Information Technology

May 2013

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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


IT Security Tip
Lock your computer: You wouldn't leave your wallet open on your desk unattended, so why would you leave your computer unlocked while you are away? Leaving your computer unattended and unlocked could lead to sensitive or personal data being exposed to the wrong people. Lock your computer any time you step away - even if it's only for a moment.



IT Tip
Formatting Classroom Presentations for 16:9
Most campus classrooms support a wide screen format. To make the most of these capabilities, set your Power Point presentation to 16:9.

Windows Users: Design >> Page Setup
Mac Users: File >> Page Setup

From this screen select "Slides sized for:" and change this to "On Screen Show (16:9)"



Accessibility Tip
Know when a PDF is appropriate: A PDF preserves a document's appearance across operating systems and devices. If this characteristic is not essential, consider using an alternate format such as HTML.



DoIT Logo

Division of Information Technology
Radford University

Email infrastructure to get an upgrade

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) has been busy installing and testing new Microsoft Exchange servers. Faculty and staff email will be migrated to these servers over the summer.

This upgrade will provide more space for each mailbox and will make some new features available.

You will be contacted before the migration of your mailbox to provide you with details on when your mail will be moved to the new servers and what to expect after the transition. There will be very little interruption during the migration, so you can continue to send and receive messages while the transfer is taking place.

Once the migration of your mailbox has been completed, you will need to restart Outlook, or log out of and back onto the MyRU portal to continue working.


New MyRU portal to launch in fall 2013

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) will be unveiling a reimagined MyRU portal this fall. The new MyRU will offer streamlined access to campus resources and will serve as a one-stop shop for the business functions of Radford University.

This forward-thinking portal will offer users a more visually appealing design, a clean interface, intuitive navigation and the ability for end users to customize the portal based on their unique needs. The direction for the new portal was created based on input from a Portal Task Force, the Information Technology Advisory Committee and informal meetings with students, faculty and staff. DoIT will continue to seek input from various constituent groups through the spring.

The new MyRU will be built on the Luminus 5 framework, an entirely new platform. Through the spring and summer, DoIT staff will be reprogramming portlets, creating and implementing a new design, meeting with current channel administrators and preparing for training workshops in the fall.

A mid-September launch is planned. Watch for more information about the new MyRU in the coming months.


April Fools' Day joke drives traffic to RU website

Continuing what has become an April 1 custom, Web Communications injected a little humor into the university's website on April Fools' Day. Four memes took the place of the four student profiles that usually rotate on the homepage.

A meme is a unit that carries ideas or behaviors from person to person within a culture. The term has been adopted to refer to a specific type of imagery that includes a common graphic paired with text that often follows a specific pattern of phrasing. The cultural trend of using such graphics can be seen across many social media channels, including Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit and more. The Radford University student community, like many college communities, has set up a Facebook group dedicated to posting such graphics.

The goal of the April 1 project was to lighten the mood in the middle of spring semester as well as drive new traffic to Radford.edu. The project was very successful in both endeavors. Some statistics of note:

  • 76 times the average number of visitors from social media
  • Eight times the average number of new visitors to Radford.edu
  • 52 percent more traffic than average to the website

In addition, social media were flooded with comments from students, faculty, staff and alumni. As one student said, "Everyone loves Radford's homepage today. It makes me proud to say I'm a Highlander!"


More H:drive storage now available

During the upcoming months, DoIT will be working toward migrating all RU faculty and staff H:drive accounts from the existing storage array to a new storage cluster.

Many users have already migrated and are benefiting from the increased storage, 20GB per user. For those who have not migrated, DoIT will soon be sending follow-up notifications detailing the H:drive migration and scheduling your migration.

Currently, DoIT has only been migrating users who do not require hosting of websites through the public_html (www.radford.edu/username), dynamic_php (php.radford.edu/~username) or access to ruacad (Unix/Linux).

This next phase of the project will provide enhanced storage for users who still need to maintain hosted Web pages and/or require Unix/Llinux access via ruacad.

Please note that H:drive access from the MyFiles tab on the MyRU portal will no longer be available after migration. Remote H:drive access will still be possible by connecting back to RU via the university VPN. More detailed instructions will be provided in a follow-up email after migration.


D2L enhancements coming May 14

Desire 2 Learn (D2L) will be upgraded from version 9.4 to 10.1 on May 14, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. D2L will be unavailable during this period.

Improved navigation menus at the top of the screen will be the most visible change to users when they login May 15 after the upgrade. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning and Academic Technologies continue to create workshops and online resources to assist faculty with using D2L. The following are resources and upcoming workshops that are currently available:


D2L to provide support 24/7

To provide the best possible support for the D2L system, DoIT has contracted with Desire To Learn to utilize its call center and knowledgeable support staff around the clock.

When you contact the Technology Assistance Center at (540) 831-7500 and choose option 3 from the phone menu, you will be transferred to the D2L support center, which is available 24/7 including holidays.


Tech center offers replacement laptop batteries

Laptop users often find that after two to three years the batteries of their computers no longer maintain an adequate charge. The Technology Assistance Center stocks replacement batteries for users of Lenovo laptops to resolve this problem. If you think you need a replacement battery, stop by the Technology Assistance Center in Heth Hall or call (540) 831-7500.


Learn about options to record classroom lectures

In summer 2012, recording systems were installed in 11 classrooms, allowing faculty to easily create a classroom recording that includes audio, video and computer output. A workshop on utilizing this lecture capture technology is set for Tuesday, May 10, 10 a.m. to noon, during Our Turn.

The following rooms are outfitted with recording systems:

  • Young 313, 302
  • Waldron 200
  • McGuffey 203
  • Peters 143
  • COBE 137, 165, 204, 275, 320
  • Walker 279

If you are interested in using this technology and are not scheduled in one of the equipped rooms. You may contact Academic Technologies at (540) 831-7521 and schedule a time to speak with someone in more detail.


Meet the DoIT Staff

Rebecca PenningtonRebecca Orion Pennington
Lead Applications Developer/Analyst


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

Family: My mother, stepfather and grandmother live in Blacksburg. My brother and his wife live in Richmond. My animal family consists of a small petting zoo: three dogs, four cats, 12 hens and a rooster.

Hometown: Blacksburg

Education: I went to New River Community College, where I received an associate degree in general studies, then transferred to Radford University and decided to pursue programming through Dr. Joe Chase's lively instruction in Java. I received a Bachelor of Science in information technology in 2004.

Interests/Hobbies: I thrive in nature. The area where we live has endless outdoor experiences and enjoyment to offer. I live by the Little River and like to spend time on the river, especially canoeing. My family would take canoe trips every summer when I was a kid, mostly on the New River in Virginia. I also enjoy gardening, tending to my home and animals, and reading as often as possible.

Favorite vacation destination: Of the places I have visited, which aren't many considering, I spent a marvelous summer in Ireland when I was 14 and very much hope to return there again someday.

Favorite part of your job: Without question, the system users I support, my coworkers and many other people I have had the blessing to work with in my time here.