Campus Technology Services

TechNews - November 2011

This is a summary of the activities supporting faculty, staff and student technology services at SUNY Oswego that occurred during October 2011.

Reminders

1. Routine Service Outage
   As part of Campus Technology Services' efforts to keep servers running at optimum levels, a regular maintenance period has been designated. From 6AM to 10AM on the second Sunday of each month, several services such as E-mail, editing of both departmental and personal web pageswill not be available. The next scheduled outage is Sunday, November 13th, 2011.
2. NYALERT
   For information on NYAlert: http://www.oswego.edu/administration/public_affairs/emergency/nyalert.html or 
   visit http://www.suny.edu/SUNYALERTsec to sign up.
3. RAVE Guardian
   For information on Rave Guardian http://oswego.edu/student/blogs/?cat=11 or to sign up: https://www.getrave.com/login/oswego
4. CTS Workshops
   The Fall lineup of CTS workshops is now available for registration from the link below.  We have a variety of workshops covering LakerApps, Microsoft Office, multimedia creation and editing, using an Advanced Technology Classroom (ATC), online community groups and mailing lists.  We also have previews of the Microsoft Windows 7 and Apple's new Lion operating systems as well as the Elluminate web-conferencing software, currently in a pilot phase.  Lastly, come join CTS for lunch during our "CTS Projects Lunch Break" workshops as we discuss current and future technology projects.
   
   The complete schedule of workshops along with their full descriptions is available from http://www.oswego.edu/cts/training/ws_registration.html.

Patch Wednesdays

CTS now has the capability of updating your campus owned computers for security fixes as well as functionality on a regularly scheduled basis. This may include software updates to programs such as Adobe Reader or Microsoft Word or to change Windows settings to better support your computers. In order to streamline this process we will only perform these updates on Wednesdays.  These changes will be implemented only after thorough internal CTS testing. You may possibly notice a slight slowdown in computer performance at that time. Updates are added to a CTS calendar so you may see what changes have occurred to your computer on any given day or that are scheduled to be done.

Technology Support Center

 You can reach us by phone at 312.3456 or at 26 Lanigan Hall or our website.

 Are you on Facebook? Want to receive updates from CTS on new services, updates, system outages, and more? We recently created a "SUNY Oswego - Campus Technology Services" Facebook group. Become a fan and start receiving updates!

Learning Management System

An ANGEL patch was recently installed that makes it now compatible with Firefox 7.

A Blackboard regional meeting was held in which updates on ANGEL and Blackboard integration were reviewed.  From the information learned at this meeting, SUNY Oswego will be upgrading to ANGEL version 8.0 in 2012 and will not look at migrating to Blackboard until more ANGEL features have been incorporated into the product.  This migration will most likely not be until at least 2013. 

The Elluminate software used for synchronous online teaching and meetings is being piloted on campus this fall semester.  Approximately ten faculty and staff will be using it to teach courses, conduct workshops and hold online meetings.  Workshops have been offered for these users and we look forward to their feedback on their usage of it.  Elluminate is currently being hosted by SUNY ITEC with additional user support of the product through SLN.

Please check the ANGEL website for dates and times for upcoming workshops.

If you are interested in setting up a community group, please visit the ANGEL web site at www.oswego.edu/academics/angel. Community groups are limited to academic and/or university related activities only.

Professional Development
Self-paced, on-demand tutorials are also available from our iTunes U site.  Tutorials covering Microsoft Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010 and LakerApps Sites are currently available.  ANGEL workshops are available from the main ANGEL website.

Updating your department web site with Ingeniux workshops are available at the Ingeniux Training site.

The Skillport e-learning software is available to all faculty, staff and students.  Skillport includes business and technology-related courses (including Office 2010) as well as courses and test preps needed to prepare you for many business and technical certifications.   Get started at the Skillport home page.

Software News

We are advising people to refrain from upgrading to Windows 7 as, currently, not all campus applications are compatible with it.

SUNY Oswego faculty and staff may purchase a copy of either MS Office Professional Plus 2010 (PC version) or Office 2011 (Mac version) for use on their personal computers for $9.95 plus tax.  This "Home Use Program" is made available to faculty and staff through the campus purchase of the Microsoft Campus Agreement.  Details of how to go about purchasing can be found from the CTS MS Office Home Use Program (HUP) page.

Microsoft is offering students a significantly reduced price on its products. To determine if students qualify for the special pricing and to buy online visit www.theultimatesteal.com.

UBMicro has a great new site for purchasing various software products for your home machine. Visit their site at http://www.ubmicrosuny.com/

Web Update
We are working on testing our many applications with the newly released Windows Internet Explorer 9 and Mozilla Firefox 4, Campus Technology Services (CTS) would like to inform everyone that these browsers are not yet fully compatible with some of the campus services that you need to access.

The use of an unsupported browser can result in inconsistent or unpredictable behavior when working in applications. You should refrain from updating at this time.

As soon as vendors update these applications for compatibility with these services, we will post notices.

Ingeniux trainings continue to be held.  Please check the Ingeniux training site for dates and times and online registration.

Lecture Capture
We will be piloting the echo360 and Tegrity lecture capture systems during the Spring 2012 semester. We are in current communication with both companies to have pilot systems set up and configured for us.

Desktop Support

Campus Technology Services technicians have continued to aid faculty, staff and students in resolving hardware, software, and account related issues. Since the beginning of October Campus Technology Services technicians have assisted in the resolution of 56 hardware, 88 software, and 17 account related support requests.

Equipment Deployments

New equipment has been configured and installed within: Admissions, Children's Study, Communications Studies, Curriculum and Instruction, Custodial Services, Facilities Design and Construction, Health Promotions and Wellness, Physics, Project Smart, School of Business, Technology Education, and Vocational Teacher Preparation. Over the month of October Campus Technology Services technicians have installed, replaced, or re-imaged 30 machines.

TUTORTRAC

Campus Technology Services continues working closely with the Office of Learning Services to  implement their new tutoring management system (TutorTrac). At this point in the project the following functions are utilizing the TutorTrac program for most management, scheduling and tracking functions: Mathamatics and Natural Sciences Tutoring Center, Writing Tutoring Center, Educational Opportunity Program, and the OLS Computer Lab. 

Banner/myOswego

• Completed the CTS segment of the CashNet /Banner eCommerce integration
• Assisted Institutional Research with SIRIS DADS (Degrees Awarded Data Submission 
• Completed the development of the Admissions Application Status link for myOswego, which replaces mailings being sent by Admissions
• adapted the SUNY Application load process to use the SICAS ASC Application load process; 
• began development of a program to review Common App application data and prepare it to be loaded using the SICAS ASC Application load.
•  Continued Intelliworks Graduate Student/Banner student integration project
•  Completed mods to the Millennium process to work for summer residents, early arrivals and RAs
• Began the development of a process for Extended Learning to load high school language data directly into Banner from a spreadsheet
• Assisted in the development and deployment of myOswego student surveys (Confirmation of Enrollment, Emergency Contact, Missing Ethnicity/Race and NY Alert)
• Moved Fusion Middleware to production.

 Other Administrative Support

• Assisted Registrar's with planning for new business processes; continued working on the requested ARGOS reporting solutions
•  assisted in rolling out the Credential Solutions Transcript Order interface
• Assisted Student Accounts and Financial Aid with the new TAP files and SUNY Tuition Credit award
• Began Conduct Coordinator migration meetings with Judicial Affairs and Res Life & Housing; tentative go live date is late December, 2011
• Adapted HR data load to include recent changes
• Completed modifications to approximately 30 local reporting/processing applications
• Assisted Trane in setting up TracerES Server(building management)
• Made modifications to iServiceDesk test site(Facilities Work request)
• Worked with T2 support to switch over to Cashnet.
• Worked with Global Viewer support to install on  VM
• Moved Titanium server to a VM(Counseling Center).
• Updated subnet mask on VM servers in 22 subnet
• Updated subnet mask on all Windows and ESXi servers in 22 subnet
• Assisted in change from Touchnet to Cashnet for Parking site
• Upgraded Theatre Manager Postgres DB to 9.0.5 and Theatre Manager to version 9.11.10
• HD failure on ESXi server required restoration of multiple VMs and replacement hard drives.

• Beta test the functional user job submission interface
• retire Meeting Maker server 
• retire Touchnet server
• Upgrade T2 Flex(Parking system)
• Conversion to Conduct Coordinator(Coco)
• Conversion to Medicat(electronic Medical records)

• ORI
•  Sheldon's Birthday Bash 
• Middle States Accreditation 
• Admission's Open House 
• Media Summit
• Hip Hop Concert
• Geneva Gay Presentation 
• 72nd campus Technology Conference
• German Fest movie series
• Islamaphobia Presentation
• Oswego City Common Council
• Central NY Regional Economic Development Council

• Hewitt Union Ballroom sound and projection installation
• Labman Conference planning
• Campus outdoor emergency broadcast system
• Phase II of the residence hall communications upgrade
• Participated in campus Clean Air Steering committee
• Interactive Whiteboard shootout
• SoE A/V and presentation design and planning

• Provided training or instructional support to Public Justice, Art, Linguistics, Math and Communication Studies
• Loaned equipment to WRVO and Technology Education
• Consulted with Penfield Library regarding audio amplifiers
• Equipment maintenance for NYO
• Evaluated Google Apps for possible use by Communication Studies as asset management solution
• School of Education Race to the Top documentation
• Provided and installed short throw projector for athletics

• Confirmed campus installation of Cisco telepresence units

• Completed VHS use survey for campus
•  Installed A/V equipment in Culkin 211 meeting room
• Updated A/V inventory

• Culkin Hall wiring closet relocation
• Campus box office Phone Queue activated
• WRVO -provided support for Telethon Call In overflow
• SOE Phase II review
• Res Hall Communication Project Phase II Review
• Winter Projects Planning

• 33 Adds
• 0 Swaps 
• 0 Changes
• 24 Disconnects
• 2 Moves
• Generate Monthly Bills.
• Student contract forms are updated on website. 
• Employee contract has been updated as well

• October 5-7, 2011, NYSPA Fall Conference, Verona, NY - Mary Gosek
• October 11-13, 2011, R25 Data Preparation, Portland, OR - Debbie Haynes
• October 11-13, 2011, RightAnswers User Conference, New Jersey - Eric Smith, Steve Leeper
• October 18-21, 2011, EDUCAUSE, Philadelphia, PA- Nicole Decker, Joe Moreau
• October 18-21, 2011, Blackboard Administration Training, Albany, NY - Kathi Dutton
• October 23-23, 2011, HighEdWebDev 2011, Austin, Texas - Dan Laird, Andy Goldzweig

•  

  Extron Associate renewal - Hagen

• Apple presentation on mobile technologies - Canning, McQuin

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