IT News
Winter 2012
Division of Information Technology
Are You E-Safe?
Information
Technology
Help Desk
Fall/Winter Hours
M-Th 8:00 am—8:00 pm
Fri 8:00 am—5:00 pm
Call Us
734-487-2120
Visit Us
106 Halle Library
Email Us
it.helpdesk@emich.edu
One of DoIT’s primary goals is to maintain a safe computing environment for
the EMU community. Technically, we can only do so much and the rest of the
burden lies with individual users. But, navigating the web and avoiding treacherous malware, trojan, virus, phishing, and
pharming pitfalls is not easy as hackers are
producing more and more authentic looking
traps.
Knowledge is the best defense and DoIT continues to work to keep users informed. To this
end, our student Video Production Assistant,
Trenton Elliot, has produced short (less than
one minute) video clips of students describing
scenarios on how they got caught and what
they are going to do in the future to be ‘ESafe’ (electronically safe).
The safe computing clips can be seen on Eastern’s video page (http://
www.emich.edu/video/video_subset.php?m=187), EMU on ITunes U (http://
itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/safe-computing/id496299679), Eastern’s ETV
(Channel 18) and the cell phone charging kiosks.
In this issue:
Are You E-Safe?
1
New Cell Phone
Charging Kiosks
1
E-Mail Review
Committee 2011
2
Exam And Survey
Scanning Window
2
Faculty Spotlight
3
Wireless Upgrade
Coming Soon!
4
IT Lab Locations
and Hours
4
Printers, Printers
Everywhere
4
New Cell Phone Charging Kiosks
What’s worse than a
disappointing grade on
an exam? How about a
cell phone with a dead
battery! You don’t have
the ability to stay in
touch with your friends,
stay current on the latest rumors, or keep
yourself busy between
classes. Your phone becomes as useful as that
dictionary your parents
bought you for college.
But no more! DoIT has
installed two cell phone
charging kiosks on campus that offer free rapid
charges for your mobile
phones. One kiosk is
located in Pray-Harrold
on the second floor in
the Eagle Café and the
other kiosk is currently
located in the Student
Center on the second
floor outside the computer lab. Each kiosk
can charge up to ten
separate devices at once
with a variety of charging adapters available.
If you can’t find an
adapter that fits your
phone, chances are you
are overdue for a new
phone!
Each kiosk will provide
about a 50% charge in
around 15 minutes. You
shouldn’t leave the kiosk
while your phone is
charging (unless you
don’t want your phone
anymore), but the kiosk
display will keep you occupied with the times and
locations of the university’s open computer labs
and print kiosks. It will
also show the web address for the satisfaction
survey that asks for your
recommendations for future kiosk sites.
So say goodbye to dead
cell phones (as well as
excuses for not calling
that certain person back).
Page 2
IT News
Exam and Survey Scanning Window
The Division of IT Exam Scanning Window
For exam and survey scanning services,
please come to 119 Pray Harrold
The window is located on the
Ground floor of Pray Harrold
Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 6:30 pm
If you have any questions, please call us at
(734) 487-1492
E-Mail Review Committee 2011
After the performance problems that the EagleMail system suffered during the Fall
2010 term, the CIO created
the 2011 E-Mail Review Committee to review and evaluate
e-mail service options available to the university and to
recommend a cost-effective,
secure, full-featured and highly reliable e-mail solution that
facilitates communication and
collaboration among students,
faculty and staff.
dent respondents, overall sat- Among those was that the
isfaction was slightly higher at University should continue to
79.9%.
use the Zimbra Collaboration
System to serve all members
Further analysis of the reof the university community
sponses suggested that among
and that the University may
tenure track faculty and fullwish to review other hosting
time lectures, 25.8% respondoptions to determine if other
ed with “Somewhat Dissatishosting providers could profied” or “Very Dissatisfied” (40
vide the service at lower cost
total respondents). The comand higher level of availability.
mittee decided it was critical
to complete a follow-up survey The Division of IT would also
of faculty and lecturers to de- like to acknowledge and extermine the cause for their
press our appreciation to the
The committee membership
higher level of dissatisfaction. students, faculty and staff
did not demonstrate a strong
who served on the committee.
The follow-up survey found
collective sentiment toward
that there is no single under- To read the full committee rechanging to another solution.
lying cause for dissatisfaction port, review the committee
As a result, the group decided
with the current system. The
roster or review the committo conduct a campus wide satresults were spread relatively tee’s full set of recommendaisfaction survey. Of the 1,307
evenly across a variety of rea- tions, please see the final
respondents to the first sursons for dissatisfaction.
committee report at:
vey, 76.6% rated their overall
https://it.emich.edu/files/
satisfaction with the EagleMail With campus feedback in
email2011.pdf
system as either “Satisfied” or mind, the committee made
several recommendations.
“Very Satisfied.” Among stu-
Winter 2012
Page 3
Faculty Spotlight
Video Studios Help Keep EMU in Touch by Michael McVey, Ed.D
When Eastern Michigan University joined other universities in the ranks of iTunes U
in 2009, the committee in
charge of the process had
some concerns about providing quality content that would
reflect the university as a
whole and provide a strong
sense of our small but vibrant
community of faculty and students. One of the people using
technology to do exactly that
is Keith Damron of the Electronic Media & Film Studies
mesters, Damron supervises
(EMFS) program.
the development of the student produced EMag, a half
Considering his work a public
hour program featuring interservice that keeps the univerviews focused on EMU issues
sity in touch with itself, Damand events; and the Eastern
ron uses his position as an
Weekly, a ten to twenty miopportunity to build student
nute news program of interskills and he says to,
esting activities occurring on
“Showcase programming for
and about campus. The presstudents by students.” Stusure of creating a weekly video
dents hone real world video
product is good training and
production roles such as prosome graduates of the producer, director, talent, switchgram have gone on to become
er, camera operator, and floor
full time professionals in the
director, just to name a few.
field, including Ryan Wooley,
Three studios, located in
a sports broadcaster in Metro
Quirk, Ford, and Halle are
Detroit who currently works
utilized to produce programs.
for 97.1 WXYT-FM "The TickThey are then broadcast on
et."
ETV (Eastern Television)
which is available in the dorm Coordinating with faculty
rooms through Cable Channel member, Randal Baier of the
18, in EMU on iTunes U, and Halle Library Video Studio,
very soon on the ETV
Damron produces various vidYouTube channel.
eo series of EMU faculty
providing an impact beyond
During Fall and Winter se-
Keith Damron
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication
& Theatre Arts
their classroom. These series
are produced with volunteer
EMFS student crews that
Damron assembles and supervises. One such program,
“Why We Write,” hosted by
Baier, highlights discussions
with EMU faculty members
about their publications and
development as writers. Another program is Chris
Mayda’s "Crossing the Curriculum" which highlights the
work of EMU faculty.
Faculty with ideas they might
want to develop should contact Diane Lawrence at
487.3995, email
diane.lawrence@emich.edu, or
Randal Baier, 487.0020 ext.
2401, email rbaier@emich.edu;
both are located in the Halle
Library.
Page 4
IT Computer Lab
Locations and Hours
Morell D. Boone
Computing Commons
Ground Floor Halle Library
Phone: 734.487.2121
108 PCs
24 Macs
Winter 2012
Mon—Thu 7:30 am — 1:45 am
Friday
7:30 am — 10:45 pm
Saturday 9:00 am — 10:45 pm
Sunday
Noon
— 1:45 am
Temporarily closed until Halle Library
repairs are complete
MultiMedia Commons
First Floor Halle Library
Phone: 734.487.2687
30 PCs
13 Macs
Winter 2012
Mon—Thu 7:30 am — 11:45 pm
Friday
7:30 am — 7:45 pm
Saturday 9:00 am — 5:45 pm
Sunday
Noon — 11:45 pm
Owen Computing Lab
101 Owen Building
Phone: 734.487.2241
90 PCs
Winter 2012
Mon — Thu 8:00 am - 9:50 pm
Fri — Sun
Closed
Student Center Computing Lab
270 Student Center
Phone: 734.487.1365
43 PCs
Winter 2012
Mon — Sun Open 24x7
Academic Projects Center
Location and Hours
116 Halle Library
(First Floor)
Winter 2012
Mon — Thru 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Cell Phone Charging Kiosk
Locations
Eagle Café (Second Floor Pray-Harrold)
Student Center (Second Floor)
IT News
Wireless Upgrades Coming Soon!
Much of the existing
EMU wireless network is showing its
age. Since the wireless network was
initially installed,
both the number
and types of wireless
devices in use on
campus have far
outpaced the old
system’s service capacity. With
smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices all relying
on the wireless network, it is clear that
upgrades are required to support the
needs of students,
faculty and staff.
currently working
with a vendor to
complete site surveys and the design
work required to replace the wireless
system in the seven
facilities that have
seen the largest
growth in usage Owen College of
Business, Halle Library, Strong Hall,
Sill Hall, Alexander
Hall, Pray-Harrold
and the Student
Center. Once designs
are complete, DoIT
will work with the
EMU Physical Plant
and others to begin
replacing the existing wireless in these
The Division of Inforseven buildings with
mation Technology is
a new system.
The old wireless system was designed as
a “convenience network.” It was built
for occasional use to
supplement the
wired network. The
new wireless system
is being designed to
support more devices
and heavy usage.
For the other campus buildings, DoIT
is requesting funding
to complete analysis
and design upgrades
for those facilities.
We will proceed with
these designs and
upgrades as funding
becomes available.
Printers, Printers Everywhere
What is the difference between
Print Kiosks and Quick Print Stations? Print Kiosks are self contained with their own printer and
are not located in labs. Quick
Print stations, on the other hand,
are in the labs and linked to lab
printers.
Print Kiosks - Fall
The eleven Print Kiosks added to
locations on campus this Fall (The
Eateries and Crossroads Marketplace in September and the rest in
November) have proven to be very
successful. Especially noteworthy
are The Eateries with 41,554 pages printed and Pray-Harrold with
20,025 pages printed.
There are eight Quick Print stations located in Halle: five on the
ground floor and three on the first
floor. In addition, there are two
stations in the Student Center and
two more will be added outside the
second floor lab.
Pages
Sill
2,437
Strong
2,390
Porter
4,005
Marshall
3,141
Alexander
4,956
McKenny
4,192
Roosevelt
2,060
The Eateries
Crossroads Marketplace
41,554
4,309
Science Complex
Pray-Harrold
Total
8,619
20,025
97,688
Lab - Fall
Pages
Halle Ground Floor
448,629
Halle First Floor
749,089
Halle Upper Floors
121,441
Student Center
441,054
Owen 101
312,319
Total 2,072,532