Administrator Access

[itnewbie]

I have recently asked to be added to the administrators group on our network so that I can log onto servers and help with problems with student's home directories.

I have been told that this isn't possible as being an administrator is a priveledge reserved for senior management only. Apparently IT support staff are not routinely given this level of access and need to consult management if they need to get to someone elses folder or make changes to servers.

This is my first job in a school. Is this normal practice?

[j17sparky]

lmao It isnt a PFI type school is it?

So what exactly are you employed to do if you dont have admin access? Are you just a toner monkey?

Oh and to answer your question; If its a PFI type school then yeah it seems pretty common, but ive never heard of that being the case in a "normal" school

[Domino]

are you sure the person you spoke to understood what you were asking for?

I've never heard of senior management having access to servers, they certainly don't here!

[Michael]

No that isn't standard practice at all. What a crazy policy. I have full domain administrator access at all my sites. How else are you supposed to administer the network?

If you've been employed/hired to look after the network someone needs to wake up and give you that required access.

[itnewbie]

What's a PFI type school?

[Gatt]

Private Finance Initiative - part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF)

[joe90bass]

No that isn't standard practice at all. What a crazy policy. I have full domain administrator access at all my sites. How else are you supposed to administer the network?

If you've been employed/hired to look after the network someone needs to wake up and give you that required access.

Exactly!

[PatBoland]

Senior Management having access to servers!! Definitely not here, chaos would reign and then end of network!!

[jcollings]

*Only* the technical team here are admins. No-one else. Not SMT, not Head of IT.

[fooby]

:O :O :O :O hahahahah

first thing my NM did when he started was TAKE admin away from everyone apart from him, most IT teachers and such had waay too much access. SMT and the principal didnt have admin so wasnt so much a problem.

See Acceptable Use Policies, and Data Protection Act. Make the users (at logon) click ok to accept your AUP then in the AUP state who has access (the NM and technical staff only will have full access to control the network, all teaching staff will have read write access to student documents (we do this here)) hopefully this will cover you.

[FN-GM]

*Only* the technical team here are admins. No-one else. Not SMT, not Head of IT.

Same here....

What is it that need fixing?

[itnewbie]

Surely the head of IT should have the highest level of authority on a school's IT system?

Interesting that I seem to be in the minority not being an admin myself. I might pass on some of these comments to our management.

[MyDejaVu]

the Head of IT is just the Department Top Manager, just like the other Heads eg. Head of English, Head of Maths, Head of Languages. Heads of IT are not necessarily involved in the School's Network Infrastructure.

[j17sparky]

Surely the head of IT should have the highest level of authority on a school's IT system?

Nope. Being able to teach IT doesnt mean you know how to use a computer and especially doesnt mean you have any idea about network management and security.

You might be lucky in having a head of IT who is capable of managing (some of) the system but you are certainly in an extreamly small minority.

What exactly does the head of IT want admin rights for? If he wants to see kids folders just setup the appropriate access for his account. Surely he doesnt install software on servers, play with policies, etc?

[Diello]

Surely the head of IT should have the highest level of authority on a school's IT system?

Interesting that I seem to be in the minority not being an admin myself. I might pass on some of these comments to our management.

Data Protection may also come into it - SLT have no need to have Admin access. Even BECTA (Gov's IT in Edu agency), will say that Admin access should only be for those charged with providing IT services to the school.

The way you have it is the total opposite to how it should be. They shouldn't have access, IT technical staff should have, NEED, access to everything.

What you describe is the insane.

The Head of ICT, unless also IT Manager, has no more right to admin rights than the Head of MFL. Even under BSF, SLT wouldn't have admin rights!