Monthly Archives: January 2017

Data Privacy Day: Take Action

January 28 was the annual Data Privacy Day, a day to help raise awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. As a University employee, we ask that you take a moment to change your Self Service password and security questions.

Resetting your information is easy:

  • Log into my.scranton.edu, go to the Home tab
  • Under Emergency and Password Information, click Select Your Password Reset Questions
  • Under Update Personal Information, click Change Pin to update your password
    (Please DO NOT use the following special characters: @$&(),<>’;=#%”! or a space.)

For your Personal Reference: Stop Unwanted Calls and Texts

Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the FCC has rules in effect that address unsolicited telephone marketing calls, texts and faxes.

The FCC recommends the following:

  • Put your mobile and landline numbers on the federal government’s Do Not Call Registry. You will get fewer telemarketing calls from legitimate companies within 31 days.
  • Don’t answer a call from a caller ID you don’t recognize. The caller may be acting illegally, and answering would verify that you have an active line. And don’t call back an unfamiliar number later to find out who was calling – it could lead you to a scam.
  • Never reveal any personal or financial information unless you have verified the caller’s identification. Scam callers may pretend to represent organizations or businesses you know, including government agencies. Independently verify numbers they tell you to call.
  • File a complaint with the FCC when you receive an unwanted call. Visit www.fcc.gov/unwanted-calls.

Visit the FCC’s website for more information and consumer guides.

 

alekksall. Freepik. Retrieved January 27, 2017, from http://www.freepik.com, http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/angry-man-talking-on-his-phone_834503.htm

Banner XE Transformed Resources

As we continue to introduce various departments to Banner XE Transformed, we want to make sure that you are aware of resources that are available to you.

We have developed a knowledge base that highlights current issues and tips, implementation schedule, quick reference guides for specific modules and have provided you with Ellucian documentation.

Resources

To find these resources:

  • Visit my.scranton.edu
  • Go to the Banner ERP tab
  • Click on Learn More: Banner XE Transformed

We will continue to update this information as we continue meeting with various offices and working through the implementation phase. Various training sessions will also be provided later in the semester.

Get your Banner Questions Answered

To address your questions and concerns more effectively, we have developed a Banner triage group. The members of this group consists of:

  • Julie Brackeva-Phillips, Manager of Technology Support Services
  • Maureen Castaldi, Manager of Database Management Services
  • Ken Hensel, Business Applications Analyst
  • Cindy Hricko, Manager of Enterprise Application Services
  • Rose Ann Jubinski, Business Applications Analyst
  • Chris Krall, Manager, Systems Infrastructure Services
  • Alex Krist, Business Applications Analyst

Please contact the Technology Support Center at 570-941-4357 or techsupport@scranton.edu for assistance.

Computer Budget Forms for FY17/18

Budget forms for all academic and administrative computer requests for FY17/18 will be sent to department heads around February 1, 2017 and will be due back to IT on Friday, March 3, 2017.  If your current computer equipment does not meet your needs in performing your job, please make sure to contact your supervisor before the deadline.  IT staff members will be meeting with each department to assist you in this process.

Windows 10 Upgrade and Training Information

After months of testing, Client Services is excited to announce the limited availability of the Windows 10 self-service upgrade through Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). This self-service upgrade is first being offered to faculty and staff members who are using a Dell Optiplex 3000 series desktop device that is not scheduled for replacement in 2017. The Optiplex 3000 series devices are the first to receive the upgrade because testing demonstrated this model will complete the upgrade more rapidly than older models. The Dell Optiplex 3000 series includes Dell Optiplex models 3010, 3020, 3040 and 3046. Laptops and older series desktops will be eligible for the self-service upgrade at a later date.

The upgrade is being offered on a department by department basis. Individuals who are eligible recipients of the Windows 10 Self-Service Upgrade will be notified of their eligibility via email two weeks prior to the eligibility start date. Once the start date arrives, the upgrade can be applied Monday through Thursday of that week. Participants are encouraged to start the upgrade at the end of a work day, just prior to leaving for the evening. Once the upgrade is triggered, no further action is required to complete the upgrade. Departments and individuals unable to perform the upgrade in the assigned week can be rescheduled at a later, more convenient time by contacting itservices@scranton.edu.

In order to better assist individuals with the upgrade, a dedicated IT support person will be assigned to each participant. Dedicated support will not perform the upgrade on behalf of participants but should be contacted if a problem is encountered at any time during the upgrade process. The name of the dedicated support person will be included in each participant’s email invitation.

Windows 10 is now the standard operating system being deployed on new computers and on computers requiring rebuilds. Additionally, all lab computers will be upgraded to Windows 10 LTSB (Long Term Servicing Branch) this summer.

Windows 10 training sessions will begin in February. We recommend the following Windows 10 resources:

By Diane Kennedy, IT Client Services Analyst

IT Organizational Realignment

As Jim Collins points out in Good to Great, “those who build great organizations make sure they have the right people on the bus and the right people in the key seats before they figure out where to drive the bus.”

Upon my arrival to Scranton, I was greeted with a group of highly technical, committed, hard-working professionals within the division. I was asked to assess the staff resources and the organizational structure to identify gaps in technology service needs provided to the University community. With the assistance of the IT Leadership team, we determined if we had the “right people in the key seats” on the bus.

As a result of those discussions, an organizational realignment was made. Seats on the bus were rearranged. This realignment aims to provide a service-focused organization that highlights the talents of the technical staff within the division, while better meeting the technology needs of the community.

The division has been renamed from Information Resources (IR) to Information Technology (IT). Departments within the division have also been renamed to better align with the services they provide and include the following areas:

  • Technology Support Services, Julie Brackeva-Phillips, Manager
    Services include the Technology Support Center, IT Training and IT Communications.
  • Client Services, Deanna Beyrent, Manager
    Services include Desktop Management (Physical/Virtual), Computer Labs and Endpoint support (PC/Macintosh/VDI/Mobile).
  • Academic and Media Services, Jason Wimmer, Manager
    Services include Instructional Technology, Media/AV Technology, and Event Support. Staffing will collaborate with CTLE in support of teaching and learning. Additional staffing will support faculty in the classroom and event support with a 12Noon – 8pm schedule and Saturday coverage.
  • Enterprise Application Services, Cindy Hricko, Manager
    Services include ERP Application Support/Reporting, ERP Development and ERP Integration.
  • Database Management Services, Maureen Castaldi, Manager
    Services include Database Management, ERP Framework Management, and Identity & Access Management.
  • Systems Infrastructure Services, Chris Krall, Manager
    Services include Enterprise Servers and Storage, Directory Services and Authentication, Virtualization and Cloud Technologies and Application Support.
  • Network and Security Services, Calvin Krzywiec, Manager
    Services include Network Infrastructure; Security Infrastructure and Telecommunications

This department structure is complimented by divisional support in the areas of project management, IT asset and vendor relations, IT budget, administrative assistance and a technical architect for the division in a re-aligned Associate Chief Information Officer position.

We are hopeful that these changes will, as Jim Collins would say, “take the organization to someplace great.”

By Susan Bowen, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Collins, J. C. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap … And others don’t. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.