Vice President for Information Technology Status and Activity Report for May 2021 Prepared by Timothy M. Chester, Vice President for Information Technology (VPIT) 1. Key Items for Faculty and Staff Meetings •
Fall network maintenance set for October 23: EITS plans to conduct a network maintenance on October 23. Network maintenances are necessary to continue to support the network, allowing EITS to provide ample bandwidth and Internet capacity to the University in the future. We typically conduct large network maintenances twice a year, during which campus Internet and campus information systems are usually inaccessible. For questions, contact Mike Lucas at mlucas@uga.edu.
2. Services for Students •
UGA Mobile App gets upgraded look and improved usability: Over the next month, the UGA Mobile App will undergo upgrades to its look and controllability. The upgrades will improve scalability of the home screen and update the branding. The first phase of upgrades was completed in April, with users being able to arrange icons within the apps into customizable categories. In addition, an icon for logging into OneUSG Connect has been added and the login experience for Athena has been simplified. Users who tap on the Athena icon in the app will now be redirected to their mobile browser for access to Athena. The second phase of upgrades, which is estimated to come through May and June, will involve a full change to improve the app’s aesthetic with UGA-branded colors and affiliated photos. The official UGA Mobile App is currently available free to iPhone users with iOS 9.1 and above, or Android OS users with Android 7.0 and above. For more information, visit mobileapps.uga.edu.
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EITS participation in orientation: In early April, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions announced that activities for 2021 new student orientation will follow a hybrid model, with mandatory online modules and optional in-person sessions through the summer. EITS has put together an informational video and helpful links to campus technology resources for the online orientation modules. The video can be viewed on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/nL3PQj4Pe1g. Additionally, we will update our New to Campus website, newtocampus.uga.edu, to include our new student checklist, information about using Zoom, and information about other campus technology. Incoming students and units participating in orientation who have questions about using Zoom or other campus technology can always contact our Help Desk at helpdesk@uga.edu or visit our website at eitshelpdesk.uga.edu.
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Wireless equipment refreshes continue: EITS Network Infrastructure has completed wireless network redesigns and refreshes in several key campus buildings. Wireless equipment has been recently updated in Environmental Health Sciences, the Hoke Smith annex, Food Sciences, International Education, the Chemistry Annex, and Barrow Hall. Technicians are on track to complete wireless updates in the Law School and Dean Rusk Hall by the end of May. EITS performs these refreshes to replace aged and underperforming equipment, in turn providing a better end-user experience. These building refreshes and redesigns are funded by the Student Technology Fee, a fee that helps fund a variety of facilities and services on campus. To learn more, please contact Chris Fleming, cfleming@uga.edu.
VPIT Status and Activity Report for May 2021
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