Technology news for UMD faculty, staff and students
Oracle Java 6 update 45 will be available as an optional installer for UMD AD/SCCM clients on 5/1/2013.
If you require Java 6, you should install this update if at all possible. Java 6 is "officially" out of support, but the vendor has continued to release public updates to fix security problems.
Lynda.com online training is now
available at no cost to University of Minnesota students,
faculty, and staff systemwide on all campuses.
Lynda.com is a library of online training videos that provides access to more than 1,700 courses for all skill levels in more than 140 specialties including:
University users will log in using their University Internet ID and password in order to access training videos available on lynda.umn.edu. Lynda.com's vast library is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and contains thousands of professional-grade Windows and Mac video tutorials, on a vast array of topics from design principles, to web content management systems, to software for printing and much more.
Lynda.com utilizes expert instructors that are experts in their fields, and whose mission is to impart knowledge regarding correct workflow and to teach users how to develop skills required to solve problems. The partnership between the University and the experts at lynda.com allows us to provide a level of professional development and expertise the University alone could not otherwise provide.
Organized by subject software and instructor, lynda.com's content is constantly growing, and is updated weekly and sometimes daily. University users can attend the training they want and need, when and where they want it, with the assurance that the information they receive is the newest and most up-to-date available.
There's even a free iPhone/iPad app to enable users to learn on-the-go is available. As displayed in the screen capture below, simply click on the option for Web Portal Access and type umn.edu. You will be directed to log in with your University credentials.
For further information consult the Office of Information Technology (OIT) training website.
It is the responsibility of all faculty and staff to do their best to secure any private data to which they may have access.
For a definition of private data, consult Examples of Public, Private, and Confidential Information. This includes student information (grades), HR information, credit card information, and protected health information, among others.
Often times breaches are simply a result of human error. Please be aware of the following risks.
If you do become aware of a security breach, please report it immediately to the ITSS Help Desk (helpdesk@d.umn.edu, 8847), Linda Deneen (ldeneen@d.umn.edu, 7588), or directly to abuse@umn.edu. Please be aware of this policy, Reporting and Notifying Individuals of Security Breaches.
If you have any questions regarding current or future storage of private data, please don't hesitate to ask for recommendations.
We are pleased to announce the addition of a new ITSS staff member. Aaron Richner will be joining our staff on May 6.
Aaron will be working on web development and programming projects. He currently provides web development support at The College of St.Scholastica, where he has been employed since 2009. Previously, he worked at The Fray Magazine, The Sportsman's Guide, and Advanstar/Questex Media Group.
Please join me in welcoming Aaron to UMD.
In the video, IT Accessibility: What Campus Leaders Have to Say, university presidents, chief information officers, and other information technology (IT) leaders speak to the worth of accessibility. Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in education and ensuring campus technology is accessible to everyone who needs it before it is adopted are key takeaways.
A transcript of the video Accessibility: What Campus Leaders Have to Say is available. It was produced by the AccessComputing project, run by the department of computer science and engineering and the Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology Center at the University of Washington, the video with funds from the National Science Foundation.
In May 2003 Microsoft announced their discontinuance of support for their Windows 98 and NT4 operating systems. ITSS recommended that all workstations using the Windows 98 or NT4 operating systems be upgraded to a more recent version of a Windows operating system.
The ITSS Desktop Team improves planning and delivery of desktop support services for UMD faculty, staff and students, helping them to be successful and independent in their work with electronic information and computing applications.
From July 1 through December 31, 2012, the ITSS Desktop Team resolved 1300 requests for assistance, which came in through the ITSS Help Desk.
The following software packages will be deployed to AD/SCCM clients starting at 4pm today (4/10/13). These address level 1 security vulnerabilities.
Library 410 seamlessly combines all aspects of a modern active learning classroom with state-of-the-art video conferencing capabilities. The room is designed to cultivate local active learning punctuated by faculty facilitation across distance using highly integrated and automated video conferencing. Features of the room include:
Library 410 is an evolutionary step forward from the SCALE-UP and TEAL active learning classrooms developed at North Carolina State University and MIT, respectively.
The space not only provides active learning (flipped from sage on the stage back to students creating knowledge) but also macro (ITV) and micro (Google Hangout) video conferencing. It is tailored for pharmacy's new active learning curriculum by doing two very difficult things very well and in an integrated way (video conferencing plus active learning). It provides users an intuitive and simple interface plus automation,
Building the room was a collaboration across two University of Minnesota campuses and several units, including Pharmacy, Information Technology Systems and Services, Classroom Technology Services, and Facilities Management. The project was informed by a high degree of needs assessment via Classroom Technology Services. Local partners included Facilities Management, ITSS, Pharmacy ND. Our broader collaborators included Classroom Technical Services, Office of Information Technology, EPA Audio Visual (vendor).
All project requirements were met at half the cost. In addition we:
A virtual tour displays Library 410 from 360 degrees. This panoramic shows that the room has seven tables/pods, four of which are on the west side and three of which are on the east side. The tables are elongated semicircular in shape with one flat side flush against the wall. Mounted on the wall at each pod are two large flat-screen displays stacked vertically. Each table seats nine people. On the tables are: microphones, keypads, and cables. The instructor's station is in the middle of the room. Accessible Library 410 still photographs of this virtual tour from eight key angles are available at:
Additional photographs include:
The Hub is a great place! Just ask the students and faculty of the 116 classes that used the Hub last semester for tours and tutorials. This number represents a growth of twenty-six classes up from Fall 2012. All of the student employees at the Hub are skilled in video and photo production and are available when students need help with their projects.
The Multimedia Hub continues to attract new classes for tours and use of the Hub for video production. Three additional film documentary classes are coming to the Hub this spring and a new requirement for student teachers by the state of Minnesota has 100 more students now requiring video submission of their teaching skills for acceptance to obtain their Minnesota teaching license. Although cameras are in high demand Hub employees are managing to juggle reservations so every student can film as needed. This could prove to be a challenge when finals draw near.
The Hub has produced some really great videos for various departments. Here are a few now on YouTube:
Check out the Hub today, located in Library 260.
University of Minnesota Campuses
