Information Technology

June 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
Don't get fooled by an email phishing scam. Always look for signs that emails are not legitimate (misspellings, unknown senders). To protect yourself, before clicking on links within an email, you can hover your mouse over the link to see the true destination. If the link does not appear appropriate, do not click it. If you are unsure if an email is legitimate, before clicking anything within the email, please contact the IT Security Office at itsecurity@radford.edu.



Banner Tip
If you are running a process from Banner using the job submissions form (GJAPCTL), you can direct the job to send your output to your email by entering "EMAIL" in the input area for the printer name.



Accessibility Tip
Did you know when you send an email that is a JPG with embedded text, the screen readers used by the visually impaired can't read the text? Be sure to include plain text in all your mass emails.



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Division of Information Technology
Radford University

Business process analysis sessions held on campus

The Division of Information Technology recently partnered with business process consultants and representatives from campus departments to take a deeper look into the processes and procedures used in the areas of academic advising and finance fixed assets to streamline operations.

The first business process sessions were held on campus the week of May 6 in academic advising. After several weeks of preparation, about 40 participants from colleges and administrative offices were on hand to take part in workshops and brainstorming sessions.

Consultants from Ellucian were on hand to facilitate the meetings and document all discussions. The consultants were impressed with the commitment and positive attitude that the entire group expressed during the meetings and discussions.

During the week of May 28, another group gathered to discuss process improvements in the area of fixed assets. Again, many from across campus came and provided valuable input and ideas related to more efficient processing and tracking of capital assets.

Now that these business process engagements have been completed, recommendations from the consultants regarding process improvements have been received. These recommendations will be reviewed and where appropriate will form project teams and develop project plans to implement the improvements.

Thanks to all the Radford University faculty and staff who gave their time to these sessions. It is certain that your efforts will lead to positive results!

In the coming fiscal year, additional process analysis sessions will be scheduled to look at other areas of the institution.


DoIT to upgrade Symantec Antivirus on all RU Windows computers

The Division of Information Technology will begin an automated upgrade of the Symantec Antivirus client on university-maintained Windows computers July 16. This upgrade will remove Version 11 of SEP and install Version 12.

This upgrade has been configured to require no user interaction.

During the upgrade process, users will notice that the Symantec icon (a yellow shield) will disappear from the lower task bar and that "Symantec Endpoint Protection" will disappear from "Programs and Features." This is normal behavior for the installer.

Symantec Version 11 will continue to be active until your next reboot, at which time Version 12 will become active. As always, we recommend that users reboot their computers at least once a week and potentially power off their computers at the end of each day to conserve electricity.

If you experience any problems after this upgrade, please contact the Technology Assistance Center at (540) 831-7500.


More H:drive storage now available

During the coming months, DoIT will continue working toward migrating all RU faculty and staff H:drive accounts from the existing storage array to a new storage cluster. During the initial phase, many users already have migrated and are benefiting from the increased storage, 20GB per user. For individuals who have not migrated, DoIT will soon be sending follow-up notifications detailing the H:drive migration and scheduling your migration.

DoIT has 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/Linux access through 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 through the university VPN. More detailed instructions will be provided in a follow-up email after migration.


Multimedia producer earns Best of Show in photo contest

image by Jaslyn GilbertA photograph taken by Multimedia Producer Jaslyn Gilbert earned Best of Show in the April 2013 University Photographers' Association of America (UPAA) Monthly Image Competition.

Gilbert's photo shows a group of students and faculty in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism on a multicultural experience in the wilderness with outdoor educators from Japan.

University photographers from across the country, as well as a handful of international university photographers, submitted their top images from the previous month. The images were scored by fellow UPAA members.

Gilbert also earned first- and second-place finishes for photos she submitted in the personal vision category.

Winning images can be seen at http://www.upaa.org/mic-results?micid=42.


Social media resources available to campus community

Are you responsible for an official department or unit social media account? Are you considering starting a social media account for your department? Web Communications provides a number of resources to help you make the best use of social communications platforms.

  • Social media guidelines
    Social media provide an unprecedented ability to reach people with your message. However, harnessing social media can be more complicated than it may seem. Visit Radford University's Social Media Guidelines to find tips to guide your usage of social media.
  • Social media directory
    Do you have a Facebook page, Twitter account or other social media presence for your department or unit? Submit your account to be added to the Radford University Social Media Directory.
  • Social media support
    Not sure how best to harness social media to reach your audience? Contact Web Communications to discuss your ideas and get some guidance.

Meet the DoIT Staff

Dylna MooreDylan Moore
Web Designer


How long have you been employed in the Division of Information Technology at Radford University? Eight months.

Family: My parents, Barney and Elizabeth, my older sister, Mandy, and my twin sister, Mackenzie.

Hometown: I was born in Winston-Salem, NC, but grew up in Pulaski, VA.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in graphic design, Radford University '09.

Interests/Hobbies: Treasure hunting at antique and thrift stores and yard sales, kayaking, drawing, painting, photography,and  up-cycling/re-purposing old furniture.

Favorite vacation destination: Any beach, or High Rock Lake in North Carolina.

Favorite part of your job: Being creative. I love to take ideas and turn them into reality.