Category: Uncategorized

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.