Orange Online: April 2025 Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on April 2, 2025.

Orange Online at a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Research Computing Series

The Research Computing Series is a great opportunity to learn about research on campus and the computing resources available. On April 16, postdoctoral researcher Sadjad Arzash will talk about his research with Lisa Manning’s group. Register.

ITS Content Survey and Giveaway

We want your feedback! Help shape ITS content by taking our quick survey. Your input guides us in creating content that matters to you—whether it’s tech tips, updates or events. Plus, you’ll be entered to win a gift from the school bookstore! Take Survey.

Introducing Digital Accessibility 101

Make your content work for everyone! Our Digital Accessibility 101 guide offers simple, effective tips (with examples) to ensure your documents, web pages and other digital materials are clear and usable by all audiences.

Information Security Tip: Strengthen Your Passwords

Strengthen your security with a passphrase! Use a memorable sequence like “BlueElephant!Dances@Midnight”–it’s easy to remember but tough to crack. Combine words with numbers, symbols and capitals, and never reuse passwords across accounts! Learn More.

Digital Scholarship Space

Discover the Digital Scholarship Space in Bird Library, Room 458! This flexible, innovative hub supports software design, game development, data visualization and digital mapping. With workshops, lab and open hours each semester, it’s the perfect spot to advance your digital projects. Video.

Access to Gartner Reports

Syracuse University affiliates now have access to Gartner Reports/Core IT Research through the Libraries’ Databases A-Z menu or by searching “Gartner Core Research.” Use your SU email to register and join the Gartner Peer Community, connecting with enterprise leaders to explore business and technology insights. Learn More.

Tech To-Dos Before Graduation

Congratulations to all of our soon-to-be-graduates! 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).

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Tech Tips: April 2025 Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on April 2, 2025.

Tech Tips at a Glance

Pressed for time? Information Technology Services (ITS) has you covered. Here are this edition’s topics:

AI at Work

University faculty and staff are invited to join Information Technology Services on April 24 at 1 p.m. for the next installment in our series about leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) at work. This session will address the possibilities created by the University’s partnership with ibl.ai, which allows users to create custom chatbots. Speakers from the ITS Online Learning Services and Data and Artificial Intelligence teams will discuss possible applications for ibl.ai at Syracuse University.

Research Computing Series 

The Research Computing Series is a great opportunity to learn about research on campus and the computing resources available. On April 16, postdoctoral researcher Sadjad Arzash will talk about his research with Lisa Manning’s group. Register.

ITS Content Survey and Giveaway

We want your feedback! Help shape ITS content by taking our quick survey. Your input guides us in creating content that matters to you—whether it’s tech tips, updates or events. Plus, you’ll be entered to win a gift from the school bookstore! Take Survey.

Gradescope

Finals season is busy—Gradescope is here to help. With features like Blackboard integration, AI-assisted grading and reusable rubrics, Gradescope makes it easier to manage grading efficiently and consistently, especially in high-enrollment courses. Need support? Reach out to gradescope@syr.edu. Resources.

SITETL

Online Learning Services is hosting SITETL workshops from May 19–23 and June 2–6 to help faculty enhance teaching with technology. Join educators for hands-on experience with campus-licensed tools, expert guidance and priority support. Space is limited—apply now to secure a spot! Application.

Introducing Digital Accessibility 101

Make your content work for everyone! Our Digital Accessibility 101 guide offers simple, effective tips (with examples) to ensure your documents, web pages and other digital materials are clear and usable by all audiences.

Information Security Tip: Strengthen Your Passwords

Strengthen your security with a passphrase! Use a memorable sequence like “BlueElephant!Dances@Midnight”–it’s easy to remember but tough to crack. Combine words with numbers, symbols and capitals, and never reuse passwords across accounts! Learn More.

Digital Scholarship Space

Discover the Digital Scholarship Space in Bird Library, Room 458! This flexible, innovative hub supports software design, game development, data visualization and digital mapping. With workshops, lab and open hours each semester, it’s the perfect spot to advance your digital projects. Video.

Access to Gartner Reports

Syracuse University affiliates now have access to Gartner Reports/Core IT Research through the Libraries’ Databases A-Z menu or by searching “Gartner Core Research.” Use your SU email to register and join the Gartner Peer Community, connecting with enterprise leaders to explore business and technology insights. Learn More.

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

AI Insights for March 20, 2025

This message was originally shared to subscribers March 20, 2025.

Happy first day of spring and thank you for reading AI Insights! As always, feel free to share this with colleagues who might also be interested in staying informed about AI’s evolving role in higher education, the workplace and beyond.

Would you like to share an article you found or a tip for taking advantage of AI? We’d love to hear it! You can share your links and ideas using our Microsoft Form.

If you received this email as a forward from a helpful colleague, you can subscribe online.

News and Views

Access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post is available to all students, faculty and staff with a valid Syracuse University NetID. Learn more.

Government

  • State Department AI to Revoke Foreign Student Visas (Axios)
  • Bad AI Law Risks Damage to Creatives (The Times)
  • US Court Rejects Copyrights for AI-Generated Art (Reuters)
  • OpenAI’s Chris Lehane on Trump Policy (Axios)
  • Worried About DeepSeek? Turns out Gemini is the Biggest Data Offender (ZDNet)

Higher Education

  • AI School Surveillance Concerns (AP News)
  • UK Universities Warned as 92% of Students Use AI (The Guardian)
  • University of South Florida Receives $40 Million for Cyber and AI College (Wall Street Journal)
  • Beijing to Introduce AI Courses for Kids (Bloomberg)
  • What a Gutted Department of Education Means for AI in Schools (CNBC)
  • State of AI (McKinsey)
  • Small Language Models for Higher Ed (EdTech Magazine)
  • From Teaching Students to Catching ChatGPT Cheats (The Walrus)
  • Mass Adoption of Generative AI (McKinsey)
  • Publishers Adopt AI Tools to Bolster Research Integrity (Inside Higher Ed)

Industry News

Media

  • World’s First AI-Generated Newspaper Edition (The Guardian)
  • Zoom’s Latest AI Updates at Enterprise Connect 2025 (Zoom)

This Issue’s Tip: Creative Brainstorming

Experiment with using AI for creative brainstorming. Tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E can generate unique ideas for marketing campaigns, story plots or product concepts. Use them as a starting point and build on their suggestions to add a human touch.

This Issue’s Prompt: Travel Guide

A prompt is how you ask generative AI tools to do something for you (e.g., creating, summarizing, editing or transforming). Treat it like a conversation, using clear language and enough context to get the result you have in mind.

To get more practice, use the generative AI tool of your choice (for example, Microsoft Copilot, Open AI ChatGPT or Anthropic Claude) to execute the following prompt:

“Pretend you are a travel planner specializing in unique and offbeat destinations. Plan a week-long vacation for me, including activities, food recommendations and hidden gems.

Helpful Resources

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

AI Insights for March 6, 2025

This message was originally shared to subscribers March 6, 2025.

Thank you for subscribing to AI Insights! We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response and engagement from our readers and we’re excited to continue sharing the latest AI news, trends and tips with you. If you find this edition helpful, feel free to share it with colleagues who might also be interested in staying informed about AI’s evolving role in higher education, the workplace and beyond.

Would you like to share an article you found or a tip for taking advantage of AI? We’d love to hear it! You can share your links and ideas using our Microsoft Form.

If you received this email as a forward from a helpful colleague, you can subscribe online.

News and Views

Access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post is available to all students, faculty and staff with a valid Syracuse University NetID. Learn more.

Government

  • Trump’s Budget Cuts Threaten AI Research, Top Scientists Warn (Fortune)
  • OSTP Nominee Kratsios Vows Focus on AI, Quantum, Innovation (MeriTalk)
  • OpenAI Uncovers Evidence of AI-Powered Chinese Surveillance Tool (New York Times)
  • Rep. Obernolte ‘Optimistic’ CREATE AI Act Can Clear Congress (MeriTalk)

Higher Education

Industry News

  • The AI Future is Here (Scientific American)
  • What’s Ahead for AI (Wall Street Journal)
  • Honor’s New AI Agent Can Read and Understand Your Screen (Wired)
  • Google’s New Tech Means Video Calls May Not Be the Death of Us After All (Wall Street Journal)
  • The Future of Business Processes: Three Functions that GenAI Will Transform (Tech Radar)
  • What If Generative AI Could Help Save the Environment? (Forbes)
  • How Technology Will Revolutionize Sports in 2025 (Sports Video Group)
  • These Smart Cameras Spot Wildfires Before They Spread (Wall Street Journal)
  • Want to Be a Better Listener? Take Lessons From a Chatbot (Wall Street Journal)
  • When Will We See Mass Adoption of Gen AI? (McKinsey Digital)
  • The Real DeepSeek Revelation: The Market Doesn’t Understand AI (Semafor)
  • Apple Vows to Build AI Servers in Houston and Spend $500 Billion in US (New York Times)
  • Amazon Unveils Alexa+, Powered by Generative AI (New York Times)
  • OpenAI Unveils GPT-4.5 ‘Orion,’ Its Largest AI Model Yet (Tech Crunch)
  • Microsoft Releases New Phi Models Optimized for Multimodal Processing, Efficiency (Silicon Angle)

Journalism

  • The LA Times Published an Op-Ed Warning of AI’s dangers. It Also Published Its AI Tool’s Reply (The Guardian)

Workplace and Workforce

  • US Workers Are More Worried Than Hopeful About Future AI Use in the Workplace (Pew Research Center)
  • “Humans in the Loop” Make AI Work For Now (Axios)
  • How AI Tools are Reshaping the Coding Workforce (Wall Street Journal)
  • Chegg Sues Google for Hurting Traffic With AI As It Considers Strategic Alternatives (CNBC)

This Issue’s Tip: Boost Research Productivity with AI-Powered Literature Reviews

Instead of manually sifting through hundreds of research papers, use AI tools like Elicit, Semantic Scholar, or ChatGPT to summarize key findings, compare papers and generate insights. AI can help identify gaps in existing research and suggest potential directions for further study.

This Issue’s Prompt: Debate Yourself

A prompt is how you ask generative AI tools to do something for you (e.g., creating, summarizing, editing or transforming). Treat it like a conversation, using clear language and enough context to get the result you have in mind.

To get more practice, use the generative AI tool of your choice (for example, Microsoft Copilot, Open AI ChatGPT or Anthropic Claude) to execute the following prompt:

“Act as a debate coach. I am preparing a discussion on [topic] for my class. Provide a list of thought-provoking, opposing viewpoints on this issue, along with supporting arguments for each side.

Helpful Resources

 

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Orange Online: March 2025 Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on March 5, 2025.

Orange Online at a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Research Computing Series

Join us for our upcoming Spring 2025 Research Computing Series. On April 2 at 1:30 p.m, HTCondor’s Christina Koch will discuss high-throughput computing. Then, on April 16 at 1:30 p.m, postdoctoral researcher Sadjad Arzash will talk about his research with Lisa Manning’s group. Register.

Behind the Monitor: Episode 5

In this episode, we chat with Shannon Glennon, Technology Transformation Specialist at ITS, about her role in helping faculty and staff adopt new technologies. She talks about tools like Copilot and ChatGPT, common tech concerns on campus and the future of AI in higher education. Video.

Digital Accessibility Tip: Consider Spreadsheet Accessibility

Are you creating a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel? Screen readers and other assistive technologies start reading the sheet from cell A1, which you can use to your advantage to benefit all users. If the sheet is long or complex, consider putting instructions or an overview of the sheet in cell A1. Office Hours.

Information Security Tip: Beware Phishing Attacks

Watch out for an increase in phishing emails targeting the University community. These attacks often appear to come from trusted sources and aim to steal your credentials. Be cautious of unexpected emails with links, validate suspicious requests by phone and never share MFA codes sent via email or text. Learn More.

MakerSpace History

Discover the history behind the ITS MakerSpace’s journey! In this edition, MakerSpace Manager John Mangicaro talks about the space’s time in Kimmel Hall before its relocation to Marshall Square Mall. Learn about its evolution, past innovations and what’s next for this creative hub. Video.

AI Insights Newsletter

AI Insights is ITS’s newsletter for AI trends, tips and resources. Stay informed with news from higher education and tech, a weekly AI tip and prompt and valuable tools to explore. Whether you’re looking to integrate AI into your work or just stay updated, AI Insights has you covered. Subscribe.

Automatic Email Forwarding Ends March 26

As part of the University’s ongoing efforts to maintain and secure our email services, the ability to automatically redirect emails from University accounts will end March 26. At that time, any redirect rules set up in a mailbox will be deleted and emails sent to an @syr.edu address will no longer be automatically forwarded to other email accounts. You can learn more about this change on Answers. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the ITS Helpdesk at help@syr.edu or 315.443.2677.

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!