This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Orange Alert Information in MySlice
All faculty and staff 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.
ITS Phish Bowl
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!”). To help you identify phishing emails, ITS has collected recent examples at the Phish Bowl.
New Library Services Platform
In late June 2024, the Libraries will upgrade to a new, cloud-based library services platform. The Libraries’ current user search interface will be replaced with a newer Library Search. Routine processing of requests for new books, videos or other resources for the collection will be on hold from Monday, April 1, through Thursday, Aug. 1. More information is available on the Libraries 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.
Use Concise Alt Text to Convey Image Purpose
Adding alternative text descriptions (alt text) to images in your documents, emails and websites is a must for accessibility. But what should you include in your alt text? Avoid extraneous details and instead use concise language that conveys the purpose of the image. For example, “Syracuse University mascot Otto the Orange works on a laptop in the ITS Service Center” is appropriate alt text for the featured image of this post. Do not begin your alt text with phrases such as “a photo of” or “a picture of.” Finally, check any AI-generated alt text for accuracy. Visit Creating Accessible MS Word Documents to learn more about alt text for images or stop by our ITS Digital Accessibility Office Hours.
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!