Introducing Altiris: A New IT Asset Management System for University-Owned computers

In 2004, the University adopted its Information Technology Strategic Plan (http://www.muohio.edu/itplan). Two of the goals of this plan committed us to:

• Providing faculty, staff, and students with the support they need, and
• Planning and managing information technology as a strategic asset.

MU Wireless Enhancements Continue

MU Wireless, the wireless service offered on all Miami campuses, continues to improve as the technology matures and IT Services learns better methods to support this new technology. Following are recent developments in the MU Wireless arena.

New E-mail Server Process Verifies Miami E-mail Addresses Before Sending Messages

You may notice a slight change in e-mail behavior due to a new process implemented in Miami's e-mail environment on Nov. 14. When you send an e-mail that includes one or more individuals with an "@muohio.edu" address in the TO:, CC: or BCC: lines, the address(es) will be checked against Miami's user directory to ensure that the e-mail address is valid.

Are You Broadcasting Your MUnet password?

If you use a desktop e-mail application (like Eudora, Outlook, Outlook Express, Mac OS X Mail, etc.) or PDA device (like a Palm, Treo, Blackberry, etc.) to check e-mail and haven’t adjusted it to use SSL, you could be broadcasting your MUnet password!

UNIXGen Upgrade Planned for December 29 - 31

UNIXGen, Miami's general purpose instructional and research computing platform for students, faculty and staff, will be moved to new, more powerful hardware over winter break. The upgrade is scheduled to occur from December 29 at 7:00 pm to December 31 at 8:00 am. UNIXGen will be unavailable during this time.

New Student Computing Initiatives

One of the strategic goals in the Miami IT Strategic Plan adopted in 2004 is to "Empower Learning and Research".  To this end, Miami is exploring a number of new student computing initiatives to better support student learning, namely a student technology fee (which would be used to fund additional student computing initiatives) and a student laptop program. Following are updates on these initiatives.

New Senior Director of Computing & Communication Services

IT Services is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2006, Mr. Timothy Pierson will be assuming the position of Senior Director of Computing and Communications Services.

New Director of IT Customer Relations and Communications

Cathy McVey has been appointed Director of IT Customer Relations and Communications.  Currently holding the position of Senior Manager, IT Communications, Cathy brings to her new position experience in graphic design/development, arts administration, college-level teaching, audience analysis, marketing and personnel management. 

New Assistant Director for Campus Partnerships

Support Services and Campus Partnerships (SSCP) is pleased to announce that the position of Assistant Director for Campus Partnerships has been filled by Micah Cooper, effective November 28th.

Upgrade to Banner 7 Scheduled for May 2006

A project is underway to upgrade Miami's SCT Banner system to Banner 7 in May 2006.  The Banner 7 upgrade utilizes web page technology for ease of navigation with a more up-to-date look and feel. With the Banner 7 upgrade, BannerWeb will also have a new, more colorful appearance.

Annual Renewal of the IT Strategic Plan Continues…  

Lively discussions about the current state of technology at Miami took place in open forums held with faculty, staff, and students during October. Participants also shared their views on future technologies and potential new technology programs, such as a voluntary laptop program and a technology fee. 

Security Q&A on MU Wireless and MUnet Password Changes

Why can’t I . . .? Why do I have to . . .? Sometimes the reason why a specific network rule is in place, and the fact that security concerns are behind it, is not readily obvious. IT Services presents answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the new MU Wireless service and MUnet password changes.

Technology Tips from Students for Students
aka “If only I’d known then . . .”

With the time for finals and end of semester projects fast approaching, the last thing you want is an unexpected computer glitch to threaten your work. Below are a few more tips from students who’ve learned the hard way what to do and what not to do to protect their computers and their work!

Customizing myMiami to Make it Yours

You probably keep your winter coat pretty close to your door once cold weather hits so you can grab it on your way out. Why not take a few minutes to make sure the things you use in myMiami are right where you want them?

Web-based Training Open Sessions to Continue through June, 2006

IT Services will continue to offer Open Sessions for Miami’s web-based training options through June, 2006.

These sessions allow faculty, staff and students the opportunity to get basic training on using the two web-based training tools available at Miami. The sessions also give members of the university a place to complete web-based training courses, using either Macintosh or Windows machines.

Need to Learn a Software Application? Web-based Training May Be For You

Here is the scenario: You have a final project due in a few weeks that involves a class presentation. You want to use Microsoft PowerPoint, but don’t have a clue how to use it. What do you do?