DoIT News & Announcements

Announcing the Green Printing Initiative

Roosevelt University and the Division of Information Technology have announced the Green Printing Initiative, a new program designed to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of printing at the University. The program will include a new fee-based printing system, replacement of older hardware with more efficient models, and migration towards the use of recyled paper and alternative toner inks. For more information see the GreenPrint FAQ page.

RU Files Training Sessions May 28 - June 13

As announced last week, RU Drive and other shared storage services are being replaced by our new file storage system, RU Files. The cutover to the new system begins June 30 with the removal from service of the Elliot server. For the benefit of faculty and staff who would like assistance in moving their files and learning how to make the most of the new service, DoIT has scheduled a series of RU Files training sessions. Classes will be presented between May 28 and June 13 at both campuses. To register visit http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/training/rufiles.asp. If you're comfortable handling the file transfer process yourself, you can log into the new system any time at http://rufiles.roosevelt.edu using your standard RU network/email credentials. [May 22, 2008]

Phase-out of Elliot and RUDrive Begins June 30

For several months, we have been in the process of replacing the Elliot server, RUDrive, and other shared storage with the RUFiles application. The target date for completely removing the Elliot server is June 30. RUDrive will be phased out this summer. RUFiles personal accounts are available to all faculty and staff at Roosevelt University. To access RUFiles on or off-campus, simply open a browser, go to http://rufiles.roosevelt.edu , and log in using your network log on ID and password. A RUFiles account and folder is automatically created with the first login. You may simply copy your files from Elliot or from RUDrive to RUFiles. For help with copying departmental shared folders or large quantities of data, please contact the Technology Help Desk at x4357(HELP) or submit a request online at http://www.roosevelt.edu/helpdesk. [May 15, 2000]

Reminder for Faculty: Friday Deadline for Fall Lab Software Requests

Instructors: Please note that requests for lab software for fall classes not already on the list of installed applications must be submitted by this Friday, May 9. For a list of applications currently installed in the labs see http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/labs/stdsoftware.htm. All requests for required applications not on this list, including software bundled with textbooks, must be submitted using the online software request form at http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/forms/softwareRequest.htm. Details on the policies governing lab software are included on that form. Requests received later than May 9 will be addressed beginning the third week of the semester, and requests submitted after the start of the semester from three to five weeks after the date of the request. The actual time required will depend on the complexity and scope of the request. No software installation and/or system configuration changes will be made to the labs after October 15. Questions should be directed to Vince Perkins at vperkins@roosevelt.edu. [May 6, 2008]

Faculty: Fall 2008 Software Requests Due May 9

DoIT technicians have begun preparing the computer labs and classrooms for fall semester. If you will be using software in your classes this fall, please take a moment to check the list of installed applications lab/classroom standard software list at http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/labs/stdsoftware.htm to make sure the application you need is there. If you need an application that is NOT on this list, please submit a request in writing using the online software request form at http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/forms/softwareRequest.htmWritten requests are required for all nonstandard applications, including specialty software bundled with textbooks intended for use on University computers.

Please note that all Windows software installed in the labs and classrooms must be Vista compatible and that faculty must be able to provide proof of license for any applications not purchased by DoIT. Trial or evaluation copies of software cannot be installed for general student use. In order to ensure availability by the first day of classes all software installation requests must be received no later than May 9. Late requests submitted before the start of the semester will be addressed beginning the third week of the semester, and requests submitted after the start of the semester from three to five weeks after the date of the request. The actual time required will depend on the complexity and scope of the request. No software installation and/or system configuration changes will be made to the labs after October 15. Questions should be directed to Vince Perkins at vperkins@roosevelt.edu . [April 23, 2008]

DoIT Evaluation of Services Begins This Week

Beginning this week the Division of Information Technology will be asking all students, faculty, and staff to participate in an online survey evaluating technology services at RU. You'll be receiving your invitations to participate soon. Please help us by taking the time to complete this assessment. Your feedback will help us identify areas for improvement and tailor our technology services to your needs. [April 22, 2008]

Summer Blackboard Course Sites to be Created April 25

Attention, faculty: Summer Blackboard course sites will be created on Friday, April 25. Instructors will have full access to their sites at that time. Pre-session courses are scheduled to begin on Friday, May 2, and online and campus courses begin Tuesday, May 27. [April 11, 2008]

Update Your Banner Bookmarks

As the result of a recent upgrade, the web address for accessing Banner has changed. Users who have created bookmarks or desktop shortcuts using the old address will be unable to access the system using those links. The solution is to update the bookmark or delete it and create a new one. The direct links for accessing Banner are now http://www.roosevelt.edu/banner or https://inb.roosevelt.edu/banner. The Banner link on the RU Intranet home page also works. Please contact the help desk if you have problems or questions. [Mar. 24, 2008]

Attention Faculty: Summer Blackboard Courses to be Removed March 19

Administrators of the Blackboard system are planning to remove and then recreate all Summer 2008 courses that are currently residing on the Blackboard server. The purpose of this process is to rebuild new cross listed courses in order to avoid any course access problems after courses begin this summer. The summer courses will be removed on Wednesday, March 19. Because the reset process will delete any material already posted in those courses, faculty should make sure they have backed up any existing content before that date. If you have any questions, please contact the DoIT Help Desk (312-341-4357, or online at http://www.roosevelt.edu/helpdesk ). If your course is registered as a fully online course (section 98), please direct your questions to Kristin Broadwell at kbroadwell@roosevelt.edu. [Mar. 11, 2008]

Roosevelt Computer Accounts: An Overview

If you've been confused about your various Roosevelt computer accounts, how they relate to each other, and how to manage the various user IDs and passwords involved, here's something that might help. DoIT has prepared a comprehensive overview of RU accounts laid out in an easy-to-read table format. The document has been posted at http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/help/accounts.htm. Send your questions to userservices@roosevelt.edu. [Feb. 7, 2008]

Deep Freeze Arrives in the Computer Labs

DoIT technicians have added an application called Deep Freeze to the Windows machines in the open labs and computer classrooms. When Deep Freeze is installed, all system changes, software installations, and saved files will be permanently deleted upon reboot, restoring the computer to its original state. The primary purpose of Deep Freeze is to maintain the health and reliability of the public computers and to keep spyware and other malicious programs off those machines. But there is an important side-effect: users will no longer be able to store files on the local hard disk of the public computers, and will instead need to use an alternative storage method (we recommend USB drives). For more information see the Deep Freeze FAQ page. [Jan. 28, 2007]

ECAR Survey Summary on Roosevelt Students' Use of Technology

In the spring of this year Roosevelt participated in a national survey conducted by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. Now available is a detailed summary of data from that survey comparing RU students with the national sample. The document has peen posted on the RU Intranet. Topics covered include students' use of various technologies, their preferences and skill levels, and their utilization of technology in their classes. For those interested in the full report, the complete ECAR analysis is available online on the EDUCAUSE web site. [Nov. 27, 2007]

Last Chance to Request Lab Software for Spring

If you're teaching this spring and need special software installed in the labs or classrooms, you must submit your request no later than this Friday, Nov. 30. Only applications requested by this date will available on the first day of classes. A request is not necessary for standard software (see the current list). Please submit your request using the online software request form. Details on lab software policies are listed at the top of that page. Questions should be directed to Vince Perkins at vperkins@roosevelt.edu. [Nov. 27, 2007]

Attention Faculty: Spring Software Requests Due by Nov. 30

DoIT technicians have begun preparing the computer labs and classrooms for spring semester. If you will be using software in your classes this spring, please take a moment to check the list of installed applications lab/classroom standard software list to make sure the application you need is there. If you need an application that is NOT on this list, please submit a request in writing using the online software request form. Written requests are required for all nonstandard applications, including specialty software bundled with textbooks intended for use on university computers. Please note that all Windows software installed in the labs and classrooms must be Vista compatible and that faculty must be able to provide proof of license for any applications not purchased by DoIT. Trial or evaluation copies of software cannot be installed for general student use. In order to ensure availability by the first day of classes all software installation requests must be received no later than Nov. 30. Questions should be directed to Vince Perkins at vperkins@roosevelt.edu. [Nov. 5, 2007]

Mailing List Services at RU

Roosevelt University is now partnering with L-Soft, creators of the classic Listserv mailing list program, to support electronic mailing list services for Roosevelt academic and administrative purposes. We can now create workgroup announcement lists, interactive discussion lists, lists to support promotional activities, lists that permit self-service subscriptions, monitored lists, and a variety of other types. If you have a communications problem and believe a mailing list might be part of the solution, please contact Brett (bsutton@roosevelt.edu) for assistance in setting up a list for our department. Also available online is an overview of mailing list services at RU and a subscriber's user guide. [Oct. 11, 2007]

Vista and Office 2007 User Guides

If you are using one of the new PCs equipped with the Vista operating system and Office 2007, you may by now have a few questions about where things are and how things work. Help is now available in the form of 2-sided quick reference cards, available at no cost from DoIT. Currently available are cards for Vista, Microsoft Office 2007 (a general overview of the entire office suite), Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, and Exchange 2007. DoIT staff are distributing copies of these guides with new computers, or you can pick up copies at the ETRC office at your location. [Oct. 11, 2007]

Academic Computing Handbook

The 2007-2008 edition of Roosevelt's Academic Computing Handbook is now available on the RU web site. These pages provide an overview of the technical resources available to faculty and include numerous links to pages containing more information. Topic covered include instructional and classroom technology, desktop computer help, faculty accounts, electronic management of grades, advising, and classroom schedules. If you're new to the university or need a quick overview, you can browse the complete document online at http://www.roosevelt.edu/doit/ach/. [Sept. 27, 2007]

Managing Your Help Desk Requests Online

For most users, contact with RU's help desk service takes the form of a telephone conversation with a call center agent or a visit from an RU technician. What may not be as obvious is that anyone who has submitted a help desk request can review the status of that request online at http://www.roosevelt.edu/helpdesk, no matter what medium was used to submit it originally. When you log into this site you have access to details on all of your tickets, both current and closed. You can check the status of open tickets, review the history of what has been done so far, close a ticket if you no longer need help, or add new information to the ticket using the "Provide info" button. For help on logging into and using this system, see the online user guide. [Sept. 27, 2007]

Podcasting with iTunes U

Roosevelt University is participating in Apple Computer's iTunes U project. This program uses a server hosted by Apple along with Apple's popular iTunes multimedia client to store and distribute instructional audio and video material, and supports such features as multi-platform playback and podcasting. DoIT is looking for interested faculty to help us test this new system. If you use audio and video media in your courses and would like to help us explore the possibilities, please contact us by writing userservices@roosevelt.edu. Use of Apple equipment is not required. We can set up an experimental course area for you in iTunes U and can also provide you with equipment and assistance in creating your own multimedia resources. For details see the iTunes U FAQ page. [Sept. 13, 2007]

About Those "New Program" Messages on Your Computer

Some faculty and staff with Windows XP computers on their desktops have notices the recent appearance of a popup message reporting that a new program is available. This is not a mistake or evidence that a hostile force is trying to take over your machine. It is instead part of the University's program for migrating to Vista, the latest version of Microsoft's operating system (replacing XP), and Office 2007, the latest version of Microsoft's office suite. Migration to the new software is on the way but will not be completed immediately. This means that for the short term we will be operating in a mixed environment.

One complication presented by Office 2007 is that the default file formats produced by the new versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint cannot be read by older versions of Office. There are two solutions to this problem. Users with Office 2007 can choose to save their files in the older formats, ensuring their compatibility with the older software, and users whose machines have not yet been upgraded can use format conversion software to rewrite new-format files in the old format so that they can be accessed by older software.

This is where that "new program" message comes in. To expedite the installation of the converters on university machines, the program is being delivered automatically over the University network to XP machines connected to the campus network. This process will be ongoing over the next few weeks, and not all machines will receive the converter installation package at the same time. Users of machines that have received this package will see a text balloon in the lower right hand corner stating that a “New Program is Available”, or a program icon with an asterisk will appear in the lower right hand corner of the Windows tool tray. Users must complete the final installation step themselves. Illustrated instructions are available on the Vista/Office 2007 information page. That page also contains information on using the converters and links you can use to download your own copies of the converter programs. The downloads are free. [Sept. 13, 2007]

RU Online Computer Store

Roosevelt University now offers access to educational discounts on personal computers and software purchases through the Roosevelt University Online Computer Store web page. At the Online Computer Store, students and staff can purchase equipment from Dell, Apple and Gateway as well as discounted software packages. Access to the Online Computer Store is provided via the university’s Intranet at http://intranet.roosevelt.edu/compStore. [Sept. 13, 2007]

For Instructors: How to Use the New Classrooms

Over the past year a large number of classrooms have been upgraded with new technology. The standard configuration for these rooms includes data projectors, multimedia equipment and network connections, but no computers. The design, however, has been optimized to support the use of student and faculty laptop computers. You can easily connect your own equipment in these classrooms: everything you need is in the room and no reservation is required. ETRC staff have put together a user guide on setting up a laptop in these spaces. It's always a good idea to test your setup before actually using it for a class. If you don't have a laptop, need special assistance, or have any questions, be sure to contact your local ETRC office. A table showing the configuration of all RU upgraded classrooms is available on the classroom configuration page.

Update: We are still in the final stages of the configuration process, and the new network connections in some of the new classrooms have not yet been activated. Notices will be posted in each classroom reporting on the status for that room, or you can contact ETRC for further information and assistance. Thanks for your patience.

DoIT News 2006-07