Orange Online: May 2024 Student Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on May 1, 2024.

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).

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 campus and complete a variety of tasks.

End-of-Semester Travel Tip: Configure Your Multi-Factor Authentication

If you have not already done so, please remember to configure your multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods before you leave campus 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.

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.

MakerSpace Summer Hours

The MakerSpace will still be open to students, faculty and staff over the summer. Schedule information is available on the MakerSpace website. 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 students. All majors, minors and experience levels are welcome!

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.

SpectrumU on Campus

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.

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:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!