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Newsletter
Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 3, April, 2012
A huge Thank You to all of the IT folks (and everyone else) who worked so hard to
support the SACS re-affirmation preparation phase. The time and effort expended by
the departments, while still maintaining their already considerable daily workloads, was noticed
and truly appreciated. I especially want to recognize the Web team, Records Management, IT
Systems, Information Security and Network Systems for going above and beyond to ensure the
technology supporting the remote reviewers worked as designed.
This past month brought us an exciting and challenging experience in supporting
the Presidential Search committee, especially with live streaming and archiving.
While we miss Dr. Richard Rhodes and definitely appreciate Dr. Ernie Roberts,
we enjoyed this rare opportunity to participate in the search. A special thanks to
EPCC-TV, Media Services, Network Systems, and the Web Team for all their hard
work in making it possible for many of the college’s employees and members of the
community to attend the forums via streaming without leaving their offices or homes!
Information Technology continues to seek out and implement policies, practices, procedures
as well as new software and hardware to enhance and encourage communication between the
IT areas and those we support. One such effort is the newly created Educational Technology
Forum. Read more about this important and effective collaboration inside the newsletter.
As always, we welcome and encourage feedback and comments about the many projects,
initiatives and programs we are developing to support the college family.
Jenny Girón, Ph.D.
CIO/Vice President, IT
Contents
Tejano Alert Implementation . . . . . 2
Ordering Computers, Laptops
and Printers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The
Best
Place
To
Start
Educational Technology Forum . . . 3
TicketTraK Banner Interface . . . . . 3
Online Work Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Ask IT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Educause 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Anti-Virus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Before You Give that Device Away.5
TouchNet Implementation . . . . . . . 5
THEA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
James Townsend, Media Services, prepares for the next
event with a sound check.
Published by Information Technology
Page 1
The El Paso County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status,
sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Tejano Alert
Implementation
Tejano Alert Implementation Briefing.
Pictured are: Richard Buller, Joyce Cordell, AJ
Navarro, Raymundo Vilca, Teresa Turon, Jose Ramirez,
Rich Becker, Kim Williams, and Jim Heiney
Left:
Officer Michael
Guzman, Joyce Cordell and Jim
Heiney get acquainted with the
process of sending alerts
Right, Charlie Morgan
watches as Tiffany Deveze
explores the new system.
Ordering computers is a dull s u b j e c t
but when your department needs new
computers or a printer then it’s a bit more
interesting. There are numerous companies
to get quotes from, you can go to CompUSA
Dave Kreitel, Systems Administrator
or you can look online at websites like HP or
Tiger.com. What you might not know is that
the college has approved contracts for computers with exceptional pricing on the Purchasing department’s website
with pre-approved configurations. But if you do get a computer or printer from other sources, there are minimum
standards that must be included. Items include drive speed and size, memory, and warranty. Before you start looking
for new IT hardware, please go to http://www.epcc.edu/it/Pages/InformationTechnologyDept.aspx and look at the
Hardware and Software section of the web page.
Ordering Computers,
Laptops and Printers
Brevard Public Schools Information Security Motto
Training is a vital part of every
implementation process.
Caroline Wates
from Cooper Notification conducted multiple
sessions throughout the day.
No matter what physical and technological devices are in place....…Ultimately, it is user knowledge and action
that will achieve the utmost security for the district
El Paso Community College (EPCC) is replacing the Tejano
Alert system. Did you know we had one? Well, Tejano Alert
was EPCC’s Emergency Notification System (ENS) used as the
name implies, to notify students and staff of emergencies in and
around EPCC.
Richard Becker, Information Security Analyst
The existing system is in the process of being replaced
with a more robust and flexible system, provided by Cooper
Notification, that meets the requirements of Texas House Bill (HB) 2758. Texas HB 2758 requires that all Texas
higher education institutions must have a system of notifying students and staff via multiple means “… to provide
timely notification of emergencies affecting the institution or its students and staff”. A requirement of HB 2758 is
that each academic year students and staff shall have the opportunity to “opt-out” of the system. This means that
each academic year all enrolled students and all staff will be automatically entered into the notification system and
then each must take action to “opt-out” or un-enroll in the notification system. EPCC will be using text messages to
cellular/smartphones and e-mail accounts. Each student and staff will have the opportunity to update their individual
notification methods.
As the Tejano Alert system replacement and migration continues, updates will occur.
Page 2
Educational Technology Forum
If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.
Kahlil Gibran
Cheryl Bowman, Information Security Risk Advisor
Page 3
Productive and bridge-building, the first meeting of
the Educational Technology Forum provided a great
start to improving relationships between the Faculty and
Information Technology. Carina Ramirez, President
of the Faculty Association along with Dr. Jenny
Girón, VP/CIO of Information Technology and
Richard Buller, Chief Information Security
Officer led this relaxed exchange of information.
Attendees included Kathleen Bombach, Cheryl
Bowman, Gary Chacon, Mary Ervin, Marco
Fernandez, Nancy Gamez, Saturnino Gonzalez,
Ken Gorski, Lori Hoefner, Charlotte Hollis, Bob
Jones, Debra Luna, Bonnie Prieto, Mauricio
Rodriguez, and Raymundo Vilca
Discussion topics included Administrative
Rights,; Blackboard, CENGAGE and other CMS;
Reports, Data Mining and Electronic Forms;
E-mail, Emergency Systems and Communication;
Phones; Active Directory, Multiple Logins and
Passwords; Network Access, Campus Bandwidth
and Wireless; Equipment; Supported Browsers;
Specialty Lab Support; Requests for Support
Ticketrak
Banner Interface
Gary Chacon, Executive Director
Ticketrak is a comprehensive system
designed to help control parking management
operations. Margie Pavia and Nasser Hamdan
will be working with Seta Stansbury and
Lillian Woon in order to implement a new
interface between EPCC PD Ticketrak fees
and the Bursars office. This will automate and
expedite the information flow between
both systems. In essence it means that
you’ll get billed promptly without
hesitation!
Ask IT!
and Work Order Response; Site
Licenses; College Website and the
Quality Control approval process;
and College computers, licensed
software and discounts.
An internal SharePoint team site has been set up to
keep the lines of communication open.
Need a work order
for a computer
issue?
All employees can create IT work requests by
going to https://servicedesk.epcc.edu and logging in
using your normal user logon. You can track your
work orders for the latest status and also communicate
with the technician that has been assigned to the work
order. So, if you don’t want to call the Service Desk
for a computer work request, go online.
Dave Kreitel, Systems Administrator
Question: How do I print a color PDF document using
less ink?
Answer: Printing is controlled by settings on your computer and these
settings vary by make, model and personal preferences. Most color printers
do have an option to print in Black and White and most allow printing in “Draft”, “Fast” or “EconoMode”. Any of those
settings will save ink. For non-color printers, Draft or Fast mode will also save ink.
Click the Print button in the top right of the screen and look carefully at the initial print screen (the one where you
choose a printer) for Black and White, Draft or Fast. It may be in the dropdown menus so check them as well.
If you
can’t find the setting on the initial screen, you will want to look in Properties, Advanced settings or similar buttons. Once
you know what you are looking for, it usually is easy to find and use. If you have a manual for your printer, it also may
have easy-to-follow instructions there often with screen prints to help.
The staff at the closest TRC or ACS would be happy to show you what to look for. The knowledgeable folks at
the IT Service Desk (831-6440) are also available to help .
Let the
geekiness
rule!
Educause 2012 West/Southwest
Regional Conference
Rich Becker, Security Analyst
If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee - that will do them in.
Bradley’s Bromide
I had the opportunity to attend my very first EDUCAUSE® conference this past February in Portland,
Oregon. Attending the conference was truly a treat. Not only was the conference informative, it was
inspiring. A portion of the EDUCAUSE® mission statement is “… to advance higher education by
promoting the intelligent use of information technology”. To further this position, a prominently displayed
banner during the general sessions stated, “It’s not about information or technology. It’s what we do with
IT that counts”. This belief was put into practice at the conference.
I do not have the space to go into every session attended, but every session, which ran about 50
minutes, focused on a problem, concept, or idea, and presented how that problem
was resolved or how that concept or idea had been transformed into practical
methods of assisting students and faculty incorporate technology to learn. Let the
geekiness rule.
The very first session attended was entitled, “Reflecting on Two Years of
iPad Use at Stanford University School of Medicine”. The presenters were not
Doctors, they were Instructional Technologists, and working as a team with the
students, faculty, and administration, came up with a mobile learning solution for
the medical and clinical students. Using iPads with specific software to markup
Adobe documents, take notes, and view same-day recorded classroom sessions, a
pilot was developed and implemented. The session presented the lessons learned
and the next steps that were planned and expected to occur.
The primary goal of the pilot was to assist students to learn in a productive,
efficient, and effective manner using a mobile device, which from the presented results of the two-year
experiences appears to be a success. Just as important to creating a positive learning modality, were
the issues related to network infrastructure, management of the devices, and ensuring the privacy and
protection of patient information when used in the clinical setting. A learning tool Septris, in the form
of a game, was developed by nurses to teach fellow nurses and physicians about the identification and
management of sepsis, which is a very serious infection that has a high mortality rate.
One other session attended that I would like to discuss, was the general keynote session entitled,
“Coming Soon to a Campus: The New “Free Agent” Learner – Are You Ready?” and was presented
by Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow. Using K-12 data from Speak Up, Julie Evans presented the
forecasted student population that will enter our Higher Education institutions in the near future and asks,
“Are We Ready?”
Julie Evans contends, based on data, that students are now the “digital advance team” in technology
and how it might best be used in the academic arena These future students are frustrated with using
technology in unsophisticated ways. These future students find that there is a lack of relevance
in current education when it comes to using technology. They see their parents using technology to
improve their knowledge and add to their skills tool bag
i n
an informal setting, namely their own homes. These
students want to have that same learning opportunity.
Building their own teams of experts; from their
peers, teachers, and family members, is a process
of learning. These social networks provide them the
means to develop academically and learn the needed
interpersonal skills to create and manage teams. With
technology, the removal of barriers can occur and leads to an increase in the personalization of learning.
This type of learning will blur the distinction between formal and informal learning.
Julie Evans used the phrase of “Flipped Classrooms”, to make the point that we must get students
to learn outside the classroom and evaluate that learning in the classroom. This recorded session can be
viewed at http://www.educause.edu/WSWRC12/Program/GS02.
I look forward to attending a future EDUCAUSE® conference and would highly recommend attending
one to all, if possible.
Page 4
Anti-Virus
Politically Correct Virus: Doesn’t refer to itself as a virus - instead, refers to itself as an “electronic microorganism.”
Mark Kaye
Dave Kreitel, System Administrator
Page 5
Yo u r
computer
safety and
security is a
Touch Net
Implementation
Gary Chacon, Executive Director
responsibility of every staff member and an Antivirus program is at the top of the list of protecting
your system.
The current Anti-Virus software being used
by EPCC is Sophos which has a shield in the
system tray. This is the only Anti-Virus software
being used by EPCC.
If you see a round blue circle with a green
check,
you have a previously used, old
software
called Trend Micro or
you have
an even older program. Please take a look and and
see if you have a Shield or a blue circle. If you see
the blue circle or the yellow pulse on a green back
ground. please submit a workorder for your AntiVirus to be upgraded. You can create your own work
order by going to the https://servicedesk.epcc.edu.
Your IT department will appreciate it.
TouchNet provides an online certified payment card
industry solution where a payment transaction can be
performed securely, anywhere in the world, from any
equipment, whether wired or wireless, using internet
technologies. It allows students to make online payments
for classes or other payment transactions. Another
solution from TouchNet is called CashNet. CashNet
is used by campus cashiers to accept payments from
students in person. Both systems interact directly with
Banner and post all payments live. The implementation
team consisted of Lillian Woon, Arturo Vasquez,
Darlina Nazario, Fernando Flores, Luis Bocanegra,
Nasser Hamdan, and Edmundo Vasquez.
Before You Give
That Device Away...
Cheryl Bowman, Information Security Risk Advisor
The news is full of examples where someone
purchases a cell phone or iPad only to find all of the
previous owner’s pictures, address books, and even
sync’d access to email accounts still active. Imagine
the embarrassment of finding that very personal
photo was accessed by someone who shared it with
500 of his/her closest friends (or your entire address
book!). Don’t let it happen to you by resetting those
electronic devices before you turn it in for recycling,
donate it to charity, sell it to a stranger, give it to a friend
or send it back to the manufacturer.
Whenever possible, guard your privacy by always
performing a factory reset BEFORE letting the device
leave your possession. Here are instructions for
performing factory resets on common operating systems:
Windows Phone 7: From the Start screen, scroll down to
and tap Settings. Scroll down to and tapAbout. Select Reset
your phone. Read the warning message and click Yes.
iOS: From the Home Screen, press Settings, scroll down
to and tap General, and select Reset. From the Reset
screen, choose Erase All Content and Settings. Read
the warning message and tap Erase iPhone (or iPad).
Android: From the Home screen, press the Menu button
and then Settings. Select Privacy. Press Factory data
reset. Read the warning message, select the Erase SD
card box, and press Reset phone.
Visitors to Information Technology are cheerfully
greeted by Lorena Castro..
THEA
The THEA
Test
was
approved by the
Texas
Higher
Education Coordinating Board, under Senate Bill
286, Texas Education Code, Section 51.3062: Texas
Success Initiative, for use by Texas institutions of
higher education as an assessment instrument to
evaluate incoming students.
With the addition of the THEA to the EPCC
student evaluation system, a process was needed to
upload the new test scores. Senior Analyst Yvonne
Almanza, in accord with Testing Services, created a
process that automatically uploads THEA test scores
to the BANNER system once a student is tested. This
process runs throughout the day to insure that students
test scores are available in a timely manner.
Gary Chacon, Executive Director