Summer IT projects and news

Hello Malone Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni:

The updates in this early summer edition. 

• New Unified Voicemail to Email
• New ID cards for employees and students 
• Changes to How You Log into our Systems - single sign on
• Multi-Factor Authentication - what is it?
• WWF getting new wired and wireless equipment
• Malone Xpress refresh

New Unified Voicemail to Email

On 31 May, we transitioned all of our unified messaging over to a new product called Googify. Unified messaging is what allows faculty and staff to receive any voicemails that are left for them in their email box instead of having to check a separate voicemail account. 

Why did we transition? Avaya Communications ended the life of their Esna software product. This is what we were using. Googify is a rewrite of the Esna software. The lead developer of Esna left Avaya and started his own company.  

How does this impact you? You might see some of your unread voicemail messages duplicated in your email inbox. Stay tuned for more features and abilities in this area, but in the meantime, we are business as usual!

New ID cards for employees and students 

Our ID card vendors are finally getting the new printers and the media to print our new cards to us We have been waiting for over a year! We expect the printers to show up in mid-June. 

The new cards will have the RFID chips used for door access and copier logins integral to the card instead of an external sticker. Employees should consider getting their pictures retaken to account for changes in hair style and levels of distinguish-ness [sic]. Look for opportunities from Student Development (students) and Human resources (faculty and staff).

Changes to How You Log into our Systems - single sign on

The IT department is in the middle of a huge transition from our existing Active Directory domain of 'malone.int' to 'ads.malone.edu'. If everyhing goes to plan, you - our customers - will notice very little change to how you operate. Faculty and staff with Malone-owned computers will have some changes made to them. We will be in touch directly with anyone whose machine needs special attention. Laptops which spend a lot of time off campus will need to be brought back home to have them transitioned to the new set up.

What EVERYONE will notice is that we will start using Microsoft's systems for our single sign in. The familiar https://userid.malone.edu:

will start to look a little more Microsoft-ish:

with this transition, we will be implementing multi-factor-authentication. Keep reading to find out more about MFA....

Multi-Factor Authentication [MFA]- what is it?

Multi-Factor Authentication or MFA is a pretty straight forward concept once you break it down. Think, "Something I know" (such as a password) and "Something I have" (like a phone or key or code sent to you). Using MFA means that you need to provide at least two ways of proving you are who you say [assert] you are.

Many of you are already using MFA sometime also known as TwoFactor authentication when you sign into your bank or access your retirement portfolios online. 

Why are we doing this? Using MFA to get into Malone systems will greatly improve the information security of our organization. It does not mean that you will have to get a text message or type in a code every time you log in. You will need to get and type in the MFA code at least once the first time you use a particular device or particular web browser. 

It will keep random attackers who figure out your password from logging in from Oklahoma city when you are still in Ohio (this actually happened). 

How can you prepare? If you are already using an app that generates single use MFA codes - apps such at Google's Authenticator (IOS or Android) or Microsoft Authenticator (IOS or Android) - then you will just need to add your malone.edu email address to those apps. You can also opt to get text messages to confirm your identity. Once your account is moved to the new system, there will be instructions to set it up.

When is this happening? We are actively working on this project. There are a tremendous number of steps we are taking in the background to make this smooth for you. Look for another post here or individual messages in your inboxes when you need to pay attention. It is happening between now and the beginning of August 2022. 

WWF getting new wired and wireless equipment

The IT department has hit summer in full stride just like Physical Plant. As I type, the roofers are on top of Woolman, contractors are core drilling and painting and carpeting in Haviland (I hear the drills pounding directly above my office!), and IT and our contractors are installing brand new WIFI and wired switching equipment in the Woolman Whittier Fox [WWF] residence hall cluster. 

You should expect an excellent wireless connection experience if you are hanging around the WWF buildings when students return this fall. The project is roughly 60% complete with new WIFI access points hung and operational in Fox and Whittier. We are still waiting for the switches (wired) equipment to ship from our suppliers.

Your best wireless experience will be when you are connecting to the EDUROAM network on campus. If you have any questions or any trouble connecting to WIFI, please let the IT Help Desk know. We can be reached via email at helpdesk@malone.edu , via the web at http://www.malone.edu/helpdesk or by phone at 330.471.8428.

Malone Xpress refresh

We are still finalizing the transition date with our vendor, but in sometime in June we will be updating the look, feel, and content of Malone Xpress. 

What to expect:

• less clicks to get to what you need. The new Launchpad replaces the quicklinks portlet so you can get immediately to the parts of Xpress that you use the most
• a more user-centric design. Tabs are relabeled, "Students", "New Students", "Employees", and "Teaching" and the content in those tabs will be re-sorted
• announcements. The announcements portlet will allow us to send targeted messages to just the right groups of students, faculty, and staff. We hope this will allow a reduction in the amount of email that is sent to campus. Folks that want to get these messages as a "push" can sign up to get notifications while those who are comfortable with a "pull" style of access, i.e., I will go and check if there is a message, can sign into xpress and read their messages
• you will know who to ask if you get stuck. Each page will show who is in charge of it.

 

Tech updates for January 2022

Hello Students, Faculty, and Staff:

Long time no post! Post long this time... no? 

Here is what we are covering in this update:

• Uptick in phishing via email and texting - how to protect your personal and work accounts
• Classroom tech for remote learning
• Special software loads for coursework
• Copiers and Printers on campus
• Chip cards

Uptick in phishing email and texting

There has been a tremendous uptick in phishing schemes. They are becoming more and more clever, but remember the rule that if it sounds too good to be true, it [probably] is! 

Many of you got the following email this week:

Company’s Name:

Havas Group

Company’s Description:

We create thoughtful, insight-led strategies that fuel authentic partnerships, amplified by imaginative experiences and engaging content.

Job Title :

Advertise while driving.

Job Description:

We seek interested candidates to go about their normal routine with the advert of “ #TogetherAtHome, #SafeHands And #SocialDistancing ” on their car/ truck/ bikes.

Qualifications:

Must have a Car, Truck, Van, or Motorcycle.

Salary:

$300 weekly.

In the above case, one of our student accounts was hijacked (taken over) by a spammer. The account was used to send out hundreds of messages to our students, faculty, and staff. The lesson here is to be suspicious of a message even if it comes from a source you know.

Phishing and Spam via text message - sometimes called SMISHING

Or you find yourself getting a text supposedly from Verizon or AT&T wanting to give you a free gift just for paying your bill on time last month. 

DON'T BELIEVE IT! 

How to protect yourself

1. Ignore, delete, block, and/or report phishing attempts as spam.
2. If you are unsure, talk to someone you trust to provide technical guidance.
3. DON'T CLICK THE LINK! These are often set up special for each message they send. If you click the link, they will know it was your number/email or YOU that clicked the link. 
4. Enable two factor authentication on all your accounts whenever possible.
5. Perform a security check up every once and a while on your email and social media accounts. You can perform a security check on your google accounts using this link:
   https://myaccount.google.com/security

Classroom tech for remote learning

As Omicron burns its way through the US population, many of you have found yourself in the classroom where part of the class is remote and others are in person. Be sure to let the IT Help Desk know if you encounter any issues in the classroom or with the remote classroom tech, Google Meet or Zoom. 

Please contact the IT Help Desk if you have any questions or issues. We can be reached via email at helpdesk@malone.edu , via the web at http://www.malone.edu/helpdesk or by phone at 330.471.8428.

Special software loads for coursework

We have gotten several requests for special software to be loaded for course work this Spring. Please remember to give us as much notice as possible when you plan to use proprietary software for your course(s).  We have remote lab facilities which we can make available to remote students too.

To check computer lab availability, you can sign into Malone Xpress and click the "Computer Lab Availability" quick link. It looks like this:

this link is available from on campus.

This will show you open workstations in each computer lab. You can select a computer in a lab and it will tell you what software is loaded on it.

Copiers and Printers on campus

Adoption of the new Toshiba copiers has gone very well from our perspective in the Information Technologies office. We have seen an organic shift of imaging from the more expensive printers on campus to the less expansive and more feature-rich copiers. 

Detailed billing and usage information is available to departments upon request. All users can sign into the papercut interface to view their own usage using the Papecut icon in the Quicklinks on Malone Xpress. The icon looks like this:

The papercut info page is also only available from on campus.

In papercut, it will tell you how many light bulbs you've burned, carbon dioxide you've created, and trees that you have killed. It also give you other interesting statistics about your printing and imaging. Here are my stats since April of 2009:

Printer Fleet reduction

We will be working with departments on campus to reduce the number of printers on campus. This will have significant positive impacts to our power utilization and maintenance costs. It will also free up some space in offices where there used to be multiple devices for printing and imaging. 

Copier Training

If you have questions about your new copier and its operation, please call the Toshiba contact number located on the front of the unit or visit their web site and make a request. They will ask for the contract number also located on the front of the unit. Training can be done over the phone, via a remote session, or up to and including in person training from a certified Toshiba trainer.

Chip cards

Students

If your card or sticker chip wears out, please work with Pattie and the team in Student Development to get a replacement. 

Faculty and Staff

Your administrative contact in your office should have stickers available to you. You can contact HR to get your card reprinted or to update your ID card photo

All

We have new ID card printers on order. The new cards will have the chip integrated into the body of the card. The printers were ordered in the fall and now we are waiting for them to be built and shipped to us. The delivery of these devices is beholden to the same shipping and manufacturing delays that are affecting so many industries. 

Faculty: Beginning of Semester Tech Checks

Good morning Faculty:

This edition is targeted at our Faculty and adjuncts who will be leading and stewarding courses this fall. Contents include ways to be ready to enter the classroom this fall!

• How to create a picture directory of students in your classroom
• Classroom tech checks and how to get help
• Using the early alert system
• Using Moodle to facilitate classroom communication
• Zoom and Google Meet access
• Calendaring, appointment slots, and Office hours in your Malone calendar

How to create a picture directory of students in your classroom

It is already done! All you need to do is open and print/save them from the Phiz. The Phiz is Malone University's picture and contact directory. It can be found in Malone Xpress using this icon:

In the Quicklinks portals. Once the Phiz is open, click the "My Groups" link in the top righthand corner. For more details instructions on how to use the Phiz and how to use the Phiz to get your automatically generated classroom picture rosters, click through to FAQ241.

Classroom tech checks and how to get help

Prior to the first day of class, we recommend that you check out your classroom and review the technical capabilities of your room. Nobody wants to be surprised in front of their class on the first day.

Whenever you encounter issues in the classroom there are a few ways to get the help you need. The preferred method during office hours (Fall Semester 2021 we are staffed Monday through Thursday 8am-7pm and Friday 8am-5pm) would be to press the button labeled "Help" on your classroom controller.

 

Pressing the Help button will text Malone's Information Technologies personnel that help is needed in your classroom. The panel will blink to indicate that a tech is on their way. Pressing the button again will send a second text to the group to notify them that the help request has been cancelled.

A secondary method of obtaining help for your class would be to call the helpdesk at 330.471.8428 and talk to one of our IT techs who will either solve your problem or be sure to get help sent your way.

 

The IT helpdesk is open from 8am - 5pm, Monday through Friday, This year the helpdesk phone support hours will be extended 5pm - 7pm on Monday through Thursday to better support evening classes.

 

If you require help outside of the normal 8am - 7pm hours, please call the helpdesk 330.471.8428 and select the option for emergency technological help to be connected to our on-call support staff.

Using the early alert system

We want ALL of our students to be successful. The early alert system allows us to intercede with a student before they get too far behind to catch up. Submitting an Early Alert allows the CSS and others who have a connection with a student to reach out to him or her and offer assistance and resources so that they can be successful!

When to submit student Early Alerts

• Have unexplained/excessive absences
• Multiple missed assignments
• Failure of test or quiz
• They share any hardships with you (i.e. financial, personal, health, spiritual, academic, etc)
• Plans to transfer
• Seems disengaged in the classroom
• Other concerns

How to submit an Early Alert

1. Open Malone Xpress and log into it
2. Click on Early Alert Messages on the left hand side of the page
3. Click on Add Student (this will open a pop up box) you can choose from all students or select the specific class the student is in.
4. Once you find the student’s name, click on it ( you can add multiple students if you would like) and when done Click add 1(or more) selected student(s) at bottom of box
5. Select your connection to the student
6. Select the type of concern you have
7. Select the Severity of the issue
8. Please share any details regarding the alert in the text box listed Details about this concern.
9. Select where you have interacted with the student regarding the alert. Yes or No
10. If yes is select you will then be asked add an intervention to the early alert
11. First choose what sort of interaction you attempted and then share any details that maybe related to the interaction
12. Finally when all is filled out click Submit Early Alert

Jenzabar has published a short video walking you through the process 

Using Moodle to facilitate classroom communication

Take the training in the Moodle Basics Course which all instructors at Malone have been enrolled. Per the Provost's communication you should - at minimum - use your Moodle course shell for:

• Posting and sharing of your syllabus
• A News Forum (a regularly updated, one-stop shop for general announcements to the class)
• Student Question Forum (a threaded discussion where students can ask questions of the instructor and of each other)
• Course Calendar (listing all assignment and evaluation due dates)
• Moodle Gradebook (grades entered and updated regularly so that students can track their course progress in real time)

If we are required to pivot to all-remote instruction at any point, having these elements in place will ease the transition for as long as it should last..

Zoom or Google Meet

Remember that you have access to full-featured (recording, quizes, Q&A, etc.) licensed accounts in both Google Meet and Zoom. 

Calendaring, appointment slots, and Office hours in your Malone calendar

Your personal University calendar is a powerful tool for collaboration. We recommend that you at minimum:

• Set your office hours
• Load your course schedule

This will allow others to see when you might be available. It will allow admissions to schedule prospective student visits, and will help your peers find open times to meet with you.

But you can do much more than that with your calendar. You can also:

• View the free/busy information for your peers to facilitate scheduling of meetings
• Create appointment slots and send that appointment slot calendar to your students so they can sign up for time with you.
• Schedule shared resources such as meeting rooms RH305, MH201, CC110, or FH39 for use.
• Schedule Google Meet meetings 

Here are a few guidelines to help you take full advantage of the features in calendaring...

Altering free/busy settings and scheduling availability to others without unnecessary details:

• A detailed guide can be found here, in FAQ 349.

Viewing your Malone calendar can be extremely helpful and convenient. A step-by-step process can be found in the links below:

• For Android phone users: FAQ 179
• For Apple phone users: FAQ 305

Virtual Reality Education:

• The Virtual Reality (VR) Lab is readily available to be scheduled for classes that offer an immersive, hands-on experience with virtual technology for students. An IT technician will be present at the reserved time to facilitate the entire VR appointment. For reservations or more information, please email Jacob Garwood (jgarwood@malone.edu) with your class name, the program you are interested in, date, and time.

Copiers and Chip cards and Faxing, Oh My!

Hello Malone Students, Faculty, and Staff:

In this edition:

• New Copiers are coming to campus. 
• New ID Cards with RFID chips. Changes to how we print, copy, and scan
• Touchless entry for WWF residence halls
• Faxing to the cloud

Some of you may have read my post back in May about upcoming changes to printing and copying on campus. The following info builds on that and covers the next couple weeks of changes.

 

Copier changeouts are imminent

Please note that we are in the last couple days of negotiations with our new copier vendor, Toshiba. I just left a meeting where one of their reps joked about having the truck circling campus while we finish the negotiations. He is not that far from reality with that joke. Toshiba has all of our new copiers staged in a nearby warehouse. We will begin swapping units as soon as the agreement is signed by both Malone and Toshiba and we have all of the software in place to support the hardware.

Part of the copier deployment will also bring some modifications to printers in and around campus. Some things to remember with these upgrades:

• ALL copiers will be color capable for printing, scanning, and copying; but will print black and white by default. Change your output to color in the print settings or at the copier when making copies.
• Students will now be able to make copies at any copier using their chip cards and charge those copies to their papercut balance. Previously students would have to scan a document to email and then print the document.
• You will now be able to print a document to a special "find me printing" print queue. Once the job /document is sent, you can walk up to any copier and print your document. Example: You can submit a document for printing from off campus, drive onto campus, find the closest copier, sign into the copier with your ID card, and release your print job/document. More information on how to use this will be sent out either in this blog or in the form of FAQs from the IT Help Desk

We expect all new copiers to be in place prior to the beginning of classes. 

No more copier codes - Using chipped Malone IDs with the Copiers

To use a copier to copy or to scan-to-email, you will need to have either an old ID card with an RFID sticker attached to the back (which we will provide) OR a new ID card with the RFID tag embedded in it. 

Departments: When we deploy your copier, we will work with the administrative contact and/or department chair/manager to get you set up. This will be a big change for the campus. 

Information Technology is working with both HR and Student Development on a strategy for getting new cards deployed to all students, faculty, and staff.

Touchless entry for Woolman, Whittier, and Fox [WWF] Halls

The WWF residence hall cluster has been upgraded to touch-free keyless entry. The same chip that allows a student or employee to use a copier on campus will also allow you to enter the WWF building (if you are permitted in the building, of course!). This is part of a longterm upgrade plan to take all keyless entry systems to more modern technology. 

Faxing gets cloudy

We don't do a lot of faxing on campus, but when we do, it will now be in the cloud. We are massively converting all campus faxing over to a cloud-based solution with XMedius. We will work with individual departments to train them on how to use the new system. Faxing costs will be charged and decremented from personal and departmental Papercut printing accounts automatically.

Printing & Scanning On Campus

Hello Malone University Students, Faculty, and Staff:

This tech update concentrates on printing, scanning, and copying on campus. Enjoy!

• Papercut - not just an annoying flesh wound.
• Scanning on campus
• Copier replacements & future features
• May training starts Monday, 20 May 2021
• OnBase training

Papercut - not just an annoying flesh wound

We use a print job tracking system called Papercut. You can access things like print balance (students) and job history (students, faculty, and staff) by clicking the papercut icon in the quicklinks on Malone Xpress. It will also give you fun facts such as your printing's environmental impact. I myself have used 10.2% of a tree's worth of paper since we started using this instance of Papercut back in August 2009. 

The icon in Xpress looks like this:

Department chairs and supervisors can reach out the IT Help Desk to inquire about reports of the activity on their printers and copiers too.

Papercut Upgrade for this fall. We'd also like to mention that we will be upgrading Papercut so that it will manage all of our copying on campus. This will start somewhere around the beginning of July. Stay tuned for more information!

Scanning on campus

Did you know you can walk up to ANY copier on campus, scan a picture or document, and then email it to yourself?  This feature will not change; anyone can do this.

Starting this summer and fall, you will be able to sign into a copier using your ID card to do this. Staff and faculty who use our document imaging system -- OnBase -- can also use the copiers to scan documents into OnBase.

Copier replacements & future features

We have been trailing two separate vendors in a few locations on campus. We hope to come to a decision about which vendor's copiers will be on campus for the next five years. No matter which manufacturer is chosen, all copiers will:

• be capable of printing and scanning in color.
• be card-reader enabled to allow individual students, faculty, and staff to sign into them and use them
• set up so that if you print a document to a special "find me printing" print queue, you will be able to walk up to any copier and print your document. Example: You can submit a document for printing from off campus, drive onto campus, find the closest copier, sign into the copier with your ID card, and release your print job/document.

May training 20-27 May 2021

We have a limited May training schedule this year which has already begin. You can still sign up for future sessions. Sign up here!

Web-based OnBase training

This is a reminder that we have a campus site license for Hyland training. Hyland - an Ohio-based company - is the who makes and supports our Document Imaging system OnBase. Anyone with a malone.edu email address can sign up for OnBase/Hyland training. Visit https://training.hyland.com and create an account using your malone.edu email. Here are some courses that we recommend:

• OnBase Unity Desktop Client Training
• OnBase Web Client Training
• Envelopes and Notes training

While you can only access our OnBase documents from either on campus or with special VPN access, you can access these training resources from anywhere on the Internet.

Ways to use tech to further the University's Mission

Hello Malone Students, Faculty, and Staff:

This week's IT blog is a slight lane change from what you might be used to seeing. In this edition:

• Why do we do what we do? Students who go out and, "...serve the church community and world."
• Seven ways to use tech to further the mission.

Have a blessed week!

-Adam

Why do we do what we do? Students who go out and "... serve the church community and world."

I have a personal mission statement. "I help others help others [often through technology]." This is why I love my job as the Chief Infomation Officer at Malone University. Because my team and I keep tech running, the campus at large gets to send several hundred men and women out each year to serve. As our campus mission states: 

"...to develop men and women in intellectual maturity, wisdom, and Christian faith who are committed to serving the church, community, and world." 

We get excited when we hear about what our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are doing. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are having lasting personal impacts on the people around them. Just this past month we've had two great examples (I am sure they are more than just two!). The first is in the Canton Repository about women's softball making a dying girl's dream come true and the second - also in the Rep - about grad students helping residents of the Haven of Rest shelter. We love our students! If we can play even a small part in our students and alumni caring for others, we happily jump into that effort. We leap. We help others help others.

I recently spoke with my team and was pleased to hear that many of them echo a similar missional attitude. I asked them what Malone was here to do. Comments such as "furthering God's kingdom," "forwarding the mission of the University", "molding future leaders and professionals", or help students "develop as a person" were the rule -- not the exception -- to their answers. 

Seven ways to use tech to further the mission

The following ideas are simple suggestions for how to use the tech resources we have on campus to better serve our students. This list is targeted at staff and faculty, but I am sure there are some things that students will also find useful.

1. Keep your Calendar up-to-date and share your free busy information

Each student, faculty, and staff member has access to a personal calendar through Google workspace (this is the new name for Gsuite). Keeping your calendar up-to-date means that Admissions can schedule students to meet with Faculty, peers can easily coordinate meetings. This straight-forward act can save a lot of time and frustration when trying to get people together. 

Setting up and maintaining this is as simple as one, two three...

One. Set your business hours. Go into your calendar settings and browse to the  "working hours" section. Set your business hours where you are available for meetings. It will look something like the image above when it is set up correctly!

Two. Make sure that you have shared your free/busy information to all of Malone University. In the "Access Permissions" section for your personal named calendar, make sure the "Make available for Malone University" checkbox is checked and that the menu next to it says "See only free/busy (hide details)" option is selected. This will allow others to schedule meetings with you when you don't already have a meeting.

You can also selectively share your calendar information to associates and peers using the "Share with specific people" section just under the "Access permissions" section. I share my meeting details with my staff so they know where I am.

Three. Maintain your schedule. If you have classes, schedule them on your calendar. If you have a meeting or are going to be away, then put it on the calendar. Don't be afraid to set up blocks of time to indicate when you can't meet too!

2. Use EDUROAM for your wifi connection

There are two networks on Malone's campus, EDUROAM and Malone-Guest. Choose EDUROAM for your best wifi connection. Follow the guidelines in FAQ188 to connect. Be sure to use your full email address for the username!! EDUROAM also lets you connect to different wifi all over the world. View all the places that EDUROAM is available at https://www.eduroam.org/where

3. Chat

A relatively new feature in Google workspace is "Chat." This is an instant messaging and group chatting app that behaves a lot like Slack if you are familiar with that tool. The IT department uses Google Chat to interact with each other both one-to-one and many-to-many through the use of rooms. There is also a chat app available for your smartphone (iOS and Android). 

Google Chat allows you to send data and information back and forth quickly using your PC or smartphone. Remember to not send sensitive information using this channel. Use it in a similar fashion as how you use email. Rooms can be set up for committees, projects, whatever.

4. Leverage lecture capture and recording facilities in Google Meet and Zoom

We have been using Zoom and Google Meet all year to meet both in and out of class. Be sure to use the record function to record presentations and lectures so that you can use them later or provide them to students for review.

5. "Help" button in the classroom

If you run into trouble in the classroom, look for the "Help" button on the black control panel located in nearly every classroom on campus. This will page IT personnel who will come to your assistance.

6. Meeting spaces with wireless video tech

I know we have gotten out of the habit of meeting in person, but - when the time comes again [and we hope very soon!] - be sure to check out the meeting spaces with wireless video tech located throughout the library Timken Center for Student Success and the RH300 "Hub" meeting space. These standing tables and wall-mounted TVs offer wired and wireless video for Apple and Android devices. HDMI ports enable a quick connection for your laptop or other wired device too!

7. Malone phone from home

Staff who need to work from home have the ability to use a softphone on their smartphone or computer which will allow them to be contacted to/from their Malone number. Be sure to contact the Help Desk if you want to be set up with this functionality. FAQ389 has additional details.

Tech update for 19 February 2021

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:

Here's what's new in tech on campus this week.

• Qtrak package delivery
• Classroom monitor fixes
• Course list "in-person" or "online" data available in the Phiz
• Always back up your data!

Qtrak package delivery

If any of you have had a package delivered on campus recently, you may have noticed you've started getting emails when the package is on campus or ready for pickup from the mailroom. We have implemented a new package tracking system on campus so that we can serve you more efficiently. 

Since implementation, grounds and mail room staff have delivered 1,964 packages (as of 18 February) and counting! Be sure to let the mail room know if you have any questions or feedback about the system. Stay tuned for more improvements to package delivery on campus!

Classroom monitor fixes

One of the biggest changes to our classrooms - in addition to the Owl cameras - is that we have enabled three outputs/screens in the hyflex rooms:

• Primary monitor for presentation notes and stuff that is kept off-screen from student view
• Secondary monitor for use as a screen to see your remote students
• Projector screen to show students in the room your slide deck or other content.

We have a number of faculty and instructors who want to change these. The most common variation is where the Secondary monitor mirrors the projector output.

We have set up FAQ396 to explain how to use multiple screens. It includes a video tutorial on how to set up each configuration using shortcuts/icons on each classroom desktop which make all the changes for you!!

Course list "in-person" or "online" data available in the Phiz

Attention Faculty: Many of you already know that you can pull a picture directory of your student by course in the Phiz. The Phiz now also contains whether a student will be in person or remote for class.

If you sign into the Phiz you will now see a green checkmark, a yellow warning, or a red remote sign for each student. Similar to your own personal COVID status:

• Green checkmark: They can report for class! Means the student filled out a COVID survey today and is symptom free
• Yellow exclamation: They can report for class! Means that they have not yet filled out the survey for today, but have not reported symptoms or been contact traced or have some circumstance that requires them to be remote today.
• Red Octagon: They will NOT be in class. They have opted out of being in person or have some circumstance that means they will not be in class today. This does NOT mean they have COVID. It means that they will not be in class today.

You can read more about the XPress COVID daily symptome tracker here.

Always backup your data!

We have had a rash of hard drive failures these past few months. This is a general APB that you should always back up your data. Whether it is important work, school, or personal information, it is always a good idea to keep a backup! Take a look at FAQ404 for recommendations on how to back up your data using Malone and external resources.