West Chester University - Information Services & Technology
Fall 2022 Newsletter
Key Reminders and Best Practices
IS&T tips for returning to campus including additional resources for instructional technologies, classroom technologies, computer labs, software, and hardware to help your semester get off to a great start.
- Activate your course site(s) in D2L
- Best practices for managing your technology inside and out of the classroom
- Catch up on all the new and improved tools and features of D2L, Zoom and Panopto
- Update your RamCast (Mersive Solstice) client
- Update your Zoom Client
- Visit the Classroom Technology Directory to verify equipment in your classroom
- Visit ServiceNow and use the Virtual Agent to search for support articles
- Review how to connect your laptop to a classroom display with HDMI
Help Desk & Support Self-Service Enhancements
The IS&T team is focused on continual improvement of the end-user experience and being good stewards with the campus community. Building on the success of the chatbot we are excited to announce the launch of the NOW Mobile App, Walkup Experience and CISCO Contact Center.
Now Mobile App:
The NOW Mobile App is a great way to browse services and submit incidents to the Help Desk. The app is a culmination of ServiceNow support tools and workflows that make your interactions with the Help Desk as seamless and convenient as possible. Combined with an updated Service Catalog and refined list of Knowledge Base support articles, the Now Mobile app will make it even easier to find answers, get help and submit requests directly from your mobile device.
Key App Details:
- The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play, and easily configured in just three steps.
- Search for technical documentation
- Submit and keep track of incidents
- Browse IT Services
- Review IS&T Notices
- Review Latest Phishing attempts
- Interact with Virtual Agent Chatbot
- Walk-up Experience - remotely check-in at the Help Desk for express service
CISCO Contact Center
The new contact center provides a more robust calling platform at the IS&T Help Desk.
It enables a wider range of staff to address calls simultaneously and uses unique
workflows to automate callbacks to end users. If all lines are busy and automated
workflow allows callers to provide a callback number and
keeps them in queue until an agent is available. The contact center will automatically
call you back at the number you provided.
Key Benefits:
- Auto-callback option for users
- Real-time insights allow IS&T to realign staffing
Technology Access
Student Technology Access
In support of the Moonshot for Equity initiative, Information Services & Technology has partnered with the FHG Library, Academic Success Program, College of Education and Social Work, and the Financial Aid office to develop a variety of short and long-term laptop lending programs. A Student Computing Resources website has been created as a pathway to align students with specific programs that match their needs. The site also includes links to available computer labs, and educational discounts and system requirements for students who may be looking to purchase equipment.
- Learn more by visiting the Student Computing Resources website
Adjunct Faculty Laptops
Provost’s Office, Deans and IS&T have allocated resources to maintain a supply of Windows and MacOS laptops that will now be available for adjunct faculty. The IS&T Help Desk has developed a ServiceNow intake form to streamline the process.
Printing:
In our efforts to support the WCU Strategic Plan around Sustainability, IS&T has partnered
with the Sustainability Office to increase awareness of the Green Office Program and working digitally . The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation through the adoption
of automated workflows and electronic collaboration which has greatly reduced the
need for office printers. Make a difference and join us in the campaign to reduce
the number of printers in your department!
Faculty, staff, and students can print to 30 different RamPrint Multi-Function printers (MFPs) from both university owned computers and personal
devices.
Cybersecurity & Required Awareness Training
Cybercriminals are intensifying their efforts to trick unsuspecting users into scams
to obtain login credentials, install malware, and steal identities or credit card
information. The entire campus community must be on high alert as cyber-attacks evolve
with more sophisticated delivery techniques and targeted campaigns. According to a
report from Inside Higher Ed, 74% of ransomware attacks are successful. Along with regularly updated resources,
such as the IS&T Phish Bowl and topical KB articles, IS&T provides annual security awareness training to comply with U.S. Department
of Education GBLA requirements and mandates recently passed by PASSHE Executive Leadership
Group.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training campaigns will continue to be a cornerstone of the
Cybersecurity Defense Plan for West Chester University, including the utilization
of simulated phishing campaigns. Years of research has shown that simulated security
practices and gamification of cybersecurity topics are some of the most effective
methods to educate users in a higher education organization, particularly with undergrad
users. Annual security awareness training will be provided each Spring through KnowBe4
to faculty and staff, while cybersecurity education for students is actively being
conducted through a D2L Module, Student Cybersecurity Awareness in Navigating Digital Learning.
Understand Cybersecurity Terminology:
Social Engineering: Also known as Phishing, this is when cybercriminals target users by email, telephone or text message by posing as a legitimate institution to trick them into providing personally identifiable information (PII), banking and credit card details, and passwords.
MFA Fatigue Attack: When a cybercriminal peppers a user with MFA access request notifications, with the hope that the user accepts the request in order to stop the barrage of messages. Users should be cognizant of every MFA alert/request they receive, and if an unprompted DUO request is received, they should be reported through the DUO app or to the Help Desk. Further, if a user experiences an MFA Fatigue Attack, they should update their password immediately to something unique and secure.
Ransomware Attack: When a Social Engineering or Phishing attack contains a link which obtains your credentials and installs malicious software on your computer (PC or MAC). Once the malware is installed, it starts to encrypt all data files it can find on the machine itself and on any network shares the user has access to. Next, the files become blocked and the cybercriminal prompts the user or system admin on how to pay the ransom to decrypt the files.
PhishBowl: An IS&T resource which lists the most recent email scams and cyber-attacks.
KnowBe4: A compliance training platform with comprehensive videos and campaigns to meet ELG mandates & GBLA requirements.
Simulated Phishing Exercise: Low-consequence method of exposing users to common email phishing techniques and teach how to spot the common markers of a malicious message, without the negative impact of falling victim to a true malicious phishing campaign.
Instructional & Classroom Technology Updates
The LMS Team has been busy over the summer! Get caught up on all the new and improved tools and features of D2L, Zoom and Panopto. Learn More
- Panopto became the primary video streaming and storage solution on June 30, 2022. Learn more about the status, timeline for these changes, and direction for upcoming and on-demand training, support, and Kaltura migration FAQs.
- All Zoom meetings recorded to the cloud are now automatically saved in a designated “Meeting Recordings” folder in users’ personal folder in Panopto. KB article: Panopto: Access & Organize Zoom Recordings Folder
- We request that all our Zoom users download or delete any old, unused, or redundant Zoom Cloud recordings. KB articles: Zoom: Access, Download, and Delete Recordings and Panopto: Access & Organize Zoom Recordings Folder
Technology Training Opportunities
FAST Schedule
Visit the FAST website to view and register for upcoming training on a wide variety of technology tools, resources, and best practices.
For Faculty and Staff
The Faculty and Staff Training (FAST) unit supports WCU students, faculty, and staff in becoming proficient in various technologies and applications. Sessions are designed to accommodate all levels of learning and allow users to build on acquired skills.
For Students
Each month during the semester, students are invited to attend a “Student Technology Webinar ” and gain more insight and ask questions about using technology available to achieve student success.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps students, faculty, and staff discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led videos designed for in-depth training and just-in-time microlearning. LinkedIn Learning can be accessed anytime, anywhere, from any desktop or mobile device. For more information and to get started visit: https://www.wcupa.edu/linkedInLearning/
Did you know you could schedule a 1:1 with D2L Services, Information Security, Multimedia (Classroom Technology) or Microsoft Office 365? Visit ServiceNow and select Request Services or Equipment, then select (from the Left side Consultation and Training).
Tools for Digital Accessibility
West Chester University is committed to diversity and providing an equitable and inclusive technology environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
ReadSpeaker
ReadSpeaker is a text-to-speech tool in D2L that speaks the content that is written on a page. Comprised of WebReader and DocReader, ReadSpeaker helps users to process information in different ways.
Panopto Captioning
All videos added to Panopto have automatic, machine-generated closed captions. The machine-generated captions are intended to be a base for creating accurate captions with the built-in Panopto editor and also to enable users the ability to search and interact with transcript while watching a video.
Zoom Live Captions & Transcripts
You can turn on the Live Captioning feature to have your audio machine captioned. Zoom also enables you to assign a participant to be a Live Captioner. Attendees can turn on or off the option to view the subtitled captions. If the Zoom meeting is recorded, a transcript will automatically be created for the recording with the ability to download and distribute.
Visit the articles below to learn more about tools for digital accessibility.
- ReadSpeaker in D2L
- Editing captions in Panopto videos
- Zoom captioning and managing live transcriptions in meetings
West Chester University | Information Services & Technology
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