New & Coming Soon

Did you know that faculty can make the choice to keep their Blackboard course site available to students after class has ended or, if they prefer, they can make the course unavailable when classes end?  Some instructors want their students to have access to the materials throughout their studies, and others prefer to keep the material a bit more secure to cut down on "sharing."
 
You can find easy steps and  information on making your course unavailable to your students in local documentation. More Blackboard tip sheets and  other documentation can be found at http://www.valpo.edu/it.

Several projects are in the works between IT and our A/V vendors to address some classroom and presentation issues on campus. Kallay-Christopher Hall 112 will be getting an upgraded lectern, improved audio system, and upgraded control software. Christopher Center 205 will be having some re-wiring and system revamping to address existing audio issues with wiring cross-talk and feedback noise, as well as improve the useability of the video conferencing capabilities of the room. Mueller LL11 will be getting a standard classroom technology cart like the other technology classrooms in the basement of Mueller Hall. Currently, IT is working with departments and vendors to decide on the best installation quotes and will be installing these classrooms during June. Questions about existing room configurations and these current projects can be directed to Matt.Smith@valpo.edu

If your department is interested in upgrading a classroom, conference room, or other learning space you should contact Jen Gregory, Director of Instructional and Learning Services, who can meet with you to assist in coordinating needs and ideas for room upgrades.

KRONOS: Dining Services is LIVE on the product as of this past Sunday. The two pay-period testing went very smoothly. Facilities Management has been using this time-card alternative for a few months.

EMAS: The new software package for the Admission office is in the "pre-conversion" stages.  The anticipation is to have this up and running for the Admission staff in July. 

TITANIUM: The Counseling Center is planning to implement new software called Titanium Schedule this summer. The new software should help streamline its scheduling and record-keeping to better serve students using Counseling Center services, while maintaining HIPPA compliance.

This year's May Faculty workshop is meeting with overwhelming success.  Twenty-three participants have signed up to learn how to take their courses from "Bricks to Clicks" and convert their on campus courses to online courses.
 
Throughout the summer, the staff members in the Instructional Design and Faculty Consulting Center will be available to work with faculty to continue the development of their online course.

For more information on the services provided by Instructional Design and Faculty Consulting, or to set up an appointment to meet with an Instructional Designer visit www.valpo.edu/it/idfc.
 

IT Tech Services will be replacing the network jacks in the residence halls other than Whrenberg this summer.

Preparation for the launch of the new graduate program in Information Technology is underway. This program, jointly administered by Information Technology, the Department of Math and Computer Science, and the Office of Graduate Studies, has received over 20 applications and is expected to enroll about 15 students in fall semester. Courses offered this fall include a basic introductory course, platform technologies and networking, Internet and web technologies, information systems and information technology, and courses aimed at the professional development of IT administrators.

Persons interested in the program should have a minor in computer science, engineering, information technology, or a related field, or should have significant work experience related to IT. Those wishing to apply should contact the Office of Graduate Studies at 464.5313.

The end of the Spring semester doesn’t mean the end of Information Technology Workshops; new offerings are on the horizon. Learn how to integrate YouTube videos into your PowerPoint presentations in the PowerPoint 2003 workshop.  Add drop-down fields into your Excel workbooks, after attending the Exercises in Excel workshops. Master Excel’s VLOOKUP function in the Excel 2003: Functions, Functions, Functions session.  Visit www.valpo.edu/it/training on a regular basis for listing of current workshops offered

The SummIT team will give the newsletter a vacation until students return in the fall. Other IT information resources will continue to be updated as usual.