ARTICLES

IT Counts
Last spring, the Campus Assessment Working Group (CAWG) conducted the latest University of Maryland Student Survey in the Professional Writing courses, with over 1500 juniors and seniors responding. The survey included items relating to the student experience with information technology here at UM. Full article

Are You in the Clear?
If you are not careful, the Internet can be a jungle full of spying eyes. Identity thieves are laying in wait to capture your personal information for fun and profit. Video and software bootleggers are searching for user ID’s and passwords to accounts upon which they can proffer their wares. Enemies and competitors are seeking out ways in which they can get the upper hand. Fortunately, there are methods that you can utilize to limit your exposure to these snoops. Full article

Common Login Gains Options
The Common Login for applications that are associated with the Administrative Resource Enterprise Services (ARES) umbrella Web page has been changed to include two login options. Before this change was made, users were required to enter their University of Maryland Identification (UMID), which was usually the Social Security Number, and a personal identification number (PIN). With the change in the common login, users may choose to use either the UMID and PIN or their University Directory ID and Directory Password. Web systems affected by this change include FRSWEB, ELF, Purchasing and Travel Card Reallocation, and PHR (including Electronic Time Entry).Full article

Critical Systems Remain Online During a Major Electrical Upgrade
On the Friday after Thanksgiving 2002, OIT, Facilities Management (FM), and several campus contractors collaborated in a complex project that was the culmination of nearly two and a half years of planning—the restoration of an uninterrupted electrical power supply to the A.V. Williams Building, which houses most of OIT’s major computer systems and several other departments and institutes.Full article

Digital Imaging Speeds Student Application Process
Student Application Imaging was implemented in the Undergraduate, Graduate, and International Admissions Offices at the University during the fall semester––just in time for the peak period, when prospective students submit applications en masse to meet the December 1, 2002 submission deadline. Full article

ELF: Improving Tuition Remission
The Electronic Forms (ELF) system, which allows registered users to electronically route and approve University business forms, has expanded its services to include a tuition remission (TR-ELF) form. One of the major advantages of the new form is that it reduces processing time and the annual need for approximately 17,000 paper forms. Automating the tuition remission process was a joint effort between Personnel Services and Administrative and Enterprise Applications within the Office of Information Technology. Full article

Improvements to E-mail Services
OIT’s effort to simplify the University’s computing environment has positive implications for the e-mail environment. The planned improvements in the e-mail arena are twofold: first, to provide every member of the University community with a consistent e-mail address related to their unique University Directory ID, and second, to develop and support a Web-accessible enterprise e-mail system available to the entire University. Full article

HAMLET
When you think of HAMLET, do you think of a Shakespearean play? A small town? Maybe you should also think of Hierarchical, Asynchronous, and Multimedia Learning using Electronic Textbooks (HAMLET), a project that aims to bring textbooks to life. The HAMLET project was begun in 1999 in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Sponsored in part by a grant from the General Electric sponsored GE Fund (www.gefund.org), the project was moved to the A. James Clark School of Engineering for the final year where even more students could benefit from it. Full article

Lower Charges for Departmental Wireless Networks
Effective January 1, OIT has restructured wireless pricing to reflect better discounts from our vendor. This restructuring reduces the monthly maintenance fees to $4.00 per month per access point. Full article

Student Technology Fee Advisory Committee
The Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland has endorsed the concept of student technology fees as a way of funding badly needed investments in technology that will directly impact the quality and relevance of students’ educational experiences. The Board of Regents approved the implementation of a Technology Fee for the College Park campus starting with the FY’03 academic year. Full article

Teaching, Learning, Technology?: OIT 2002-2003 Speaker Series
In our world of computers and the Web, it has become commonplace to see teaching and learning tied to technology. OIT, through its Academic Support unit, and the University Libraries are sponsoring the Teaching, Learning, Technology? speaker series to explore technology issues as they relate to the teaching and learning mission of the University. Full article

WebCT
WebCT (Web Course Tools) is a Web-based course management system that provides an integrated set of tools for faculty to use to manage and support their courses. This commercial software is provided and supported free for the faculty at UM. Faculty can request a course space, and will receive training, instructional design, and technical support. Full article

End of an Era: WebSpinner Decommission
OIT WebHosting is decommissioning the Web-based site editing tool WebSpinner, and replacing it with a new protocol called WebDAV. WebDAV, or Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning, is an extension of the HTTP protocol on which the World Wide Web is based. OIT is making this change as part of our continuing effort to provide the most suitable infrastructure for the University community. Conversions for WebHosting customers began in October and will continue into early 2003. Full article

COLUMNS

Message from Vice President and CIO Don Riley...
A message from the University's Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Full article.

FEATURES

askIT
Answers to your questions about technology use. Full article.

Help Desk Tips
Answers to frequently asked questions and tips on more effective use of IT. Full article.