(end of) Fall 2022 Update from CIS

Hello everyone and welcome to this last update for 2022 from CIS!

Audio Visual Systems in Shanahan Center

As you may have experienced directly, the AV systems in Shanahan have been showing their age during the Fall semester,  often interrupting the smooth flow of your teaching and learning activities.   We have begun the work to fix the situation. 

Over winter break we will install new ceiling boxes in 10 rooms.

We’re also installing 21 new laser projectors in the first two weeks of January,  including the center projector in 1430 (Lecture Hall). 

This work will go a long way toward improving the situation.  However, we anticipate that  w​e will still have some issues due to the Crestron Controls system.  We have requested funding to replace that system and hope to have good news in one of our Spring Semester updates. 

Full details can be found in our IT News Site. 

Canvas Exploration

Nine faculty members have agreed to teach using Canvas in Spring 2023.  We signed a trial agreement with Canvas on December 7th and gained access to our new instance on Monday morning (Dec 13).  By this afternoon, we’d set up integrations for Gradescope, Piazza and Zoom as well as single sign on for HMC credentials!  I could not be happier with the speed of progress.  

I would like to give a shout out to the people that are working on this:  Elizabeth Hodas and the ARCS team (Aashita Kesarwani, Yi Luo and James Sadler), Brad McCauley, Andrew Castro and Veronica Morganhart (with whom we contract for her inimitable approach to project management).  They are building on the shoulders of giants like Andy Davenport and Dave Williams both connoisseurs of the intricacies of HMC data. 

Cybersecurity

You could be forgiven for thinking that I talk about cybersecurity more than I talk about my children!

This time, in the gift giving season, we’re turning the tables and asking you for a gift.

If you don’t already have a good password manager on your computer, please consider taking a few moments to install LastPass.  It’s not limited to a single browser (eg. Chrome or Firefox built in password manager).  You can store notes and other items securely too, and share them with individuals or groups if needed.  Our version includes a free install of the family version of LastPass which is separate and very useful.

Right now, we have 93 active users of LastPass. What we’re hoping is that maybe another 200 people will give us the gift of a few minutes of their time to install and use LastPass.  When you do, you will not only improve the security of your own data, but also the College’s data as well as that of your colleagues and friends.

Who knows, maybe 800 people will give us the gift we’re asking for.  Then I won’t have to cajole you in January to make a New Year cybersecurity resolution!

Wrapping up 2022.

We’ve come a long way this year, and it feels to me like the campus is returning to joy.  The wonderful CIS staff have worked hard throughout the year.  We’re looking forward to a rest during the holiday closure, although we will be monitoring core services (see details).

So it only remains for me, on behalf of all at CIS, to wish each and every one of you in our wonderful HMC community all the best for the holiday season and may you return with renewed energy and enthusiasm in 2023.