This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on May. 1, 2024.
Aira Visual Interpreting Service Available Soon
Information Technology Services (ITS) has announced a new partnership to make the Aira Visual Interpreting Service available to the campus community at no cost, effective Friday, May 3. The University’s designation as an Aira Access Partner means that anyone—including students, faculty, staff, families and other visitors who are blind or have low vision—can use the Aira Explorer mobile app’s on-demand visual interpreting service to navigate the campus environment and complete a variety of tasks.
Summer Travel Tip: Configure Your Multi-Factor Authentication
If you will travel this summer, please remember to configure your multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods before you leave campus, if you have not already done so, to ensure you retain access to your University accounts (email, Microsoft applications, etc.). 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.
Blackboard Ultra Course View Transition
Beginning with the Fall 2024 term, all University Blackboard courses will be offered in Ultra Course View. The ITS Online Learning Services (OLS) team is committed to providing a diverse set of resources during the transition, including a variety of synchronous training opportunities and asynchronous materials available at any time.
Tech To-Dos Before Leaving the University
Whether you are retiring, a student-worker is graduating or a co-worker will soon leave the University, it’s important to know how long you will have access to various technology resources, including documents you have shared or that have been shared with you. On Answers, you can find a list of information technology resources (e.g., Microsoft 365 resources including your email, OneDrive, and Teams; Google Workspace; Qualtrics; etc.) and how long access is available after departure. Consider including a review of digital assets as part of the exit procedure for anyone leaving a department or the University.
MakerSpace Summer Hours
Located in Kimmel Computer Lab, the ITS MakerSpace houses a fabrication lab with a variety of tools and equipment that are free of charge for all faculty, staff and students. The MakerSpace will still be open over the summer. Schedule information is available on the MakerSpace website.
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.
Assistive Technology Solutions Available for the Campus Community
ITS makes several assistive technology (AT) solutions available to the campus community. For example, community members can download a free version of JAWS screen reader and ZoomText screen magnification software from Freedom Scientific on their personal Windows machine using their @syr.edu email address. Visit the ITS Digital Accessibility Services Assistive Technology Solutions page for more information, including a complete list of campus-wide AT solutions.
Helpful Resources
ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:
- Academic and administrative IT staff
- Classroom Resource Guide
- The ITS Service Center
- The Self-Serv NetID and password management portal
Thank you for reading. Go Orange!