Goeckeler-Fried, bargaining committee chair with the Pitt Staff Union and lab manager in the Department of Biological Sciences, said the union was “dismayed” to hear that the positions were eliminated.
“The administration had an obligation to bargain with the union before deciding to subcontract help desk work,” she said. “The administration failed to do that, so the union is evaluating its legal options and will meanwhile continue to support these affected employees.”
In a response to Goeckeler-Fried’s concerns, a Pitt spokesperson said the administration acknowledges that some affected help desk staff learned of the transition from a Staff Union bargaining committee member “and are disappointed we weren't provided the opportunity to communicate this change to the impacted individuals as planned.”
As part of the University’s “commitment to transparency and good faith negotiations,” it was considered necessary to discuss the changes with the union beforehand. “But we did so with an understanding with the union that this information would remain confidential to ensure staff were notified in a way that was professional, kind and comprehensive,” the Pitt spokesperson said.
“We are prepared to take appropriate measures in response to the serious challenges that the union’s actions have caused for our staff and administration."
Shannon O. Wells is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at shannonw@pitt.edu.
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