IT Matters

Tech Tips from IT Staff – Communication Challenges

What’s In A Word? by Kathy Boock, Tech Support Center Analyst

Have you had the unfortunate experience of a colleague misinterpreting the context to your email or text message? Clear communication is perhaps one of the biggest challenges we face when we aren’t working face to face.

A disadvantage of communicating through either email or text message is that it can’t capture the all-important non-verbal cues of in-person communication. Things like voice inflection, facial expressions and body language significantly affect how someone understands a message’s meaning. A one-word reply may seem annoyed or angry. Humor may be misunderstood or even offensive. A lengthy message may seem rambling and pointless.

Here are some best practice suggestions to keep communication effective even at a distance.

  1. Determine the best method of communication for the message – Anything complex that might require further explanation should be handled with an email or a phone call.
  2. Be Concise – if it takes you more than 30 seconds to type it, an email or phone call may be more appropriate.
  3. Remain Professional – save the cute or funny emojis for your personal texts only.
  4. Be Clear – Use texts for information that has little room for misinterpretation. Avoid attempts at humor or wit – without a lot of context, your message could get lost in translation.

Keeping these few things in mind may save you from unintended misunderstandings and keep professional relationships positive.

Tech Tips from IT Staff – Banner Tips and New Features

By Cindy Hricko, Manager Enterprise Application

Banner Tip 1: With Banner Job Submission, you have the ability to have the file go to the database, so you can view when it is finished running. Click to view instructions (authentication required).

Banner Tip 2:   Did you know that you can get to Self Service through the Banner Application Navigator page?

In other words, while in Banner, type Time Sheet (or any form that is Self Service Banner such as Student Profile) and it will appear in the drop down. Click on it and you will go to SSB.

Click the HOUSE icon within Self Service Banner and you go back to Banner Application Navigator.

Banner Tip 3: Did you know that you can go to the Employee Application Menu through Self Service? Under Employee Menu Tab -> Other Employee Functions->Applications Menu

Banner Tip 4:   Use of User Preferences in Banner is available with a recent Release of Banner. If you are on a Banner Form, such as, GOAEMAL, it currently only displays 3 records on each page as the default. If you would like to change to a larger number for every time you go into Banner… you now can. Change the number on the bottom  for the per page from 3 to 10 and then Click settings and Save Pagination Settings. Each time you go into the form now, it will have the value you have determined.  With the Restore Pagination Settings, it will revert back to the Ellucian baseline default. This new feature is across Banner forms.

Tech Tips from IT Staff – D2L Video and Quiz Tips

Uploading large videos to D2L with an iPhone by Patrick J. Mullarkey, Application Administrator

If you are a  faculty member looking to upload large videos to D2L that were recorded with an iPhone, take a moment to review this free iPhone/iPad app: Video Compress – Shrink Vids.

Using the Respondus Lockdown Browser tool when giving quizzes in D2L – Tony Gazoo, Application Administrator

With the increase in online testing, we would like to provide some guidance on the use of Respondus Lockdown Browser tool within D2L. The Respondus LDB can only be properly installed by students from within our D2L instance. Our recommendation is to create a “practice LDB” quiz in each course with one or two questions and enable it to require lockdown browser.  Instruct students to open the practice quiz and they will be prompted to download Respondus LDB before actually starting the quiz. They can then take the “practice LDB” quiz and be assured that Respondus LDB works on their computer before taking a real quiz. If they use the same computer to take subsequent quizzes, then they should be successful using the Respondus Lockdown Browser.

Click here for directions on how to enable Respondus Lockdown Browser on a quiz in D2L.

Tech Tips from IT Staff – Troubleshooting Technology

When you experience a computer issue, try a few basic things first – Karl Johns, Tech Support Center Analyst

  • Is everything plugged in properly and connected to a power source?
  • Try restarting your computer or device using a manual restart if necessary.
  • If you’re getting error messages, do a quick internet search to see what others suggest (and write those error messages down in case you do need to call the TSC).
  • Does your computer/tablet/phone have a pending update? Installing updates may fix your problem.

Make sure to include helpful information in your TSC phone message – Sam Falbo, Tech Support Center Analyst

When calling the Technology Support Center, please make sure to leave a message that not only includes your name and phone number, but also your Royal number and a brief description of your issue. Having this information is crucial for us to be most helpful, as it helps us to identifying several things early on.

Securely Sharing Files with Restricted Data

Although email is a useful and necessary means of communicating, it is not necessarily the most secure method for sharing important or sensitive documents. For example, an email does not simply go from the sender to the recipient instantaneously. Most emails have to travel across multiple networks and servers before arriving in their intended audience’s inbox. These pause points expose emails to attack, usually due to unsecured networks, vulnerable servers, and the people savvy enough to hack them.

The Division of Information Technology recommends that you share specific documents or entire folders using OneDrive (and/or SharePoint). You can review and edit permissions at any time.

Click here to view entire recommendation and step-by-step instructions.

Tech Tips from IT Staff – Staying Secure

Zoom Security Updates by Ikram Muhammad, Information Security Engineer

To maximize security and minimize risks while working remotely, please follow University safety and security that can be found on the Information Technology website. Zoom regularly releases software updates including updated security features. You should see reminders from Zoom and should apply these updates on a timely basis.

Safeguard your credentials as report information by Maureen Castaldi, Manager Database Management

While working from home remember to safeguard your credentials as well as output from reports that you run from Banner Admin, ARGOS and/or Employee Applications. Output should be saved to onedrive and/or H:/G: drives. In addition, reports run from Banner Admin can be saved to the database as documented here.

Duo is required to access remote.scranton.edu by Don McCall, Technology Support Center Analyst

Just a quick reminder that Duo is required to access remote.scranton.edu, but it does work a little bit different than usual. Right after signing in, the system automatically sends the Duo request, so be sure to have your phone handy the moment you sign in. In some cases, it even bypasses the popup notification on your phone. In that case, you may want to open the Duo app directly so that you can see the incoming login request.

Securely Sharing Files with Restricted Data

Although email is a useful and necessary means of communicating, it is not necessarily the most secure method for sharing important or sensitive documents. For example, an email does not simply go from the sender to the recipient instantaneously. Most emails have to travel across multiple networks and servers before arriving in their intended audience’s inbox. These pause points expose emails to attack, usually due to unsecured networks, vulnerable servers, and the people savvy enough to hack them.

The Division of Information Technology recommends that you share specific documents or entire folders using OneDrive (and/or SharePoint). You can review and edit permissions at any time.

Click here to view entire recommendation and step-by-step instructions.

Safeguarding Your Credentials

My.Scranton is a web-based portal that provides students, faculty and staff an entry point to key functionality, such as Outlook, SharePoint, Desire2Learn, and Ellucian Banner Self-Service and Administrative applications. Over the Fall semester, a new version of the portal was released that provides a cleaner, simpler, better-organized and responsive design.

Many integrations within the my.scranton portal make use of single sign-on technology, allowing a user to provide their credentials once and be logged in seamlessly to other applications. This technology makes use of “cookies” stored in the browser, which are set to expire at the end of the browser’s session.

To safeguard your credentials, especially on a public computer or device, it is best practice to close your browser to destroy any “cookies” that were set for your single sign-on sessions to work. This is true for not only my.scranton, but for any web session where you enter credentials. Be safe and close your browser!

Classroom Database Update: Application Search Available on the Instructor PC

Peruse the online Classroom Database to find the smart room you need for your next lecture or meeting. The database search reveals specific room equipment as well as room availability, and provides supporting materials and guides for specific technologies.

Instructor PC Update

The Academic Technology Advisory Council, whose members provide guidance and advice on academic technology at the University, requested last Fall that IT include the installed Instructor PC applications (or software) to the current database to help in the preparation and assignment of classrooms.

As such, we are happy to announce that the database has been upgraded to reflect this change. To review the Instructor PC software:

  • Go to https://webnet.scranton.edu/classroomdb/ and log in
  • Select Building
  • Select the room by clicking View
  • Scroll down to Equipment and select Instructor PC
  • This will show you a list of the Installed Applications

Use the Search feature

You may notice that the list of Installed Applications can be quite lengthy. To limit the number of results, type the application you are looking for in the Search box.

Please note that if there are student machines in the room, they will have the same software as the Instructor PC.

 

 

Security Spotlight: Restricted Data

Restricted data is the University’s most sensitive data and requires the highest level of safeguarding. Restricted data includes, but is not limited to, social security numbers, credit and debit card numbers, bank account numbers, driver’s license numbers, PINs and passwords.  Here are some tips for securing restricted data:

  • Know what restricted data you have in your files and computer.
  • Don’t keep restricted data you do not need.
  • Refrain from storing restricted data on your local hard drive. Store restricted data on secure locations like departmental Groups drive (G:), your (H:) drive, or One Drive/SharePoint.
  • Properly dispose of what you no longer need, such as deleting files from your computer, clearing the files in the Downloads folder and emptying your computer Recycle Bin.
  • Do not email restricted data unless it is encrypted.
  • Do not store credit card numbers under any circumstances.

Remember, if restricted data isn’t absolutely necessary, don’t use it.

Computer Budget Forms for FY20/21

Computer budget forms for academic and administrative computer requests for FY20/21 will be sent to department heads this Spring. In light of limited budgetary resources, the evaluation and prioritization of these technology requests will focus on providing efficiencies in the administrative and academic areas.

As a reminder, each employee should have only one system. If your current computer equipment does not meet your needs in performing your job, please make sure to contact your supervisor before the forms are submitted. Full-time faculty are on an automatic four-year renewal cycle and do not need to be requested. IT staff members will meet with departments who have computer labs to determine what’s needed and are available to meet with all departments to assist in this process.

As in years past, lab computers will be deployed during the Summer, faculty computers during the Fall and staff computers during the Spring.

If you have any questions, please email deanna.beyrent@scranton.edu.

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