May 2017

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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
Radford University

Desire 2 Learn (D2L) user interface upgrade/change May 9

Although common workflows will remain the same, you will notice several positive changes when you first dive in.

To help you transition into the new look and feel of the user interface, we have scheduled several one-hour, hands-on sessions. (See D2L: Introduction to the Daylight Experience training schedule in article below.)

Each session will include a look at:

1. The new responsive interface that adapts to different screen sizes.
2. My Course widget updates that include a library of more than 3,000 images that faculty can choose from to customize their course tiles.
3. Grade and Class Progress enhancements.
4. You See U integration, which allows for real-time interaction through online sessions.

Registration for the sessions is encouraged, but not required. To register, visit the ITOneStop website. Additional information sessions will be offered during Our Turn (May 8-12).

To learn more, visit the Daylight page in the Brightspace Community or contact Academic Technologies at acadcomp@radford.edu or 831-7521.

Technology training

Academic Technologies offers a number of workshops each month for faculty and staff. If you need training that is not included on the list below or would like to request a one-on-one, group or custom technology workshop, contact Academic Technologies at 540-831-7521 or acadcomp@radford.edu.

You may also visit the Solution Library at https://www.radford.edu/onestop for a variety of online tutorials, Quick Reference Guides, "how-to" videos and articles to assist you with campus technologies.

Visit our training website to register and see an up-to-date listing of the technology courses offered.

Our Turn workshops in May

Our Turn provides faculty and staff an opportunity to participate in workshops and become a student for a week. DoIT will be offering a number of workshops May 8-11.

• Desire 2 Learn (D2L)
  • D2L – NEW Daylight Experience Interface
    • 5/8  Noon-1:45 p.m.  Young 302
    • 5/10  11-11:50 a.m.  Young 321
    • 5/10  2-2:50 p.m.  Young 321
    • 5/11  9-9:50 a.m.   Young 321
    • 5/11  1-1:50 p.m.  Young 321
  • Utilizing Quizzes
    • 5/10  2:30-4 p.m.  Young 123
  • Diving Deeper
    • 5/8  2-2:50 p.m.  Young 321
• Microsoft Office
  • Excel (Locating and Analyzing Data)
    • 5/8  9-10:30 a.m.  Young 123
  • Introduction to Office 365/OneDrive
    • 5/11  10-10:50 a.m.  Young 123
  • Windows 10
    • 5/10  9-10:50 a.m.  Young 123
• Cognos Reporting Information/FAQ Session
  • 5/11  11-11:50 a.m.  Young 123
• iPad - Beyond e-reader, email and web surfing
  • 5/8  3-3:50 p.m.  Young 321

Visit the Radford University CITL registration site for a complete listing of training opportunities and events at https://rucitl.com/registration.

Duo Two-Factor Authentication

The Division of IT has started a phased project to introduce two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication requires you to use a code in addition to your password to access systems. We are introducing this security control to protect Radford University systems and data from cybersecurity threats that are commonly being exploited through phishing, social engineering and brute-force password attacks. The solution we have chosen (Duo) is widely used at other universities, and can be accessed with a mobile phone.

Security Tip: Summer break computer care

It is recommended that faculty and staff who will be away from campus for the majority of summer should connect their laptops to the VPN at least once a week in order for their computer to automatically update virus definitions and get patches. Java clients, Adobe Flash, and Acrobat are especially vulnerable to exploits when users are web browsing. Contact the Information Security Office at itsecurity@radford.edu if you believe that your computer is compromised.

DoIT System Maintenance May 7 – 11

From May 7 through 11, DoIT will be performing updates to several campus systems. There will be brief outages for a variety of campus systems between 5 a.m. and 6:30am each day. We recommend you power off your computer each evening next week to minimize the impact of changes.

Project management best practice: Define your project with a project charter

The project charter is an important document when managing larger projects. The document describes the project and serves as an agreement between the sponsor and the project manager that will:

• Formally authorize the project
• Document the business need
• Require sponsor approval
• Be a baseline for scope change

This document is prepared by the project manager with direction from the project sponsor. Components of the charter will vary depending on the size and complexity of the project.

All charters should contain a description of the project that includes background information, objectives and a scope definition.

Most charters will also describe:

• Stakeholders
• Roles and responsibilities
• Major deliverables
• High-level timeline
• Assumptions
• Constraints
• Risk factors
• Acceptance criteria

A project charter with these components will serve as a good reference when trying to keep your project team and stakeholders on track.

A new location for Scantron scoring

The Scantron test drop off and pick up location will move to the Technology Assistance Center in Walker 153 on June 5.

Hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. If you need to drop off your tests outside of these hours, a drop box is conveniently located outside Walker Hall on the Tyler Avenue side of the building.

For questions, please contact test scoring at X7522 or walkertc@radford.edu.

Meet the DoIT Staff

Benjamin LaLonde
Help Desk Technician

How long have you been employed in the Division of Information Technology at Radford University? Three years

Family: Father and mother, who live in Colonial Heights; a little brother, who lives in Lynchburg; and a big brother who lives in Berlin, Germany.

Hometown: Colonial Heights, Virginia.

Education: Bachelor's of Science at Radford University.

Interests/Hobbies: Guitar, running, tennis and video games.

Favorite vacation destination:Visiting my big brother in Germany with family, going to visit my mother's family in Wisconsin, and going to the beach.

Favorite part of your job: Getting to know the faculty in the various departments on campus and learning about recent projects and research they have been working on.