FAQs
Q. How long does it take to implement TAMS?

We customize the TAMS implementation plan based on your needs and timelines.  Generally, it takes 60 days to customize your instance of TAMS, and configure and upload your data. Training is fast and easy – usually just a couple of sessions and you are ready to begin working with TAMS.

Q. Can TAMS be branded for my school?

Yes! TAMS can incorporate your school’s logo and colors into its interface, allowing it to appear branded like your other university systems. 

Q. Is TAMS customizable?

Yes! As part of our on-boarding process, we walk you through all the available options and customizable fields, so TAMS can mirror your current assignments process and workload or effort policies. 

Q. What support do I receive with TAMS?

As a licensee of TAMS, our team is ready to support you and the system after you go live to ensure you take advantage of all the features TAMS offers at no additional cost!

Q. Are there other products similar to TAMS on the market?

We have looked and didn’t find anything that we could use. That is why several years ago, TAMS was created by the Duke University School of Nursing for their use and is being made available to other colleges and universities today.

Q. How does TAMS engage faculty in the Teaching Assignment process?

Using TAMS, administrators engage faculty directly to determine their course teaching preferences for one or multiple semesters. They can indicate whether or not their availability to teach a course will be impacted by research obligations, or other factors that would impact their availability. The TAMS administrator then uses this feedback as well as historical teaching information to make informed teaching assignments. A special feature of the TAMS platform is that it analyses faculty teaching preferences against the final course schedule. Administrators can then report the exact level of satisfaction of faculty’s teaching preferences to the final course schedule.

Q. Can we schedule multiple semesters with TAMS?

Absolutely! TAMS supports your academic calendar, whether you use semesters, terms, quarters, annual periods, etc. 

Technical Information

Enjoy all the benefits of cloud hosting while also being fully protected. Using multiple layers of security at the data center, server and application levels, you can be confident that your data is private and secure in TAMS.

Data Centers

  • TAMS is hosted with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This is the industry-leading cloud service provider, guaranteeing physical site security, redundancy and SOC2 compliance.
  • TAMS leverages encrypted cloud storage providing secure, unlimited data storage.
  • Using AWS auto-scaling technology and load balancing allows TAMS to respond quickly to traffic spikes.

Servers

  • TAMS takes full advantage of the AWS ecosystem. Our cloud architecture ensures the highest level of availability and security.
  • TAMS is hosted in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) which makes it invisible to the public.
  • All connectivity must pass through encrypted channels, load balancers and firewalls.
  • Vulnerability scans are regularly run which send proactive notifications to our security team for all vulnerabilities found.

Application

  • TAMS maintains an audit log of all critical data elements and verifies all user access to your private data.
  • TAMS supports single sign-on (SSO) authentication, allowing your users to log in with your existing university ID and password.

Data Management & Disaster Recovery

  • Your TAMS data is fully redundant with complete backups to a geographically separate datacenter each evening.
  • Backups are protected with multiple system administration access levels.

Security

  • TAMS has been certified as a secure application by Net Friends, a 3rd party security firm.
  • We are confident the security measures in TAMS will meet or exceed your university’s IT security standards.

Licensing

TAMS is available via license.   Developed by a university school for university schools, we understand the value of an all-inclusive cost, with no extra fees. Pricing is based on your enrollment so it is affordable for all schools, regardless of size. Below are all the items included in your license. 

  • Access and use of TAMS
  • Initial on-boarding and configuration
  • Secure cloud hosting by Amazon Web Services
  • Training for your staff and administrative leaders
  • Ongoing technical support
  • Periodic version upgrades

For more information, contact us below, by emailing TAMS@duke.edu, or by phone at 866-855-0697!