September 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

Faculty, staff email migration coming in September, October

Starting Sept. 19, DoIT will begin migrating faculty and staff email to Office 365, the same system used by students and alumni.

After the migration, faculty and staff will continue to access their Office 365 email, calendars, address books and tasks through Outlook, the MyRU portal, smartphones and tablets just as they do today. The new system will provide larger mailboxes, larger attachments, an enhanced web interface and add support for the outlook app on smartphones.

DoIT will migrate departments as a group Monday-Thursday each week allowing support staff to focus support efforts during the migration. DoIT solicited feedback and developed a phased timeline to help minimize the impact on university business. The Division of Information Technology staff and Admissions were migrated over the summer to help test and streamline the process.

While we expect the upgrade to be seamless for most users, DoIT will have staff dedicated during the upgrade to ensure that support resources are available to work with users to resolve any problems. You will continue to access your email and calendar through the Outlook client on desktops and laptops, the MyRU portal and through syncing on your tablet or smartphone. Your mailbox will have 100 GB of storage compared to the current 2 GB default storage quota! Below are answers to several common questions:

When will my account be migrated?
We will begin migrating departments Sept.19. You will receive multiple emails identifying the exact date your mailbox will move to Office 365. A more detailed schedule can be found below this article.

Do I need to do anything?
Your mailbox will automatically be migrated on your scheduled date. You do not need to take any action, click any links or login to complete the process. Outlook, iPhones, iPads and most Android devices will automatically redirect their connection and begin using Office 365 once the migration is complete. For other devices, you may need to reconfigure the server connection.

Will I be able to keep my old email?
Yes. All existing email and folders will be migrated to your new expanded mailbox.

Will my email address change?
No. Your email address will stay the same: username@radford.edu

What happens to email sent to me during the migration?
Any email sent during the migration will be queued and delivered to your mailbox as normal.

Will I still be able to check email from a web browser?
Yes. You can continue to use the MyRU portal (link) to access your email. You will notice an enhanced interface with additional functionality once your mailbox is migrated.

Will I be able to check email from my tablet or smartphone?
Yes, the native mail app will continue to work. You may also use the Outlook app once your mailbox has been migrated. For more information, visit the ITOneStop Solutions library at https://www.radford.edu/onestop.

Technology tips for faculty

As we begin a new academic year, the following are some common technology tips.

• Request additional software - DoIT installs campus-licensed software on all computer lab and multimedia classroom machines to eliminate the need of students using a specific lab. DoIT asks faculty to verify that all special software is installed and functional in their classroom and/or computer labs. To have additional software installed, submit a request to the Technology Assistance Center, via ITOneStop https://www.radford.edu/onestop.
• Reserve a computer lab - Walker and other computer labs are available for ad-hoc reservations by faculty. The labs fill up quickly, so we encourage faculty to make reservations early. To make a reservation, log into MyRU, click on the Employee icon and then choose the Reservations for Instructional Classrooms link. Detailed instructions can be found in the ITOneStop IT Solution Library.
  • The general purpose computer space in Walker has been repurposed into science labs. However, other labs in Walker (216 and 221) remain available for reservation.
  • The Young 123 computer lab is available 24/7 during the week for students to use and complete assignments.
• Communicate with students registered in classes - Course email aliases are available for faculty use. The standard format for course aliases is ru-COURSE-SECTION-fall@radford.edu.
• Desire 2 Learn (D2L) 24/7 telephone support - DoIT contracts with Desire 2 Learn (D2L) to provide 24/7 support to Radford faculty and students. Dial 540-831-7500 and select option three on the support menu.
  • D2L new interface, Daylight. Faculty that did not teach over the summer will notice that D2L has had a facelift. The new interface is more responsive and has a cleaner and more intuitive interface. Feedback thus far has been positive. If additional assistance is needed to become familiar with the interface, contact the Technology Assistance Center to schedule a one-on-one consultation session.
• Complete the D2L Start of the Semester Checklist - This resource is one of many helpful articles posted in the ITOneStop Solutions Library, covering many common start-of-semester D2L questions.
• Scantron test drop - off moved to Walker 153
  The Scantron test drop-off and pick-up location is now housed at the Technology Assistance Center in Walker 153. 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.
• Office 2016 download
  Microsoft Office is available as a free download for students, faculty and staff. Visit www.radford.edu/office for more information.

Chrome River travel and expense management system launches in August

Chrome River, Radford University's travel and expense management system, launched in August with a pilot group of departments. The Controller's Office, in partnership with DoIT, has been working diligently on customizing this hosted solution to meet the university's needs.

Chrome River is being implemented with a clear objective: to automate the current paper-based travel request and reimbursement process with a user-friendly system that is intuitive for users.

This system consolidates current processes and resources needed to complete a request or reimbursement, allows for automated approvals and tracking, and includes built-in edit checks to ensure compliance with university and state policy.

“We have received positive feedback from many constituents across campus,” said Stephanie Jennelle, associate vice president for finance and university controller. “We are excited for the launch of this automated solution to campus and to see the efficiencies this system will bring to our current processes.”

Did you move recently? Don't forget to update your directory information

The online directory, Outlook directory and many other campus systems are updated automatically from Banner. If your office has moved to a new location, be sure you update your contact information in Banner. To do this:

• Login to MyRU
• Click on the Personal Info icon
• Under Personal Information, click the “Edit Personal Information”button
• Select Manage My Addresses
• Click the “Update HR address” button

Residential hall wireless access point expansion

Students living in campus residence halls rely heavily on Wi-Fi for their many connected devices.

This summer, approximately 700 additional Wi-Fi access points were added in residence halls, including one in each Muse Hall room, to enhance reliability, coverage and throughput.

DoIT will monitor this environment closely during the fall semester and adjust signal levels to continue improving this critical service.

New video conferencing offerings with Zoom

During the summer, the Department of Voice and Video Technologies transitioned to using Zoom as a web-based video conferencing solution. This replaces the BlueJeans service previously used for video bridging.

The agreement with Zoom includes new functionality with basic user accounts for all faculty, staff and students and 150 pro accounts. Basic Zoom accounts are fully functional, but have a few limits, such as a 40-minute limit for hosting meetings. Faculty or staff that need to host meetings longer than 40 minutes on a regular basis should contact the Technology Assistance Center at 540-831-7500 to request a consultation to discuss a pro account.

To obtain your basic account, go to https://radford.zoom.us and click “sign in.” Your account is created automatically. Users of university-owned computers with MS Windows will find the client software installer in the Software Center. Others will find the Zoom Client for Meetings at https://radford.zoom.us/download.

Apps for iOS and Android are also available.

After installing the client, click sign in with SSO and enter "Radford" as the domain. Once signed in, you are on your way.

With Zoom, it's easy to conduct online HD video and audio meetings, run on-the-fly or scheduled presentations, share and collaborate on documents, and record computer presentations from anywhere.

Zoom offers many video tutorials and free webinars regarding the use of the product, which can be found at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us.

For questions regarding access to the software, contact the Technology Assistance Center at 540-831-7500. Individual and/or group training is available by request.

Technology training

Academic Technologies offers a number of workshops each month for faculty and staff.

If you need training that is not included on this list 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.

Meet the DoIT Staff

Matthew Thomas
Web Developer/Analyst

How long have you been employed in the Division of Information Technology at Radford University? Since May 12, 2014

Family: Girlfriend of almost five years, two cats, five ferrets and a horse.

Hometown: Cana, VA

Education: B.S. in computer science and technology from Radford University, '15

Interests/Hobbies: Marksmanship, driving, hiking, watching MMA and gaming

Favorite vacation destination: Cabins around Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Favorite part of your job: Working hands-on with new and different technologies. I almost never fail to learn something new each day. Bonus points if I get to then share that knowledge with others.