Information Management Newsletter for Block 4, 2005 |
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| The Information Management Newsletter is a periodic publication during the academic year to keep the community informed about developments in information technology on campus.
We will announce publication of a new issue via divisional listservs and campus digests. If you aren't subscribed to one of these lists and would like to receive an e-mail notifying you when a new issue is published, please send your request to mbrenceaustin@coloradocollege.edu Related Links |
In this Issue:
Computer ConsultingIt's that time of year again – computer consulting! This year, Information Management is introducing a revamped lineup, with some new lower-priced models. This includes the Dell GX520 desktop and the D510 laptop. For full information on pricing and specifications, please see our online listing: http://www.helpdesk.coloradocollege.edu/purchasing/standards.htm. If you prefer, you may also view the pricing list as a computing “menu” in PDF format: http://www.helpdesk.coloradocollege.edu/purchasing/computingmenu.pdf. As always, please let us know if you need consultation on your capital equipment requests for 2006-2007. Academic departments should contact the Academic Technology Specialist in their area for consultation, and administrative departments should contact the Administrative Technology Specialist, Tim Kallman (x6047). Tips On Speeding Up Your Computer Does your computer run slower, perhaps much slower than you've come to expect? If you find yourself suffering from random pop-ups, even at sites where there shouldn't be any (such as the CC home page) or even when you're not browsing the Internet, such as when you're simply checking email, your computer is probably suffering from a bout of spyware and adware. The Help Desk website has a page dedicated to this problem and how you can deal with it at this link . In short, download the recommended programs, and install them (usually just by opening the file that you download), run the updates for them (in Ad-Aware, there is an update link near the bottom right; for Spybot, the initial install will prompt you with an update button), then run the scan, just like you would with an anti-virus program. When they finish, you need only remove the selected items. Spybot makes this easy with a button that says ‘Fix Selected Problems' but Ad-Aware needs you to right-click in the problem field, left-click on “Select All Objects,” and then hit “Next” or “Quarantine.” Often, the scans will prompt you to run another scan the next time Windows starts. You should agree to this as the more stubborn versions of spyware/adware attempt to reinstall themselves, and this will help prevent it. For more information on other speed-boosting and security tips, the Help Desk keeps up-to-date information on how to Maintain your computer as well as Protect your computer, which can be found from the dropdown menus at the top of the Help Desk website (http://www.helpdesk.coloradocollege.edu). Network and Systems Group Update We purchased and installed additional capacity for our Storage Area Network (SAN) to permit the College to expand its data storage abilities. Since the installation, we have increased email quotas by 100% and increased file storage for both staff and students, with room to grow for the next year or so. Newer technologies are being investigated for growth beyond this time frame, since robust file storage is an important issue for the campus. There will be a day-long outage of the Armstrong data center on December 23rd to begin initial work on a new redundant cooling system for our servers and networking equipment. This will replace the 30+ year-old cooling system that has been long overdue for replacement. We hope to have the project completed by Spring Break 2006. Also on December 23rd, we will be testing the new UPS/generator combo now installed and connected to our Barnes data center. Oncethe UPS/generator project is complete, we will have fully redundant power to both the cooling system and the servers/networking gear in that room. Assuming that we do not run out of natural gas for the generator, the Barnes data center could feasibly run for a long time without utility power. The Network and Systems Group has been investigating the use of Virtual Server technology to run many of our departmental applications on campus. This new technology would allow us to host many “virtual” servers on one physical server, saving cooling costs and electricity. The advantage to this technology is that we would not have to buy individual server hardware for each departmental application, saving the College substantial money over the next five years. Peggy Quinn - The New Academic Technology Specialist For The Social Sciences The Academic Technology Services team (ATS) is pleased to announce that Peggy Quinn will be joining us on January 16, 2006 as the new Social Sciences Academic Technology Specialist. Peggy will be working with her counterparts – Sarah Withee in the Humanities and Justin Pohlmann in the Natural Sciences – in helping faculty to enhance teaching and learning through the use of technology. Peggy has been working and studying at the University of Nebraska for the past 24 years. Her B.S. is in Administrative Resource Management and she holds a Master's degree in Instructional Technology. She is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology as well. Professionally, Peggy managed the multimedia facilities in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and taught undergraduate and graduate pre-service teachers how they can use technology in their own classrooms. Her research interests involve using technology with diverse populations - specifically individuals who experience learning difficulties and Native American students. Save The Date! Academic Technology Services Faculty Curriculum January - August 2006 ATS Faculty Institutes These faculty institutes are 2-3 day sessions, revolving around instructional technology practices that require an extended period of time to explore. Please RSVP to Millie Brence-Austin Beginner GIS Intermediate GIS Digital Video in the Classroom ATS and Crown Faculty Center Lunch and Afternoon Events These sessions pair together a luncheon that presents best practices and use of instructional technology by our faculty with a two-to-three hour working sessions to take practical “next-steps” at hands-on exploration of the practice and its technology. Please RSVP to Hilary Hoekenga February 2 – 12-4 p.m. February 8 – 12-4 p.m. March 1 – 12 – 4 p.m. March 29 – 12-4 p.m. May 10 – 12-4 p.m. Faculty Showcase – March 10 Co-sponsored by the Dean's Office and the Crown Faculty Center, this symposium will showcase current uses of instructional technology by faculty at CC. The Faculty showcase will also feature a guest speaker, Paul Hagner, from the Educause Learning Initiative. Paul will share thoughts on student learning, faculty engagement, and instructional technology. CAT Lab Program – Digital Imagery for Teaching and Learning Co-sponsored by the Crown Faculty Center, this program will offer a series of training sessions for faculty on scanning and digitizing images and video, and will feature a by-application project support program that will offer ten faculty up to 10 hours of student worker support to help complete digitization projects for teaching and learning. Assignment and Course Makeover Program – Summer 2006 Co-sponsored by the Crown Faculty Center, the Learning Commons, and Tutt Library, this program will help support faculty in their redesign of specific assignments and courses that integrate best practice writing assignments, use of technology for teaching and learning, and student research activity. One particular focus will be on the redesign of courses to meet the new Critical Perspectives requirement. First Session – May 24 & 25 For more information, please contact Marla Gerein at 389-6738 or mgerein@coloradocollege.edu. |