October 2023

October 2023

New Tech, New Space: A Closer Look at the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design

Media, Arts, Computing and Design Building evening exteriors.

This fall, Clark University opened the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design (CMACD). This new building introduces new technologies and resources to the campus community and provides additional lab and learning spaces for all Clarkies.  

Working with the Becker School of Design and Technology, construction crews, and vendors, ITS helped establish these new labs and manage available software. If you haven’t had the chance to check out CMACD yet, stop by the Block Party on Saturday, October 28 from 11am-3pm.  

While you’re there, explore and learn more about some of the building’s exciting features.  

Game Library 

Studying game mechanics, or just feeling nostalgic? Becker’s game library on the second floor is home to classic video games such as Mario Kart and board games perfect for honing strategy or making friends. The library stations support a variety of different gaming platforms such as XBox and Switch, and act as an important asset for BSDT students studying interactive media, game design, and more.  

Makerspace 

While still under construction, you can find the future home of Clark University’s Makerspace in CMACD 102. Makerspaces, which act as creative and collaborative spaces open to all members of a school community, have become increasingly popular on college campuses across the country. Tools within Makerspace can range from sewing machines to 3D printers, and everything in between. They’re designed to welcome creativity of all kinds, foster innovation and imagination, and turn big ideas into reality. If you have an idea for a creative project, check back soon to learn more about how the Makerspace can bring it to life. 

Click here to read about the impact of Makerspaces within Californian community colleges 

AR/VR Lab 

Augmented and virtual reality are the newest technologies that have the potential to change not only gaming, but the entire experience of being online. Apple announced the Vision Pro VR Headset this year, which uses eye-tracking technology and a new operating system to provide spatial audio, immersive video, and interaction with existing apps in a customizable virtual environment. Virtual reality headsets that provide an immersive gaming experience, such as those from PlayStation, have been around for a few years and continue to improve and expand in functionality. With these advances in mind, a new studio for augmented and virtual reality has been created in CMACD. In this space, Clark students can test and create VR and AR experiences, become well-versed in cutting edge technology, and join forces in a new virtual realm.  

Read more about Apple’s Vision Pro VR Headset  

Adobe Creative Cloud 

The Adobe Creative Cloud suite, including tools such as Photoshop, InDesign, Audition, and Premiere Pro, is available to students on all lab devices in CMACD. These apps are frequently used by creative professionals to edit podcasts, videos, photos, generate graphics, and much more. To learn more about this software and how to use it, check out Clark University’s Adobe LinkedIn Learning collection. To view this resource, make sure you’ve activated your free LinkedIn Learning account with Clark credentials. Click here to activate.  

ITS would like to thank Deborah Crowley for providing information for this article, as well as Becky Tamm-Shettler and Michael Benedetti for their hard work in making CMACD ready for the fall semester. 

October 2023, Tool Spotlight

Tool Spotlight: Microsoft To Do

Grab coffee, return library book, reply to email…whatever’s on your to-do list, Microsoft To Do can help you stay organized and find time for all your tasks.  

Microsoft To Do is a relatively new feature included within your Clark Microsoft account. You can access it from Outlook online by clicking the blue checkmark, or by visiting https://to-do.office.com/ in your internet browser and signing in with your Clark credentials.  

To Do is linked with your Clark email and calendar, so any flagged messages in your inbox will automatically be collected in your Flagged Email list. The My Day list includes any tasks or flagged emails due on that day, while Tasks is a complete list of every item currently on your to-do list. You can also create new lists if you’d like to organize tasks differently, such as by project or class. 

To create a new task, start typing anywhere you see the words Add a task. Once you’ve added a task, click on it to see your options, including setting a due date, adding a reminder, jotting down any notes, or repeating the task again in the future. 

View To Do in Outlook mail or calendar online by clicking the checkmark icon in the upper right toolbar. This way, you can see important tasks and messages as you respond to email or plan out your week.  

Tip: Drag a task from the To Do window into your calendar to block off time to complete the task and build your schedule.  

Microsoft To Do is also available as an app from the App Store (for iOS) and the Play Store (for Android) so you can keep track of tasks on the go.  

Learn more about Microsoft To Do by… 

Data Privacy and Security, October 2023

Tips, Tricks, and Treats: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month!

Cartoon image of a vampire

With blue skies, fall foliage, and haunted houses, October is one of the best times to live and learn in New England. It also happens to be cybersecurity awareness month, which makes it the perfect time to enjoy pumpkin spiced treats, plan your Halloween costume, and prepare yourself against the scariest monsters of them all: cybercriminals like Count Hackula and Frankenphisher. 

What’s so scary about cybercriminals? 

Most often, cybercriminals target personal identifying information (PII) such as your full legal name, birth date, or social security number. Once they have access to this information, they can use it to impersonate you, gain access to your accounts, and sell your data. For educational institutions such as Clark, hackers typically try to trick you into revealing your password so they can access the network, target others in the Clark community, and locate confidential data such as health or financial information of students and employees. As a reminder, ITS will never ask for the password to your Clark account, and this password should never be shared with anyone else, especially through an electronic means such as a text message or email. 

Most cybersecurity violations (80% of security incidents and 90% of data breaches) stem from social engineering attempts, in which a cybercriminal or bot poses as a legitimate business, charity, or colleague. They often appear as emails, but cybercriminals may also send text messages or leave voicemails about an urgent or critical matter. For example, you may receive an email from a foundation asking for your personal information so you can receive a prize, or a text message reportedly from your bank regarding a compromised account. Learn more about different types of social engineering here. 

Yikes! How can I protect myself? 

If you have additional questions about cybersecurity at Clark University, please contact the Help Desk by emailing helpdesk@clarku.edu or by calling 508-793-7745. 

October 2023

Quick ITS Updates

Paper reading "Updates" in a yellow envelope. The image also shows part of a keyboard and a black pen.

ITS works hard to bring important updates and information to campus. Keep reading to learn about the latest and how you can use it! 

NameCoach in Outlook 

Over the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed the new NameCoach feature in your Outlook application or in Outlook Online. The NameCoach plugin allows you to listen to the pronunciation of email senders and recipients – either their own recording if they’ve submitted it to NameCoach, or from a library of other users with the same name. Click here for instructions on how to find and use this new feature. 

New Teams Launch Coming Soon 

Earlier this year Microsoft launched “New Teams” for Schools and Businesses, a version of teams that is faster, more intuitive and has additional features. ITS has been reviewing this new product and are excited to launch it on campus in the coming months. Click here to learn more about New Teams.  

Spooky Surveys: Qualtrics & Microsoft Forms Workshop 

Join Tess Walsh, Clark’s technology training specialist, on October 26 at 9:30 AM in Jonas Clark 217 to learn more about the survey software available at Clark University. Both Microsoft Forms and Qualtrics are powerful and useful tools, but they’re built for different purposes. Learn more about how to use each one to the best of their ability. Click here to learn more and register for the workshop.  

Get to Know Us, October 2023

Get to Know Us: Sean Ryder

This month, we learn more about Clark’s new Campus Card and Access Coordinator, Sean Ryder.  

Sean has been part of ITS for about two months, but those two months have been busy! Sean has assumed responsibility for all aspects of OneCard, including printing new cards, managing OneCard software, and supervising appropriate swipe access to buildings across campus. His favorite part of the role is helping people and learning more about all the unique spaces on Clark’s campus.  

Prior to his career here at Clark, Sean worked in higher education technology for ten years. He also has experience in a variety of retail settings. A life-long Massachusetts resident, Sean firmly believes winter is the best season and looks forward to spending snow days reading William Blake and Milton.  

When he isn’t reading or printing OneCards, Sean also enjoys playing video games such as Baldur’s Gate and The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind. If you’d like to learn more about William Blake’s prints and poems, fantasy video games, or how OneCard works, feel free to send Sean an email!