Welcome back as we begin the new academic year! I wanted to take a moment to provide some quick tips and updates about key IT projects that are underway or will be coming up soon.
If you have any questions about these (or any other IT-related projects), please don’t hesitate to contact me at clsmith@depauw.edu.
Cheers,
--Carol.
Topics in the following include:
- Keeping in touch with IT at DePauw
- Helping students get logged in to Moodle, Novell, printers, etc.
- Upcoming replacement of our campus printer/copiers - Focus on Sustainability
- New ID Cards for all faculty, staff and students
- Don’t lose your old email -- Copy your GroupWise mail to Google Apps before October 1!
- Google Apps at DePauw – Communication, calendars, and collaboration
1) Keeping in Touch with IT at DePauw
Following are some quick links to support guides, workshop schedules, information about I.S. news and events, and lots of other information to help you stay informed about IT at DePauw:
The HelpDesk -- The Help Desk provides technical support services to students, faculty and staff members in DePauw campus community.
Information Services Blog – Provides periodic articles about I.S. activities, DePauw IT updates, etc., aimed at the whole DePauw community.
FITS Newsletter – Provides information for faculty members about emerging technologies, project spotlights, up and coming events, and other information relating to teaching and learning with technology.
HelpDesk Status Hotline – Available 24x7, includes a blog, phone number (x6666) and RSS feed to provide up-to-the-minute notices about IT-related service announcements, known system issues, and other useful IT tips & tricks.
2) Helping students get logged in to Moodle, Novell, printers, etc.
Likely, all the students know how to use their DePauw email at this point! But you may find that some have forgotten their passwords to other accounts or don’t know how to find other online DePauw resources like Moodle, Novell, and public campus printers. Following are a couple of resources that you can guide them toward that will help them figure things out:
Overview of DePauw students IT accounts -- Provides a quick description of all their accounts, including which account to use to login to each resource
If they’ve forgotten a password – Visit the HelpDesk in person to have it reset.
3) Upcoming replacement of our campus printer/copiers - Focus on Sustainability
We spent the last few months researching upgrade options and selected Canon printer/copiers provided by a local company in Terre Haute to replace the current Savin devices. Among the criteria we used to compare printer/copiers (which included ease of use, ability to work with both Apples and Windows, and overall device reliability), a key factor was the devices’ sustainability features.
Our goal is to engage the entire campus community in learning to ‘print smarter’ and reduce printing waste across campus. The Canon printer/copiers will provide a number of features to support that goal, including:
- The ability to scan directly to digital (e.g., scan to a USB drive, scan to email, etc.)
- Duplex (double-sided) printing cabilities to conserve the amount of paper needed to print each document
- Secure swipe-to-release printing, enabling you to send a print job that is held in a queue until that you arrive at the printer and swipe your ID card to actually release the print
As we roll out the new printer/copiers this fall we are collaborating with the Sustainability Office to help the campus take advantage of these new features and adopt printing practices that are environmentally sustainable.
We will begin installing new Canon printer/copiers throughout campus mid-semester, and details about the rollout timeline will be available shortly after the start of classes. In the meantime, continue using your Savins as before.
4) New ID Cards for all Faculty, Staff and Students
This fall we will be upgrading several of the ID card readers used to unlock building doors (e.g., on some residence halls, the Lilly Center, the Union Building, etc.) to ‘proximity-style’ readers. With these, you press the card against the reader to activate rather than swiping it through a magnetic-stripe slot. To add convenience to the swipe-to-release printing feature of the new copier/printers, the new Canon units will also have proximity card readers.
Over the course of the next semester, everyone on campus (faculty, staff, and students) will be issued new ID cards that are proximity capable and able to take advantage of these new readers.
The timeline will be available shortly after the start of classes, so watch your email for details to come.
5) Don’t lose your old email --
Copy your GroupWise mail to Google Apps before October 1!
Remember: On October 1, GroupWise will be retired and no longer available.
You must copy your GroupWise email into Google Apps AND prepare your archived email for offline access by October 1, or you will lose access to your old GroupWise email.
For information about copying email and preparing your archived mail, visit the Google Apps Help site.
6) Google Apps at DePauw – Communication, calendars, and collaboration
Finally, Google Apps is more than just email. It also offers calendaring and several integrated collaboration tools (including Google Docs, Sites, survey forms, voice and video chat). In the coming weeks, Information Services will offer several workshops and other information about these nifty new tools.
The workshop schedule is available at the Google Apps Information site and on the University calendar (search for the #googleapps hashtag).
Have a great year!
