September 2023

September 2023, Tips and Tricks

Tech Tips for Start-of-Semester Success

Whether you’re returning to Clark or joining our campus community for the first time, ITS is excited to help you succeed this semester! We’ve worked hard over the summer to expand technological tools and spaces to help you study, create, and teach to the best of your ability.

If you want to save time…

Faculty and Staff: Set up a Microsoft Bookings page so students or colleagues can schedule time on your calendar in just a few clicks! Click here to check out the ITS page on Microsoft Bookings and learn more.
Students: Use your to-do list to create your schedule in Outlook for the Web. Watch this short YouTube video to get started.

If you want to organize your emails…

Turn on conversation view, which groups received messages and replies together. No more searching through your sent items!

Create rules in Outlook to automatically take action on emails as they come in. Choose from a variety of options, such as forwarding, filtering, categorizing, and flagging. With rules, the important stuff gets your attention, and the less-important stuff gets organized.

If you want to brush up on what you learned last year…

Use your Clark credentials to activate your free LinkedIn Learning account. Browse thousands of topics, including programming, research and citation, study skills, and time management.

If you want to customize notifications to increase focus…

Customize your Canvas notifications by going to your account and selecting Notifications. From here, you can create your own preferences to make sure you’re receiving messages in a way that best supports your learning or teaching style.

If you want to try a new way to get ideas on paper…

Practice dictating your thoughts into a Microsoft Word document. Brainstorming or writing this way might feel more natural depending on how you think best, and it’s a great technique to use to avoid blue light and eye strain if you’ve been looking at your screen for a while. Click here to learn more about how to use dictation in Word.

ITS looks forward to supporting you during the academic year. Please contact the Help Desk by emailing helpdesk@clarku.edu or calling 508-793-7745 if you have questions, suggestions, or require technological assistance.

September 2023, Tool Spotlight

Tool Spotlight: Adobe Creative Cloud

Clark University ITS is proud to now offer Adobe Creative Cloud on all public computers in addition to Adobe licenses for all faculty and staff. Creative Cloud includes many powerful tools, including Photoshop, Lightroom, Acrobat, Audition, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, and more!

All Adobe applications do different things: Lightroom and Photoshop, for example, are designed for photo editing, while Acrobat is designed for editing and creating PDFs. As the collection’s name suggests, however, all of them support creative pursuits, such as podcasting, graphic design, video editing, and more.

Since Adobe Creative Cloud includes several complex applications, ITS has a few tips and tricks on getting started and making the most of this technology.

Tips for Getting Started with Adobe

Learn more about Creative Cloud and included apps in a LinkedIn crash course.

- Click here to activate your LinkedIn Learning account

Click here for ITS guidelines on accessing Adobe apps through your Clark account.

Identify 1-2 app(s) that best fit your current projects. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time to learn more later!

Once you know which apps you’d like to learn, explore tutorial videos and articles in Adobe’s Learning Center.

For more in-depth guides, check out the LinkedIn Learning collection curated by Clark’s technology training specialist.

Browse Adobe templates (included in staff and faculty licenses)

Happy Creating! If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk by emailing helpdesk@clarku.edu or calling 508-793-7745.

Resources, September 2023

OneCard’s New Home at the ITS Help Desk!

At Clark University, OneCards are a little like magic: they can check out library books, grant access to cool campus spots, buy study snacks, and print papers.

Over the summer, the OneCard office moved to Academic Commons on the first floor of Goddard Library. OneCard operations are now managed by ITS and the new Campus and Card Access Coordinator, Sean Ryder. Sean provided some important answers to frequently asked OneCard questions.

Where is the OneCard office now?

The OneCard office is now located in Academic Commons 107E, just past the ITS Help Desk. If you need to pick up your OneCard, please check with Help Desk staff.

Why can’t I swipe into a certain room or building?

Some buildings and classrooms are restricted to certain groups or people during certain times, such as professors or staff. For example, some scientific labs on campus are only available to the professors or researchers working there as a safety precaution. To request access to a certain space, please email onecarddoor@clarku.edu.

How do I add money to my OneCard?

Students can add funds to their OneCard by logging into their ClarkYOU portal and selecting “OneCard Balances” from the Web Services menu. Deposits may also be made with check, cash, or credit card at the Cashier’s Office. Please allow 1 hour for any deposits to be reflected in your OneCard balance.

Who should I contact if I have questions or issues?

Please contact the Help Desk by emailing helpdesk@clarku.edu or calling 508-793-7745.

September 2023, Training

Technology Training: Fall 2023 Workshops

ITS is happy to announce the technology training workshop schedule for Fall 2023. Unless otherwise noted, these workshops are designed for faculty and staff. Please check the ITS Events page for updates and more opportunities! You can also sign up to stay informed about new training opportunities by clicking here to fill out a short form.

Please contact techtraining@clarku.edu to schedule a workshop for your department or suggest future training topics.

Level Up: New Employee Hybrid Workshop

September 29, 2023, from 11 AM – 12 PM

If you joined Clark University as an employee over the summer, this workshop is for you! The technology training specialist will cover inbox organization, integration between Microsoft apps, file back-up, collaboration, and more!

Virtual Workshop: Adobe Acrobat Basics

October 10, 2023 from 10 AM – 11 AM on Zoom

Thanks to Clark University’s Adobe license, all faculty and staff now have access to a powerful PDF software. Learn how to use Acrobat to annotate, edit, and create PDFs. Plus, learn more about digital signatures to reduce paperwork.

Spooky Surveys: Microsoft Forms & Qualtrics

October 26, 2023 from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM in JC 217

Clark University provides access to both Qualtrics and Microsoft Forms. Both are survey software, but there are several key differences between the two which affect the usability and complexity of any survey you might need to build for research, feedback, or registration purposes.

Virtual Workshop: Microsoft Bookings

November 7, 2023, from 2 PM – 3 PM on Zoom

Learn how to set up a custom Bookings page so colleagues, students, and external partners can set up an appointment with you in just a few clicks (and much less email). Bookings connects seamlessly with your Outlook calendar and can be added to your email signature for ease of use.

Virtual Workshop: Turn a Picture into a Sticker with Photoshop

December 19, 2023, from 2 PM – 3 PM on Zoom

Photoshop (part of Adobe Creative Cloud) is the premiere software for photo editing. Learn the basics and have some fun in this virtual workshop, which will guide you in turning pictures into stickers!

Get to Know Us, September 2023

Get to Know Us: Jarrod Evans

This month, we’re meeting Jarrod Evans, Clark’s Help Desk Technician.

Jarrod joined Clark this past July. A Worcester native, he previously worked in the fast-paced world of retail, which helped Jarrod discover his passion for customer service and technology.

A self-described “technological life coach,” Jarrod loves meeting people across campus as he deploys new devices. Since his appointments are often the first interaction new Clark employees have with ITS, Jarrod takes pride in welcoming newcomers and making sure their devices are set up for success. Next time you see him, ask about backing up your files—he’d love to help you learn more!

Outside of work, Jarrod enjoys playing Dirt 5 on PlayStation and looks forward to crisp fall weather and catching up on his Netflix queue. If you’d like to chat with Jarrod about your device or offer TV show suggestions, click here for contact information.