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Division of Information Technology
Radford University
DoIT Offers Preparation Suggestions for Departmental Content Migration to CMS
The Radford.edu content migration project is going even better than expected. More than 25 sites are in the process of moving to the new content management system (CMS) and nearly 10 other departments have attended training.
The Department of Information Technology's (DoIT) Office of Web Communications is working to stagger those departments wishing to migrate their content to the CMS. In preparation, interested departments can do the following:
- Select a project manager for your site who will be responsible for managing your department or office's content migration process.
- Identify those individuals who will work on the site and have those people attend training. The next session will be in mid- to late July. Contact webcomm@radford.edu to be added to the list to be notified when the next sessions open. Seating is limited.
- Begin revising your content. Actually moving the content to the CMS is the easiest part. Determining site navigation, editing existing content and writing new content is much more time consuming. This step can be undertaken before attending training.
Watch Radford.edu for more new RU departmental sites. Among the new websites that will be launching this summer are those for the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Radford University Foundation, the Waldron College of Health and Human Services and the College of Science and Technology.
Passwords are Key to IT Security
While DoIT provides many centralized IT security services to protect networks, computers and data, RU still relies on users to be responsible and make good decisions to maintain a secure and productive IT environment. The most important things users can do to maintain IT security are to set a strong password, change it often and never share the password.
No one from the university should ever ask for your password. Should someone who claims to work at RU ask for your password, report the incident immediately to IT Security: https://php.radford.edu/~itsecurity/report/
In addition to using strong passwords it's critical that users have different passwords for different sites. Use of RU passwords for online sites like Facebook or Twitter is unwise - and potentially dangerous. Should one of those sites be compromised, then RU accounts with those passwords could be compromised too.
There are both software applications and manual procedures available that can help manage a user's strong, unique and frequently changed passwords. DoIT suggests the following:
Passwords are the cornerstone of IT Security and your individual decisions help maintain a secure IT environment at RU.
DoIT's Technical Knowledge Base Is a Valuable Resource for RU Users
The Radford University Technical Knowledge Base https://php.radford.edu/~knowledge/lore/ is a great resource. Browse it to become familiar with the university's software systems and get answers to common technical questions. The Knowledge Base has configuration instructions for email and Desire2Learn, among other RU software packages. The Knowledge Base is updated frequently as new systems come online or in response to user questions, which makes it a valuable online resource for information and ways to enhance a user's experience with RU's software.
Banner Tip Searching for Information in Banner INB
Searching or querying is the process of looking to see what information is already in the Banner database. To perform a query, use inquiry forms, query forms and most application forms. The Oracle wildcards % (percent) and _ (underscore) can be used in the search criteria.
- The % represents any number of unspecified characters.
- The _ represents one occurrence of an unspecified character.
For example, to search for someone with a last name that begins with Sm, enter "SM%." To search for someone with the last name of Smith you are not sure if they spell it "Smith" or "Smyth," you would enter "Sm_th."
Microsoft Office Available at RU Bookstore for Students, Faculty and Staff
RU employees as well as students can buy the media for MS Office and MS Windows OS upgrades from the RU Bookstore in Dalton Hall for $12.99 as a result of the university's Microsoft Campus agreement. The RU-Microsoft license agreement allows employees and students to purchase one copy of a particular software title and install it on one personally-owned computer. As newer versions of the software become available from Microsoft, these products may be purchased as well.
The license agreement requires removal of the software if an employee separates from the university or if a student leaves before graduating. On graduation, students may keep any software purchased while a RU student but can no longer buy new software from the bookstore.
RU Bookstore Features Selection of DoIT-approved Lenovo and Apple Computers
University employees and students can shop from a wide selection of Apple and Lenovo computers for personal use at the RU Bookstore in Dalton Hall. The bookstore's computer section has a strong selection of DoIT-recommended models on display to meet the varying needs of RU students and staff at competitive prices. For a listing of available computers and pricing, visit http://images.efollett.com/htmlroot/images/templates/library/1164_computer_pricing.pdf.
While a computer is under the manufacturer's warranty, the RU Technology Assistance Center will facilitate any warranty repairs, provide a loaner computer for the duration of the repair and assist with any data transfer.
The RU Bookstore also offers a complete selection of Apple products such as iPads, iPods and Mac accessories as well as printers, cables and other PC accessories.
DoIT Staff Spotlight
 Chris Meador
Systems Administrator
How long have you been employed in the Division of Information Technology at Radford University?
I have been with RU and in IT for six years.
Family:
My wife, Ami, who also works at RU, and three golden retrievers: Prince, Lance and Lily.
Hometown:
I have always lived in the Salem-Roanoke area.
Interests/Hobbies:
I like to fish on occasion. I love to read most any genre. And I enjoy working with my hands.
Favorite Vacation Destination:
The beach! Any beach will do.
Favorite part of your job:
Having access to the newer technologies and equipment to work with and learn about.
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