Category: Uncategorized

Welcome Back from Break! – Spring 2022

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Welcome back Hornets!

We hope you had a great spring break. The IS team is here to help you get ready for Spring quarter. Please view the resources below to get connected, access your accounts, and know who to contact in need.

Please feel free to connect by sending us an email at HelpDesk@kzoo.edu or by visiting the Help Desk. We’re open Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m with Student Computer Consultants available during some off hours.

Student Tools

  • Hornet Hive – The Hornet Hive is the campus hub for announcements, event listings, and links to campus web resources.
  • Office 365 – Free access to Office 365 which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Sway, Teams, Stream, and online file storage space in OneDrive.
  • Moodle – Where you can access instructor course materials, your grades throughout the quarter, and more.
  • Printing – Information on standard laser printing, color and large format/poster printing, 3D printing, printer locations, cost, print credits allotments, and how to set up wireless printing.
  • Connecting to the Internet – Use the eduroam network! Setup takes a few minutes, but it will work all year, all over campus, and at other campuses all over the world.

Visit the Student Tools page for more resources and student IS news throughout the year.

Faculty Tools

Visit the Faculty Tools page for more information on other resources to utilize throughout the year.

Staff Tools

View the Staff Tools page for more information on other resources to utilize throughout the year.

Reminder: Faculty and Staff Cybersecurity Training

Don’t forget, President’s Staff asks all employees to complete online cybersecurity training by June 30, 2022. See the March 2022 Required Cybersecurity Training post for more information.

Additional Resources Worth Mentioning

Wi-Fi Issues

  1. Visit the Wi-Fi troubleshooting page to assist you in resolving your issue. Please attempt all troubleshooting tips that apply to your circumstance before completing a report.
  1. Due to the complexities of Wi-Fi-related problems, specific details are needed to help resolve Wi-Fi related issues. You must provide the following in order to submit a Wi-Fi Outage Report.
List of Required Information to Complete the Wi-Fi Outage Report Form
  • Name
  • The wireless network you were attempting to connect to
  • Screenshot of the error you encountered or the exact error message as displayed on your device
    • Note: A full screenshot of the error you are encountering is the most reliable way we can assist in resolving your issue
  • Date of occurrence
  • Time of occurrence
  • Location of occurrence
  • If this issue has happened elsewhere on campus. If so, the location(s) it has occurred
  • If the device was able to connect successfully in any other locations on campus. If so, the location(s) it has been successful
  • Type of device experiencing the issue –
    • Note: If you are using a device running on Android 10 or iOS 14 you will need to disable MAC randomization on your device first. See the Wi-Fi Troubleshooting section for instructions.
  • MAC Address – If you are unsure where to locate your MAC Address please see, How to Find Any Device’s IP Address, MAC Address, and Other Network Connection Details article by How-to-Geek.
  • If there were any other apps running on the device while the issue was experienced. If so, which apps

Required Cybersecurity Training for Faculty and Staff

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Kalamazoo College Faculty and Staff,

Information security is as important as it’s ever been. To maintain cybersecurity requires a cooperative effort from all of us. In addition to securing IT systems, protecting the network, and reviewing key business practices, each user must be mindful of cybersecurity concepts and must make good information security choices.

To that end, President’s Staff asks all employees to complete online cybersecurity training by June 30, 2022.

Training Details

  • The training is composed of a series of short video modules (approximately 15 minutes total run time) with interactive questions.
  • The training was developed by Beazley Breach Solutions, K’s cybersecurity insurance carrier.
  • We will track completion to ensure that all employees finish this by July 1.

Start your Training!

  1. Visit https://campus.kzoo.edu/is/cybersecurity/
  2. Enter your username and KNET password when you see the prompt (you’ll notice the module is from Beazley Breach Solutions)
  3. Go through the video modules and answer the interactive questions
  4. Upon successful completion of the required module, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.

Difficulty Completing the Training?

Please contact the help desk (helpdesk@kzoo.edu or 269.337.5800) if you are in need of an accommodation due to a disability or have difficulty completing the online training.

Thank you in advance for doing your part to keep K’s community and our information secure.

IT Tip – Using “Focused Inbox” in Outlook

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Welcome to our new series, IT Tips!

IT tips are meant to expand your understanding of the technology offered here at K and improve your experience using that same technology. For our first IT tip, you can learn more about the Focused Inbox feature in Outlook.

If you have a topic that you would like us to cover in the future please complete the IT tip suggestion form or by emailing, Katrina Frank at Katrina.Frank@kzoo.edu directly.

Katrina Frank, Web Services Specialist

Katrina Frank, Web Services Specialist

Focused Inbox

IT Tip written by Technical Support Specialist, Stefan Nash and editorial support by Systems & Networking Associate, Peter Zillmann

If you use Outlook to check your email, you may have noticed the new Focused Inbox.

Focused Inbox is a feature that attempts to help with email overflow. When active, it separates your Inbox into two tabs, “Focused” and “Other.” Emails that are considered important are displayed on the Focused tab while the rest are shown in the Other tab. Focused Inbox doesn’t move your emails out of the Inbox folder, but tries to keep less-important email out of your way until you look for it.

“Emails are on the wrong tab…”

Sometimes, Focused Inbox will move an email to Focused when you would prefer it in Other, and vice-versa. You can specify which tab an email should appear in by doing the following:

From your inbox, select the Focused or Other tab, and then right-click the message you want to move.

  • If you’re moving from Focused to Other, select Move to Other if you want only the selected message moved. Select Always Move to Other if you want all future messages from the sender to be delivered to the Other tab.
  • If you’re moving from Other to Focused, select Move to Focused if you want only the selected message moved. Select Always Move to Focused if you want all future messages from the sender to be delivered to the Focused tab.

Turn off Focused Inbox

You may prefer to turn off the feature entirely. Here are the steps to turn off Focused Inbox:

For the Outlook desktop application

  1. Select the View tab.
  2. Select Show Focused Inbox.

The Focused and Other tabs will disappear from the top of your mailbox.

For Outlook on the web

  1. At the top of the page, select Settings icon.
  2. In the Settings pane, move the Focused Inbox toggle to off.

Have More Questions?

See the Focused Inbox for Outlook documentation for more instruction.

The Virtual Reality Lab is Open Again!

Posted on by Josh Moon

We are open!

The Virtual Reality Lab inside the Library’s Center for New Media Design has returned! Students, staff, and faculty are once again welcome to experience our Oculus Rift S headset for education, entertainment, and exploration. We are currently still taking safety precautions so we ask that you limit the number of guests to four individuals per session and clean the VR headset between uses with sanitary wipes. Our staff is available on site to help with any questions.

Book the Lab

The Virtual Reality Lab has a new, easy-to-navigate online booking page where you can reserve up to 50 minutes in the Lab. Walk-in guests are welcome if the Lab is available! Our waiver is now also online. If you plan on visiting the Lab, please complete the waiver on Microsoft Forms before your arrival. We do ask returning users who previously filled out a paper waiver to complete the online form.

Teaching & Learning with Virtual Reality

If you’d like to organize a visit for your class, department, or student organization, please contact Josh Moon, Educational Technology Specialist, at josh.moon@kzoo.edu. We can also discuss options for bringing a mobile VR setup to rooms on campus. In addition, groups may contact us for approval to stream live events using the Kalamazoo College Virtual Reality Lab Twitch account.

3D Printing is Now No-Cost

Posted on by Josh Moon
3D printed purple Octopus sitting on one of the Kalamazoo College 3D printers.

No-Cost 3D Printing

Information Services is pleased to announce that our 3D printing services will be no-cost for students, staff, and faculty effective immediately. We hope this invites new ideas, increased participation, and opens up access across campus. The College reserves the right to limit the size/number of prints for individual use, vet appropriate applications, and prioritize academic projects in the printing queue.

Students in the Center for New Media Design will be operating our MakerBot printers and learning skills in 3D printing. We thank you in advance for your patience as everyone begins training this fall.

Want a Model 3D Printed?

If you’d like to discuss having a model 3D printed, stop into the Center for New Media Design during our business hours or contact Josh Moon, Educational Technology Specialist, at 269.337.7415 or Josh.Moon@kzoo.edu.

3D Printing Questions, Ideas or Problems?

Visit the 3D Printing and Scanning Technology section of our website or contact Josh Moon, Educational Technology Specialist, at 269.337.7415 or Josh.Moon@kzoo.edu.

Welcome Back – Fall 2021

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Welcome Back

Welcome Back!

K Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Welcome back to K! Whether it is your first or last year at the College, the Information Services (IS) team is here to help you get ready for the new year. Please review the resources below to see how to get connected, access your accounts, and who to contact in need.

Tech Support

The Information Services Website

Use the IS Search field on the right sidebar (or near the bottom of the page if on a mobile device) to find the information you need faster.

Contact the Help Desk

Email: HelpDesk@kzoo.edu

In-Person: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Student Computer Consultants: Generally available in labs Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. If you are seeking help in the library, SCC’s will be working during library hours.

Moodle Support

Are you having issues with Moodle? If so, please inform your professor and they will help direct you from there.

Library Support

Your Librarians are here for you! Connect with your librarians on the Library website!

Student Tools

  • Hornet Hive – The Hornet Hive is the campus hub for announcements, event listings, and links to campus web resources.
  • Office 365 – Free access to Office 365 which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Sway, Teams, Stream, and online file storage space in OneDrive.
  • Moodle – Where you can access instructor course materials, your grades throughout the quarter, and more.
  • Printing – Information on standard laser printing, color and large format/poster printing, 3D printing, printer locations, cost, print credits allotments, and how to set up wireless printing.
  • Connecting to the Internet – Use the eduroam network! Setup takes a few minutes, but it will work all year, all over campus, and at other campuses all over the world.

Visit the Student Tools page for more resources and student IS news throughout the year.

Faculty Tools

Visit the Faculty Tools page for more information on other resources to utilize throughout the year.

Staff Tools

View the Staff Tools page for more information on other resources to utilize throughout the year.

Additional Resources Worth Mentioning

Email & Webmail

Returning students, faculty, and staff should now access their webmail accounts at https://outlook.office.com.

Wi-Fi Issues

  1. Visit the Wi-Fi troubleshooting page to assist you in resolving your issue. Please attempt all troubleshooting tips that apply to your circumstance before completing a report.
  1. Due to the complexities of Wi-Fi-related problems, specific details are needed to help resolve Wi-Fi related issues. You must provide the following in order to submit a Wi-Fi Outage Report.
List of Required Information to Complete the Wi-Fi Outage Report Form
  • Name
  • The wireless network you were attempting to connect to
  • Screenshot of the error you encountered or the exact error message as displayed on your device
    • Note: A full screenshot of the error you are encountering is the most reliable way we can assist in resolving your issue
  • Date of occurrence
  • Time of occurrence
  • Location of occurrence
  • If this issue has happened elsewhere on campus. If so, the location(s) it has occurred
  • If the device was able to connect successfully in any other locations on campus. If so, the location(s) it has been successful
  • Type of device experiencing the issue –
    • Note: If you are using a device running on Android 10 or iOS 14 you will need to disable MAC randomization on your device first. See the Wi-Fi Troubleshooting section for instructions.
  • MAC Address – If you are unsure where to locate your MAC Address please see, How to Find Any Device’s IP Address, MAC Address, and Other Network Connection Details article by How-to-Geek.
  • If there were any other apps running on the device while the issue was experienced. If so, which apps

Microsoft Teams Support Request

If faculty and staff are unable to solve their issue by reviewing the information provided on the Microsoft Teams page, they can submit a Teams Support Request to the Help Desk.

Information Technology Acquisition

Posted on by Greg Diment

Need to consider new technology to better serve your students or department? Information Services is here to help! Contact the Help Desk to get started.

We are eager to be your partners in the investigation and acquisition of new technology, whether you are considering hardware, software, or services; for on campus implementation, a subscription on a vendor site, or developed in-house.

We can best help when you involve us early in the process. We’ll help you identify and document your needs and features, and help you determine if there are already solutions available, and if not, work with you to identify and acquire appropriate solutions that are compliant, integrate well with existing systems and data, and provide a good user experience.

For more information, see the Information Technology Acquisition Policy, the Business Office purchasing policies, and our web accessibility policy. Contact the Help Desk early in your search so that we can help!

Spring Moodle Course Availability Extended

Posted on by Josh Moon

In response to faculty feedback, spring Moodle courses will remain accessible to students to finalize the increased number of Incompletes from spring. Information Services will not automatically hide Spring 2020 Moodle course sites until the seventh week of Fall Quarter 2020. They will be moved to the Past Course Sites category, but this does not alter their availability. All instructors are welcome to hide their sites earlier if they wish.

We Stand with You. We Support You.

Posted on by Katrina Frank
a city protest with the statement Black Lives Matter overlaying the image.

To our campus community:

As many of you know, our department typically publishes content related to technology resources, system maintenance, and user education of our tools. We’re reminded that questions of technology, digital access, and data are not separate from social justice and racial equity. We must further admit that, although we try to be as helpful and proactive as possible, we have the privilege to wait for our users to come to us.

Essentially, you tell us what you’re trying to accomplish—what you need. However, with the unjust events that have transpired and continue to occur in our country it is our time to come to you. To our Black community we understand that there can be no peace without justice, and we stand with you, we support you.

Sincerely,

The Information Services Staff

Resources to Be an Ally

Please refer to the list below to support the Black Lives Matter movement and the victims of these heinous crimes. Also recognize this is the first step to becoming an ally and it is critical that you continue to educate yourself, to listen, to watch, to raise your voice, to engage, and to act.