This Is IT!
Volume 4, Issue 1, October 2007
Message from the
CIO/Vice President
The
Best
Place
to
Start
Greetings from the Information Technology Division. I hope you
enjoyed your summer and have returned with a renewed outlook for
the semester ahead. The IT Division staff looks forward to continuing
to provide the support services and infrastructure necessary for the
various initiatives and projects planned.
While the implementation of technologies has significantly
impacted the District over the last couple of years, we have yet to fully
embrace other technologies and projects that are still under development. Our goal is to plan and
implement the following throughout the coming fiscal year:
Upgrade our Network Infrastructure for Improved Reliability
• Conversion to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system
• Expand on the Student Laptop Check-out Project
• Implement a Computer Purchase Program for Students/Faculty/Staff through a
partnership with Dell and First Light Federal Credit Union
• Implement the Recycled/Refurbished Computer Project through a partnership with
Digital El Paso
• Kick-Off the Digital El Paso Project and provide community members with basic
technological training
• Expansion of the Web Development Area
• Establish a Plan for Disaster Recovery
• Establish a Center for Disaster Recovery and Network Operation
Improve Our Networking Closets Throughout the District
• Programming for Statistical Reporting (SAS) for Achieving the Dream and decision
making strategies
• Support the installation, maintenance, and training of Smart Classroom technology
• Implementation of district-wide Records Management procedures
• Expand the Student Technology Services (STS) Program
• Expand our EPCC-TV production offerings including video streaming capabilities
The IT Division has several departments that span a broad range of services and resources,
but we all share a single vision: to provide every student, faculty, and staff member with the tools
necessary to contribute to a better education and to the College’s ongoing development. We also
continuously strive toward making the District’s network dependable, secure, and effective.
I hope the information contained in this newsletter will help you understand
This is IT!
the
projects
that are underway and the services available to you. I encourage you
Message from the CIO/VP . . . . . . . . 1
to
contact
me
directly if I can provide further information or assistance.
Reading Kick-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
GEAR-UP Summer Camp . . . . . . . . . 2
STS Fundraiser Raffle Winner . . . . . . 2
The Prize Goes To . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Computer Purchase Program @ EPCC . 3
SAN Upgrade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
UTEP/EPCC Transfer Program . . . . . . . 4
Drop by the TM TRC . . . . . . . . . . 4
TRC VV Under Construction . . . . . . . 5
Spring 2008 Banner 3-Peat Student Charges 6
Records Management Updates . . . . . . 6
Procedures: Submitting Boxes to Archives 7
Protecting Your Privacy While On The Go . 8
Compromises of PII . . . . . . . . . . 9
Microsoft Office 2007 Deployment . . . 9
EPCC Saves Trees! . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Fabiola Rubio
CIO/Vice President
Information Technology
El Paso County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, religion, gender, age or disability.
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Reading Kick-Off
Debra Stoppiro
On July 12, Student Technology Services (STS) assisted
in the United Service Organizations’ (USO) kickoff for the
United Though Reading partnership. This event took place at
the USO building on Ft. Bliss. Fuddruckers and Pizza Pros
provided delicious food for everyone, and Target provided
refreshments for everybody on the hot summer day. There was
a jumping balloon for the entertainment of their children, and
information booths sponsored by EPCC Recruitment, STS, and AT&T for any soldiers who were interested.
The USO kickoff was also a great way to provide recording sessions for the soldiers. STS
students did approximately 10 recordings of soldiers reading a book to their families. With the
partnership of the USO and United Through Reading, STS hopes to participate in more recordings
for the soldiers and their families.
GEAR-UP Summer Camp
Elizabeth Lopez
From June 18 - 20, STS was involved in a summer camp
for middle school students called GEAR-UP. Participants in the
GEAR-UP summer camp were: STS Managers Pan Chudabala
and La’ Shaun Patterson; STS Technical Supervisor Curtis
Chambers; and STS students Jessica Alvarado, Teresa Valdez,
Aundre Powell, and Jonathan Olan. At this GEAR-UP summer
camp, the STS staff explained and demonstrated to the students
both Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Publisher.
During summer camp each middle school student created
presentations about their interests using both Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Publisher. After
completing their work, these presentations were shown to the class.
STS Fundraiser
Raffle Winner
Debra Stoppiro
In an ongoing effort to raise money for Student
Technology Services scholarships, Fabiola Rubio generously
volunteered her reserved parking space at the ASC to be put
up for raffle. The drawing for the winner was held on August
28th in the ASC entrance at 3:00 p.m. That morning, Humberto Parra, a new student employee
of STS purchased ten tickets to help support the fundraiser. With several people in the running,
STS Manager Alfred Reliford pulled Humberto’s ticket that afternoon!! Humberto will be working
in the ASC building and, much to his surprise, he now has a special parking space (which reads
VP of IT/CIO) until November 20, 2007. Congratulations Humberto on your good luck!!
Because of the raffle, we are over $300 closer to our goal of $2000 worth of scholarships. STS appreciates all the support we get from fundraisers which grows with each event.
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The Prize goes to …….
Cheryl Bowman
BBWorld 2007 is an important conference for those of us who support the online faculty. It gives us vital opportunities to learn how to keep the systems running smoothly and bring new
ideas for how to use the systems effectively. Blackboard provided many opportunities to meet
with those who are designing our software, and to influence the decisions that will affect us in the
future. While much of this can be (and is) done online or through e-mail, sometimes face-to-face remains the best option. Many of the issues concerning the move to CE6 have been resolved
through the work of the early adopters, and EPCC will definitely benefit. Keynote speakers included
Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics and Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures.
At the closing ceremonies, Peter Segall from Blackboard drew Cheryl Bowman’s name
for a prepaid $895 registration to BBWorld 2008 to be held in Las Vegas in July 2008. In the
photo at left: Michael Chasen, President & CEO of Blackboard, with Cheryl Bowman, Technology
Resource Center, and Bob Jones, Distance Education, at the Client Appreciation Party. Photo
at right: Bob, Andy Lawrence, Distance Education, and Cheryl take a few minutes of rest after a
long day of workshops.
The Computer Purchase
Program @ EPCC
El Paso Community College, Dell, and FirstLight Federal
Credit Union have joined forces to offer the Dell University Program to
students, faculty, and staff. This program offers purchasing opportunities
with flexible financing from FirstLight Federal Credit Union. EPCC and
Dell are offering desktop prices starting at $568 and notebooks starting
at $656. Go to www.dell.com/epcc to check out bundle deals and
order online
Eligible students can apply for a FFELP loan through FirstLight
Credit Union to assist with financing of this purchase. Students can
go to www.epcc..edu/financialaid for information on how to apply for
a loan.
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SAN Upgrade
Marco Fernandez
El Paso Community College has mission critical
data stored on its Storage Area Network (SAN). The
information stored on the SAN comes from our E-Mail
Exchange Server, Banner Xtender Solutions Server
(used for Imaging), and SQL Server Cluster among other
systems.
Recently the Storage Area Network system
was upgraded to provide more capacity (doubled) in
support of the college growth. It supports Financial
Aid, Registrar, and Admissions scanned images tied to
Banner, in-house client mailboxes, SQL databases, and
other data used across the District.
The SAN hardware infrastructure gives Information Technology networking staff the ability
to restore a server in a much shorter time in case of server failure. It also provides the ability to
move from a tape-backup system which was done every 24 hours to a 1 hour spinning-disk backup
system and recovery minimizing data lost to one hour instead of 24 hours.
UTEP/EPCC Transfer Program
Gary Chacon
UTEP and EPCC are working together on a collaborative project under Title V funding. The
Transfer Center program is designed to facilitate students in the transition from one institution to
another. Students will have access to a UTEP/EPCC Transfer Center webpage. The Transfer Center
webpage, which is currently under development, will give students the flexibility and convenience of
utilizing a Financial Aid status tool, an Admissions status tool, a What-if-analysis tool, and a menu
of transfer requirement information.
The first phase of the project, which is the Financial Aid status tool, is due to be completed by
October 2007. The web based Financial Aid status tool will allow both UTEP and EPCC students to
login to the Transfer Center webpage, check their Financial Aid status, and print or view their award
letter document. Phase two, the Admissions status tool, is currently being designed and meetings
between both institutions are being conducted to document both the scope of work and the work
flow process. The Transfer Center program will be providing a convenient service for students and
a positive institutional transfer experience.
Drop By The TM TRC
Kimberly Harrison
Do you teach at the Transmountain Campus? Have you been looking for a place to
read/send e-mail to your students on the Smart Start Net? Perhaps you want to design a test
for your class or read your OWA e-mail. Maybe you just want to ask a technology-related
question. The Transmountain Technology Resource Center (TRC) is here to serve you.
The TM TRC, located in Room 1504, provides six workstations running Windows XP
and Microsoft Office 2003, and they all have Internet access. Additionally, there is a color printer
and fax. Our facility is a computer lab for faculty and staff use only. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Kimberly Harrison,
Documentation and Training Coordinator, and Perla Monserrat, Lab Assistant, are currently
staffing the TM TRC. Drop by and say “Hi” or call us at 831-5221.
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Technology Resource Center, VV-C202
Under Construction and On the Move
Watch for the Grand Opening
in January, 2008
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Spring 2008 Banner 3-Peat
Student Charges
Ralph Silva
What are Banner 3-Peat Student Charges?
This enhancement allows El Paso Community College to charge a higher rate of tuition
($40 per credit hour) to students upon the third attempt of registration for a funded course. The
modifications will allow for a real time or batch determination of 3-peats and provide for the baseline
calculation of additional tuition based upon the third attempt at registration.
Will students get refunded the 3-Peat Charges when dropping a class?
Baseline Banner Student will also be utilized to enable reversal of the additional tuition
at the time a course is dropped. This will allow a student who completes registration and/or drop
transactions to view and pay the proper amount of tuition at the time of registration and subsequent
fee assessment.
Can Banner 3-Peat Charges be accessed via the SFAREGS Banner form?
The baseline Banner registration process will be modified when registering via the Student
Course Registration Form (SFAREGS). After the sections have been entered and errors are resolved, the system will assess if any of the current registrations are a third attempt. This functionality will
be performed prior to assessing fees. SFAREGS will display messages indicating a 3-Peat course
registration has been determined.
Was the 3-Peat module implementation a collaborative effort?
The smooth implementation of the 3-Peat module was a result of a long-term collaboration
between the EPCC Information Technology Programming Staff, the EPCC Admissions and
Registration Staff, and the Texas Connection Consortium Staff. The College was recognized by the
Texas Connection Consortium (TCC) for stepping forward and spearheading this BETA initiative
for all the member Colleges under the TCC umbrella.
Records Management
Updates
Bonnie Prieto
We are making great progress in the development of the Records Management
program. For many of you, we have created a retention schedule tailored for the specific
titles used within your office. Those records which have not yet reached their retention
period and are used on a daily basis will stay in the office, while those not accessed on a
daily basis are boxed and moved to archives until they have met retention periods according
to state and federal laws, and many organizations such as FERPA and HIIPPA.
Some departments in the College have already discarded the use of paper and
are using a more efficient manner of day-to-day business through imaging. Paperless is
the way of the future for El Paso Community College. We are visiting and assisting on
a department-by-department basis to accomplish this mission and to create retention
Continued next page
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schedules for the departments and sections to follow in order to store those records according to
the statutes and laws regarding those record titles. During these visits we explain the importance
of your role in the proper management of the records within your office. Examples of forms are
presented, and complete explanations and training are conducted. We return to your office with
a retention schedule tailored for the specific records you work with, and then we go over training
step-by-step on how long to keep your records, how to store them, and eventually how to discard
them according to the law. Training manuals will be issued. These manuals and all forms will soon
be online on the Records Management web-site. Retention schedules for all departments will be
on the web-site as well, and we will be making online updates to those schedules every six months
to a year for the convenience of the user.
We have acquired space in the A building at the ASC for storage of existing records
throughout the college. Many of the existing records were moved from the B building, and we are
working with the users to catalog and re-box those records in bankers’ boxes. Shelving to store those
records are on the way and will soon be installed. The new archive section will be in a centralized,
climate controlled, and secured area. No access will be permitted to the public. Proper identification
will be required in order to view only those records belonging to the user. (More about the Records
Management Archive section in the future.)
Records Management is also working with key personnel in the Dean’s area,
Human Resources, and IT in imaging the documents for Faculty Accreditation to meet SACS
requirements.
The following are the procedures that will be implemented for the preparation and submission
of the boxed documents to be archived. Before the storage and archiving of the boxed documents,
the storage area at the ASC needs to be completed, your department needs to be scheduled for
the process, and your personnel will need to be trained.
Procedures for Submitting
Boxes to the Archives
These are the procedures for submitting your boxes of documents to the archives. Please prepare them prior to the opening of the new Records Management and Archive
facility using your prepared retention schedule. If you do not have one yet, please call
us.
1. Use only bankers boxes series #775 furnished by Records Management.
2. Place files in sequential order.
3. All files must be facing forward toward the front of the box.
4. Do not over stuff the boxes as this will cause the boxes to break or become too
heavy for lifting/carrying. We require that you leave a clearance of 2 – 3 inches when
packing each box to facilitate retrieval and re-filing of documents.
5. The only information that should be written on the box when it is picked up for
storage is the box number and department. This information should be in small print
and is to only be used to keep the boxes in order during the transfer from your office to
ours. This information will eventually be covered up with a bar-code label.
6. Insert an index sheet (itemized listing of contents) in each box.
7. Fill out a transmittal sheet using the correct record number and title as listed on
your retention schedule. Please use one transmittal per record series and record title.
For example, if you have 5 boxes that fall under a different record series and record
number, you must complete five different transmittals for those records which you are
sending to the warehouse. Positively no boxes will be picked up without a transmittal.
We make ourselves available to assist in any records issues or questions you have.
Please contact Bonnie Prieto @ 831-6321 or e-mail mprieto7@epcc.edu, or Martha Rico-Briones
@ 831-6512 or e-mail mrico-briones@epcc.edu.
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Protecting Your
Privacy While
On the Go
Richard Buller
Hopefully, everyone who travelled this summer returned
without incident, especially an information security incident. What follows is a very informative
bit of advice from The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. These practices are valuable year-around
and should be a part of each of our personal “information security protocol.” Should you have
questions about key loggers, worms, spyware, or other categories of malicious software, please
call the Information Security Program at extensions 6312 or 6411.
Be a Privacy-Smart Traveler
When you go on vacation, your risk of exposure to fraud and identity theft may increase.
A few minutes of planning before you travel can help reduce the risk that a fraudster will ruin your
vacation. Here are some tips to help you avoid any nasty surprises:
•
Clean out your wallet. Remove unnecessary credit cards, your Social Security
card, and other unneeded documents that could compromise your identity if lost or stolen while
on vacation. Make sure that you keep these documents in a secure and locked place at home.
•
Photocopy or make a list of the remaining contents of your wallet. Keep it in a
secure and locked location or with a trusted individual at home whom you can contact in case your
wallet is lost or stolen.
•
Do not leave your wallet, your passport, or any other documents containing
personal information in your hotel room unattended. Use a hotel safe when available.
•
Use traveler’s checks or credit cards for payment. Leave your checkbook in a
secure locked place at home.
•
Use credit cards instead of debit cards. This reduces your vulnerability to having
your checking account emptied while you are on vacation. See our February 2006 tip for more
information: http://www.privacyrights.org/tips.htm
•
Guard your credit card receipts and car rental agreements, particularly if they
contain your full credit card number.
•
If you plan on using an ATM card during your vacation, use one that does not
have debit card privileges (one that always requires a PIN and does not contain a Visa or Master
Card logo on the front). You can ask your bank to change an ATM/debit card to one that is “ATM
only.” Remember that any ATM card with a Visa or Master Card logo on the front is really a debit
card and can be used by a fraudster without a PIN.
•
It’s best to use ATM machines found at banks or credit unions and that are in
well-lit areas. Localities with high concentrations of tourists are more prone to ATM scams.
•
Ask your Post Office or a trusted neighbor to hold your mail for you. Mail that is
left in an unlocked mailbox is a gold mine for identity thieves.
•
If you are bringing your laptop with you, be very careful when using it to access
online banking or other password-protected services from wi-fi networks. (For example, read these
tips: http://www.jiwire.com/wi-fi-security-traveler-hotspot-1.htm)
•
If you are using public access Internet facilities rather than bringing your laptop
with you, be aware that key loggers (software that can track your keystrokes) may be tracking you.
Some feel that public libraries are your best choice for safe Internet access.
Copyright © 2004-2007. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse/UCAN. This copyrighted document may be
copied and distributed for nonprofit, educational purposes only.
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Compromises of PII
Richard Buller
Since January, 2005, over 158 million data records containing personally identifiable
information (PII) of U.S. citizens have been exposed through compromise or possible compromise. While this number includes some people who have had their information endangered more than
once, this huge number is a reminder that human errors, hacks, and criminal activity continue to
threaten our identities and our personal and financial privacy. Remember, most information security
incidents that jeopardize personal information are the result of human error or occur because
someone on the inside of an organization violates a policy or good security practice, and does so
either accidently or on purpose. Since security begins and ends with each of us and the threats
are real and increasing in number, there can be no relaxation or lapses!
Here are a few recent examples of reported incidents that happened when Social Security
Numbers, even though no longer used in most educational institutions, were not securely stored or
were forgotten or ignored. From June 27th to July 18th of this year, these incidents were reported
by higher education institutions:
Purdue University (IN): SSNs left on a server connected to the Internet.
Louisiana Board of Regents (LA): Student and staff records, including SSNs, were exposed on the Web.
Highlands University (NM): SSNs and other personal information exposed during the
break-in of a campus building.
University of California, Davis (CA): Computer security breach resulted in the
compromise of SSNs and other personal information.
Bowling Green State University (OH): Lost storage device contained SSNs of
former students.
Every employee should periodically check and be certain that the computers they use, their
personal workspace, and any common user areas of their department have no old diskettes, CDs,
DVDs, tapes, and any form of storage or even paper records containing Social Security Numbers. Look for any personal information that is obsolete and without a declared retention period. Should
you find any of this material not secured and under proper control, please call the Information
Security Program at 831-6312 or 831-6411.
Microsoft Office 2007
Deployment
Debbie Aguilera and Luis Ojeda
Technology Support Services is in the process of upgrading the EPCC computers with
Microsoft Office 2007. This is all part of a plan which includes research, testing, and training. To
get an idea of what to expect, you can review the following schedule:
Phase I: April - July 2007
Identify Disciplines
Identify Points of Contact
Upgrade Distance Education Labs
Upgrade Selected Faculty and Staff
Phase II: August 6 - 17, 2007
Upgrade Designated Labs and Classrooms
Phase III: September - December 2007
Develop Training Plan
Research and Testing
IT Service Support Personnel Training
Phase IV: January - May 2007
District-Wide Deployment
End-User Training
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EPCC Saves Trees!
Kimberly Harrison
As part of the effort to become a paperless institution, the Payroll
Department no longer issues paper Pay Advices (pay stubs). But that doesn’t
mean you no longer have access to your salary and leave information.
All employees that get a pay check can view their current and historical
information in the Banner System at any time, day or night. This is a relatively simple procedure as long as you know your login ID and password.
Using your favorite web browser, start at the EPCC Home Page (www.epcc.edu) and follow these
steps:
• Highlight the Faculty & Staff menu at the top of the page
• Click the Banner System link (first link at the top of the menu)
• Enter your User ID and PIN (password); click the Login button or simply press the
Enter key on your keyboard
• On the Main Menu, click the Employee link
The EPCC Employee Services menu provides links to various categories of employee
information. Interested in your available leave balances? Click the Time Off Current Balances
and History link. To view salary-related information, click the Pay Information link.
To see the current pay stub, simply click the Pay Stub link. The current year is automatically
selected; once you click the Display button, all available pay stubs for that year will be displayed.
Click on the date of the pay stub you wish to view, and the salary detail for that month will be
displayed
Important Reminder: Once you are done viewing your pay information, remember to
click the Exit link (at the top right of most windows) to log off the Banner System; then close your
web browser. This is an important step in safeguarding your personal information.
If you’re still unsure how to access your pay information, a brief tutorial that explains and
displays these steps is always available on the TRC Tutorials web page:
http://www.epcc.edu/Portals/97/Tutorials/Banner7/Ban7-PayStub.swf
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