December 2022

December 2022, LMS

Countdown to Canvas

As you (hopefully) know Canvas is coming to Clark for Spring 2023. Over the break, there are some quick and easy things you can do to prepare for next semester.

Everyone

Download the Canvas app

Canvas has robust, easy-to-use apps for mobile devices that allow you to do almost everything that you can do in a browser – participate in discussions, watch videos, submit assignments, grade work and much more!

Record your name pronunciation

Clark is excited to provide access to NameCoach through Canvas, a software that allows you to record an audio clip of your name and listen to others’ pronunciations.

    • Log into Canvas (https://canvas.clarku.edu/)
    • Click on Account
    • Click on NameCoach
    • Click Record Your Name
      • Use your microphone
      • Upload a pre-recorded audio clip
      • Receiving a phone call and record

Take the time to listen to your peers’ pronunciations too.

    • Log into Canvas (https://canvas.clarku.edu/)
    • Open your course
    • Click on NameCoach (in the left menu)
    • Play pronunciations of classmates’ names
      • At the start, there may not be many listed. Encourage your peers to record to make this tool useful for everyone.

Upload your profile picture

Put a face to the name by uploading a headshot or chosen avatar. This helps faculty and other students relate to you and remember your great work in Canvas.

    • Log into Canvas (https://canvas.clarku.edu/)
    • Click on Account
    • Click on Profile
    • Hover over the profile picture and click the pencil icon
    • Follow the prompts

Faculty

ATS is here to help with the transition to Canvas, and we’re excited that so many of you have already reached out for help, attended workshops and office hours, and are busy preparing your Spring classes. Check out our resources below, and don’t hesitate to contact canvas@clarku.edu with questions.

Data Privacy and Security, December 2022

MFA and Travel

You have your passport, you have your bags packed, and you’re excited to get going. But wait! If you plan on connecting to your Clark account when travelling, preparing your MFA in advance can make your trip much easier.

When travelling or otherwise, ITS recommends using the Microsoft Authenticator app as your primary MFA factor. This app can be installed on multiple devices, and will allow you to authenticate into your Clark account from anywhere your devices can connect to the internet – regardless of cell service or phone number.

1. Setting Authenticator as Default

Before boarding the plane or hitting the road, be sure that Microsoft Authenticator is your primary MFA factor. This means that Microsoft will use the Authenticator (that can connect via internet) rather than a text that requires a specific phone number

Click here https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info and log in if prompted. Ensure that your Default Sign In Method is Microsoft Authenticator.

If Microsoft Authenticator is not your default sign-in method, look below at the list of factors.

  • If Microsoft Authenticator is not listed on the list
    • Click Add sign-in method
    • Choose Authenticator App
    • Click Add, and follow the prompts
    • When complete, check that Authenticator is listed as your default sign-in method again.
      • If not, follow the instructions below.
  • If Microsoft Authenticator is listed with a device that you recognize:
    • Click the Change link to the right of the Default Sign-in method
    • From the drop-down that appears, choose Microsoft Authenticator – notification
    • Choose Confirm

2. Installing Authenticator on Another Device

Now that Authenticator is your primary factor, you can install the app on multiple internet-connected devices to give you lots of flexibility when travelling. However, be sure to only install it on devices that you are the sole user of to prevent security issues.

Before beginning this process, be sure that the device with Authenticator set up as your primary factor in step 1 is connected to the internet.

  1. Download Microsoft Authenticator to your new device. Be sure that it’s published by Microsoft.·
  2. Launch the application
  3. Choose Work or School account
  4. Enter your Clark email address
  5. When prompted log in with your usual Clark credentials
  6. At this point, Microsoft will attempt to authenticate your login using your primary factor – the Authenticator app on your first device. Follow the prompts on your first device to authenticate your new device

From now, when authentication needs to happen, the Authenticator app on both devices (as long as connected to the internet) will prompt you to approve your login.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@clarku.edu, 508-793-7745. Remember that we can support you more easily if you contact us before travelling.

By the Numbers, December 2022

In Case You Missed It: ITS Survey Results

As distributed last week by Joe Kalinowski, CIO and VP for Information Technology.

In March of this year ITS performed a campus-wide satisfaction survey. Over 1,200 faculty, staff, and students participated answering a variety of questions about dozens of different services ITS provides, including classroom technology, networking, support and training, and much more. Thank you for a great response and sharing your thoughts with us. Over the fall ITS has reviewed and analyzed the data provided by you and comparison data from other institutions. We’re proud of many of the results and opinions shared, with some of the highlights below.

  • Strong Support: Community members overwhelmingly consider our service staff (Help Desk, ATS and AIS) friendly, knowledgeable, reliable, and responsive.
  • High Service Satisfaction: Satisfaction with ITS services is highly rated with 98% of services having at least an 80% satisfaction rating (mostly and fully satisfied).

Your feedback has also helped shape our priorities, including:

  • Computer Replacements: Investing additional attention and new technology to fully recover from the pandemic and supply chain issues to refresh campus computing hardware.
  • Classroom Technology: Starting in summer 2023, all scheduled classroom renovations will retire the OWL cameras and add improved audio and video capabilities.
  • Ease of Logging into Systems: We will continue to transition all eligible services to Single Sign-On and investigate easier methods of password resets.
  • Moodle: Starting next semester, Moodle will be replaced with Canvas.
  • Wireless Access and Performance: Continue a two-year project of comprehensive upgrades, evaluation of outdoor coverage, and identify improved reporting mechanisms for issues.

Thank you all again for taking the time to complete the survey and giving us this valuable information that we will use to inform our services, support, and practices over the coming years.

While we plan to perform the survey again in Spring 2024 to help benchmark our progress, please know that we’re always eager for feedback so don’t hesitate to reach out to the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu, 508-793-7745) or an ITS staff member with questions, concerns, suggestions, or compliments.

December 2022, Tips and Tricks

Ten Minute Tech Tip: Attach or Link

Hi Tess,   

When partnering with my colleagues , I’ve noticed some people email files to me for comments, and others share files for the same thing. Is one method better than the other? What’s the difference between emailing a file and sharing a file?  

Thanks, Mr. Attach or Link? 

The short answer: emailing the file as an attachment sends your coworkers or classmates a copy of your incredible work, while sharing the file allows them access to the original.

If you don’t need the recipients to review or make changes to the file, emailing is fine – but for collaborative projects and brainstorming, sharing is much better. Here’s why:

  • No need to waste time condensing everyone’s comments and versions into a single file
  • Easily see who made which changes
  • Control who is allowed to do what (Jenny can review and leave comments and Maria can edit the whole thing)

You can share files easily with your Clark OneDrive account.

Bonus tip: Tired of searching through your email for a file your department chair or TA sent you? Log into OneDrive through ClarkYOU and click “Files Shared with Me.” Bookmark this page for easy access—it’s a running list of all files and projects shared with you by people at Clark!

Click here to view a two-minute video playlist on LinkedIn Learning (log in required), or click here to schedule an appointment with the technology training specialist.

December 2022, Get to Know Us

Get to Know Us: Andrew Duncklee

Andrew DunckleeThis month, we meet Andrew Duncklee, IT Security Engineer.

Andrew joined Clark in late 2021 and is at the forefront of our Information Security policies and processes, to help keep Clark’s data and systems secure. He particularly enjoys identifying how the multitude of ITS services work together and how security play an integral role in all of them.

Outside his work at Clark, Andrew is a Vermont native who enjoys maple sugaring, motorcycles and living with his family in nature. He also has quite the menagerie, with 12 chickens, two horses, one dog, one cat, and 5 children. When not juggling the care of his extended family, he enjoys Elder Scrolls, bourbon and making/fixing things around the house.

Interested in chatting with Andrew about information security, Marcus Aurelius, or Vermont? Click here for contact information.

December 2022, Workshops

Technology Training for Staff and Faculty 

The Help Desk and Tess Walsh, our Technology Training Specialist, is excited to invite staff and faculty to attend our upcoming online workshops.

Check out our schedule below and look for more workshops in the future on our Tech Training webpage.

Getting Organized with Outlook (Windows)

Join Tess online on Wednesday, December 21 at 11am. We’ll discuss how Outlook can help you and your department:

  • Increase productivity through efficient communication
  • Improve personal and group organization and workflows
  • Support your needs for better work-life balance

Seats are limited, so click here to register now. An equivalent workshop for Mac users will be held in January.

Getting Organized with Outlook (Mac)

Join Tess online on Monday, January 9 at 1pm. We’ll discuss how Outlook can help you and your department:

  • Increase productivity through efficient communication
  • Improve personal and group organization and workflows
  • Support your needs for better work-life balance

Seats are limited, so click here to register now. An equivalent workshop for Windows users will be held in December.

Introduction to OneDrive

Wondering about OneDrive? Join Tess online on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 11 AM to learn more about how this cloud system helps you save time, protect your files, and create flexibility in your workflow. During this one-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to…

  • Access OneDrive
  • Create and upload files with OneDrive
  • Share, collaborate, and organize documents and projects

Seats are limited, so click here to register now.

Get Started with LinkedIn Learning

Want to gain valuable career skills or help students access professional resources? Learn more about LinkedIn Learning online on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 1 PM, which provides guides and courses on topics ranging from stress management to data analytics and everything in between! LinkedIn Learning (LIL) is free to all members of the Clark community.

This one-hour workshop will cover:

  • Finding, saving, and navigating online courses for personal and professional development
  • Sharing LIL resources with colleagues or students
  • Creating and adding learning content for members of the Clark community

Seats are limited, so click here to register now.

Get Started with Microsoft Forms

Join Tess on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 3 PM online to learn about Microsoft Forms, an accessible and intuitive alternative to other survey software such as Qualtrics. Get real-time results, easily export data, and share surveys with the click of a button.

This one-hour workshop will cover:

  • Creating, saving, and sharing forms with multiple types of questions
  • Viewing and exporting results
  • Using Microsoft Forms in other Microsoft apps, such as Teams, OneDrive, and Outlook.

Seats are limited, so click here to register now.

Microsoft Excel 101

Swimming in spreadsheets? Join Tess on Tuesday, March 7 at 10 AM online to learn the basics of Excel, one of Microsoft’s trickiest and most powerful tools. This one-hour workshop will cover:

  • Basic Excel navigation
  • Creating and navigating tables of data
  • Basic Excel functions

This workshop is appropriate for those who have limited Excel experience or those who would like a refresher on its foundations. More advanced workshops will be offered at a later date.

Seats are limited, so click here to register now.

Microsoft Tips and Tricks

This workshop online on Friday, March 24 at 11 AM will go over the hidden and handy tricks within different Microsoft tools, such as OneDrive, Teams, Word, and more. If you’re comfortable with the basics and ready to learn some time-saving secrets, please join us!

In this one-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to:

  • Easily access shared files and libraries
  • Make your documents easier to navigate
  • much more!

Seats are limited, so click here to register now.

Can’t make it?

If you can’t make these workshops, visit our Technology Training page regularly to see more workshops – both live and virtual, or request custom training.

Tess is particularly eager to meet with departments to design custom, focused training to address your groups’ needs. Contact techtraining@clarku.edu for more information and to schedule your group training.

December 2022, Resources

Holiday Help Desk Hours

As Winter break begins, please note the Help Desk hours below.

Week 12/19 to 12/25

  • Monday, December 19: 8am to midnight
  • Tuesday, December 20: 8am to midnight
  • Wednesday, December 21: 8am to 5pm
  • Thursday, December 22: 8am to 5pm
  • Friday December 23: 8am to 5pm
  • Saturday December 24: Closed
  • Sunday December 25: Closed

Week 12/26 to 1/1

  • Monday, December 26: Closed
  • Tuesday, December 27: Noon to 5pm (limited services)
  • Wednesday, December 28: Noon to 5pm (limited services)
  • Thursday, December 29: Noon to 5pm (limited services)
  • Friday, December 30: Closed
  • Saturday, December 31: Closed
  • Sunday, January 1: Closed

Week 1/2 to 1/8

  • Monday, January 2: Closed
  • Tuesday, January 3: 8am to 5pm
  • Wednesday, January 4: 8am to 5pm
  • Thursday, January 5: 8am to 5pm
  • Friday, January 6: 8am to 5pm
  • Saturday, January 7: Closed
  • Sunday, January 8: Closed

Week 1/9 to 1/15, and 1/16

  • Monday, January 9: 8am to 5pm
  • Tuesday, January 10: 8am to 5pm
  • Wednesday, January 11: 8am to 5pm
  • Thursday, January 12: 8am to 5pm
  • Friday, January 13: 8am to 5pm
  • Saturday, January 14: Noon to 5pm
  • Sunday, January 15: Noon to 5pm
  • Monday, January 15: Noon to 5pm

From January 17th, the Help Desk will be open usual hours (excepting holiday) as outlined below

  • Monday: 8am to midnight
  • Tuesday: 8am to midnight
  • Wednesday: 8am to midnight
  • Thursday: 8am to midnight
  • Friday: 8am to 5pm
  • Saturday: Noon to 5pm
  • Sunday: Noon to midnight