Fall 2005 Newsletter
Getting Reacquainted with the IT Department
In June we bade Kevin Talbert a fond farewell and wished him well in his endeavors following retirement from SOU. Teri O’Rourke is now Director of Information Technology. In July a new organizational structure was put in place to adjust for the many staffing changes brought about by retirements, departures, budget reductions, and changing workload requirements. The IT organization has always worked in teams. Some changes in our team structure have been implemented as part of the reorganization. A brief description of our teams and structure follows to assist you in working with us.
Information Systems Services provides the programming and systems support for the Banner Student Information System. The Information Systems team is managed by Lisa Denney, who oversees a group of programmer analysts that includes Julie McClendon, Tom Rutledge, and Mary Theis. Francisco Kuriyama has been splitting his time between Information Systems and the Web, but within the next few months, Francisco will move to working full time on the Web and a new person will be hired to replace Francisco’s role on the Information Systems Team.
Network Services provides support for the campus network services which includes the campus network, Web, email, and e-learning systems services. The Network Services team is managed by Paul Lieberman. The Network Services staff includes Francisco Kuriyama, working in Web services, Bob Wright, providing technical support for the Blackboard system, and David Whipp, working in the area of network infrastructure and security. We are in the process of recruiting for a systems administrator to maintain the campus network file servers.
User Services provides support services for campus technology. The team includes those who provide support for the faculty and staff, and student Help Desks; installation, configuration, and repair of campus desktop computers, printers, laptops and other mobile computing devices; and training in the use of information technology systems. Roger Linhart is now the Manager of User Services with several supervisors reporting to him; John Stevenson, Faculty and Staff Help Desk and Training Supervisor, Jenn Heie, Lab and Classroom Support Supervisor, and Diana Cowart, Installation and Repair Supervisor. The Help Desk staff includes Mike Toohey, Chris Corcoran, and a team of student employees who solve technical problems and assist people on campus in using computing systems; Dona Bugg, who maintains the campus directory and system accounts; and several student employees who staff the Help Desk phones. The Lab and Classroom Support team includes our newest employees: Robert (Bob) Sexton, providing technical support for Windows Labs; Shawn Moore for select Macintosh Labs, and Casey Murdock, Main Lab Coordinator. Installation and Repair services are provided by Travis Canoso and a team of student employees.
Media Services provides design services and technical support for electronic and distance learning classrooms and media events. Media Services is managed by Don Hill who oversees the work of our media engineering and support team, composed of Preston Moser and Travis Canoso.
Telecommunications Services provides support for the campus telephone systems. The team includes Tess Dunaway, who plans and oversees the maintenance and upgrade of the campus telephone systems; Dona Bugg, who oversees the campus switchboard; and David Myers and Mike Wagner, who provide wiring services for campus telephone and data networks. David Whipp also works closely with the Telecommunications team as we work to achieve a converged data and telephone network on our campus.
Information Technology Purchasing Services are provided by Karen Haynes.
Software Licensing Services are provided by Diana Cowart.
Special Projects - This year as she transitions to a new position, Parvaneh Scoggin will be assisting the Information Technology Department with various projects.
Technology Council Update
Student Technology Fee Increase Approved Last Year the Technology Council struggling with the challenge of insufficient funding brought about by increased maintenance and support costs, and shifting of expenses brought about by budget reductions of the past several years worked with students and the SOU administration to assess the feasibility of a technology fee increase. An increase in the technology fee, going from $50 per term to $58 per term has been approved by State Board of Higher Education. SOU’s technology fee is still amongst the lowest in the Oregon University system. The additional fee dollars will allow us to maintain services at the current level and provide for a very modest investment in new initiatives.
Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) Last Spring the Technology Council in consultation with the Center for Teaching and Learning recommended that a committee be established to advise the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Technology Council, and Information Technology (IT) concerning the use of technology in the classroom (e-learning systems). The committee is composed of a representative from each of the five schools, the Associate Provost, the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, representatives from Extended Campus Programs and the Library, and other individuals involved in e-learning systems training and systems support. Hart Wilson has graciously agreed to chair the committee. Initial meetings were held late last Spring and during the Summer to discuss plans for faculty development in the use of e-learning systems, issues concerning Blackboard systems support, and the possibility of doing course evaluations online. ETAC members will consult with faculty and bring ideas and concerns back for discussion to ensure that plans are responsive to the needs of our faculty as they endeavor to implement e-learning strategies in the classroom. The ETAC will meet several times a term. A smaller subset of ETAC, known as the “guru team” will meet more frequently to discuss technical issues and develop plans that are then reviewed by ETAC before e-learning initiatives move forward.
ETAC will showcase best practices of teaching with technology on Friday morning, September 23. The symposium will be held in the Hannon Library from 9:00-12:00. The program will feature a general session for the first hour followed by three half hour concurrent breakout sessions that will allow attendees to learn more about the topics that interest them most. Featured topics include effective Bb course design, using Camtasia, using Sympodium, managing Bb discussions, online portfolios, etc. Presenters will include Katie Pittman, Dale Vidmar, Rene Ordonez, Arnie Abrams, Hart Wilson and Greg Pleva. Join us for this dynamic and informative program.
Update on CAPP Degree Evaluation
CAPP (Curriculum, Advising, and Program Planning) Degree Evaluation is a tool used by both students and advisors to audit course work against degree requirements. CAPP helps students answer the questions, "What will it take for me to graduate? Am I on schedule? What if I were to change majors?" Students are able to obtain quick and accurate information that shows where they are on the path to completing their degree. You can initiate a degree evaluation, view results, and print evaluation reports via SISWeb. You can also run a "What-If Analysis" to generate an evaluation showing requirements that have been met and courses that would need to be taken if the student were to change their degree program.
CAPP has been available to advisors for the past year and was made available to students in July. In a recent survey of student satisfaction with technology services an SOU online degree evaluation was at the top of the list of desired technology services. Demonstrating their enthusiasm for this new service about 500 degree evaluations have been run by students since July.
Important Reminders:
- CAPP degree evaluations are not official. Final approval for graduation is required by the student's department and the Registrar's office.
- CAPP Degree Evaluation does not take the place of regular academic advising.
- Not all degree programs have been set up in CAPP. More programs will be added throughout the year. The list of degree programs not currently available can be found at: http://www.sou.edu/sis/CAPP_Degree_Programs_Not_Available.shtml
- CAPP can only be used for catalog years starting Fall 2000 or later.
- Not all transfer work has been equated to SOU classes; some may not show up in the degree evaluation reports. If this is the case for a student, it will be indicated on their degree evaluation by an informational paragraph at the beginning of the report and a listing of the non-equated transfer courses in the “All Other Courses” area at the end of the report.
- OHSU Nursing students, undeclared majors, and most pre-majors may run Degree Evaluation only on their general education requirements; they may run a "What-If Analysis" on other degree programs.
More information on CAPP Degree Evaluation and documentation on how to read a CAPP degree evaluation report are available here.
New Employee Identification Numbers
Currently, Southern Oregon University uses Social Security numbers to identify employees for processing business and personnel transactions in all of our BANNER systems. To comply with recent Oregon legislation and amendments to the federal Privacy Act, and to address concerns regarding identity theft, the University will discontinue using Social Security numbers except for specific payroll processes related to the collection of taxes, and will issue employees computer-generated identification numbers.
Departments were asked several months ago to revise all forms except those used for specific payroll processes related to the collection of taxes. You should no longer find it necessary to supply your Social Security number except when needed for tax purposes.
What is the effective date for this change?
he Banner systems will be using the computer-generated identification numbers effective September 12.
What do I need to know about this change? br>You may sometimes be asked to supply your computer-generated identification number on various forms used on campus. To find out your generated identification number, click on the “Get ID” link found on the Human Resources web page or select “Get ID” from the Windows Start Menu. When prompted enter your username and password.
The Food Services Meal Plans, Library systems, and a few other campus database systems use the ID number that is encoded on your current employee ID card. For a brief period these systems should continue to read and recognize your current ID card, but if you purchase a Food Services Meal Plan you must have a new employee ID card printed on or shortly after September 12. You may obtain a new ID card in the Housing Office located in Cox Hall.
When logging into the Banner Web for Faculty and Web for Employee systems you may use the new generated ID number, or continue using your Social Security number as the “User ID.” As a new convenience, it is now also possible to use your Network User Name to log into the Banner Web systems. There is no change to the PIN (Password) you have set in the Banner Web systems; they remain the same as those you’ve previously set in each system.
Spyware...What is it and how do we fight it?
What is it? A recent survey noted that 87% of Windows computers in the world have some kind of spyware. It is an epidemic that shows itself in a variety of ways.
You say your computer seems slower than it did when you first got it? It could be spyware. Maybe you’re tired of the constant pop-ups when you try to surf the web? This is known as adware and it’s a form of spyware. Perhaps you’re sent to websites that you never asked for? If this happens to you, you’ve got another form of spyware known as a browser hijacker.
The worst types are known as keyloggers and zombies. Keyloggers memorize your keystrokes and send a file with the information to a remote server where someone steals your passwords, or worse, your personal information such as credit card numbers, banking account numbers, student information, etc. Zombies take control of your computer and can allow the hacker to use it to attack other computers, or to steal the confidential information you have stored on your hard drive. These two types can lead to identity theft.
What are we doing about it? Spyware is serious business and we are doing all we can to protect the campus community. We have recently added Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware to all new Windows laptop and desktop systems distributed to Faculty and Staff, and to all Windows lab computers. We will deploy the software to all other campus Windows computers by the fall term.
This AntiSpyware program works in “real-time,” meaning that it is constantly checking the incoming and outgoing data to see whether anything looks suspicious. Similar to detectives working a case, the program will compare the data to known profiles and definitions to prevent common and not-so-common enemies from infiltrating your system. It will block activities automatically, or ask for your help when it isn’t sure.
Take a few minutes to learn about the warnings and alerts that you can expect to see in the lower right corner of your screen as the program works to protect your computer. You can find a short but informative explanation on our website here.
Will Microsoft AntiSpyware solve the problem? The answer is no... but it will help. You are still an important part of the solution. The websites you visit, the items you download, the responses you make to dialog boxes determine how effective the software will be.
What can you do to help?
- Be cautious... when you download a program from the Internet, be sure you know what you’re getting.
- Guard personal, student, and/or University information when surfing or emailing, by making sure to look for secure websites (denoted by https: instead of http: in their address and the secure closed lock in the status bar at the bottom of the page).
- Think twice if a website asks for your permission to add something to your computer.
- Learn to use Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware. Study the help menu and check out information at http://www.microsoft.com then click on the link for Windows AntiSpyware (Beta).
If you are experiencing symptoms of spyware infection, call the Faculty and Staff Help Desk at 2-6900 and we’ll check it out for you.
New Antivirus Software - McAfee VirusScan
Command AntiVirus has been our standard on Windows-based computers for some time now. It has done a very good job of virus protection, but compatibility issues with our SOU Campus Network forced us to consider other software. After conducting a thorough review of a number of vendor packages, McAfee VirusScan was selected, and last summer we began the migration. The labs were switched over to McAfee and we began installing it on all new Faculty and Staff computers as well. At the same time we made VirusScan Software CDs available at no cost to all Faculty and Staff, and students living in the Residence Halls as well as those living off campus.
Early this summer we finished testing a new version of the McAfee VirusScan 8.0i software. We have already upgraded all the labs to this new version and in the beginning of the Fall term we will begin a staged deployment of the upgrade to the remaining Windows XP computers. We will also revise the Anti-Virus Software CDs to include the new version. The new CDs will be distributed as follows:
- Faculty and Staff can get their CD from the Receptionist in the Computing Services building.
- Residence Hall Students can get their CD at the Housing office in Cox Hall.
- Off Campus Students can get their CD at the Front Desk in the Main Computer Lab.
More informathion is available at the IT Security website
Personal ID Theft - Online Threats
We’ve all been aware of the threat of viruses and worms for some time now. These threats are increasingly directed towards getting us to disclose personal information such as Social Security and bank account information. Here are a few guidelines we all can use while browsing online here on campus and at home.
Phishing and Pharming Explained
Financial institutions (banks, credit card companies, PayPal, etc.) won’t ask you to verify your personal information online. If you receive an e-mail asking for you to enter such information as your Social Security number, account numbers, or passwords, do not go to the recommended website or provide personal information. Call your financial institution to inform them. This type of e-mail is known as “phishing.” The term “phishing” comes from the fact that Internet scammers are using increasingly sophisticated lures as they “fish” for users’ financial data and passwords. The linked website can look real. Our campus e-mail system has recently received some of these messages claiming to represent Bank of the West or Washington Mutual.
“Pharming” - This latest Internet scam hijacks legitimate web-server names and diverts you to a phony site with the intent of getting you to provide personal information. You don’t need to click an e-mail link to be diverted to one of these sites, and there is nothing to tip you off.
Protect yourself from Internet threats with the following tips:
- When making purchases online with a credit card, be cautious of a link that has been e-mailed to you.
- Be careful when typing in a URL. A typing error could take you to a hacker’s site.
- Make sure the website is secure. Look for https:// at the beginning of the address, and a closed “Lock” on the status bar.
Firewalls
Campus computers are behind a firewall. This is a hardware or software device that helps to protect your computer from hacker attacks. At home it is recommended you have a personal firewall. There are many good ones. Some are included with commercial security software from Norton, McAfee, and others. Mac OS X and Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed also can be configured with a firewall. For those of you with cable modem or DSL Internet connections at home, we recommend using a Cable/DSL router with a built-in firewall.
Antivirus Protection
Make sure you are running antivirus software and make sure you update the software “definitions” regularly. New viruses occur every day.
McAfee Antivirus is provided for you on all Windows-based campus computers and is available for free to all Faculty, Staff, and Students. For Mac users, McAfee provides us with Virex. Refer to the related McAfee article in this newsletter for how to get your copy.
Windows Updates
Campus computers receive all of their security patches automatically. Home Windows computer users should check for Microsoft critical security updates regularly by going to http://update.microsoft.com
Spam Protection
Campus e-mail passes through a spam firewall. 80% of all e-mail arriving on campus is spam that is blocked by the SOU spam firewall. At home, you may be able to check with your Internet Service Provider and subscribe to spam protection or it may be included with your software firewall program.
Social Engineering
The most prevalent breach of security in computing is social engineering. This refers to a hacker’s attempt to gain access to your computer and the network by deceptive practices such as calling and impersonating a network technician. You should never give your login information to anyone, and always change your passwords on a regular basis!
Keeping You Informed
We have put up a new website to help keep you informed of current security threats. Follow the Network Security link from the IT home page or go directly to The IT Security Site .
Finally, here’s a real eye opener about security. Currently, a computer connected to the Internet without protection has about 20 minutes of survival time before it is compromised by a worm or hacker. See the article at the SANS Website.
Blackboard News
Faculty Development
As part of ETAC’s work, a plan for providing ongoing support and training for faculty using Blackboard is under development. So far, the “guru team” has been at work documenting best practices for supplementing the classroom experience with Blackboard technology. They have identified key factors that characterize three levels of course site evolution: beginning, developing, and fully integrated (hybrid). A form for evaluating course sites has been developed as a guide for determining overall effectiveness. Information about these materials will be shared at the Technology Symposium on September 23. Look for an invitation later this fall to join a campus users group for Blackboard.
App Pack 3
SOU will soon be upgrading Blackboard with “Application Pack 3,” which was released this summer. While the overall look and feel of Blackboard won’t be significantly different, the new release will fix some internal glitches and provide a few new features. For instance, the new version will allow instructors to painlessly create surveys featuring a Likert scale. For online exams, instructors will have the option of creating “either/or” questions and can choose to have multiple choice answers listed in random order to reduce “collaboration.” The functionality of the grade book feature will also be improved. Current plans call for implementing this upgrade without a perceptible break in service sometime in the next few months. We will keep you posted.
On The Web
The campus web site is always evolving. Today a campus web site can be one of the most critical tools used to market the University. More and more campuses are relying on their Marketing and Public Relations personnel to provide guidance on developing web content to highlight the assets of the institution. Over the past year IT has had some preliminary conversations with our vice presidents and the Technology Council concerning new approaches to the ongoing management of our campus web environment. As these discussions continue and we await the leadership of our new Associate Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, IT continues to provide the necessary technical resources and development work for the campus web site. In addition, we are in the very early stages of planning to implement a web portal that will make the campus web environment easier to use.
Some of the things we have been up to include upgrading much of the “code” behind the website to bring it up to date with current standards, address accessibility issues, and get our site to a point where it will be much easier to update when the time comes. To make it easier for departments to keep their web sites up to date, we use the Atomz “content-management system.” We will continue to contact departments that will benefit from Atomz and provide assistance in migrating individual sites into Atomz. Lastly we are always updating some of the core web programs that many people use. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this year’s online catalog or the new class schedule, please do so. You’ll see many improvements. Also watch for a new “Find It” page coming soon.
Microsoft Office Upgrades
We are installing updated versions of Microsoft Office 2003 for Windows to all campus computers early in the fall term. This will be done in a staged deployment over a period of several days. The installation will occur automatically as you login to your computer and will not require any action on your part. Macintosh users have already been provided with the most up-to-date version of the Office 2004 software.
Faculty and Staff may obtain a copy for home use ($7 for the media) through the Information Technology Receptionist. You must abide by the terms and conditions of the Microsoft Campus License Agreement, which will be provided to you at the time you receive your media.
Now for the good news... the program look and feel is virtually unchanged, so you’ll continue to have that old feeling of comfort and contentment as you cruise through your daily work. The other good news is that when you look under the hood, you’ll find some great new features that will enhance and make your work more efficient.
For a better understanding of the new features, consider attending John Stevenson’s class, “What’s New In Office 2003” this fall. It is only one of many classes offered by Information Technology to make your job easier and more productive.
More information on the new features of Office 2003 can be found at: http://www.sou.edu/it/howtodocs/Software_and_Operating_Systems/SOU_Office2003_Upgrade.pdf
Mozilla Firefox Upgrade
We have some important news for those of you who use Mozilla. The campus will be upgrading Windows Computers to the newest products from the makers of Mozilla. The Mozilla suite will be replaced with Firefox, a web browser, and Thunderbird, which facilitates the use of newsgroups. Thunderbird is also an email client, which may be of interest for use at home, but is not supported for faculty and staff use on campus because we use GroupWise.
The SOU Student Computer Labs have already been configured to use the Firefox and Thunderbird products. We will send an e-mail announcement when we are ready to begin the staged deployment of these products to Faculty and Staff. This will occur sometime near the start of the fall term 2005. The installation will happen during network login and will preserve all of your Mozilla preferences and configuration.
You will find that the Firefox and Thunderbird programs are similar to Mozilla, and include many other advantages. The Firefox browser and Thunderbird software are not susceptible to most of the security exploits that plague Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) and Outlook Express. Firefox has useful features such as tabbed browsing and sidebar Google search integration that do not exist in Microsoft IE. The Thunderbird software has adaptive junk-mail detection and RSS News and Blog reader features that aren’t currently included in Outlook Express.
Despite all of the benefits, you should be aware that some web sites may work better or not at all on one browser or the other. The best guidance we offer is to use whichever browser you prefer whenever possible. Then if a particular web page doesn’t work properly try the other browser.
We will offer training classes to cover the new features and differences between the Mozilla suite and the Firefox and Thunderbird programs. You can read more about the Mozilla products at the following web page: http://www.mozilla.org/products/
If you have any questions, please contact the Faculty and Staff Help Desk at 2-6900.
Emergency Phones for Your Safety on Campus
To address the issue of improved safety on campus, The Blue Light Phone Project was undertaken in 1999. Six years and sixteen phones later, the “Blue-Light” Emergency Telephones have been installed in various locations across the campus. These telephones are RED all-weather sets with the word “TELEPHONE” painted in white across the front of the case. Each is labeled as to its location and has a specific 5-digit campus extension assigned to it.
The concept used for determining Blue Light Phone locations is that they are in open, viewable, well-lighted areas close to high-traffic walkways, and provide some protection from weather. Besides being in open areas, a blue light has been installed at each location; thus the moniker “Blue Light Phone.” These phones are installed at the proper height mandated for use by people with physical challenges.
The purpose of these phones is to enable every member of the campus community to place any call they feel ensures their security while on the SOU campus. While the most important use is to facilitate calling 911# emergency, they are programmed to function in several different dialing situations:
- Contact the Local Area Police dispatch by dialing 911# or 9+911# for an emergency at any hour.
- Dial any on-campus extension directly, e.g. 2-6258 for campus security.
- Call within the local area using 9 + (number), e.g. 9 + 482-2441, the Ashland Community Hospital.
- Call any out-of-the-area number by using a credit card, calling card, or campus long-distance authorization code, e.g. 9+1+(area code)+ (number)+(authorization code).
The distinctive blue light mounted above each phone is light-sensitive and activated on cloudy days and/or after dark. The phone locations also accommodate guidelines provided by Campus Security and include:
- A designated walking course Campus Security prefers students take during hours of darkness.
- Use in areas having after-hours events
- A means of emergency communication in remote locations.
Each location is listed below:
- Education/Psychology Building – south entrance.
- Theatre Building – north entrance on plaza.
- Stevenson Union – south plaza in front of the bookstore.
- Taylor Hall – west entrance by the elevator.
- Britt Building – south entrance by the elevator.
- Central Hall – south entrance by the vending machines.
- Cox Hall – west entrance porch.
- Hannon Library – 3rd floor catwalk
- Hannon Library Plaza – south entrance.
- McNeal Pavilion – west entrance by outdoor program offices.
- Greensprings Residence Halls – east entrance.
- Greensprings Residence Halls – west entrance.
- Science Building – main south entrance.
- Main Security building at 382 Wightman.
- Suzanne Homes – front porch.
- Glacier Hall – rear entrance.
The Security Department, Telecommunications Services, and Facilities, Management & Planning work together to ensure each phone and light is in proper working order.
Maps with “Blue Light” and pay phone locations are available at Raider Aid, and the Main Student Lab.
Emergency phone numbers are provided inside the phone case.
Getting More Out Of GroupWise
When learning a program, most people will focus on and use only a small part of its capabilities. GroupWise is no exception. We recognize that it can do more than e-mail, but somehow we never find the time to actually use those other great features.
Here are just a few ways to use some of the GroupWise features and raise the level of efficiency and productivity in your day.
Your personal calendarThe calendar is capable of two different types of appointments, tasks, and reminder notes. One is designated as an Appointment, Task or Reminder and the other is a Posted Appointment, Task or Reminder.
- Appointment, Task or Reminder – If you right-click any date on your calendar and select New, then click on Appointment, Task, or Reminder note it will send the item as an e-mail to other people in your address book. They will receive an e-mail with a tab at the top that enables them to Accept or Reject your request. If they Accept, then it will be placed in their calendars. You can also select recurring dates, which will save you even more time.
- Posted Appointment, Task or Reminder - By right-clicking a date, you find the second type is a Posted Appointment, Posted Task, or Posted Reminder. This type is used to place an item in your calendar, but it is not sent to anyone else.
Efficient use of these features will enable you to quickly schedule your office hours for an entire term or schedule meetings with multiple people.
Are you busy?
If your colleagues are using the GroupWise calendar, then you may check their availability by using the Busy Search feature. Click on the Tools menu and then Busy Search and complete the requested information to see a display of times when the people you have selected are available. You can even send the appointment from within the Busy Search screen by clicking on the “Available” tab.
A calendar for department events?
In the IT department, we use a calendar to track employees’ vacation dates and for important deadlines and events. Many departments already have a department account that they use for e-mail. You can use the same account to manage a department calendar. If you don’t have a department account in GroupWise, simply call the Faculty and Staff Help Desk and request one. You’ll assign departmental rights for those who should have access to post to the calendar and for those who can only read it.
Learn more about GroupWise
IT offers GroupWise training at several levels throughout the year, and can schedule department-specific classes if you desire. One-on-one training can also be arranged to help resolve immediate needs. Call or e-mail the Faculty and Staff Help Desk for more information at 552-6900.
What’s on the horizon for GroupWise
GroupWise 7 is coming soon, perhaps as early as winter term. There will be many improvements in this new version including a fresh look, additional features, and enhancements to the calendar.
Wireless Hot Spots
Wireless network access for laptops and other Wi-Fi equipped devices is available on campus in many locations. Identified by the “SOU Unwired Hot Spot” signs, these locations include the Library, Stevenson Union, Churchill Hall, Computing Services Center, Education/Psychology, and RVTV. Both 802.11b (11Mb) and 802.11g (54Mb) connections are supported. Secure wireless access (encrypted) is also available, and can be easily configured on your SOU laptop by the Faculty and Staff Help Desk. For more information including a coverage map and setup instructions visit http://www.sou.edu/it/mobile/wireless.shtml
Storing Files on the Network - Some Do‘s and Don‘ts
If you‘ve been on campus for a while you may already know most of this, but please review this article anyway as we have recently learned of some misconceptions and things people are doing that may have unintended consequences.
Where do I save my files?
If you‘re new on campus you may wonder where you’re supposed to save your documents and other files. There are two primary locations. Documents that need to be shared by others in your department should be saved in your department’s Data directory on what is commonly known as the “G: drive.” Documents that only you need access to should be saved in your Home Directory, commonly known as the “F: Drive.” If you save your files in “My Documents” they will automatically be put into the MyDocs folder in your Home Directory (from Windows computers only).
The drive letters F: and G: are throwbacks to the old days of DOS. When you save a file or browse for one in Windows Explorer you can see the drive letters in parentheses at the end of the directory name. For example, your Home Directory is identified by your username followed by the path on the server and (F:). Likewise your department’s shared directory is identified by your department’s context, followed by the path and (G:). Here is a sample of what this looks like:
Can I share documents with people outside of my department?
Yes. We can set up a shared folder for any arbitrary group of people. Just call the Faculty and Staff Help Desk to request that a group be created.
What goes in the G:\Classes folder? (This is important information for faculty)
In your department’s shared directory, also known as the “G: drive,” there is a folder called Classes. This folder is for material that you want to make available to students. In the campus computer labs students can access these folders under the “Class Data Folders” menu. Anything you put in G:\Classes is accessible by all students. Never put anything in this folder that students shouldn’t access. The best way to use the Classes folder is to create subfolders for each class and tell your students you will be posting class materials there. Students have read-only access to these folders although it is possible to set up a “drop box” where students can post documents for you to access. If you’d like to have a drop box set up you can call the Faculty and Staff Help Desk to request one. Note that Blackboard provides better capabilities to distribute class materials and we encourage faculty to use it instead of the older Class Data Folder and drop box method. With Blackboard only students in your class can access the files you post, and they can access them from anywhere, not just in the labs.
What kind of files should not be saved on the network?
Network storage is for work-related documents that need to be secure and need to be backed up to tape to prevent against loss or damage. Network storage is expensive, and tape backup even more so. If you bring in your music collection to listen to at work please keep these files on your computer’s C: drive. Likewise if you are saving pictures from your digital camera, save to the C: drive. Most things that you download from the Internet or pictures you may receive via e-mail can also go on your C: drive. Your C: drive has lots of space but is not secure and doesn’t get backed up so don’t save anything there that can’t be replaced.
What about old files that I need to keep but don’t access very often?
All recent computers on campus have CD burners built in. Any documents that you need to keep for archival purposes should be burned to CD and then removed from the network to save space. The Faculty and Staff Help Desk can instruct you on how to burn your documents to a CD.
The New Organizer - PDA + Cell Phone
Personal Digital Assistants, better known as PDAs, are becoming more and more popular among our Faculty and Staff. They’re great for organizing, scheduling, and carrying a multitude of information wherever you go. Most of them now include wireless connectivity with which you can easily surf the Internet and check your e-mail. Recently the technology jumped a new hurdle and combined the PDA with the cell phone. This combination reduces the overall weight and cost.
Since IT cannot realistically know and support all of the available units, we have chosen the Siemens SX-66 as our currently-supported product. It includes a Windows Pocket PC PDA with all the features: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, IrDA, USB, a memory slot, microphone, etc. It also supports the latest cell phone technology and will allow data connection (for Internet connectivity) if you buy a data package along with your cell service. The slide-out keyboard is great for fingertip input. Audio playback of music files is excellent over headphones.
So if you’re considering a new PDA or cell phone, now may be the time to combine the two with the SX-66. For pricing on this and cell phone plans call Tess Dunaway at 2-6300.
Network Upgrades
New Campus Core Backbone Router
A new campus core backbone router was installed during spring break 2005. What this means to you is that there is less chance of network failure and the resulting downtime. We refer to this as fault tolerance.
Perhaps you are aware that airplanes have two of everything... two sets of sparkplugs, two magnetos, and in some cases, multiple engines. If one thing fails then you switch to another. That’s the idea here. We use dual connections to the router from each building and carry the identical data on each. If one fails the router will automatically switch to the other connection and life goes on. You’ll never even notice a hiccup.
Many campus buildings have the redundant connections now. Other buildings are waiting on re-wiring projects to be completed. Most campus servers will also have two connections to the router providing them the same protection.
This new router not only provides fault tolerance, but also sports gigabit speeds to rush your data to its destination.
Campus Fiber Upgrade - Gigabit Backbone Project
New fiber optic cabling is being installed to many campus buildings and will provide a major improvement in our network data transfer speeds. Known as a “gigabit backbone,” this is the main line that ties the campus network together. To complement this upgrade, all of the large buildings have been re-wired internally, increasing the speed with which individual computers communicate with the network. What this adds up to is faster connections and less frustration. The project is expected to be completed mid fall term 2005.
Building Re-wiring Project
Approximately 17 of the smaller buildings on campus still have old internal network wiring that supports only slow 10-megabit communications between computers and the network. With the aid of Facilities Management and Capital Repair funding we can now begin the re-wiring of the remaining buildings on campus. Beginning this fall Telecommunications Services will contact the appropriate building manager to develop a work schedule for each of these buildings.
Banner SIS Version 7.1 Upgrade Coming in December
In December, Southern Oregon University plans to upgrade the Banner Student Information System to version 7.1. This new version features an enhanced user interface that is more streamlined and easier to use.
A new online help system contains information about forms and fields, as well as tasks you can perform with Banner. Online help navigation features include a table of contents, index, and search feature.
Many improvements have been made to the Banner forms. There is more room on the screen for displaying information, which improves readability and reduces the need to scroll or view multiple pages in order to access information.
Selected forms have tabs that arrange information in a meaningful way and make it possible for you to navigate easily between groups or blocks of information. Tab titles reflect the contents of a particular window or grouping of information.
Navigation between forms has been improved. When in the Go To field on the main menu, the Up and Down arrow keys enable you to navigate to recently-accessed forms. The Display Navigation Window key may be used from any form to quickly navigate to any other form. The Options menu may be displayed by a simple right-click of the mouse. The My Links section on the main menu has the option to create links to your favorite URLs or forms.
For the current version of Banner SIS, you may use Internet Native Banner or Client/Server (GUI/Citrix) Banner. Banner 7.1 is a web-enabled product only. Client/server access to Banner is not available in version 7.1. We recommend that you switch to Internet Native Banner prior to the 7.1 upgrade. To access Internet Native Banner, choose Internet Native Banner – SIS from the Other Campus Systems menu instead of Banner SIS.
IT will send out more detailed information regarding the upgrade in December. If you are interested in seeing the new Banner 7.1 or need help switching to Internet Native Banner, please contact our Faculty and Staff Help Desk at 2-6900.
2005 Media Services Update
Replacing aging equipment and adding a couple of new classrooms with Sympodiums has been the goal for Media Services this summer.
Classrooms With Sympodiums
The Education/Psychology rooms 256 and 016 are now Smart Classrooms and are equipped with SMART Sympodiums, a new interactive teaching system. Using a magnetic pen, you simply touch the computer monitor to control applications, annotate documents or draw on it like a white board. Everything is displayed by the LCD projector. Library 114 and the School of Business also have SMART Sympodiums. If you’d like a demonstration or training on this new teaching tool attend the 9/23 ETAC Symposium break out session (mentioned earlier in this Newsletter) or call the Faculty and Staff Help Desk at 2-6900.
New Smart Classrooms
Library 329 & 216 (Conference Rooms with laptop connections)
Library 206
Hawthorne Classroom in Cascade Residence Hall
Smart Classroom Upgrades
New brighter projectors have been installed in Taylor 012 & 027, Central 027. New computers have been installed in 15 of the Smart Classrooms on Campus.
Media Checkout continues to update camcorder inventory. VHS cameras are still available but we now have more DVD cameras and 1 new cannon digital mini DV camera. Media Services checkout is available between 8-5 Monday thru Friday located in the Computing Service Building Room 117. To reserve laptops, projectors, cameras and other media equipment please call IT Reception/Media Services, 552-6393.
Find Available Network Connection Ports
Sometimes you need a wired connection to the network. Maybe you have a laptop without wireless capabilities or perhaps you just want a faster connection. The Library is the first area where identification of “active ports” has been installed. On the wall plates you will notice that “active ports” are orange / “closed ports” have ivory covers. (See photo.) You’ll need to carry your own Ethernet cable (RJ45) in order to take advantage of this capability. You may purchase an Ethernet cable by contacting Diana Cowart at 2-8543. We’ll be expanding port identification to other parts of the campus in the near future.
