ITS News 2010 - 2011

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May ITS News Flash

  Posted: May 2nd 2011

Final Exam Schedule

Finals are right around the corner!  Find out where and when your finals are through two available methods:

Whether you are on the run or online, easily view your Final Exam date, location, and time!
 

The iPad Challenge

With more members of the Pace community utilizing iPads, it is important to see how this technology is being used.  This challenge was designed to encourage all iPad users to explore the capabilities of this unique device.  As we discover the possibilities and limitations of the new technology, this challenge will help the community share our experiences and learn from one another.  Professor Manuela Soares is the first among us to accept the iPad challenge and you can view her posts on the iPad blog: Prof. Manuela Soares – iPad Challenge.  Are you willing to accept the iPad challenge?  If so, then please contact Martina Blackwood at mblackwood@pace.edu. 
 

Wireless: Auto-configuration for Pace_Secure using Pace_Connect

Configuring your device for Pace_Secure has been made simple! 

ITS has made XpressConnect by Cloudpath available to Pace wireless users.  Running XpressConnect is a one-time process and provides automatic configuration of wireless devices that connect to the Pace_Secure network.   Simply connect your device to the Pace_Connect wireless network to begin the auto-configuration process. For more detailed instructions, please visit the System Status Page: Auto-configuration for Pace_Secure Wireless Access.
Please Note:  If you are already configured for Pace_Secure or you are using a Pace-owned machine that is on the domain, you do not have to make any changes. 
 

Blackboard Mobile Learn App

If you haven’t heard BlackBoard Mobile Learn App is here for the following devices on all cellular carriers!

  • Android
  • Blackberry
  • iDevices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad)
  • Palm

For more details, please check out the April 2011's Newsflash: Blackboard Mobile Details.
 

Pace University Help Desk

Pace University Online Help Desk now houses the following departments:

For all Students, Faculty and Staff:

  • ITS
  • Office of Student Assistance (OSA)
  • Facilities Management
  • And now Security!
     

For Faculty and Staff only:

  • Finance
  • HR Benefits

Place your Help Desk requests for any of these areas all from one location: Pace University Help Desk (http://help.pace.edu/). 

 

April ITS News Flash

  Posted: April 6th 2011

What’s new in ITS and technology?

ePortfolio

The Second Annual ePortfolio Spring Contest is officially underway! Winners will receive a $100 gift card and an Excellence in ePortfolio Award at their campus’s ePortfolio Student Showcase:

  • PLV -Wednesday, May 4th
  • NYC-Thursday, May 5th

Visit https://eportfolio.pace.edu for more information and to submit your ePortfolio by Friday, April 22nd!
 

Wireless: Auto-configuration

Wireless simplified! ITS has made XpressConnect by Cloudpath available to Pace wireless users.  Running XpressConnect is a one-time process and provides automatic configuration of wireless devices that connect to the Pace_Secure network.   Simply connect your device to the Pace_Connect wireless network to begin the auto-configuration process. For more detailed instructions, please visit the System Status Page: Auto-configuration for Pace_Secure Wireless Access.

Please Note:  If you are already configured for Pace_Secure or you are using a Pace-owned machine that is on the domain, you do not have to make any changes.


Blackboard Mobile Learn App

You asked and now it’s here!  ITS has worked with Blackboard to provide the Blackboard Mobile Learn App for the following devices on all cellular carriers:

  • Android
  • Blackberry
  • iDevices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad)
  • Palm

Instructors will be able to post Announcements to their courses directly from the mobile app and all users will be able to perform the following:

  • View announcements
  • View and post to discussion board forums
  • Check their grades
  • Read and comment on course blogs and journals
  • Track tasks
  • View their course roster
  • Access any media located in their course
     

How do I download the Blackboard Mobile Learn App?

Instructions on how to download the app on your mobile device can be found by following the instructions below.

For Android, iDevices (iPhone/iPod/iPad), and Palm Phones:

  • Go to Blackboard Mobile Learn
  • Select your device type and the instructions to download are found on the right-hand side under Download Now

Once downloaded on your device, follow the instructions to install the App.  After installation:

  • Search for Pace University and select it
  • Enter your MyPace Portal Username and Password and click Login

For Blackberry Phones:

  • Go to Blackboard Mobile Learn (You can also search the Blackboard Mobile Learn application within Blackberry App World)

Once downloaded on your device, follow the instructions to install the App.  After installation:

  • Search for Pace University and select it
  • Enter your MyPace Portal Username and Password and click Login

Note: Please make sure you have downloaded the correct platform for your device: Supported Devices and Requirements for Blackberries.

If there are any issues or questions, please contact the ITS Help Desk at (914) 773-3648 (itshelpdesk@pace.edu) or online at http://help.pace.edu.
 

New Versions of Internet Browsers

ITS advises users NOTto upgrade to the new versions of Internet Explorer (IE) 9 and Mozilla Firefox 4 that were recently released, as we have not yet certified that all University systems are compatible.   We will notify users when an upgrade is recommended. 
 

Microsoft Lync

Communication at its best!  On Monday, April 11th, ITS will enable Microsoft Lync for Pace University faculty and staff. 

What is Microsoft Lync?

Microsoft Lync provides integrated audio, video and web conferencing as well as business class instant messaging with real time presence information.   Lync has been piloted by ITS and select university adopters and has greatly improved communication and collaboration.  The feature rich conferencing platform provides Webex-like functionality, with the ease and convenience of Microsoft Outlook based scheduling.

How do I download Microsoft Lync?

ITS will deploy the Lync Client through automated remote installation to all university owned Windows workstations the week of April 11th.  In addition, the Lync Client will be downloadable on Monday, April 11th from the Apps, Downloads and Account Management site (ADAM site) for deployment on any of your personal workstations.  You can also utilize the basic instant messaging features immediately without the use of a client install within Outlook Web App (http://email.pace.edu). 

Please Note:

  • If you are a Mac user, Lync functionality is provided through Microsoft Communicator, which is available as part of Office 2011 for the Mac or through a separate installation (both available on the ADAM site)
  • If you plan to make use of the Lync audio and video conferencing capabilities you will require a USB headset/webcam combination or a webcam with integrated microphone.  To receive a quote for these items, please submit a Help Desk ticket by visiting the Pace University Help Desk.

Note: Microsoft Lync is not yet available to students.  They can join meetings as guests, but cannot host their own meeting or make use of the instant messaging platform at this time. 

Please visit our Microsoft Lync support site for details, documentation, training videos or to register for instructor-led training provided by Microsoft: Microsoft Lync Training.  
 

Pace University Help Desk

Pace University Online Help Desk now houses the following departments:

For all Students, Faculty and Staff:

  • ITS
  • Office of Student Assistance (OSA)
  • Facilities Management

For Faculty and Staff only:

  • Finance
  • and now HR Benefits! 

Place your Help Desk requests for any of these areas all from one location: Pace University Help Desk (http://help.pace.edu). 
  

March ITS News Flash

  Posted: March 1st 2011

Blackboard
Blackboard has recently launched a Blackboard analytics solution for data analytics in education.  This development will offer institutions the ability to make better use of data to assist in making important decisions.  To read the press release, please click on the following link: Blackboard Analytics.

Video Conferencing
Using state of the art video conferencing technology, Pace was able to connect to members in Darfur through United Nations and Movi connections.  Students from Law 602A – Externship Environmental Diplomacy Practice were able to speak with Ambassador Robert Van Lierop, Member of the UNAMID Advisory Board on Justice, Accountability, Truth and Reconciliation.

Mobile Beta Webpage
If you haven’t heard of our recent development of Pace University’s Mobile Beta Webpage, take a second to check it out! You can access this webpage on the web or on your web-enabled mobile device.  Go to http://m.pace.edu and check out one of the newest additions - Room Directory Lookup.  This utility is a Beta product and a work in progress which is subject to upgrades as we receive user feedback and additional data.  For more information, please click on the following: ITS News – Mobile Beta Webpage. Please note: This mobile webpage is currently available for most web-enabled mobile devices (such as iPhones, Droids, iPads, and newer Blackberry models).

New Content Management System Launch: Drupal 
The University’s new Content Management System (CMS), Drupal, will be launched at 10:00PM on Tuesday, March 1st!  Visitors to Pace’s homepage will notice a new look and feel as well as a decrease in loading time for pages off of www.pace.edu.  Also, webpage administrators will have access to a robust and secure platform from which they can manage all of their content.  For webmasters who have not yet attended training, would like more assistance, and/or are experiencing any issues after the launch date, please contact the ITS Help Desks at (914) 773-3648 (itshelpdesk@pace.edu) or online at http://help.pace.edu.

Pace Information Center (University 311)
The Pace Information Center (PIC), formerly known as the University Switchboard, has transitioned from routing calls to answering callers’ questions or facilitating requests for service for any area of the University.  The Information Center will be a one-stop service center for all members of the Pace community – including guests of the university, potential students and their families, or anyone else contacting the PIC.  When calling PIC (from an external line), callers will go directly to either a live staff member or an announcement indicating to hold for the next available agent.  Staff members will do their best to answer the question or find the individual/department with the expertise to assist the caller.  If the staff member is unable to answer the caller’s question or is unable to connect them with the appropriate individual/department, they will have the ability to submit an online Help Desk ticket at http://help.pace.edu on behalf of the caller.

University 311 – Pace Information Center can be reached by the following methods:

  • Dial 311 from any on-campus Administrative phone
  • Off Campus Numbers:
    • Pleasantville: (914) 773-3200
    • New York: (212) 346-1200
    • White Plains: (914) 422-4000
    • Briarcliff: (914) 923-2600

If your area has Frequently Asked Questions, please send them to Maureen Doddy at mdoddy@pace.edu.

ePortfolio
Beth Klingner, Executive Director for Academic Technology and Samantha Egan, Academic Technology Assistant are participating in the Publishing department’s Faculty Brown Bag Luncheon in April.  They will be working with faculty on how to utilize the tools in ePortfolio for the classroom.  If you are still wondering what ePortfolio is all about, contact Samantha Egan at segan@pace.edu for more information or to set up a similar session for your department.  

  • Faculty: Find ways to maximize your ePortfolios and encourage your students to participate! 
  • Students: Get ahead of the game and set up your ePortfolio at http://eportfolio.pace.edu!  

ITS Help Desk Additional Hours
To better serve our users, we have added additional hours on Sunday nights from 6:00pm-10:00pm.  We will have a representative based in the Library during this time frame.  Feel free to give us a call or stop by if you need assistance!  For more information, please go to: ITS Help Desk.
 

February ITS News Flash

  Posted: February 4th 2011
  • New ePortfolio Template
    The new ePortfolio template has made its debut on https://eportfolio.pace.edu!  Designed by Pace University CVM AmeriCorps intern, NJ Abang, students now have a sleeker, cleaner, Pace-branded space to showcase their achievements in and out of the classroom. Though all buttons and functions are the same, new tutorials will soon be posted on http://www.pace.edu/eportfolio to reflect the new look.
  • Wireless Access Points
    Additional access points for Administrative locations and high traffic areas were recently added to the following locations:
    • Pleasantville: Costello House, Mortola, Goldstein Academics, and Choate House
    • New York: 4th Floor Lubin at 1 Pace Plaza

In addition, upgrades to specific access points were made in Mortola and Birnbaum Libraries.

  • Listserv Upgrade
    For those who utilize Listservs, we have successfully upgraded to a new and improved web interface!  Users no longer need to set up separate accounts and passwords to manage all of their lists.  It can all be done through a single, simple and easy interface.  In addition, there is no need to access VPN prior to accessing list.pace.edu!  To view the new interface for your Listserv, please visit https://list.pace.edu.   For documentation to help you managed your Listserv(s), please see our Self Help Guides site.  You will find Managing ListServs through a Web Interface under the Special Topics section at the bottom.
     
  • Apple iOS Developer Enrollment
    We are pleased to announce that ITS has enrolled Pace University in the Apple iOS developer plan. The outline of the program can be found here, http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/.  The program will allow us to develop, test and distribute apps for all Apple mobile devices through the App store. If you know of other people, staff or faculty needing access to the developer program please let us know and we will add them to the group, this can be used in a classroom environment as well!

In addition to the above program we are also enrolled in the Apple Volume Purchase Program, the details for the program can be found here:  http://www.apple.com/itunes/education/.  This program will allow us to purchase and distribute Apps in bulk at discounted pricing to staff, faculty and students. Please send your App requests to the ITS Help Desk e-mail account (itshelpdesk@pace.edu).  

How do I participate?

  1. The applications (apps) must be purchased in blocks of ten or twenty so the more people interested in an app the better.
  2. Once we have purchased the apps, ITS can email a redemption code to download and install the app on your departmental device. At this time the purchase requires a journal form voucher to be processed for the purchase, it is attached above and I will assist you in filling it out if needed.

If you have an app that you are interested in for use within the campus environment, please e-mail the ITS Help Desk at itshelpdesk@pace.edu and see if the app can be purchased under the program.  Why pay full price when we can easily get a discount? (The more users requesting the app the greater the possibility is to purchase it at the discounted pricing.)

  • ITS Help Desk Extended Hours
    To better serve our users, we have extended our services to Sunday nights from 6:00pm-10:00pm.  We will have a representative based in the Library during this time frame.  Feel free to give us a call or stop by if you need assistance!

ITS News Flash

  Posted: January 27th 2011
As we embark on the Spring semester, ITS would like to share some exciting accomplishments of the past couple of months. 
 
1.       North East Regional NERCOMP Conference
Excitingly, staff from ITS gave two presentations at the NERCOMP Conference.  Both events garnered many attendees who were captivated by their accomplishments with iStrategy and Windows 7 Imaging.  
 
 
To learn how our staff accomplished Windows 7 Imaging using VMware Workstations, check out videos of the presentations above!
 
2.       iStrategy
This is a new application that assists departments in retrieving useful and easy-to-read information from our Banner system.  This data can be greatly valuable when performing analysis in various areas such as Admission, Enrollment, School statistics, and much more.  For more details, please visit the following site: What is iStrategy?  You can also check out the presentation slide from the NERCOMP Conference by clicking on the above link.
 
3.       Learning to use an iPad
Initiatives for Faculty and Staff to learn more about their iPads have begun with the partnership of CTLT and Dyson College.  These sessions not only serve to help familiarize individuals with their iPads but also various Apps and configuration settings tools that will hopefully enhance the ways we learn and teach!
 
4.       Free Business Directory Listing Information from Your Pace Office Phone
Did you know you can get free business directory listing information and be connected from your Pace office phone simply by dialing 411?  Dialing 411 from your office phone will connect you to Bing’s free 411 interactive voice services.  You can also use this free service for directions, traffic conditions, weather reports and more.
 
5.       Pace Online Help Desk
Pace University Online Help Desk now houses the following departments: ITS, Finance, Office of Student Assistance (OSA), and now Facilities Management!  Place your help desk requests for any of these areas all from one location: http://help.pace.edu. 
 
6.       Guest Wireless Account
ITS was able to present a brand new, streamlined, self-service system for students, faculty, and staff to generate guest accounts for the wireless/wired network back in October. 
 
Students, faculty, and staff sponsors can create guest accounts by clicking here or from Account Services on the ITS homepage and then selecting Guest Accounts/Request an Account (standard guest accounts will expire after 7 days).  A sponsor can request accounts for people who do not normally have accounts at Pace University.  To get started, a sponsor will log in (if you don’t see a link to log in, then you are already logged in) with their MyPace Username and Password. From there, a sponsor can either request a new account, or make changes to accounts that have already been requested.  Within one hour of submitting a request for a guest account, the sponsor will receive an e-mail with a temporary username and password for accessing the Pace network.  Guests will need to use these credentials for changing the temporary password to something more manageable, via adam.pace.edu and clicking on Password Change.
 
Please note: Faculty and staff can use the self-service system to create multiple/bulk guest accounts as well as obtain additional IT services (i.e. Blackboard, e-mail, Banner, etc.).  Also, for security purposes, users must close out of all open browsers to complete the sign out process.
 
We welcome everyone back and wish you all a terrific Spring semester!
 

New Systems, Upgrades, and Announcements

 Posted: January 4th 2011
ITS would like to announce some upcoming enhancements that are coming for this Spring.
 
System Enhancements and Administrative Wireless
ITS will be upgrading the Listserv and Faxserv servers which will bring improvements to the back-end of both systems.  The Listserv upgrade will provide users with a much more user-friendly interface. Additionally, there will also be modifications made to Outlook Web App (email.pace.edu).  The enhancements will provide options to add themes, publish your calendars to the internet, change expired password, and also allow for users to select mail items using new checkboxes in the mail item list.  The Spring semester will also begin the process of installing wireless services to Administrative locations on campus that were surveyed in the Fall semester.
 
New Content Management System
A new web content management system, Drupal, is being implemented this Spring.  This system will replace our current and previously existing systems, Hot Banana and Empower.  University Relations, HR, and ITS will be working together to provide training beginning with the Webmasters on January 11th.
 
Mobile Beta Webpage
A new mobile beta webpage (http://m.pace.edu) has been created to provide the community with access to the Bus and Final schedules.  This mobile webpage is currently available for iPhones, Droids, and iPads.  We are in the process of setting it up to run on the Blackberry phones as well.  In addition, this utility is a Beta product and a work in progress which is subject to upgrades as we receive user feedback and additional data. For more information, please click on the following: ITS News - Mobile Beta Webpage.
 
Color Copier for NY Campus
A new multi-function color printer/copier has been added to the NY Document Services department where low/medium full color prints and duplication jobs can now be fulfilled. You can access this new service at the 41 Park Row, B-Level Copy Center.  For details on electronic job submissions and additional services, please visit the following link: Document Services.
 
For additional details/updates please visit our System Status page - http://systemstatus.blogs.pace.edu.  
If there are any issues or concerns, please report them to the ITS Help Desk at (914) 773-3648 (ithelpdesk@pace.edu) or online at help.pace.edu
 

Mobile Beta Webpage for Final Exams and Bus Schedules

 Posted: December 18th 2010

ITS is pleased to offer an easy-to-use mobile web page for final exam and bus schedules that can be accessed on mobile devices that have internet capability. To access the Final Exam Schedule and/or Bus Schedule mobile web page from your phone, please go to http://m.pace.edu. 

Please Note: This mobile web page is currently available for iPhones, Droids, and iPads. We are in the process of setting it up to run on the Blackberry phones as well. In addition, this utility is a Beta product and a work in progress which is subject to upgrades as we receive user feedback and additional data.

Final Exam Schedule
By selecting Final Exam Schedule, this mobile web page provides Students and Faculty the ability to search for their Final Exam by Course Subject and Course Number (CRN).

Please Note: All posted exam dates are subject to change; students need to speak with their Instructor for the most up-to-date final exam date, time and room location. All courses not listed (such as online courses, off campus courses and special courses) should confirm exam information with the Instructor.

Bus Schedule
By selecting Bus Schedule, this mobile web page provides users with the bus schedule for the current Fall semester. This schedule currently is limited to specific routes – more routes will continue to be added as we progress.

If there are any questions, please contact the ITS Help Desk at (914) 773-3648 (itshelpdesk@pace.edu).
 

 Click on the following to view 2010 ITS News Updates