ITforUM Fall 2006: The Information Technology Newsletter for the University of Maryland

Fall 2006

ARTICLES

The Clock Is Ticking: New Directory Password Requirements Are Now in Effect
To comply with state and University System of Maryland security requirements, new rules went into effect at the beginning of August for passwords in the University Directory. Full article

Changes to Wireless Network Allow for Secure Communications
Following a very ambitious year-long expansion and upgrade project, the university’s wireless network is now one of the largest in the country, with more than 2000 access points providing convenient wireless access in more than 100 buildings. Full article

MITH, Under New Management, Welcomes the Electronic Literature Organization
The Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) — the university’s primary intellectual hub for scholars and practitioners of digital humanities, electronic literature, and cyberculture — is up and running under the new leadership of Neil Fraistat, Director and Professor of English, and Matthew Kirschenbaum, Associate Director and Assistant Professor of English. Since its founding in 1999, MITH has become internationally recognized as one of the leading centers of its kind, distinguished by the cultural diversity so central to its identity. Full article

UM Collaborates with Blackboard to Offer a Single, Campus-wide Teaching and Learning System
The University of Maryland, in partnership with Blackboard Inc., is launching the university’s first single, campus-wide family of integrated applications for teaching, learning, community building, and knowledge sharing. Release 7.1 of the Blackboard Academic Suite™ is Maryland’s new enterprise learning management system (ELMS) and is being deployed during the fall 2006 semester. Full article

Upcoming Campaign to Discourage Illegal File Sharing/Downloading
Later this fall, you may notice campaign ads, posters, and other materials around the university encouraging students to change the ways they think about sharing copyrighted materials. To encourage University of Maryland students to make appropriate, ethical, and legal decisions on the Internet as they relate to downloading and file sharing, OIT is beginning an awareness campaign. Full article

Spotlight on Project NEThics
The mission of OIT’s Project NEThics is to promote responsible use of information technology through user education and policy enforcement. By visiting the Project NEThics Web site, you can educate yourself about several different facets of your computing life. Full article

Note From the Help Desk
OIT strongly recommends upgrading to the latest Operating Systems because Apple and Microsoft will no longer issue security patches or updates for the older versions. Full article

Coming soon...
Faculty and staff will be able to register for the university’s Ctrax music subscription service. Full article

Conference XP to be Introduced at Maryland
Videoconferencing is no longer the wave of the future: it’s a reality of the present. Students, professionals, and even grandparents are now using videoconferencing features — such as those embedded into instant messenger and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) tools — to keep in touch with family, friends, and colleagues around the world. But while these tools are great for one-on-one communication, they often fall short when it comes to supporting larger group interactions. Full article

UM Forges Contract with Linthicum-based Company for Campus Portal System
On Monday, May 22, 2006, the University of Maryland awarded the contract for the highly anticipated UM Campus Portal system. The portal will be used by all campus constituents as a single access point for a host of applications and personalized information, all housed in a consistent, intuitive, seamless, and secure environment. Full article

Computer Purchasing Program Debuts
The University of Maryland has announced ACT — Academic Computers for Terps. Through the new ACT program, registered students, faculty, and staff can purchase pre-configured Apple and Dell computers with substantial benefits in price, technical support, and warranty protection. Full article

OIT to Enhance Customer Care with Expanded Help Desk Services
With an eye on expanding its customer care reach, OIT recently created two OIT Help Desks: one dedicated exclusively to faculty and staff and one designed specifically for students. Full article

Discounted Cellular Services Now Available
Faculty, staff, students, and alumni who love the convenience of having a cellular phone but hate the expensive prices that come along with it can take advantage of recently forged university contracts with both Cingular and Sprint/Nextel. Full article

Don't Haul Your Old Computers to the Dump!
The University of Maryland and Apple Computer, Inc. have teamed up to collect and recycle your old desktops, laptops, and accessories right here on campus. They will sponsor a two-day event on September 29 and 30. Full article

Computer "Acting Funny?"
Having trouble logging in to a system or using a Web-based university service? Wondering if the problem is with your computer or if it’s university-wide? Full article

OIT Is Linked to Every Aspect of the University
In this new column, we’ll feature projects that illustrate how OIT affects more aspects of the university than you may have realized. Full article

New Affiliates Module of PHR Implemented
At the end of March 2006, a new Affiliates module of the Payroll and Human Resources (PHR) System was implemented to manage information on affiliates and the services provided to them. Full article

Innovations in Teaching and Learning Speaker Series
The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Academic Support unit of the Office of Information Technology present the Innovations in Teaching and Learning Speaker Series (formerly known as the Speaker Series: Teaching, Learning, Technology). Full article

Message from Jeff Huskamp, Vice President and CIO

Enhancing University Technology

OIT has been working hard over the past year to establish a strong university cyberinfrastructure that touches almost every aspect of campus life. This overall strategy is being designed to provide a comprehensive, leading-edge information technology environment that will further enhance the university’s integration of technology with learning and research to meet the academic mission of the university. Faculty, staff, and students will notice several changes when they return to campus and throughout the fall. The following are some of the new or expanded services in the University of Maryland information technology infrastructure:

Academic Computers for Terps (ACT) – Students will be able to purchase laptop and desktop computers from Dell and Apple at favorable prices, each complete with a four-year warranty and support provided through the OIT Student Help Desk. These computers will come equipped with pre-installed licensed software as well as with a University of Maryland image that will be plug-and-play with the campus computing environment. Faculty and staff can also take advantage of this opportunity for personal purchases by visiting www.act.umd.edu.
Cellular service – Students, faculty, and staff are now eligible for preferential pricing from Cingular and Nextel/Sprint under new campus agreements. www.oit.umd.edu/cellphones
Blackboard course management system – The university is adopting the Blackboard Academic Suite as its standard online course management system. We will be converting courses currently taught through WebCT (the former campus standard) to Blackboard over the next academic year. The conversion process is scheduled to be completed by the end of the spring 2007 semester. http://elms.umd.edu
Web portal – The university has purchased a new BEA Aqualogic User Interaction Portal from Exceptional Software Strategies Inc. designed to expedite the delivery of university online services. An initial version should be ready in January 2007, and a full implementation is expected by fall 2007. www.portalproject.umd.edu
Wireless extended to all academic buildings – Our wireless footprint is one of the largest known wireless networks among public research universities of our size. All academic buildings now have wireless data service, so you can access Internet resources conveniently in most places on campus. www.oit.umd.edu/nts/noc/coverage.html

With these changes, the university is aggressively pressing forward with building a state-of-the-art cyberinfrastructure focused on student and faculty needs. We welcome feedback on our direction and services at any time. Please contact me directly at jhuskamp@umd.edu or submit feedback through the OIT Web site at www.oit.umd.edu.

ITforUM is the Information Technology Newsletter of the University of Maryland, published by the Office of Information Technology.
Letters to the editor and article suggestions are welcome. Please send correspondence to ITforUM@umd.edu.
Staff Credits | Archive. © 2006 University of Maryland.