This message was originally shared to all students via email on Mar. 6, 2024.
New Service Makes Electronic Documents More Accessible for All
ITS is pleased to announce the rollout of SensusAccess, a new and fully automated document remediation and file conversion service. Consistent with a campus that is welcoming to all, SensusAccess makes electronic documents such as PDF files or Microsoft PowerPoint presentations more accessible to audiences of all abilities through remediation or conversion to more usable formats, including audio, e-books, digital Braille, digital large-print and BeeLine Reader. SensusAccess also can translate documents from one language into another. The service is available for use by students, faculty and staff at no cost.
Spring Break Travel Tip
If you will travel for Spring Break, it’s a good idea to configure your multifactor authentication (MFA) methods to ensure you retain access to your University accounts wherever you go. ITS recommends you download and configure the Microsoft Authenticator app on the mobile device you will take with you. You can learn more about MFA on Answers.
Phishing Alerts on the ITS Instagram Account
Criminals use malicious email to try to trick you into revealing your password or other sensitive information or to infect your computer with malware. These phishers sometimes try to make their emails look real by using companies’ or institutions’ logos, fonts and colors. Urgent demands also are common (for example, “Reply with your password within 24 hours or your account will be closed!”). In addition to the ITS Phish Bowl, ITS shares examples of phishing emails on Instagram to increase awareness of common scams.
Orange Alert Information in MySlice
All students are strongly encouraged to ensure their contact information for Orange Alert is up to date in MySlice to receive emergency communications from the Department of Public Safety.
To do so:
- Go to MySlice
- Log in using your NetID and Password
- Select Student Home or Employee Home depending on your primary affiliation
- Select the Personal Profile tile
- Choose “Orange Alert Contacts” from the navigation menu
- Review your information
If you need to add, update or delete contact information, select “Contact Details” from the navigation menu. Utilize the “Orange Alert Private Phone” feature to add a secondary/emergency contact (for example, spouse, sibling, etc.) to receive alerts.
Annual Spring Lecture to Examine the Effects of Artificial Intelligence
Data scientist and artificial intelligence (AI) expert Rumman Chowdhury will visit campus on Wednesday, March 6, as the featured speaker for the University’s annual Spring Lecture. Her talk, “Generative AI and the Future of Humanity,” will begin at 7 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, but a ticket will be required for entry. More Info
Microsoft 365: Your Documents, Anywhere on Any Device
Microsoft 365 is a suite of productivity tools that enables you to access your files and applications from anywhere on any device. Microsoft 365 includes classic Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as secure storing and sharing via OneDrive and real-time collaboration through Teams.
Tech To-Dos Before Graduation
Are you graduating in May? On Answers, you can find a list of information technology resources (e.g., email, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Cloud and more) and how long you will retain access to them following graduation. It also is important to migrate your University Google Drive data, as well as transfer ownership of any surveys you created in Qualtrics for faculty or staff who will need to use them in the future. To transfer ownership of a Qualtrics survey, send an email from your @syr.edu address to qualtrics@ot.syr.edu and name the specific survey(s) to be transferred and the new owner(s).
System Alerts
If you have trouble connecting to a campus website or system, the System Status page on the ITS website can help you determine whether there is an issue with your computer or something else. The System Status page includes notifications for scheduled downtimes and alerts for unscheduled downtimes or outages. You also can sign up to receive notifications and alerts by email.
Helpful Resources
ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:
- Answers, a knowledge base for tech-related questions
- The ITS Service Center
- The Self-Serv NetID and password management portal
Thank you for reading. Go Orange!