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

Division of Information Technology (DoIT)
Radford University

Banner Implementations Continue

Throughout March, the Banner project teams continued to refine implementation of the core Banner modules launched recently. Spring 2010 marks the first full semester of operation of the Student, Student Accounting, Housing, Degree Audit, and Human Resources Banner modules and the first semester that the Financial Aid module has been fully integrated with the Student module. The Banner project teams continued designing workflows to automate manual forms and business processes, the first of which is in the testing phase now and more will move into production by June. A product used by the International Education Center for SEVIS tracking and reporting, called fsaAtlas, was also successfully installed and initial training was conducted in March.

Banner, Workflow, and fsaAtlas are part of Project RUDI (Radford University's Database Initiative), a major multi-year project designed to review, replace and enhance the university's administrative information systems. These core systems include undergraduate and graduate admissions, financial aid, registration and records, student housing, advancement and fundraising, financials, budget, and human resources. Together, these systems provide the business processing, data retrieval, reporting and self-service functions critical to providing essential services to faculty, staff, students, prospective students, alumni and the entire university community. The project was launched in January 2007.

DoIT Shares User Tips for Midterm/Final Grade Entry in Banner Student Module

The recent Midterm Grade Entry period resulted in some useful tips offered by Banner users. Banners users are encouraged to share other helpful tips they have learned that might be of value to others by emailing them to jamcnabb@radford.edu. Banner users have offered the following helpful tips recently:

• Remember to check that you have selected the current term. If no rosters come up then it is likely that you have not selected the current term.
• If you select a class and it has no students, you can go back by clicking on the CRN Selection Link.
• If you are displaying a class but have made no changes, you can still use the Save and Change Rosters to switch to a different roster.

Campus Community Benefits From Increased Bandwidth

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) continues to accommodate the growing demand for Internet bandwidth. On March 10, the Internet connection provided through our Multimedia Services Access Point (MSAP) partnership with Virginia Tech was upgraded from 200 megabits per second to 300 megabits per second, providing additional bandwidth to users of the campus wireless network and students in residence halls. We continue to seek out other means of expanding bandwidth for the campus community and to provide further improvements.

Modem Pool Service To Be Discontinued May 15

Since January 1, DoIT reports indicate use of the existing modem pool serving off campus users has fallen to less than 150 users. Hardware support is no longer available for the current modem pool and the university currently pays a monthly charge for the lines associated with the modem pool service. Due to the continuing decrease in demand for this service and the need to devote limited budget funding to critical resources such as the University’s primary Internet connection, we will be eliminating the modem pool service on May 15.

DoIT recommends current modem pool users research their options and begin comparing vendor packages to keep their home Internet service reliable. DoIT has created a web page listing several available options that can be found by visiting the “Internet Service Providers” link available on the CIO web site (http://cio.asp.radford.edu). Service options available in the New River Valley include DSL, cable modems, wireless, and dial up connectivity. For further information, contact Technology Support Services at (540) 831-7500.

DoIT and Facilities Management Team Up To Generate Data Center Energy Savings

DoIT and RU Facilities Management have evaluated the HVAC systems and airflow serving the campus data centers in the interest of increasing efficiency and reducing “wear and tear” on the air conditioning units serving them. Several incremental changes made to the cool air flow to this critical area have resulted in cost savings and operational enhancement as DoIT and Facilities Management can now cool the primary data center with one air conditioner rather than two units.

DoIT Uses Spring Break To Complete Classroom Upgrades.

DoIT’s Electronic Engineering Services (EES) used RU’s recent Spring Break to add new reflective painted screens to Cook Hall room 107 and can now provide sharp HD digital images with two high power projectors producing full 16x9 format pictures to this large multi-purpose room. The picture quality projected in this room will be the new standard for projection systems in the RU classrooms.

A new multimedia package including a high-power video projector with new wall-mounted screen, wall-mounted smart box with a VCR-DVD combo player and an interface for a laptop computer has been installed in rooms 200, 210, and 212 in Powell Hall. When not in use, these units can be folded up behind the VCR/DVD door and the unit disappears. Room 209 in Powell Hall now has a “projector on a stick,” a unique arrangement that will provide the Jewelry Lab high-quality video presentations without taking up valuable work space.

Utilizing Outlook and Entourage from Off Campus without the VPN

Users who only utilize the campus VPN to access email via Outlook or Entourage can configure their computers so that the VPN is not required. Windows users should refer to the document titled “Check RU Email in Outlook without the VPN”. Macintosh users should refer to the document titled “Check RU Email in Entourage without the VPN”. These documents are available by clicking on the “Technology Support Services” link from the CIO Web Site and then clicking on the Knowledge Base link.

Meet the DoIT Staff

Carrie Silliman, Manager,
Data Warehouse & Reporting

How long have you been employed in the Division of Information Technology at Radford University? I just joined RU from SunGard Higher Education’s Customization Services Practice after 18 years working with multiple schools.

Family: My family consists of me and ‘my babies’ or my four cats,: my wonderful and deaf tabby 16-year-old, Sebastian; my skinny 15-year-old white princess, Gabrielle; the buff and beautiful long-haired boy, Dakota, and his reversible (black on top and grey under coat) brother, Tazzer.

Hometown: Born in Independence, Mo., and am scouring the market for a New River Valley home and as I relocate from Dumfries, Va.

Interests/Hobbies: I am a computer geek at heart, but do cross stitching and always enjoy time spent with my feline family and friends.

Favorite Vacation Destination:
The beach! I have an oceanfront timeshare in Virginia Beach, Va and am blessed to have parents with a timeshare on the Grand Bahamas at which I enjoy spending time in the Fall.

Favorite part of your job:
Collaborating with the RU community to make the Banner data work for them.