UTech News Feed

Several Campus Systems Unavailable Early Tuesday

pjh — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:59:14 +0000

Several Campus Systems Unavailable Early Tuesday pjh Mon, 04/15/2024 - 10:59

Article Date

April 15, 2024

Due to scheduled maintenance, multiple systems will experience a brief outage Tuesday, April 16, from 3:00 until 6:00 a.m.

The following systems will be affected:

Advance and Wizard
APEX (Oracle Application Express) Applications
Aurora Maintainer Account System
Campus Map
Course Evaluation System
Identity Management Web Pages—Account Activation, Password Change, Affiliate Request Form)
IP Self Registration and Other IP Management Tools
OnBase
School of Dental Medicine systems—AStar Pro, axiUm, GSD, INFINITT PACS (Digital X-Rays)
[U]Tech Software Center
WWW Content Management changes

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Submit a Proposal for the Online Undergraduate Learning Community

pjh — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 13:56:22 +0000

Submit a Proposal for the Online Undergraduate Learning Community pjh Fri, 04/12/2024 - 09:56

Article Date

April 12, 2024

[U]Tech's Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) team invites faculty members to submit a proposal to join the second cohort of the Online Undergraduate Learning Community (OLC). The purpose of the OLC is for faculty members to receive the support needed to develop elective online courses as part of a three-year pilot beginning in the 2024–25 academic year. This three-year pilot was recommended by the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education (FSCUE) and endorsed by the Faculty Senate.

Full-time CWRU teaching faculty in this cohort will focus on developing fully online undergraduate elective courses with the support of TLT's instructional design team. Topics will include:

Identifying course learning objectives and goals that can be realized in online learning;
Strategies for using Canvas, Zoom and other instructional technologies;
Tactics to balance synchronous and asynchronous time; and
Ways to develop multiple avenues for meaningful learning and interactions between students and faculty throughout a course.

Martha Schaffer, director of first-year writing in the English department, reflected on her experience in the OLC: "The OLC has been invaluable in helping me develop my teaching skills for an online environment. It has not only taught me about using technology and online strategies for engaging students, but it has helped me to rethink my own content and teaching style to be more inclusive and student-centered. The OLC leaders model excellent online teaching themselves, and support and encourage our cohort to grow and learn in new ways."

Esther Bernhofer, associate professor at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and an assistant professor in the Department of Bioethics, said: "I highly recommend it to every faculty member who wants to excel at teaching here at CWRU—whether teaching online or in-person. Although the program focus is online teaching, almost every principle and skill taught is transferable to improving in-person teaching too! The program was a lot of work—as learning often is—but it was fun and incredibly valuable. I would even recommend that it be something that is required of every new faculty member—taught online, of course."

Visit the Online Undergraduate Learning Community website to find out more about this opportunity.

Duo to Feature New Universal Prompt

pjh — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 13:57:26 +0000

Duo to Feature New Universal Prompt pjh Fri, 03/29/2024 - 09:57

Article Date

March 29, 2024

Duo announced it is changing its look and will add some new features as of March 30. The familiar two-factor prompt you see when logging in to important CWRU web applications will be phased out in the coming weeks, and replaced with Duo's new Universal Prompt, which has a more minimalist look. The traditional prompt will continue to work, but will be phased out gradually to prevent any interruption to CWRU services.

This screenshots below show the visual change with the "Universal Prompt" compared to the Traditional Prompt.

When presented with the Universal Prompt, you will have the following options:

Check for a Duo Push (Default): Check your mobile device for a Duo Push prompt and approve it.
Or
Navigate to "Other Options" to choose:
- Duo Push
- Duo mobile Passcode (check the Duo app on your mobile device for the passcode)
- Text Messenger Passcode (Sends a text message to your mobile number)
- Phone Call (answer the phone and acknowledge the Duo prompt via keypad)
- Bypass Code (Only provided with ID verification and ISO approval for long term codes)

Duo is not limited to one device, it is possible to have multiple devices registered to a Duo account to provide other device options to be set up for more authentication options. If there are questions on this additional setup, the ISO and Help Desk can provide further information.

Several PeopleSoft Systems Unavailable This Weekend

pjh — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:16:42 +0000

Several PeopleSoft Systems Unavailable This Weekend pjh Thu, 03/21/2024 - 10:16

Article Date

March 21, 2024

PeopleSoft Financials (FIN), PeopleSoft Financials Reporting (FIN Report), PeopleSoft Human Capital Management (HCM) and PeopleSoft Student Information System (SIS) will be unavailable from Friday, March 22, from 6:00 p.m. until Monday, March 25, at 7:00 a.m. due to scheduled system maintenance.

During this time, FIN users will be unable to view or update travel and expense information, enter a requisition, use SmartCart or other FIN functionality. HCM users will not have access to Employee Self Service, Manager Self Service or other HCM functionality. SIS users will be unable to view or update student details (including student account data, class schedules, class rosters, etc.) as well as access other SIS functionality.

On Monday, March 25, users will need to clear browser cache before logging into FIN, HCM, or SIS. Find out how to clear your browser cache.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk by email at help@case.edu, by phone at 216.368.4357 or by visiting help.case.edu.

FIN Unavailable Early Sunday

pjh — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:28:33 +0000

FIN Unavailable Early Sunday pjh Fri, 03/15/2024 - 08:28

Article Date

March 15, 2024

PeopleSoft Financials (FIN) will be unavailable Sunday, March 17, from 3:00 until 6:00 a.m. due to scheduled system maintenance. During this time, users will not be able to log into the system to view or update travel and expense information, enter a requisition or use SmartCart. Once the maintenance is complete, the system will be available again.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Update to the Latest Version of Zoom by March 11

pjh — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:56:09 +0000

Update to the Latest Version of Zoom by March 11 pjh Tue, 03/05/2024 - 08:56

Article Date

March 05, 2024

In order to make the Zoom experience consistent across the Case Western Reserve University community, on Monday, March 11, the minimum software version requirement for Zoom will be set to version 5.17.5. Security updates and many new features implemented over the past several months require the latest version of the application.

If your Zoom software is not current, when you attempt to sign into the client desktop application (versus the web portal) you will be prompted to install the latest version.

If you are on a managed device, your Zoom application should be automatically updated for you; no action needs to be taken. If you do not have administrator access to your computer, please contact your local IT administrator for further assistance.

To update your desktop Zoom application, in the top-right corner of the application, click on the profile icon or your initials and select “Check for Updates” from the menu. Alternatively you can download the latest version from zoom.us/download.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu or 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Google Drive Files Without Active Owners will be Removed March 19

pjh — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:58:18 +0000

Google Drive Files Without Active Owners will be Removed March 19 pjh Tue, 03/05/2024 - 08:58

Article Date

March 05, 2024

University Technology ([U]Tech) will begin removing files without an active owner on Tuesday, March 19. Inactive owners do not have a current affiliation with the university.

Additionally the Google Workspace accounts of those who have left the university, including alumni, are suspended, then removed after 180 days. This means their files, including Shared Drives solely managed by them, also will be removed.

This effort began Sept. 12, when [U]Tech applied the label “To Be Deleted” to files in Google Workspace that were scheduled for deletion.

On Tuesday, March 19, the files of Google accounts who haven’t been affiliated with the university for more than six months as of that date will be removed. Also on March 19, all Shared Drives that have not had an active CWRU manager for more than one year will be removed. After March 19, any Google Workspace account that has been suspended for 180 days and any Shared Drives without an active CWRU manager for more than one year will be automatically removed.

To ensure you have continued access to necessary files, all faculty, staff and students should review the files scheduled for deletion. Follow the steps to find and safeguard these files on the Google Files Shared By Suspended Users webpage.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

[U]Tech Continues Its Security Awareness Video of the Month Series

pjh — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:25:33 +0000

[U]Tech Continues Its Security Awareness Video of the Month Series pjh Fri, 03/01/2024 - 10:25

Article Date

March 01, 2024

[U]Tech's Information Security Office continues its Security Awareness Video of the Month Series, "Secure in Seconds," in March for members of the Case Western Reserve University community. March’s topic is "Privacy."

In March's video, the speaker highlights the synergy between privacy and security. Emphasizing workplace privacy, the message stresses the importance of protecting trust, offering practical tips such as understanding information distinctions, adhering to privacy policies, and reporting privacy failures promptly. The overall focus is on individual responsibility in maintaining a secure environment.

Watch the video.

To report a security issue, contact the service desk at 216.368.HELP, submit a ticket at help.case.edu, or reach out to the [U]Tech Information Security Office directly via email at security@case.edu.

Secure Microsoft Copilot AI Now Available to Students

pjh — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 16:14:43 +0000

Secure Microsoft Copilot AI Now Available to Students pjh Thu, 02/29/2024 - 11:14

Article Date

February 29, 2024

Students, along with faculty and staff, may use Copilot, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence offering, securely after signing in with their university credentials. Although this service uses the Open AI’s ChatGPT language model, any data entered into it is not shared or used in training the Open AI language models and is the most secure option available.

The consumer versions of generative AI tools, such as ChatGTP and Google's Gemini, do not offer data protection. Data entered into the consumer versions of these tools may be used to train that tool's language model and, as a result, could be disclosed publicly. As a result, it is important that any sensitive data of the university not be shared with the consumer versions of these AI services.

Copilot can help you with tasks such as answering natural language questions, generating bullet points, outlines, and summaries, analyzing data, summarizing documents, creating graphical artworks based on your prompts, and much more. It uses generative AI capabilities to provide better answers, greater efficiency, and new ways to be creative.

To log in and begin using Microsoft Copilot, visit copilot.microsoft.com. Sign in using your network ID followed by @case.edu (i.e. abc123@case.edu). After the first time you engage Copilot, you will be asked to agree to their Terms of Agreement.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Download Adobe Express From the Software Center

pjh — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 13:16:45 +0000

Download Adobe Express From the Software Center pjh Mon, 02/26/2024 - 08:16

Article Date

February 26, 2024

Adobe Express is now available on the Software Center for faculty, staff, and students at no additional cost.

Adobe Express is a content creation tool that makes it easy to design videos, images and more. Complete one-click tasks such as removing backgrounds, resizing images and trimming videos. Import existing PDF flyers and brochures to make creative edits like adding distinct text, images, logos and more. Collaborate and comment on files in real time with your team. Integrate thousands of professionally designed templates, Adobe Stock photos, videos, music and more. Then customize them to make them your own.

To learn more about how to use Adobe Express, read their short tutorial articles or review the User Guide.

Go to the Software Center to get started. Adobe Express is a great alternative to Adobe Photoshop within the Creative Cloud suite.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Watch February’s “Secure in Seconds” to Learn About Phishing Attempts

pjh — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:31:07 +0000

Watch February’s “Secure in Seconds” to Learn About Phishing Attempts pjh Thu, 02/01/2024 - 09:31

Article Date

February 01, 2024

[U]Tech's Information Security Office continues its Security Awareness Video of the Month Series— "Secure in Seconds"— in February for members of the Case Western Reserve University community. February’s topic is phishing.

In February’s video, the speaker warns about phishing, a tactic used by cybercriminals to trick people into compromising their computers or sharing sensitive information. They stress the importance of vigilance, advising listeners not to click on suspicious links or engage with unusual requests. The message is to be cautious, not respond if something seems fishy, and use their 60 seconds wisely to spot and stop scams.

Watch the video.

Cautionary Message May Appear in Internal Emails

pjh — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:39:56 +0000

Cautionary Message May Appear in Internal Emails pjh Tue, 01/23/2024 - 08:39

Article Date

January 23, 2024

As a result of adjustments made to the university's email system to comply with Google's upcoming security changes, some users may see a gold banner at the top of emails advising caution. If you click on "Looks safe," the message should not appear in future emails from the same sender.

If the message persists, send the sender name, subject line and send date to umc-emails@case.edu.

Try Out Poll Everywhere In Your Undergraduate Courses This Spring

pjh — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:35:15 +0000

Try Out Poll Everywhere In Your Undergraduate Courses This Spring pjh Fri, 01/12/2024 - 16:35

Article Date

January 12, 2024

In response to faculty feedback, [U]Tech's Teaching and Learning Technologies Team is launching a semester-long audience response pilot for Case Western Reserve University undergraduate courses in spring 2024. In this pilot, the audience response system Poll Everywhere will be available for participating faculty to use at no cost for their undergraduate courses. The goal of the pilot is to gauge faculty interest in audience response tools in the classroom.

Faculty members who are interested in using Poll Everywhere in their spring 2024 undergraduate courses should fill out a Google form indicating which class(es) they would like to enhance with an audience response tool. Faculty who participate in the pilot will be required to complete a couple of surveys throughout the spring semester providing feedback about their experience with the tool.

Get more information about Poll Everywhere and the spring 2024 pilot.

Secure Microsoft Copilot AI Offering Available For Use

pjh — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:37:27 +0000

Secure Microsoft Copilot AI Offering Available For Use pjh Fri, 01/12/2024 - 16:37

Article Date

January 12, 2024

Updated: April 16, 2024

Microsoft has recently rebranded its artificial intelligence offering from Bing Chat Enterprise to Microsoft Copilot, which is now available to all faculty, staff and students. Although this service uses the Open AI’s ChatGPT language model, any data entered into it is not shared or used in training the Open AI language models and is the most secure option available.

The consumer versions of generative AI tools, such as ChatGTP and Google Bard, do not offer data protection. Data entered into the consumer versions of these tools may be used to train that tool’s language model and, as a result, could be disclosed publicly. As a result, it is important that any sensitive data of the university not be shared with the consumer versions of these AI services.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Upcoming Gmail Changes May Impact Email Delivery

pjh — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:34:12 +0000

Upcoming Gmail Changes May Impact Email Delivery pjh Thu, 12/14/2023 - 07:34

Article Date

December 14, 2023

In an attempt to reduce phishing and spam threats, beginning in February 2024, Google will implement new email security checks and adjust the way emails are accepted. Once Google turns on these additional security checks, any mail that does not meet its new standards will likely be sent directly to Spam folders. See Google’s announcement and their further guidance / FAQ for more details.

Other mail services, including Yahoo and AOL, are making similar changes, but their time frames are not yet known.

This will not impact most daily communications sent from individuals at Case Western Reserve, but will affect those who send large numbers of emails to groups or large lists of people—for example, those using outside mailing services such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact or other systems.

In addition, any service that sends automated emails—such as Canvas or even an online form—is affected.

What does this mean if:

I send/receive email via webmail.case.edu or an email client like Thunderbird?

If you use webmail.case.edu (aka CWRU’s version of Gmail) or an app such as Thunderbird that is configured to use Google’s built-in connector, your mail should not be impacted by these changes if your app is properly configured. Please see the Google Mail Authentication Change FAQ to ensure your email client is properly configured.

I use a third-party email service like Mailchimp or Constant Contact and/or have automated emails set up through a third-party system?

If you or your department use a service to send email for university business, you will need to verify that the service or application follows Google’s email sender guidelines so it continues to work properly after the upcoming changes.

These services may be mail hosting services like Mailchimp or Constant Contact or any other service that can send mail out with a From address of @case.edu or @cwru.edu (example: Automated messages that come from filling out forms or when an action is taken, such as registering for an event or making a purchase).

Third-party service providers that do not follow Google’s email sender guidelines will find that the emails they send are quarantined or rejected by Google and other major internet service providers. If you use an email service that does not follow Google’s new email sender guidelines, your ability to ensure business continuity will be affected.

To find out if the service you use is compliant, contact the service provider (e.g., Mailchimp) and ask them to verify compliance with these guidelines in writing. (As a starting point, you may want to refer them to Google’s email sender guidelines and note that Google’s changes take place in February of next year.)

The outside email providers will need to address any issues themselves; it is not within the university’s purview to fix these issues.

See the university’s Google Mail Authentication Change FAQ for more information.

I send/receive email using my own mail server?

If you run your own mail server, you are responsible for making it compliant. Please refer to Google’s guidelines for support.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the University Technology Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Semester-Long Pilot of Poll Everywhere This Spring

pjh — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 12:37:03 +0000

Semester-Long Pilot of Poll Everywhere This Spring pjh Thu, 12/07/2023 - 07:37

Article Date

December 07, 2023

In response to faculty feedback, UTech’s Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) team is launching a semester-long audience response pilot for undergraduate CWRU courses in Spring 2024.

In this pilot, the audience response system Poll Everywhere will be available for participating faculty to use at no cost for their undergraduate courses. The goal of the pilot is to gauge faculty interest in using audience response tools in the classroom.

Faculty who are interested in using Poll Everywhere in their Spring 2024 undergraduate courses should fill out this Google form indicating which class(es) they would like to enhance with an audience response tool. Faculty who participate in the pilot will be required to complete a couple of surveys throughout the spring semester providing feedback about their experience with the tool.

More information about Poll Everywhere and the Spring 2024 pilot can be found on the Poll Everywhere pilot page.

Learn How to Use Strong Passwords Online

pjh — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:34:56 +0000

Learn How to Use Strong Passwords Online pjh Fri, 12/01/2023 - 10:34

Article Date

December 01, 2023

[U]Tech's Information Security Office continues its Security Awareness Video of the Month Series—"Secure in Seconds"—in December for members of the Case Western Reserve University community. December’s topic is "Passwords."

In December’s video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of strong password hygiene. They highlight the vulnerability of weak passwords, encouraging users to opt for longer, complex combinations of numbers, letters, and symbols. The speaker advises against password reuse, suggesting the use of password managers for enhanced security. The key message is to take proactive steps to secure passwords and avoid common pitfalls to prevent potential security breaches.

Watch the video.

CrashPlan Backup Service Available for Faculty and Staff

pjh — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 18:19:17 +0000

CrashPlan Backup Service Available for Faculty and Staff pjh Wed, 11/29/2023 - 13:19

Article Date

November 29, 2023

CrashPlan, a cloud-based backup service for your university computer, is available through [U]Tech's Software Center for Case Western Reserve faculty and staff members. It helps protect the data stored on your desktop or laptop from hardware failure, theft, ransomware, accidental deletion and other calamities. Your data is automatically backed up on a periodic basis and can be recovered easily in the event of computer failure or other data access needs. All data is encrypted before it leaves your computer.

Currently CrashPlan is not approved for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)- or Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) -covered data. Contact the Service Desk at help@case.edu to schedule a storage consultation for restricted data.

CrashPlan is a paid subscription offering available to faculty and staff and is renewed annually. Request a license via the Software Center by entering a speedtype for the $50 per year charge. Once approved, you may download the Windows and Mac installers via the Software Center. The Linux installer is available by request.

For assistance with any technology product or service at Case Western Reserve University, contact the [U]Tech Service Desk at help@case.edu, 216.368.HELP (4357) or visit help.case.edu.

Information Security Office Shares Guidance on Recent Simulated Phishing Email

pjh — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:28:53 +0000

Information Security Office Shares Guidance on Recent Simulated Phishing Email pjh Tue, 11/28/2023 - 07:28

Article Date

November 28, 2023

Did the [U]Tech's Information Security Office hook you with its most recent simulated phishing email? It was sent to full-time faculty and staff from "mgmt" on Nov. 15, and had the subject "Employee Salary NOV’23."

If you look closely at the message, you can see several indicators that this message is not legitimate.

Here’s what the email looked like – notice the yellow "External" tag, which should alert you to be careful, along with the non-CWRU sender address of "mgmt@my.webshar.es":

The subject line—"Employee Salary NOV’23"—should trigger suspicion: salary increases are typically processed in the summer. The body of the email mentioned the "upcoming" wage increases for personnel. This is an example of how phishing attacks prey on the recipients’ sense of responsibility, and create false urgency by implying you will lose access to something important if you do not act.

If you clicked the link in the email and then submitted your CWRU login credentials on the generic login page (which lacked any CWRU branding and didn’t use the university’s Single-Sign On interface), it took you to an educational awareness page with valuable tips on what to do if you receive a real phishing email. It also contained information about types of phishing emails, and what to watch out for in the future.

If you were hooked and provided your real CWRU credentials, not to worry. In this instance, your information was not stored or harvested by attackers. If you realize you’ve been hooked by a real phish, you should change your CWRU passphrase as soon as possible, to something radically different.

You can reset or change your passphrase from the Single-Sign On page using the link there to reset or change your passphrase.

For more security awareness information, and to view our gallery of phishing examples, visit https://security.case.edu.

New CWRU Research Website Serves as Hub for Data Management Tools

pjh — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:43:43 +0000

New CWRU Research Website Serves as Hub for Data Management Tools pjh Mon, 11/27/2023 - 19:43

Article Date

November 27, 2023

Case Western Reserve University has launched a new research data website to help researchers gather and find resources to measure, analyze, preserve and responsibly store and share data.

Learn more about this new resource.