Welcome to the “Welcome Back Edition” of our monthly IT@IC update. Each month we bring you highlights of efforts that we are working on related to the IT services for the campus community. In this issue we provide a summary of changes and information for the Fall 2017 semester.
September 2017 CONTENTS
- SAKAI Learning Management System upgrade
- Microsoft Office Suite available for free
- IT Service Desk updates
- New online IT Service Portal coming soon
- apps.ithaca.edu – your new starting place for accessing IC web applications
- Campus Apple TVs now enabled for AirPlay on college wireless network
- Voicethread is now available to Ithaca College faculty and students
- Huddle Wall / new experimental learning and collaboration space
- Windows 10
- Our 3-year network overhaul is complete
- IT Strategic Plan update
- The last bit
SAKAI LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM UPGRADE
The College’s Learning Management System (SAKAI) has been upgraded to version 11. This new version brings an improved mobile-friendly responsive design, new gradebook and improved lessons and assessment tools. In addition, it provides for more seamless integrations with numerous other services, such as the college Library, Zoom, Kaltura, and others. For more information visit our Sakai information pages: https://www.ithaca.edu/it/services/iss/Sakai/
MICROSOFT OFFICE SUITE AVAILABLE FOR FREE
- For your personally owned computer - The complete Microsoft Office 365 Suite is available for download for free for all students, staff, and faculty of the college to use while an active member of the campus community. Details and instructions are available here: https://ithaca.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=123
- For college owned computers - Microsoft Office 2016 is now available as a free, self-installation upgrade for Ithaca College owned Windows and Mac computers. https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20170823095205245
IT SERVICE DESK
- The IT Service Desk hours for the fall semester are:Monday – Thursday, 8 AM to 7 PM, Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM and Sunday, Noon to 5.
- When calling the IT Service Desk at 607-274-1000 you now have the option of remaining on hold to speak with the next available analyst if everyone is busy assisting other clients. You can still choose to leave a voicemail for us to call you back if you would prefer.
NEW ONLINE IT SERVICE PORTAL COMING SOON
This fall we will be launching our new online IT Service Portal, powered by TeamDynamix. This will become your "go to" place for finding technology answers and requesting IT services. The first component to launch is our new Knowledge Base, which is currently released in beta mode with limited knowledge base content about popular topics. New content will be continually added, and new features (including client login and ticket submission) will be introduced this fall, so check back often. To access the IT Service Portal, go to www.ithaca.edu/it and click on the IT Service Portal Beta link.
APPS.ITHACA.EDU – YOUR NEW STARTING PLACE FOR ACCESSING IC WEB APPLICATIONS
Last spring we launched the beta version of apps.ithaca.edu as a central place for accessing the college’s web-based applications. Based on feedback from the campus community we’ve updated the look and feel of the service and added additional applications. Please bookmark apps.ithaca.edu and make it your starting place for accessing IC Web applications. Over the fall semester we will be making additional enhancements.
CAMPUS APPLE TVS NOW ENABLED FOR AIRPLAY ON COLLEGE WIRELESS NETWORK
You can now use Apple Airplay to mirror your iOS device or Apple computers, to Apple TVs on the IthacaCollege-Guest Wi-Fi network. This is incredibly useful for users who would like to share their Apple mobile device screens with larger groups around campus, in and out of the classroom. More information: https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20170816164508733
VOICETHREAD IS NOW AVAILABLE TO ITHACA COLLEGE FACULTY AND STUDENTS
Voicethread is a unique online tool for having asynchronous conversations around media. You can upload, share, and discuss documents, presentations, images, audio files and videos. Students and instructors can comment within Voicethread with voice, drawing, webcam, text, or phone. There are many possibilities for using Voicethread in teaching and learning including practicing listening and speaking languages, student presentations and feedback, discussing or critiquing artwork and media, or creating presence in online courses. https://www.ithaca.edu/it/services/iss/voicethread/
HUDDLE WALL / NEW EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING AND COLLABORATION SPACE
Our newly renovated Technology Learning Center (TLC) in Friends 101 is an experimental learning and collaboration space utilizing a variety of technologies. Our goal is to use this space to introduce and assess the benefit of new technologies that could then be purchased for use elsewhere on campus. The room is now equipped with modern and flexible team working spaces, as well as a Huddlewall, which is a unique 12-foot wide state-of-the-art collaborative smart board. This short video provides an overview of the Huddlewall’s capabilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsxyFzsLm8Y . The TLC will be reservable for classes and collaborative meetings later this fall. Please see the Intercom announcement regarding upcoming preview open houses for faculty: https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php?story=20170822172240821
WINDOWS 10
Windows 10 is now the standard OS being deployed on new Windows computers, and we are in the midst of transitioning campus computers from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Starting later this fall, faculty and staff will have the option to do a self-service upgrade on their machine if they choose. During the spring semester, IT will be working with faculty and staff to remotely upgrade remaining campus machines to Windows 10. Over 1000 campus computers have already been upgraded to Windows 10.
OUR 3-YEAR NETWORK OVERHAUL IS COMPLETE
After more than 3 years and major investments, the overhaul to the college’s network infrastructure is essentially complete. Every aspect of our campus network infrastructure was redesigned, upgraded and expanded. We added miles of new fiber-optic cable, doubled the campus internet connection (with room to grow), added well over a thousand wireless access points, installed hundreds of new switches and firewalls, and more. The result is a more robust, faster, secure and reliable network infrastructure upon which we can expand functionality and continue to improve services. Over the coming year we will be leveraging this upgraded infrastructure to provide enhanced security and further improved services.
IT STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
In the fall of 2015 the college’s first 5-year IT Strategic Plan was launched. The plan defines the roadmap that we are following to transform the college’s IT infrastructure and services. Every six months we publish an update showing the progress that we have made to date. The July 2017 update is now available under the heading “Transforming IT” on the main page of our website: www.ithaca.edu/it
AND THERE’S MORE…
Please visit our updated web site: www.ithaca.edu/it for additional information about our services.
THE LAST BIT
For the past few years, we have been investing heavily in our infrastructure and core technologies - things that are mostly “behind the scenes”. The results of those investments are paying off, and we are now building upon those foundations to provide more visible new and improved services. The list above represents just the beginning of a wave of IT service enhancements and improvements that you’ll be seeing over the next few years. We’re excited about what’s in store and providing improved services and experiences for our campus community.
As always, if you have any suggestions or comments, please send them to cio@ithaca.edu. Thanks!
-Dave Weil
Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, Ithaca College.
