May 2021
McMaster Connectivity Newsletter
For the IT community, by the IT community.
|
|
|
The road ahead for McMaster IT security
|
|
|
AVP & CTO Gayleen Gray reflects on recent IT security events and looks forward to the road ahead for the community and security-based initiatives.
|
|
|
MCMASTER GLOBAL MACID PASSWORD RESET IS COMING!
|
|
The evolving technology landscape requires us to increasingly protect our McMaster information and technology systems and experiences. To support a more secure McMaster, University Technology Services (UTS) will soon be requesting that all McMaster students, faculty members and staff reset their MacID password.
A big thanks to McMaster IT community for supporting this change. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.
|
|
|
Self-service password reset (SSPR): the simpler way to change your password
|
|
|
Self-service password reset (SSPR) is a tool that will vastly improve your McMaster experience when it comes time to reset or recover your MacID password. Effective May 27, 2021, SSPR will be available for students, faculty members and staff to use to reset passwords for McMaster accounts.
SSPR enables you to safely manage your own password reset without the need of logging a ticket with the UTS Service Desk — giving you more control to easily and quickly reset your password anywhere and anytime.
|
|
|
New Mosaic eForms now available
|
|
|
Earlier this month, the first of the new Mosaic eForms launched to the McMaster community. The new eForms leverage technology to eliminate multiple points of manual data entry, reduce errors, delays and re-work.
The paper HR event forms are no longer required for position management transactions (Request New Position and Request Position Data Update). HR and UTS teams played a major role in this project that was initiated in response to feedback received through the HR Review. eForms will expand throughout the summer and fall to include process transactions.
|
|
|
IT Spotlight Series - Return to Campus
|
|
|
Spotlight is a new series to highlight the connected teams behind McMaster IT initiatives and projects. This month's Spotlight delves into the return to campus and what that looks like for McMaster IT. After over a year of the pandemic, we have faced many new challenges in a remote environment, as well as the many staff who had to remain on campus. Read more to learn about McMaster's approach and considerations for McMaster IT.
|
|
|
Return to McMaster Oversight Committee releases final recommendations report
|
|
|
The highly anticipated Return to McMaster report has been released. Taking insight from across the University, this report provides recommendations on how to safely reunite on campus in the fall.
|
|
|
CUCCIO award recognizes McMaster's Virtual Pink Folders project
|
|
|
CUCCIO names McMaster IT's "Virtual Pink Folders" a finalist for the 2020 Innovation Award. Virtual Pink Folders automate, streamline and simply workflow of the 105 application. Teams from across campus, including the Office of the Registrar, Faculty of Social Sciences and University Technology Services collaborated to bring this project to life. Congratulations on being recognized among your Canadian Higher Ed IT peers!
|
|
McMaster student email migration officially begins
|
|
|
This month, students began migrating from Gmail to Outlook, powered by Microsoft 365 (MS 365). Students already have access to the full suite of MS 365 apps, and this move will enhance the collaboration and productivity features to include email and calendaring. The email migration is rolling out in a phased approach, so not all students will move to the MS 365 environment at the same time.
Students will receive email notices one month, one week and one day ahead of their migration with their specific migration date and support resources.
|
|
|
NEW! Microsoft 365 features and updates
|
|
|
|
See a demo above of the Office 365 Hub for the McMaster Community.
|
|
|
All McMaster Microsoft Teams users can now organize end-to-end webinar meetings, such as virtual graduation events, town halls, conferences, training sessions, retreats and more.
Breakout rooms have more updates, including time limits rooms, re-using previous rooms and more.
Many more updates are expected to rollout between now and August, so be sure you have the latest version of Teams by signing out and back in.
New training opportunities throughout the summer are available for registration. Sessions cover accessibility features in Microsoft 365, as well as beginner and intermediate use of Teams and other core apps, including Word, Excel, OneNote, OneDrive, Stream, Forms, Planner, Bookings, To-Do and Power Automate. Recorded sessions are also available for review.
|
|
|
Collaboration & Productivity Showcase
|
|
|
As part of MacPherson's Teaching and Learning Month, Christa Morrison moderated the Collaboration & Productivity Showcase featuring tech users and how they leveraged Microsoft and Zoom for remote teach and learning, educational events and remote working.
A big thanks to panelists Joe Kim, Colin McDonald, Mihaela Georgescu, Christine Costa, Monique Beech, Emily Block, Zachary Chiodi, Allison Sohanlal, Ayesha Hassan, Julia Meneze, Randy Kay, Dione Leung, Dabeer Ahmad Abdul-Azeez and Mohamed Aslam Noorani Abdulla Noorani for participating.
If you could not attend the event, check out the virtual booklet to access the event recording and lots more.
|
|
|
Listen in! Virtual hallway chats with Gayleen Gray
|
|
|
If you're missing the delightful run-ins and impromptu conversations on campus and want to chat with Gayleen, please reach out to Tanya Reid at tanya.reid@mcmaster.ca to set up a Virtual Hallway Chat.
The next Virtual Hallway Chat installment will feature the new MSU President Denver Della-Vedova. Tune in soon!
|
|
|
Tech talks with Gayleen coming soon!
|
|
|
Tech talks coming June 7th, 2021, 12-1PM! Join a series of fun tech talks every two weeks (with some exceptions) with AVP and CTO Gayleen Gray and discuss timely tech topics, share ideas and perspectives on the possibilities of IT and hear community thoughts as we move closer to the fall term.
Have a topic you want to discuss? Let us know!
|
|
|
McMaster IT mid-summer check in
|
|
|
Mark your calendar (if you haven't already seen the calendar invite!) for this mid-summer check in. Join in on July 14, 2021 at 9AM to 10:30AM. More info to follow soon!
|
|
|
COVID-19: Effects on racialized groups
|
|
|
This equity, diversity and inclusion event, hosted by Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant, is open to all at McMaster and will focus on communities hit hardest by COVID-19, impacts in terms of access to health and stigmatization during the pandemic. Join the Zoom session June 3 at 11AM-12PM.
|
|
|
CanHEIT 2021: McMaster IT presenting
|
|
|
The Canadian Higher Education IT (CanHEIT) conference takes place June 1 - 4, 2021. The first all-virtual conference, hosted this year by Concordia University will feature a number of McMaster-led presentations. Keep an eye out for our June McMaster IT Newsletter for the recap!
|
|
|
CanSSOC in global partnership to defend higher ed tech from cyber attacks
|
|
|
CanSSOC joins a global cyber security threat intelligence sharing partnership to thwart online attacks targeted at higher education. CanSSOC's new partners, Jisc (UK), OmniSOC and REN-ISAC (US), and AARNet (Australia), can now better coordinate and automate the sharing of sensitive intelligence. It reflects the growing need for integrated approaches across jurisdictions to address cyber threats, particularly when a risk at one institution can easily create destructive ripple effects for the broader research and education community.
|
|
|
2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition
|
|
|
Discover key trends, technologies and practices shaping the future of teaching and learning, plus scenarios and implications from various viewpoints.
The report is based on the perspectives and expertise of a global panel of leaders from across the higher education landscape, and you can read the report to learn, plan and act on all that is influencing higher education teaching and learning — now and in the future.
|
|
|
Have a story you want to share with the IT Community? Email Peter McDonald at mcdonp1@mcmaster.ca to feature an article!
|
|
|
|
