Information Technology @ Lesley U

Due to the power outage last night and our continued issue with our provider Verizon, the phones at 700 Beacon street are currently down and cannot either make calls out, nor accept calls in.

Pursuing a resolution to this issue is our top priority and we will continue to work with our vendors to do so.

To The Lesley Community

We are currently experiencing an issue with our phone service provider at 700 Beacon street. 

As a result, occupants of 700 Beacon St. cannot currently be reached by dialing their 4 digit extension.  They can however still be reached by dialing their entire 11 digit number:  1-617-585-6XXX.  Voicemail is also inaccessible in this location at this time.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and are working closely with Verizon for a swift resolution to the issue.

Thank you,

IT - Infrastructure

Congratulations to Victoria Leggett a Junior in the Expressive Arts Therapy Program (class of 2015) at Lesley University!  Victoria won an HP Slate 7 from the Lesley University IT Office.

This is Victoria's first tablet, and we're excited to introduce her to mobile computing.  When asked what she plans to use the tablet for, she stated "Everything!".  I'm sure this includes using her favorite social media platform, Tumblr.  While at Lesley Victoria has found the most useful piece of Technology to be the computers in our labs and print services.  The HP Slate includes a webcam, so Victoria will be video chatting with friends and family in no-time over Skype.

Congratulations again Victoria, we hope you enjoy your new tablet!

To Lesley Faculty & Staff:   Information Technology has been working hard this summer to provide 3 different offerings that we believe will be helpful in managing file storage, departmental file sharing, and collaboration.                Desktop File Storage The first of these options is a pilot release, with a limited number of accounts currently available for individual use. Called Syncplicity, this solution allows for easy online file storage and sharing.  Your files are securely stored “in the cloud”, ensuring that your institutional information is safe from prying eyes.  You receive 20 GB of storage at no departmental cost.   This easy-to-use service includes a desktop application, as well as companion mobile applications available for Android and iOS phones and tablets.  Your synced files are also accessible from any computer through your web browser.  Your documents and files are easily shareable by sending a link to the recipient.  Desktop file storage is not intended for full system backups. For FAQ, documentation, and additional information regarding Syncplicity, please visit: http://manual.syncplicity.com/w/page/35867131/TOP%20FAQ's

Central Departmental Storage For departments looking to save and back up active documents to share among their group, central departmental storage will be available this month.  There is a potential for 70 GB of storage for each department.  Department heads should send an email to [email protected] to request access.  This email should include the name of an individual who will be identified as the “owner”.  This individual will give file share access to other members of the department using Outlook.   Departments with existing shared storage space will be moved over to the new centralized storage hosting.

To Lesley Community:

We're giving away a tablet to one lucky student, faculty, or staff member! All you have to do is follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to win the new HP Slate 7 tablet. We'll announce the winner on Friday, September 13. Good luck!

In case you like reading the specifications as much as we do, check them out here:

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/slate-7/specs.html

Official Rules:

-You must be a current Lesley University student, faculty member, or staff member to be eligible to win.

-You must be able to pick up the tablet at the IT office at 815 Somerville Avenue, 2nd floor in Cambridge, MA.

-To win you must be following Lesley IT on Twitter (https://twitter.com/lesleyuit) or like Lesley IT on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lesleyuit).

Last week I had a great time speaking with the parents of the Lesley University class of 2017.  During an information session and over lunch, I answered numerous questions about technology.  One questions I received from a mother Lesley students was about whether or not their daughter could bring a Chromebook to college and be successful.  Chromebooks are slimmed down version of the PC that does not run on Microsoft Windows nor does it run Apple's OS X, so naturally I could understand her hesitation.  The Chrome operating system is essentially a browser.  There are numerous add-ons that will allow you to accomplish many tasks, but due to it's cloud based nature you have to be connected to the internet to get to gain access to these resources.  While Apple iPads and even the latest version of Windows now require connectivity to the internet to download new apps, this is different from a traditional computer where you can go to a store, pick up an installation disk, and install your software.

Starting at $199, Chromebooks are a great way to access the internet, e-mail, and even video chat through Google Hangouts.  Traditional applications like Microsoft Office are not available to install on a Chromebook, but you can use a service like Google Docs.  You can even export these documents to a compatible Microsoft Office format to e-mail to a professor or upload to MyLesley.

If your program does not have any specific requirements, a Chromebook is an affordable alternative to buying a PC.  At Lesley we have 9 computer labs on the Cambridge campus, the library has 21 public computers, and the Boston Campus also has a fleet of desktops.  With over 400 computers public available on campus, if there is something your Chromebook can't do, we've got you covered.  With wireless access available on every corner of campus, you will always have connectivity for your Chromebook.

Still on the fence?  Check out this article "Two Weeks With A Chromebook" to read about a user's experience with a Chromebook. http://www.omgchrome.com/two-weeks-with-a-chromebook/

Details about Chromebook features can be found on Google's website: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/features-learnmore.html

To Lesley Faculty, Staff and Students

To Lesley Community

A localized power outage on the Doble campus has caused inaccessibility to connected services from on and off campus.

The following services are affected:  On Campus Internet Access. 

MyPassword (Account Password Management Tool), Colleague, LOIS, Lesley Intranet Log In, Schlage Security System, Classroom Print Services, and Campus Digital Signage are unavailable from both on and off campus.

Our technology procurement partner, GovConnection, has agreed to sponsor our IT Workshop for faculty and staff.  Next week's workshop on video conferencing (Thursday April 18th) will feature a pizza lunch and some giveaways.  Mark your calendars, you don’t want to miss it!

Invitation To Lesley Faculty and Staff:

Lesley University’s Information Technology department will be holding monthly workshops on the capabilities and best practices of technology. 

April’s inaugural workshop will feature a discussion on video conference solutions that you can use right from your computer or mobile device.  The resources shown during the workshop will assist you in selecting the right tool for communicating from a distance.  Video conferencing saves on travel time, costs, and is a great face to face alternative.  We will discuss how to get the most out of using Skype on campus through live demonstrations including how to use other services such as Google Hangouts. 

If you can’t make it to our workshop, we will be live streaming via our newly created YouTube channel.  Visit the following URL via a computer or mobile device on the day of the workshop to view the live stream.

http://www.youtube.com/user/lesleyuit

Speakers:

The following Information Technology staff will be presenting during this hour and a half workshop:

Charles Cooper – Assistant Director, Information Technology

Anthony Chirico – Classroom Technology Supervisor

Douglas Anderson – Audio Visual Specialist

  Workshop Topic: Video Conferencing

When:  Thursday, April 18th, 2013

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Location:  University Hall 2-150, Amphitheater

Last year University Technology became Information Technology.  The name change prompted us to create the e-mail address [email protected].  This week we've shut down the old [email protected] e-mail address.  If you need to  contact us or submit a support ticket, please e-mail us at [email protected]

Thanks!