News & Events

This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on May. 1, 2024.

Aira Visual Interpreting Service Available Soon Link

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 Link

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 Link

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 Link

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 Link

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 Link

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 Link

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 Link

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!

This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on Apr. 3, 2024.

Information Security Awareness Training Begins This Week Link

In accordance with New York State requirements, ITS will launch the annual information security training for University faculty and staff beginning this week. You will receive a link to complete the training via email, which will be completed in the new Infosec IQ platform. Once you complete the training, you will be eligible to be randomly selected for the weekly drawing for a $25 prize from the Syracuse University Campus Store. You also will be eligible for all subsequent weekly prize selections, for a total of four prize opportunities for those who complete the training during the first week.

Register for the Research Computing Series Link

The Research Computing Series is a great opportunity to learn about the resources available to faculty, staff and students. The Wednesday, April 10 session will feature a presentation by Collin Capano, director of the Open Source Project Office (OSPO). This session will focus on how the OSPO, established with a grant from the Sloan Foundation, serves as the center of competency for open source operations and structure on campus. The Wednesday, April 17 session will showcase insights from the ITS Research Computing team, focusing on recent enhancements to campus resources.

Summer Institute for Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning Link

The ITS Online Learning Services (OLS) team is excited to announce the opening of applications for the 2024 Summer Institute for Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning (SITETL). OLS will offer two SITETL sessions—one in late May and one in early August. Faculty have until the end of the day on Friday, April 12, to apply. SITETL 2024: Ultra Courses is designed to help instructors transition their Blackboard courses from the Original course view to the Ultra course view. Admission is competitive and based on an application in which the participant describes their teaching and how they intend to benefit from the event. Selected participants will receive priority assistance from OLS, development spaces in the Blackboard system to work on their Ultra content and a monetary award of $500 for completing all of the workshop sessions.

All of Your Documents in One Spot Link

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of your Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, OneNote files, and other recent work were collected in one spot? Visit office.syr.edu from any device for a fully searchable, one-stop shop of your Microsoft 365 files, Teams conversations and more. You also can explore apps such as Canva, Whiteboard and SharePoint to get more out of your Microsoft 365 products.

Course Feedback Window Link

The window for collecting course feedback this semester opens on Monday, April 15. Course feedback is an important way for students to discuss their academic experiences. Students are more motivated to respond constructively when instructors communicate directly with them about it. To help gain more feedback, a great practice is to offer time during a class session for students to complete the course survey. Visit the course feedback page for a QR code you can share on Blackboard or in an email. The QR code directs students to the log-in page to access their course surveys. If you have any questions, please email coursefeedback@syr.edu. We know that the end of a semester is a busy time. We appreciate your time and effort!

Blackboard Ultra Course View Transition: New Workshops Added

The University will complete the transition from Blackboard Original Course View to Blackboard Ultra Course View during the summer of 2024. For the Fall 2024 term, all new courses will be created in Ultra Course view. Instructors will retain access to their previously offered Original courses to copy content into Ultra courses and for record-keeping purposes. Instructors can begin preparing to use Blackboard Ultra Course View by signing up for how-to videos and a sandbox course to try it out.

ITS Online Learning Services (OLS) is kicking off its spring and summer Ultra support on Tuesday, March 19, with a new workshop for instructors to use their syllabus to create a Blackboard Ultra course from the ground up. In part one, instructors will focus on updating their course structure to take advantage of Ultra’s navigation. Instructors will create new Blackboard documents and copy items from their prior courses. An optional part two will center on gradebook setup and assessment settings. The workshop is a “hands-on” opportunity to work with OLS staff as they guide participants through the process of re-designing for Ultra. Register now!

Instructors also can visit Answers for news about all the resources OLS offers to support instructors through the transition.

Libraries Launches New Digital Collections Link

The Libraries recently launched its new Digital Collections site. This new online resource is produced and curated by the Libraries’ Digital Stewardship team and primarily features distinctive content from the Special Collections Research Center. The Libraries’ users, including students, faculty, staff and global researchers, can find collections by choosing the subject topic, name, geographic location, original format or source collection from alphabetical drop-down menus.

Tech To-Dos Before Leaving the University Link

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., email, 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.

System Alerts Link

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.

SensusAccess Now Available Link

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. Stop by our ITS Digital Accessibility Office Hours to learn more about SensusAccess and other digital accessibility topics.

Helpful Resources Link

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!

This message was originally shared to all students via email on Apr. 3, 2024.

Register for the Research Computing Series Link

The Research Computing Series is a great opportunity to learn about the resources available to all students. The Wednesday, April 10 session will feature a presentation by Collin Capano, director of the Open Source Project Office (OSPO). This session will focus on how the OSPO, established with a grant from the Sloan Foundation, serves as the center of competency for open source operations and structure on campus. The Wednesday, April 17 session will showcase insights from the ITS Research Computing team, focusing on recent enhancements to campus resources. Register here.

Tech To-Dos Before Graduation Link

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).

Course Feedback Window Link

The window for providing feedback on the courses you are taking this semester opens on Monday, April 15. Course surveys are accessed via Blackboard (Tools) or directly in the course feedback system. Course feedback is an important way for you to inform your instructor what worked and what didn’t work for you as a learner. Your responses are confidential, and no identifying information is recorded or distributed on the reports that are generated. Reports are released after final grades are submitted. If you have any questions or issues, please contact the course feedback team. We know that the end of a semester is a busy time. We appreciate your time and effort!

All of Your Documents in One Spot Link

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of your Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, OneNote files and other recent work were collected in one spot? Visit office.syr.edu from any device for a fully searchable, one-stop-shop of your Microsoft 365 files, Teams conversations and more. You can also explore apps such as Canva, Whiteboard and SharePoint to get more out of your Microsoft 365 products.

Phishing Alerts on the ITS Instagram Account Link

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.

SpectrumU on Campus Link

Do you need a break from studying? When you connect to a campus network, you can watch your favorite movies and shows by downloading the SpectrumU app or by visiting watch.spectrum.net through your browser.

Microsoft 365: Your Documents, Anywhere on Any Device Link

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.

System Alerts Link

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 Link

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!