It’s time for Tech Fair 2012! The Office of Information Technology and the University Library are partnering to present this event on the library’s first floor during Welcome Week and the first week of classes, Saturday, August 18–Friday, August 31. Technology assistance for both students and faculty will be offered.

Get what you need to make your laptop work for you! Students, faculty, and staff can drop by for assistance with:

• Eaglesecure, the wireless network
  
• ExpressConnect to protect your laptop
  
• Wireless printing
• Email connectivity
• Your other technology questions

Bring your power cord with your laptop and let us know how we can help! 

The Tech Fair is open:
Saturdays and Sundays, 11–6
Weekdays, 10–8

American University honored the winners of its 2012 Staff Performance Awards on May 22 at a luncheon in the Mary Graydon Center.

The program, established in 1998, recognizes outstanding performance by staff at the university. Nominations come from supervisors, subordinates, peers, faculty, and students.

This year’s winners are

• Maureen Breslin, Customer Focus – As assistant director, Academic Support Center-student athletics, Breslin is instrumental in the academic success of AU’s student-athletes. In 2010–11, AU student-athletes had an overall GPA of 3.34.

• Donald Curtis, Diversity – Curtis, operations coordinator in the Center for Community Engagement and Service, works with many different constituencies across campus on matters ranging from service opportunities to the day-to-day concerns affecting their organizations. He’s the driving force behind the Resource Group, which under his leadership has transformed from a number of informal discussions on identifying challenges faced by students of color into a flourishing organization that brings people from across departments together to discuss issues and propose tangible solutions.
• Sharjil Hassan, Service to the AU Community – Running the Project Management Office in the Office of Information Technology, Hassan created a project management training program that allows staff to apply effective principles to manage their assigned projects from start to finish. He expanded the program campus-wide and more than 80 people from outside OIT have attended.
• Kogod Now team – With a print and online circulation of 15,000, the Kogod School of Business magazine has increased the visibility of the school and its faculty’s research. Editor Jackie Sauter, the trio of Erin Willcher, Anna Miars, and Laura Caruso, who developed the electronic version of the magazine, and Lara Kline, who secured political and financial support for it, have made the publication a success in just one year.
• IDPP team, Diversity – AU is the first institute of higher learning to offer a Disability Policy Master’s Program and Institute. As a joint venture with the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the program now recruits and helps exceptional students from Asian countries with a range of disabilities to become degree candidates. Maya Aguilar, Consuelo Nelson, Erica Seng, and Clyde White Jr. were the honorees.
• MAP-Works Student Success Tool team, Teamwork – The MAP-Works software, designed to increase student retention through early identification of risk factors known to affect student attrition, was implemented successfully in just three months. The online survey had a 65 percent completion rate and helped boost the fall 2011 to spring 2012 retention rate to 97.5 percent. Ryan Anderson, Marianne Huger, David Kaib, and Ann Parambil were recognized for quick and successful implementation of the program.

All the winners receive
•    an award certificate
•    an invitation to a years of service and staff performance awards luncheon
•    a day off from work
•    a $750 monetary award, not to exceed $5,000 in the case of a group award
•    a photograph with President Kerwin and their division vice president
 

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) will introduce a number of new or improved services this summer.

Network Infrastructure and Internet Bandwidth Upgrades

By the end of May, OIT will upgrade AU’s Internet routers to more robust routers that handle higher bandwidth. This means that the current bandwidth for both of our Internet links will be upgraded from 400 Mbps each to 1 Gigabit each (for 2 Gigabits total). The upgrade will translate to a 250 percent increase in Internet bandwidth for the campus. 

OIT will also install 136 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units to provide backup power and surge protection for network infrastructure across campus. This will mean less down time during a power outage.

Mobile Strategy

With the rapid growth in mobile device use by students, faculty, and staff, AU took action to provide remote connectivity between these groups and the critical information found on university systems and in the cloud. To meet the unique challenges of planning for this mobile environment, AU formed a cross-functional campus working group cochaired by University Communications and Marketing and the Office of Information Technology. AU’s mobile presence will be unveiled for a soft launch, by the end of the semester. Look for more announcements to come.

CommonSpot 6.2 Upgrade

OIT is working to finalize plans for upgrading our CommonSpot Content Management System (CMS) from our current version, 5.1, to the latest version, 6.2.  The CMS is used to publish, edit, and modify content on the AU website. We will first complete the upgrade in a test environment to ensure the upgrade process goes as planned. We expect the upgrade to take place over the summer. New features of 6.2 include

• a ribbon-like user interface
• easier to find images, pages, uploaded documents
• direct access to administrative functions
• an improved Rich Text Editor
• group ownership
• customizable

Document Imaging Solution

In 2011, a cross-functional working group evaluated several document imaging solutions, based on extensive vendor proposals and product presentations. There was unanimous agreement that Perceptive Software’s ImageNow product was the best fit for American University, since it was the best fit for integration with existing systems at AU. Contract negotiations are complete for the first phase pilot implementations and work is underway to install and configure the system. The system will allow documents, such as insurance claims, litigation, contracts, invoices, student transcripts, and financial aid documents, to be scanned, indexed, and stored in a digital format in a central repository. During the calendar year, OIT will continue working with each administrative office participating in the pilot, at times that are most convenient for them. These include: Accounts Payable and the Office of Enrollment (Admissions and Financial Aid functions).

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) announces updates in the Microsoft Active Directory (AD) migration project. A de facto industry standard, AD provides authentication, file, and print sharing services. The multiyear initiative will replace Novell Directory, file, and print services with improved offerings from Microsoft.

During this transition many of the daily systems you use like the new portal, wireless (eaglesecure), Blackboard, and SafeConnect have been reconfigured to use AD rather than Novell for authentication; more are being converted on an ongoing basis.

OIT is partnering with the AU technical team to replace older workstations with AD-ready computers, in compliance with the university’s established workstation replacement cycle. These new laptops and desktops have Windows 7 64 bit and more memory installed, and are faster and more secure than Windows XP. Seventeen percent of the workstations on campus now use AD rather than Novell. The transition is scheduled for completion by 2015.

Slight Changes from Novell to AD, Improved User Experience

With Novell, customers log in to a local Windows account and use the Novell client to access network resources.

With AD, the workstation is first joined to the American.edu AD domain. This one-time process allows you to log in to the computer with your AD username and password and access network resources transparently. Then, whenever an AD-aware system (like wireless or SafeConnect) prompts you for authentication, Windows silently logs in on your behalf, which means fewer password prompts.

Benefits of Active Directory

• Working from home you now need only log in to the VPN, no need to launch the Novell client to get access to your network drives.
• AD provides better compatibility and an improved user experience for Mac and Linux customers.
• In the coming months OIT will roll out upgrades to go along with AD including an improved password reset process.

As departments transition to AD, OIT will migrate shared network drives to Windows servers to provide improved reliability and fault tolerance and improved access to shared data across departments.

OIT is also working with WCL and WAMU to integrate their AD services and systems into the American.edu domain.

For questions or more information about the Active Directory migration, contact the OIT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp.

It’s a new year so why not take advantage of the opportunity to get organized, especially since January is National Get Organized Month.   It is the professional organizing industry’s national event dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of getting organized. The Office of Information Technology sees National Get Organized Month as an opportunity for faculty and staff to reduce risk to American University by thinking about the type of data your office handles and developing a plan for managing it. 

Let’s start by reviewing the University’s Data Classification Policy. This policy governs the privacy, security, and integrity of university data, especially confidential data, and the responsibilities of institutional units and individuals for such data. There are three levels of classification:

Confidential Data: Confidential data are considered the most sensitive and require the highest level of protection. Confidential data includes data that the university must keep private under federal, local, and state laws, contractual arrangements, or based on its proprietary worth. Confidential data may be disclosed to individuals on a strict need-to-know basis only.

Official Use Only Data: Official Use Only data is generally private to the university. Access is limited to AU community members on a need-to-know basis, and it is not generally available to parties external to American University.

Unrestricted Data: Unrestricted Data has no legal or other restrictions on access or usage and may be open to the university community and the general public.

Now let’s look at some actions to consider for organizing your office’s confidential data. You could begin by scheduling an office meeting to determine whether your office handles confidential data. At the meeting, or in a communication, define “confidential” for your office using the Data Classification Policy as your guide. Discuss where your office should store confidential data, and communicate that location to your coworkers so everyone that needs to know is aware. Consider the following:

• Document guidelines and process for your office about how to handle confidential data.
• Consider adding an annual review process to ensure that the guidance and process is still valid. We live in a world of guaranteed change.
• Classify your electronic documents by adding the confidential classification to the footer.

These are just some of the steps you can take to get organized. For more information, click here.

For questions about this endeavor, please contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message  AskAmericanUHelp.

Do you know these three myths about cyber security?

1. Computer hackers are mostly thrill-seeking youngsters. “They’re not script kiddies anymore,” Cathy Hubbs, chief information security officer in AU’s Office of Information Technology (OIT), said.

Now, instead of unsophisticated teens combining online templates to create worms and viruses, the threat is from organized crime and even nation states seeking access to your computer, whether it’s for social security numbers or other valuable data. They can also turn your machine into part of a huge unauthorized network for spammers.

“It’s no longer one individual,” David Swartz, assistant vice president and AU’s chief information officer, said. “There’s a whole industry built around this. There are people that go out and harvest big networks and they sell it to somebody else. So you have vertically integrated hackers.”

2. Macs are not immune to viruses. Sorry, Apple fanatics. Even Apple ads have stopped claiming that, noted Swartz.

3. There’s little you can do to protect your computer from a determined hacker. In fact, you can do a lot.

“The weakest link is our lack of knowledge,” Swartz said.

So what are the main concerns these days?

Swartz and Hubbs provided a quick guided tour.

Gone Phishing
Phishing attacks—attempts to trick you into revealing personal information such as passwords—are still out there. But they’re craftier. Attackers now try to direct users to authentic-looking banking or virus-protection Web sites, where victims can be lured into revealing personal information.

Be aware that OIT will never ask for your password via e-mail, nor will banks ask you via e-mail to click on a link that request personal information. Also be suspicious of people phoning you and requesting such information. Ask for their phone number and call them back.

Social media are a prime hangout not only for advertisers but also for stalkers and robbers who can potentially use information on these sites to harm you. Check your privacy settings and make sure you know who your “friends” are.

Remember: When you announce on Facebook that you’re going out of town, you also could be letting stalkers and robbers in on that fact.

Mobile Devices
Few people enable the security settings on their smart phones, but they should. If you lose your phone and it’s not protected, a lot of information is there for the taking. Mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Androids also can mark your location, presenting the same dangers as social media sites.

University community members can take a further step to ensure the security of their mobile devices.

“If you have a device, you can call up the Help Desk and if it’s a BlackBerry, we’ll put you on our BlackBerry server,” Hubbs said. “If it’s an Android or an iPad or an iPod or an iPhone we can connect you through our Lotus Traveler service. That will help synchronize your university e-mail and calendaring and will also allow us to manage your password so it’s set. And if you ever lose it—your personal-owned device or your university-owned device—just call the Help Desk, tell us, and we’ll issue a wipe command. We would never ever do that unless we’re instructed by the owner to do that. But we have that ability to protect it in the event that it’s lost or stolen.”

Password to Security
To guard against a disastrous loss of data from a lost laptop, which can result in a huge financial burden for an institution, OIT now encrypts all university-owned laptops. Encryption software is readily available for other laptops, as well.

Some steps we can take are much more basic. A “strong password”—a password that mixes cases, numbers and letters, and a symbol—is especially recommended for accessing financial data. Swartz and Hubbs recommend creating a strong password from a mnemonic phrase or saying. An example: “I am a Information Security Wonk at AU” could be IaA1sW@AU.

And using the same password for all your accounts is a no-no.

File-sharing Blues
At universities, a perennial problem is users—usually students—illegally file-sharing copyrighted music or movies. AU is no different. Every day, OIT gets several subpoenas to stop illegal downloads. Download sites can be sources of malicious files, and persistent abuses can result in serious consequences for the abuser, including large fines.

By law, OIT has to track down individual systems where the illegal activity may be occurring, find the people connected to those computers, and send notices and limit their Internet service until the program has been taken off their computer and they have read the policy. Only then are they returned to the system.

“If you get nailed you’re looking at big fines,” Swartz says. “And it’s only 99 cents to download over iTunes the song you want. You can download a lot of songs for 20, 30, 40, or 50 thousand dollars.”

With innovations such as iCloud, which allows users to wirelessly store digital data, it’s easier and cheaper than ever to build a music collection.

Tools for You
OIT provides a number of tools to safeguard your computer, from SafeConnect, which continuously monitors the security health of computers, to LANDesk, which delivers monthly patches to guard against vulnerabilities.

Symantec AntiVirus for Macs and PCs is also available as a free download for faculty, staff, and students.

October is the eighth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance. For additional cyber security tips, visit OIT’s Web site, at www.american.edu/oit.

This summer the Office of Information Technology completed the integration of two major technology projects, the eaglesecure wireless network, and SafeConnect, AU’s Network Access Contrl (NAC) solution. Now, any device connecting to the wired or the wireless networks undergoes a healthcheck through SafeConnect.

There are now two faster, more secure, and more reliable wireless networks across campus: eaglesecure and the open network wireless connect2eaglesecure, used to configure your wireless device for accessing the eaglesecure network.  

The first time you connect your laptop to the connect2eaglesecure network, you will be prompted to install a Web based application called XpressConnect. Xpress Connect applies settings to your device and migrates it to the secure eaglesecure network. Once your device has been configured, you won’t need to access connect2eaglesecure again. XpressConnect supports configuration for Windows, Mac OS-X, Ubuntu, Apple iOS, and Android wireless devices.

Other compatible wireless devices, such as BlackBerrys, can also connect to the eaglesecure network, but may need to be configured manually. For assistance with manual configuration, please contact the OIT Help Desk at 885-2550.

Wireless-enabled devices, such as game consoles, Blu-Ray DVD players, Kindles, and  IP phones, are able to connect to the Internet through the connect2eaglesecure open wireless network. That happens via the SafeConnect NAC, which manages access to both wireless networks. SafeConnect automatically recognizes that these devices are unable to connect to eaglesecure, and allows them Internet access.

SafeConnect also manages the wired network at AU, and allows these same types of devices automatic Internet access if an Ethernet cable is plugged in.

If your game console or other device is not getting Internet access, request help through the OIT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp.

Launch of myAU.american.edu Portal

Phase 2 of the myAU.american.edu Portal implementation aims to dynamically target content (such as links, announcements, and services) throughout the new portal in order to personalize your user experience. A users portal experience will vary, based on his or her role at the university—student, faculty, staff.  New user groups will be added including: parents, prospective students, alumni.  

Phase 2 will also introduce “team site” tools that will enable users to collaborate with other members of the AU community.  

Some Phase 2 work has begun, but the entire project is expected to take a year to complete.

New Student Registration

New students can now self-register through the myAU Web portal. They will no longer be required to register through their academic advisors for the first semester. 

The advising aspect of the process will not be compromised. Students must communicate their intended class schedules to advisors prior to self-registration, enabling advisors to guide students before they are formally matriculated. 

Impulse SafeConnect NAC Implementation

AU’s current Network Access Control (NAC) solution, Cisco Clean Access (CCA) or Cisco NAC, was replaced by Impulse Safe•Connect over the summer. The campus will transition to Safe•Connect in phases; work will be completed by the start of the fall term.

The NAC processes your authentication to the network, performs a security check on your workstation, and helps you fix any issues.

Safe•Connect provides a more stable environment than Cisco NAC, a more user friendly experience, and better support for new operating systems, antivirus and antispyware products, and hardware devices.

Business Intelligence Research Grants Reporting

In 2010, a university Research Grants Infrastructure Task Force recommended that funded faculty receive reports and data to help them manage their grants.  AU’s new Research Grants Reporting Project consolidates account information from Datatel, such as: expenses, salaries, and fringe benefits. The Research Grants Reporting system was launched in July.

EagleSecure Wireless Network Upgrade

OIT has completed installation and setup of eaglesecure, AU’s improved wireless network. This new network is equipped to handle the growing needs of the University community. 

Eaglesecure’s advantages include: 

• supports higher connection speeds
• provides more bandwidth
• offers better coverage than eaglenet, the previous wireless network

IT will announce the date on which eaglenet will be discontinued.

Contact the IT Help Desk at 202-885-2550, e-mail helpdesk@american.edu, or instant messenger at AskAmericanUHelp for assistance and further information.

It’s time for Tech Fair 2011! The Office of Information Technology and the University Library are partnering to present this event on the library’s first floor during welcome week and the first week of classes, Saturday, August 20-Friday, September 2. Technology assistance and classes for both students and faculty will be offered.

Technology Assistance

Get what you need to make your laptop work for you! Students, faculty, and staff can drop by for assistance with:

• Eaglesecure, the new wireless network 
• SafeConnect to protect your laptop (replaces CCA) 
• Wireless printing
• EagleNet connectivity
• Your other technology questions

It’s helpful to bring a power cord with your laptop. You can also participate in the do-it-yourself version of the library treasure hunt while OIT experts fix your problems or just wait for the big Treasure Hunt and Dessert Reception Friday, August 26, 1-5 p.m.

Walk-in Classes and Tours for Students

New or returning undergraduates and graduates can get the semester off to a proper start with a walk-in class. No reservations needed for:

Intro to Library Research

Library Training and Events Room

Mon 8/29/11
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Tue 08/30/11
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Wed 08/31/11
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Thu 09/01/11
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Tue 09/06/11
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Wed 09/07/11
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Thu 09/08/11
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Library Tour

Bender Library Lobby

Do you know where in the library you can watch DVDs, use iMovie to design media, or buy a cup of coffee? Have you found a quiet place to study? Come to a guided tour to discover the library's many services as well as see the research collections, collaborative workspaces and technology that can help you become a better researcher or multimedia designer.

Mon 08/29/11
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Tue 08/30/11
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Wed 08/31/11
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Thu 09/01/11
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Classes for Faculty and Staff

For faculty some special classes will be offered:

Wed 8/31/11
Research Grant Reporting Overview
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Thurs 9/1/11
Research Grant Reporting Overview
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Tues 8/30/11
Faculty Activity Reporting System (FARS) Overview
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Thurs 9/1/11
Faculty Activity Reporting System (FARS) Overview
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Research Grant Reporting Overview

Are you responsible for managing your research grant budget? This overview will show you how the BI Reporting Tool can help you manage the budget, expenses, and unobligated amounts for your research grant(s). See details about the funds that have already been spent, view purchase order encumbrances, and model unobligated funds into the future to see how long they will last. Participants will receive an orientation to this system, and may sign up for additional hands-on training at a later date.

Faculty Activity Reporting System (FARS) Overview

Are you a faculty member that needs to add your activities to the Faculty Activity Reporting System for the annual report? Learn about this user-friendly system that allows you to record your annual activities, such as: teaching and advising, published and in process research, creative and professional activities, grants, lectures and conferences, and internal and external activities. Participants will receive an orientation to this system, and may sign up for additional hands-on training at a later date.

Kamalika Sandell, senior director of enterprise systems, has received the 2011 Leadership Award in Education IT from Women in Technology (WIT).

The awards recognize women in the Washington area who excel as mentors, leaders, and role models in their professional endeavors and communities. Provost Scott Bass, chief financial officer and vice president and treasurer Don Myers, executive director of communications and marketing Terry Flannery, and assistant vice president and chief information officer Dave Swartz were among those who attended the awards ceremony.

“It’s a huge recognition, but what really touched me was the show of support from the university,” Sandell said. “To share it with them and the other individuals, not just the award winners but the finalists, meant the world to me.”

Technology has changed dramatically in the 12 years since the awards were founded, Nanci Schimizzi, president of WIT, said in a statement.

“It is not only the engineers and scientists who are making an impact on technology, it is also the enablers of technology—health-care providers, law enforcement, universities, government organizations, and more,” she said. “The women honored at this event are true architects of change in the technology community at local, national and global levels.”

Over the summer OIT will begin four key technology upgrades and complete three by fall.

myAU.american.edu Portal Phase 2 Goals  

• Dynamically target content (such as links, announcements, services) throughout the new portal to personalize your user experience to your role or roles at the university. Every campus user will automatically be assigned a primary role, such as “staff.” The portal also will support additional roles, such as parent, student, alumnus. 
• Introduce new tools to enable collaboration with others in the AU community via “team sites.” 
• Provide a new student self-registration system for incoming students and give academic advisors more “advising time.” The myAU portal will enable students to self-register online rather than through their academic advisors. The advising aspect of the process will not be compromised. Students will be required to communicate intended class schedules to their advisors before self-registering, enabling advisors to guide students before they are formally matriculated. Auto-registration is expected to free between 11 and 32 weeks of academic advisors’ administrative time for the fall semester. The auto-registration system is in place for transfer students. Early decision freshmen can start registering on May 26 and regular decision students on June 1. 

Note: While some Phase 2 work has begun, final implementation is expected to take a year.

Impulse SafeConnect NAC Implementation 

• AU’s current Network Access Control (NAC) solution, known as Cisco Clean Access (CCA) or Cisco NAC, will be replaced by Impulse Safe•Connect in a phased process over the summer. 
• All work will be completed for the fall semester. 
• Safe•Connect will provide a more stable environment than Cisco NAC, as well as a simplified user experience and better support for new operating systems, anti-virus and anti-spyware products, and hardware devices.
  

Business Intelligence Research Grants Reporting 

• In 2010, AU’s Research Grants Infrastructure Task Force recommended that funded faculty be provided with reports and data to help with grant management.
  
• The new Research Grants Reporting Project, expected to launch in July, will consolidate essential account information from Datatel in a timely manner and include: expenses, salaries, and fringe benefits.
  
• An action plan was developed to implement a data mart that uses and extends AU’s new Business Intelligence (BI) reporting infrastructure over a span of six to seven months. 
  

EagleSecure Wireless Network Upgrade 

• Installation and setup of AU’s improved wireless network has begun. Eaglesecure will support higher connection speeds, provide more bandwidth, and offer better coverage than its predecessor, eaglenet. 
• Over the past several years, daily wireless network use has grown to more than 3,000 concurrent users, Eaglesecure will better serve the growing needs of the university. The transition to eaglesecure will be completed over the summer. When the transition is complete, eaglenet will be discontinued. 
  

Please contact the IT Help Desk at 202-885-2550, e-mail helpdesk@american.edu or on instant messenger at AskAmericanUHelp for information on any of these initiatives.

This summer, Impulse Safe•Connect will replace AU’s current Network Access Control (NAC) solution (Cisco Clean Access or CCA). 

Simply put, the NAC’s function is network security. When AU adopted Cisco’s solution in 2004, it was at the forefront of the industry. Its implementation resulted in an 83 percent reduction in computer virus infections from 2004 to 2006. Recently however, Cisco’s software updates and new releases have lagged, so OIT began a search for a better NAC product.

An evaluation team gathered feedback from OIT staff, campus technical partners, and representatives of the Office of Campus Life and the Faculty Senate Committee on Information Services. A request for proposal was sent to top vendors, and three responding vendors were chosen for evaluation. Impulse Safe•Connect was unanimously selected: it provided the best customer experience, met AU’s security requirements, and was most suited to AU’s current network architecture.

Safe•Connect will be implemented this summer and completed by the start of the fall semester. The project will begin with the residence halls and the EagleSecure wireless network. Safe•Connect features include:

• quicker and broader support for new operating systems, anti-virus and anti-spyware products, and hardware devices
  
• continuous posture assessment of your computer’s security, so no requirement to log into the system every Wednesday for a posture check
• a fail-safe model, meaning you can fully use the AU network even if there is a technical issue with Safe•Connect
• simpler remediation if you need to update your computer to meet a security requirement

For questions or more information about Impulse Safe•Connect, contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, email, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp.

The Office of Information Technology announces American University’s new Lotus Notes server archiving system. The system works via scheduled archiving that will automatically run on our mail servers. Documents that haven’t been accessed in the past two years will be identified and moved from your active mail file into an archive mail file on a dedicated archive server. The result will be a smaller active mail file that will improve the overall health and efficacy of the AU e-mail system.

The archiving solution has been thoroughly tested by OIT over the past year, and is ready to be implemented. Automatic archiving will greatly reduce space in active mail files, with these benefits:

• Alleviate problems with large mail files, such as disk space usage and server instability.
• Provide a better user experience for archiving, which will be  seamless and automatic. You can access your mail archive from any location through the Lotus Notes client or webmail.
• Keep primary mail files at a smaller size to improve performance; faster primary mail servers will host active mail files, while secondary servers will host archive mail files.
• Facilitate consistent data backup success; smaller mail files will ensure faster, more efficient backup times.

OIT will start implementing the archiving system in May 2011, using a phased approach, beginning with staff. Server performance is expected to improve exponentially, as more and more users are enabled.

To learn more about the system, visit our FAQ Web page.

For questions about Lotus Notes server archiving, or if you would like to be an early participant, please contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp.

The Office of Information Technology has launched a new Degree Audit Report, which allows students and academic advisors to track student progress towards degree completion. 

This new report replaces the DARS report and is currently accessible from the new myAU.american.edu portal. Some of its features and advantages include:

• easy to use interface that serves as a 24/7 interactive guide students can use (from any location) to track and plan their progress toward graduation and other academic goals
• color-coded layout that displays a tailored view of completed, in-progress, not started degree requirements
• current students can see how adding a new major will affect their graduation date and undeclared students can explore prospective majors
• eliminates much printed paper, contributing to AU’s efforts to be environmentally friendly

As with any new tool, students should carefully review their Degree Audit Report. Contact your academic advisor with questions about specific course work related to your major or minor, or for further review, clarification, or modification. Your advisor will work with you to find answer to your questions, and ensure that the Degree Audit report correctly reflects your progress towards completing your degree requirements.

For questions about accessing the Degree Audit Report, please contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp.

Microsoft Office 2010 is now available to American University faculty and staff.The software can be downloaded via the my.american.edu portal on the download software page, or a DVD copy can be requested through the IT Help Desk. 

Office 2010 offers new design options to help you express your ideas with more impact. Some of these options are improved picture formatting tools, a wider range of customizable themes, and a greater selection of SmartArt graphic layouts. The document creation process is easier, due in part to enhanced search features, simplified navigation, the contextual spell checker, translation tools, and more.

Some of the new features of Office 2010 include:

• Customizable Ribbon – The ribbon, introduced in Office 2007, has been improved in Office 2010 to include new tools and provide more flexibility. You can use the “minimize ribbon” button to hide the ribbon to create more workspace onscreen; you can customize the ribbon to create tabs and tool groups specific to your needs.
• Backstage View – One of the major improvements in Office 2010 is backstage view, which allows you to manage the files you create in Office 2010 applications.
• SmartTip Menu – Office 2010 makes the paste options commands more obvious with a SmartTip menu that pops up when you paste anything. The menu lists the different formats you can use for pasting your clip.
• Translate Text – The translate tool lets you check phrases in foreign languages. You can send an entire document for translation in the browser, translate a selection in the research pane, or use the new mini-translator for text that is inside the document. The tools are on the “review” tab in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel (although only Word has all three tools).

IT’s Microsoft Office 2010 New Features class is designed to introduce current users to the exciting new features and functionality of Office 2010. Classes are open for registration now. Register at www.american.edu/training/tech.cfm.

You can also access Office 2010 video training tutorials online through the Lynda.com web-based software training library. A link can be found under your Personalized Links in the Technology section of the portal.

If you have any questions about this initiative, or would like to request a hard copy of Microsoft Office, please contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or IM AskAmericanUHelp.

A new AU intranet portal is available for you to explore. The Office of Information Technology says the new product offers more intuitive navigation, easier access to information, tools related specifically to your role at AU, and continued access to your existing portal links.

This week’s soft launch allows faculty, staff, and students to preview the new intranet portal before its official launch in early Spring 2011. You can access the new portal through my.american.edu by clicking on the “Try the New Portal” banner.

The portal was developed on top of Microsoft SharePoint, a leading collaboration tool. It integrates more fully with MS Office tools and American University’s Colleague platform (which contains all student, staff, and faculty data), which means future upgrades will allow groups and teams to work much more collaboratively through document sharing, time and task management, discussion and wiki tools, and more. 

Try these new features and innovations:

• Customized Primary Landing Page
  When you sign in, you will land on a page that is customized to your role(s) as an AU student, faculty, or staff member. 
• Personalized Functions
  Choose links and functions that apply specifically to your role(s) at AU.
• Organized Content Landing Pages
  Content pages are grouped within menus by function, such as: Academics, Finances, or Life at AU. For example, the menu heading “Work at AU” contains pages and links to payroll and benefits information.
• Targeted Announcements
  The Announcements section on landing pages and some content pages displays messages that are relevant specifically to you.
• Targeted Events Information
  Similar to announcements, information displayed in specific areas of each landing page and some content pages is filtered specifically by interest group—students, faculty, or staff.
• Personalized Links
  On the existing portal, you see a list of links when you select a category. On the new portal, links are listed on your landing page or content pages that apply to your AU status. You can search or browse links.

We urge you to experience the collaborative nature of the new portal and familiarize yourself with its features before the official launch. For feedback, suggestions, questions, or to join a discussion, follow the link to “myAU Portal [Beta] Feedback” from your landing page. You can also contact the IT Help Desk at x2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp.

Cyber criminals are looking for the easiest way to exploit computer systems and steal data. Protecting data by keeping software up to date and encrypting AU-owned computers are just two methods the Office of Information Technology is using to safeguard AU assets.

Patch management

Patch management is a process that regularly installs updates to protect out of date applications from cyber criminals looking to exploit their vulnerabilities. In April 2010, OIT began using the LANDesk patch management technology to guard against a known vulnerability in the Adobe Flash Player that could allow cyber criminals to take control of a user’s computer, stealing data, passwords, and more. In June, we began a standard repeatable monthly cycle of installing Microsoft’s security patches to vulnerable systems campuswide. We are currently working with our technology partners across campus to test the delivery of patches to Macintosh workstations, and we expect to roll out this capability later this year.

Encryption

Encryption is vital in reducing the risk of exposure of sensitive data. Have you ever walked away from your laptop—even for a minute? Lost or stolen laptops are often a primary cause for the exposure of sensitive data. Using encryption can help protect American University’s data and yours. OIT has been working to build a repeatable process for encrypting AU-owned workstations. The first phase of implementation required an old-fashioned “sneakernet” approach, which required calling each person to schedule an appointment and then walking to the customer’s workstation.

As AU’s IT asset lifecycle changes by 20 percent each year due to replacement needs, we have worked to integrate encryption into multiple processes, including encrypting all new AU-owned laptops before they are delivered to users. To successfully accomplish our goal of encrypting all AU-owned workstations, we will need the help of every campus user.

To learn more about these initiatives, visit the Fall 2110 OIT Online Newsletter at www.american.edu/oit/publications/newsletter/fall2010/.

Contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or instant message AskAmericanUHelp for any further information or to request that your laptop or desktop be encrypted.

The American University community is highly dependent on e-mail as a critical communication tool, necessitating reliable business continuity. 

To achieve this goal, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) has reinforced each AU e-mail server with an identical back-up cluster server—a pairing that affords all users access to a primary and a secondary server. 

With this configuration, if there is a problem on a primary server, Lotus Notes client users will be prompted to “fail over” to their secondary server with the click of a button. (The next release of the Lotus Notes client will fail over with no prompting.)

Users who access AU e-mail through Lotus Notes Traveler on a mobile device, or BlackBerry users who access AU e-mail via a BlackBerry Enterprise Plan, will seamlessly fail over to their secondary e-mail server when there is a technical issue on their primary server.

This back-up architecture also is available to those who access e-mail via IMAP, after they perform a manual configuration, and to iNotes (WebMail) users upon receiving an updated URL, which can be bookmarked.

Users can contact the IT Help Desk at any time to receive instructions on configuring their IMAP client or bookmarking a WebMail URL for secondary server access. CoreSite, a local hosting facility with whom OIT has contracted, guarantees AU uptime and availability. Back-up servers will be placed at this business continuity site to ensure that AU can survive the single failure of Lotus or the complete loss of its primary data center at 4200 Wisconsin Avenue. This new level of maturity in OIT’s architecture affords the community much higher availability rates than ever before.

Read more about these recent improvements to our e-mail infrastructure here.

For questions about this initiative, contact the IT Help Desk at 885-2550, helpdesk@american.edu, or IM AskAmericanUHelp.

 Recently, members of American University’s Budget and Information Technology offices gave a best practices presentation titled “Achieving Institutional Effectiveness in Making IT Investments” at the National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in Higher Education Annual Meeting, a gathering of academics and administrative officials from universities across the country.

AU officials shared the university’s “technology portfolio” approach to achieving institutional strategic goals. According to Nana An, Executive Director of Budget and Payroll, “Technology – specifically IT – plays an integral part in all areas of the university and in achieving virtually every goal stated in the university’s strategic plan.”

Senior Director of Enterprise Systems Kamalika Sandell added, “The institution’s ability to achieve our strategic goals is tied to how efficiently we can set and manage competing priorities; balance short-term, long-term, and shifting needs; and allocate our resources accordingly. Diligent and systematic management of technology is vital to all our goals.”

To view slides from the presentation for more information about AU’s “technology portfolio” approach, click here .  

Over the course of the past several years, daily usage of AU’s wireless network has grown to more than 3,000 concurrent users.

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has already begun implementing a redesigned wireless network infrastructure, named eaglesecure, to support higher connection speeds, provide more bandwidth, and offer better coverage. The new wireless network is better able to handle the growing needs of the university community. 

Implementation of eaglesecure is a multiphased project, which OIT hopes to complete by fall 2011. Areas already upgraded are: Tenley campus, 4620 Wisconsin Avenue, and the new School of International Service Building. The project will next focus on other off-campus buildings, and will then move on to the main campus and residence halls.

Eaglenet, AU’s current wireless network, will remain available across campus throughout the project, including locations where eaglesecure is implemented. When the project is complete, eaglenet will be discontinued.

The new wireless network architecture is provided by Aruba Networks and uses the latest 802.11n standard with 100–150 megabit per second throughput, which is significantly faster than the current wireless network. This new architecture takes advantage of an industry best practice distributed platform to greatly reduce the risk of large scale system failure. While the current eaglenet wireless infrastructure uses a Distributed Antenna System in conjunction with wireless Access Points (APs) across campus, the new eaglesecure network will use a strictly AP-based system providing better WiFi coverage, and easier monitoring and management.

Once the eaglesecure network has been fully implemented, wireless network speed, coverage, and availability will be greatly improved across the entire AU campus. OIT will conduct site surveys in every building before and after implementing the new wireless to ensure the optimum location of the APs, and the best possible signal coverage and user experience.

If you have any questions about this initiative, or you are in an area where eaglesecure is available and would like some assistance connecting to the new network, contact the IT Help Desk at 202-885-2550, e-mail helpdesk@american.edu, or instant messenger at AskAmericanUHelp.

The Office of Information Technology and the AU Library teamed up this year to host Tech Fair 2010.

Held in Bender Library, the two-week event provided students an opportunity to install software on their laptops and learn about the library’s new electronic products.

“SearchBox searches over 90 percent of our journal content as well as the catalog as well as some free e-resources,” said Gwendolyn Reece, director of research, teaching and learning in the university library. “We thought we should talk to OIT to add in some kind of walk-in workshops, so we combined it with the OIT Connection Fair.”

By all accounts, the event was a hit. A steady stream of students strolled into the library from Aug. 16 through Aug. 27 and received one-stop help from OIT and library personnel.

“Tech Fair 2010 expresses the changing and evolving relationship between OIT and the library,” Reece said.