Information Management Newsletter February 2006

Information Management Newsletter for Block 5, 2006

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

Introducing Terri Akse - Director of Network & Systems Services

Information Management (IM) is very pleased to welcome Terri Akse to the CC Community! She will be serving as our Director of Network & Systems Services, and started at CC on January 9, 2006. Terri joins the IM team responsible for maintaining the core network infrastructure, from cables and switches to servers and routers, from wired and wireless computing solutions to Internet and Intranet connections. She will be working closely with Kris Jones, Alan Davis, Andrew Watson, David Ziemba, John Pearson, and Tom Walters.

Terri is a Minnesota native with pig-farming roots, and she is a proud '93 Carleton College graduate. At Carleton, she majored in psychology, danced in a hip hop group called Ebony, and avidly followed Carleton football (her now husband, Kris, played for the team). After graduation, Terri spent some time as a nanny in Norway, and then worked for Deloitte for six years doing network administration, first in Minneapolis and then in Denver. For the past seven years, Terri taught networking courses as an instructor at Pikes Peak Community College, serving both college learners and high school students (through an Area Vocational Program). She is thrilled to join us at our CC, where she brings her infectiously positive spirit, her knowledge of information technology, and her passion for service in the liberal arts!

Fittingly, Terri and Kris were married on the Carleton football field in August of 1997. Kris is an instructor at PPCC. They have two children - Alena is six years old, and Anton just turned two. In her spare time, Terri enjoys reading mysteries. Please join us in welcoming Terri to Colorado College!

The Help Desk Outpost Is Open For Business!

The Help Desk has recently worked with the Library on expanding our hours to help with high demand in the Library at night. The project started before break, but is now in full swing--A Help Desk student technician will be available to help with computer issues at the Reference Desk in Tutt Library at the following times:

Monday - Thursday: 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Saturday: 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Please feel free to stop by if you have any computer-related problems--we're hoping to expand the program with even more support if enough people are making use of it.

'Twas the Meeting 'Fore Christmas

Every Tuesday afternoon the staff of Information Management holds an informal meeting in Armstrong 10. All IM staff are invited. Typically between five and twelve folks attend giving progress reports and coordinating projects. Afterwards, the minutes of the meeting are e-mailed to the rest of the division. The following are the minutes of the meeting of December 20, 2005, when only one of us showed up.

'Twas the Meeting 'Fore Christmas

'Twas the meeting 'fore Christmas, when 'round the division

There weren't many colleagues, and that is fo'shizen!

This Director just hung in the hall by the stair,

In hopes that some geeks or such soon would be there.

Some techies were nestled all snug with their desktops

While some on vacation prayed for more rest stops.

A drive to El Paso, a flight to St. Paul

Were two of the reasons our numbers were small.

Room 10 was wide open, but scheduled by Dan or by Judy, or Sue, or some guy from Banner.

Then, what to my wondering mind should appear,

But the thought I should bail ere someone came near.

I spoke not a word, I was tempted to shirk,

I was tired of meetings, so I turned with a jerk.

And laying my finger aside of my phone,

And turning it off, up the stairway I'd flown.

I sprang to the Great Hall, where the door hinges whistle,

And away cross the campus, as fast as a missle.

But I called to the webcam that witnessed my flight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Open House - CC's New Keck GIS Commons

Date: February 10
Time: 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. - Documentary Film Show "The World in a Box"
Location: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Open House Palmer 1 (used to be Palmer 14)

Join ATS, Southwest Studies and the Dean's Office to celebrate the official opening of Keck GIS Commons, a place for students, faculty and staff to explore and share how Geographic Information Systems and spatial analysis can help us understand and solve a range of problems facing our interconnected world.

The one-hour documentary explains the basic concept of GIS and tells stories of how GIS is used around the world. Feature stores include how GIS helps prevent famine in Africa, break the cycle of urban crime in California, resolve conflicts between development and the environment in the Pacific Northwest, understand global warming in the Arctic, and more. The film is produced by the award-winning documentary team of Victoria Eubanks and Cal Lewin.

The Open House features, in addition to food and beverages, GIS projects at CC, a mini map gallery, interactive GIS applications, and projects from other GIS users.

Come check out the resources at Keck GIS Commons, get acquainted with GIS, and have fun!

Faculty Institute - Introduction to GIS

Date: February 16 - February 18
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily
Location: Palmer 1 (used to be Palmer 14)

Join us for this hands-on introduction to fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ESRI ArcGIS 9 software, and how to use GIS to create and environment in your classroom in which different data about natural environment and human society can be integrated and analyzed.

Intense immersion - half of the institute is hands-on learning. You'll come out ready to start your GIS projects. (If you are interested in developing a GIS project for your course, please contact Wei-Hsin Fu at 389-6130 or Wei-Hsin.Fu@ColoradoCollege.edu to have your project incorporated in the institute).