Spring 2019 - UNIT Progress Report

Welcome to the Spring 2019 issue of UNIT's Progress Report featuring the 2019 Computer Refresh, Workday Project and more. This newsletter is meant to inform you about UNIT Projects, Support and Service Offerings to the University. Please let us know if you have any comments or ideas for future issues by contacting: support@villanova.edu.

Computer Refresh 2019 Project

The 2019 PC Refresh is a campus-wide initiative to upgrade all primary laptops/desktops and software suite for eligible full-time faculty and staff positions. The University manages the program cost and this initiative's purpose is to assure faculty/staff have the computing devices to meet their needs.
The The Universitys PC Refresh 2019 project will be executed in two phases: full-time staff and full-time faculty.

The staff deployment schedule will be executed building-by-building beginning March 18, 2019.
The staff deployment schedule is available at https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/unit/pc-refresh/BldgSch.html

For Faculty, the PC Refresh 2019 deployment schedule will be scheduled in the May to June 2019 timeframe, post-graduation.

For more information about the PC Refresh 2019 project, including background and overview video, FAQs, new technologies and training, please visit https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/unit/pc-refresh.html

UNIT Services and Collaborations

Workday Project

Do you use Banner Finance/HR, Concur, ESM, BenefitFocus, Kronos or PeopleAdmin to perform HR or Finance tasks? If so, you will notice a change after July 1, 2019.  The University is replacing some of the older software systems that have assisted in the complex work of administering personnel and finances as Villanova continues to grow and transform as a national University.

Villanova leadership has selected Workday as the platform for this change. See the website at https://workday.villanova.edu to monitor the progress of the Workday@Novaproject.  For questions, email here @ workdayhelp@villanova.edu

Banner 9 Upgrade

In December 2018 UNIT announced the Banner 9 upgrade.  Banner 9 (Ellucian) is the latest version of the administrative computing software which delivers a number of important enhancements, additional functionality, and a modern user interface.  For more information, important FAQ, training schedule registration and more, please visit:  http://bannerupgrade.villanova.edu

Blackboard Winter Upgrade

Over winter break, the Blackboard system was upgraded, and the following terms have been archived: Spring16, Summer16, Fall16. These courses will be stored offline for a period of five years.

New/ Updated Features

Anonymous Grading: Grant Additional Attempt: Instructors can now grant an additional attempt for scenarios when the student needs one and the prior attempt can't be cleared because it is in an anonymous state.

Clear a Multiple-Choice Selection: Students are now able to clear a selection from multiple-choice questions. This lets students avoid a penalty when they have made an initial selection and negative points are associated with answer choices.

Grading in Blackboard Instructor App: This release provides support for grading in Blackboard Instructor. Instructors and graders can now easily identify courses where they need to grade student submissions. They can review, annotate, and grade submissions and quickly publish the grades back to students.

Fall 2018 Classroom Upgrades

Law Clinic--Mediasite Expansion

The UNIT Multimedia Technologies, utilizing newer Mediasite technology and working closely with Law School faculty and staff, developed a cost-effective way to expand the availability of push-button Mediasite recording to all four clinic interview rooms. This Mediasite expansion reduces the need for live, student-staffed recordings, creates additional opportunities for faculty to utilize Mediasite recordings to evaluate student interactions, expands the educational process within the clinic, and fosters academic excellence.

Classroom Technologies-Driscoll Hall

The UNIT Classroom Technologies team has completed a building wide AV upgrade in the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (Driscoll Hall) to enhance the technological experience on campus for faculty, staff and students. These upgrades will give the College of Nursing increased Classroom recording ability, wireless AV throughout all teaching spaces, and multiroom overflow option for large events.

UNIT Support Solutions

Gartner Research Services

UNIT sponsors access for faculty, staff, and students to the Gartner Research service.  This can be accessed through the Library Databases, MyNova, or by visiting the link below.  Gartner is a is a global research and advisory firm providing insights, advice, and tools for leaders in IT, Finance, HR, Customer Service and Support, Legal and Compliance, Marketing, Sales, and Supply Chain functions across the world. https://mynova.villanova.edu/task/all/gartner

New Voicemail System--Coming Soon!

UNIT is announcing a new voicemail system for the Villanova campus community. The new voicemail system will have all the same options that are available in the current voicemail system along with several new and exciting features: email notifications, web access to voicemails, and a mobile application. Ahead of the change, all that is required of current voicemail subscribers is the setting up of your new mailbox; simply recording your name and a personal greeting. Stay tuned for more information and timeline.

Microsoft O365- Applications

The Microsoft Office 365 suite features full availability for Skype for Business Conference and Power BI for faculty and Staff. Clients now have a Skype Meeting Button in the Outlook Client to add Skype sessions to all needed meetings and access to Power BI. Skype for Business is a unified communications platform utilized by the university. Power BI and MyAnalytics are business analytics tools. Check out O365 (office.villanova.edu)

Security (section)

Tips for Tax Time

The IRS defines tax fraud as when someone uses your stolen Social Security number to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. A 2017 Identity Fraud Study by Javelin Strategy & Research revealed that nearly one in three consumers notified that their data has been breached become victims of identity fraud. With the recent Equifax cyberattack still fresh in our minds, more than 145 million names, addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information may be at risk. Cybercriminals are crafty and continuously looking for ways to steal your personal information. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicates that phishing schemes continue to lead its dirty dozen list of 2017 tax scams. So what is the average American to do? The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) have once again joined forces to help consumers keep safe during tax season with tips for identifying cyber scams, actionable online safety steps and what to do if you fall victim to tax identity theft. For more information on staying safe during tax season, please visit: https://staysafeonline.org/resource/cybersecurity-tips-online-tax-time/