OIT Technology News: Summer 2020 Edition

In this edition of OIT's Technology News, we recap Remote Learning: from Survival to Exceptional, get an update on the phone deployments, learn about our summer learning opportunities, find out about the extended grace for Adobe Creative Cloud, plus much more.

Collaboration Provides Over 650 Hours of Professional Development for Faculty Over the course of two days, the Remote Learning: from Survival to Exceptional event provided over 660 hours of professional development to more than 180 faculty. With 17 webinars covering a variety of topics that addressed the unique challenges and opportunities facing faculty with remote teaching, most faculty attended 3 or more of the sessions.

Teams pivot to support simultaneous in-person and online classes this fall As we return to the Hilltop, we are anticipating a transition in classroom instruction from 100% online to a hybrid model, where instruction occurs in both online and face-to-face modalities simultaneously. Phone Replacement Project Update: May 2020 With the recent impact of COVID-19, the phone deployment schedule had to be adjusted temporarily. However, phone deployments on campus have resumed and we have migrated 68% of employees eligible for voice service.

Organizing Your Online Canvas Course with Christina Churchill In Organizing Your Online Course, ATSD Christina Churchill introduced attendees to SMU's expectations for minimal requirements in a Canvas course, as well as learning theories and best practices for presenting online course content. Interactive Tips for Zoom with Diane Gifford In the Interactive Synchronous Tips, Professor Diane Gifford provides tips and tricks for faculty to help keep students highly engaged and connected when presenting remotely with Zoom.

OIT Security Update: Working from Home Securely In this edition, we meet Dr. Stephen Sekula and find out how he is helping other faculty members navigate the new world of teaching online and doing it securely. We share some strategies for ensuring we all keep the University secure while working remotely. We offer some tips on how to prevent zoom bombing. Plus, find out how cyber-criminals are looking to exploit public fears generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adobe Extends Temporary Access to Creative Cloud Desktop Apps As a result of the campus closure, student access to Adobe Creative Cloud in labs and classrooms is limited. Adobe is providing an extension of the temporary grace to Creative Cloud Desktop Apps for student licenses through July 6, 2020.   Summer Learning Opportunities: Certifications, Career Development, and more! Wondering how to pass the time and learn new skills during the summer months? Consider earning a Microsoft Certification, enrolling in Hegi's Foundations of Career Development, or checking out a LinkedIn Learning course.

Team Up! Microsoft Teams Makes it Simple Microsoft Teams provides individuals access to many of your essential items in one interface. MS Teams can be used to create a collaborative team workspace for projects, host different channels for various topics, chat with colleagues or classmates, and much more. University Sees Increase in Phishing Messages During Pandemic Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have seen a sharp increase in phishing attacks against SMU. We wanted to make you aware of two specific phishing campaigns that have impacted users recently.

Improved Degree Progress Information in my.SMU Just a reminder, new features have been added to the student self-service page in my.SMU to provide students with more insight into their academic progress. Forrester replaces Gartner for Research on Campus After May 31, 2020, Forrester Research will be the preferred solution for SMU. Find out how to take advantage of the extensive resources of Forrester Research, including market data research, and business operation insights.