Information Technology

October 2010

MyRU


RU Home
DoIT Web Site
Technology Support
IT Policies & Procedures
DoIT News
DoIT News Archives

Division of Information Technology
P.O. Box 6888
Radford, VA 24142
Phone: 540-831-5173
Fax: (540) 831-6217
Email: cio@radford.edu


DoIT Logo

Division of Information Technology (DoIT)
Radford University

DoIT Receives Governor's Technology Award Honorable Mention

Danny KempThe Division of Information Technology (DoIT) was recently recognized with a 2010 Governor's Technology Award Honorable Mention in the Innovation in Higher Education category. Radford University was honored for their collaborative work with Virginia Tech and New River Community College on a Multimedia Services Access Point (MSAP). The project serves as a high-speed network connection point that allows the three institutions to share network resources, including Internet bandwidth and connectivity options, while reducing overall costs.

The award was presented by Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey on behalf of Governor Bob McDonnell during a ceremony at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in Richmond. Now in its 13th year, the Governor's Technology Awards program honors outstanding achievements and recognizes innovative technology initiatives in the public sector throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In the photo left to right are: Bolling; Hudnall R. Croasdale Jr., Virginia Tech’s director of IT strategic partnerships; Danny Kemp, Radford University’s vice president for information technology; and Duffey.


DoIT Introduces a New Copier Program

To more efficiently manage campus copy, print, scan and fax needs, Radford University and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) have partnered with Virginia Business Systems (VBS) to provide multi-function devices. This partnership is based on a Virginia Tech contract and allows RU to leverage the copy/print volume of both university communities and keep pricing low.

The program will allow departments to replace their existing university-owned or leased equipment with Konica Minolta “Bizhub” machines. The “Bizhub” machines are color, multi-function devices (MFD) with copy, print, scan and fax capabilities. In many offices, these units can be used to replace multiple devices and will provide savings in power consumption and reduce maintenance costs. Other key features on these units are:

  • Scan-to-email capability  
  • Network printing  
  • Duplex copy/print capability  
  • Finisher with stapler  
  • Two or three-hole punch  
  • Copy/print capabilities on up to 140 pound paper  
  • Five paper trays supporting sizes up to 11x18

The program is based on a cost-per-page arrangement, meaning departments only pay for the number of copies or pages each month. The equipment is provided and maintained by VBS at no cost to the department. Departments provide paper and pay for their monthly copy/print volume. This is a more cost-effective model than many current copier lease arrangements where the department's contract for a maximum monthly volume that may or may not be reached.

The program will streamline the billing and invoicing process and eliminate the need for each department to enter separate purchase requests for their unit. RU will receive a monthly invoice from VBS and, after verification, a journal entry will be completed by DoIT against departmental budgets for the cost of their prints. Departments will still be responsible for verifying the ‘Printing and Postage (7121)’ budget category has appropriate funding to cover their monthly print/copy volume.

Service, toner and staples for the MFDs will be coordinated through the Technology Assistance Center (831-7500.) The DoIT support staff will contact VBS as necessary for service calls and provide an on-site technician within four business hours Monday-Friday.

Over the next several months, DoIT will be contacting departments individually to review their current usage and potential savings. For more information, or to schedule a meeting to further discuss this new program, contact John Albano at jmalbano@radford.edu.


Young Hall Operating Hours Extended for Students

In response to student requests for a quiet place to study late at night and to accommodate varying student schedules and study habits, Young Hall’s operating hours have been extended. The new schedule for Young Hall is as follows:

  • Open Sunday at 10 p.m. and it will remain open all day and all night until 10 p.m. on Friday.
  • Saturday hours will be 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Please note that card access will be required during the hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Only the front and back doors on the first floor of Young Hall will be accessible. Technical support staff will also be available during these hours.


Banner 8 Upgrade

The Banner 8 upgrade will take place Nov. 19 -23 to accommodate the release of new, major versions of Banner that deliver functional and technical improvements which typically occur every 18-24 months. These mandatory upgrades are installed to retain vendor support and to remain in compliance with Federal regulations such as financial aid and tax laws.
The Banner 8 upgrade timeline is:

Fri., Nov. 19, 5 p.m. – DoIT will bring the Banner systems down for conversion. A complete list of impacted services will be published by DoIT at the end of October.

Sat., Nov. 20 – Sunday, Nov. 21 – DoIT performs system upgrade and conducts initial testing.

Mon., Nov. 22 – Assigned users perform Client Acceptance Testing.

Tue., Nov. 23, 8 a.m. – All Banner services restored.


October is National CyberSecurity Month

To commemorate National CyberSecurity Month, DoIT offers these tips to help you stay safe and protect your privacy while online:

  1. Apply Security Updates
    In addition to software updates such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Flash Player and Java, it is important to keep mobile devices up-to-date. For example, Apple routinely releases security updates for iPhones, iPads and iPods. Using these devices without applying these important security updates may put privacy and data at risk, especially when these devices are used to browse the web or check email online.
     
  2. Strong Password Do’s and Don’ts

    Don’t . . .

    Use passwords based on dictionary words (Soccer123).

    Use passwords based on common keyboard patterns (Qwerty123).

    Use passwords based on English language patterns (KugTob123).

    Use passwords with numbers appended or prepended (Letmein123 or 123Letmein).

    Do . . .

    Use passwords that are random and commit them to memory (d8g2ooT5).

    Use password cards to help you recall difficult passwords (http://www.passwordcard.org).

    Use passphrases if the sites you visit can use them (Bob’s Big Blue Dog!)
     

  3. Be Cautious on Social Networks
    Social networks provide value and enjoyment to many people, but it’s important to protect privacy when using them. Be aware that advertisers are the primary paying customers of Google, FaceBook and Twitter and the advertisers seek access to your data. Once photos or messages are posted on these sites, they can’t be taken back. Court cases involving deleted data have shown that even it can be recovered.
    Be advised as well that many employers review these sites for questionable content as part of the hiring process.
    Finally, many of the social networking companies are privately-held and are unregulated so their privacy policies should be carefully reviewed with each change.
     
  4. Regularly Backup Important Files
    It is extremely important to make regular backups of important documents such as term papers and notes collected during research. Some good practices are:
    • Files should be copied to an USB drive
    • Files should be emailed as an attachment to a trusted friend
    • Copies should be stored on university-provided personal network share
    • Copies should be occasionally burned to a CD

Check Your Browser Configuration to Enhance WebCT (Blackboard) Usage

In order to utilize all of the features and functionality of WebCT, it is important that the user’s browser be configured properly. Many WebCT (Blackboard) support calls are related to improper browser configurations.

WebCT includes a built-in tool to help verify the browser is configured properly. It can be found by clicking on the “Check Browser” link at the top right of the “My Blackboard” screen. The general settings required for all browsers are:
  • Cookies: Enabled
  • Javascript: Enabled
  • Pop-Ups allowed from webct6.radford.edu
  • Java Runtime Environment: Installed

In addition to these settings, users of Internet Explorer may also need to update the setting to automatically prompt for file downloads. Instructions on changing this setting are available in this knowledge base article. If problems with Internet Explorer persist after making this change, webct6.radford.edu should be added as a trusted site. Instructions for making this change are available via this knowledge base article.

Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 3.6 and Safari 4 are the latest browsers certified to work with WebCT. For more information and help, click here.

After several semesters, faculty often find that the list of courses displayed in the ‘Course List’ channel on the My Blackboard page is lengthy. The length of this course list also has a large impact on the speed with which this page loads. Hiding older and unneeded courses will decrease the load time for this page. To hide courses:

  • Log into WebCT (Blackboard)
  • Click on the pencil icon to the right the “Course List” title on the My Blackboard page
  • For each course, update the visibility to “Hide” old and unneeded classes.

Meet the DoIT Staff

Lisa BlackwellLisa Blackwell
Team Lead - Finance

Education
M.S., Business and Information Technology, Virginia Tech
B.S.,Career and Technical Education, Virginia Tech

How long have you been employed in the Division of Information Technology at Radford University?
One year. Oct. 12 will be my anniversary.

Family:
My husband Joe, a realtor in Floyd County, and our daughter Casey who is a junior at Yale University.

Hometown:
I was raised in Blacksburg, but I’ve lived in Floyd County now for over half my life.

Interests/Hobbies:
Taking care of my family, reading, playing the piano and playing with our little Chihuahua, Mickey.

Favorite Vacation Destination:
The beach… any beach.

Favorite part of your job:
Working with DoIT's talented group of functional and technical staff who are always appreciative and supportive.