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Attention New Students!!
Mobile Teaching and Learning Specifications Begin in Fall 2007
Tigers Now Enrolling Online!
From Dave's Desk:
The CTC Director provides a glimpse into coming attractions at FHSU
FHSU Students Vote Online using TigerTracks Elections
Software Center Highlights
Go Wireless with FHSU!
Spotlight on a CTC Employee
FHSU Internet Dial-Up System to be Retired on May 31, 2007
CTC HelpDesk Continues Expanded Hours of Service
Help Us Help You!
Other HelpDesk Headlines
Attention New Students!!
Mobile Teaching and Learning Specifications Begin in Fall 2007
Mobile teaching and learning is the versatile use of computing devices at some distance from the normal, fixed
classroom or workplace to interact in some fashion with a central information system. The key concept behind mobile teaching
and learning is based on the need to deliver intelligence to any location for the purpose of enhancing learning opportunities,
improving productivity, and providing a competitive edge in the classroom and in future careers.
Beginning in Fall 2007, all new, on-campus students enrolled at FHSU will be required to use tablet computers so
that they may take full advantage of the learning opportunities presented by the University. The transition to using mobile
devices will give students access to many more learning resources than ever before, right at their fingertips. Mobile activities
are now becoming a major part of a student's learning experience.
Instructors have already begun using tablet computers supplied
by the university, with great success. Tablets function the same way as notebook, or laptop computers do; with a few extra
features. They offer touch-screen technology that allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or pen, directly on the
display. Most tablets also feature handwriting recognition, which makes writing directly onto a computer a reality. These
features enhance the learning experience by enabling new ways of using computers to interact in the classroom.
Macintosh computer users are not subject to the tablet requirement, as there are currently no Macintosh tablet
products available. For more in-depth information regarding this initiative and how it will affect you, please visit
www.fhsu.edu/mobilecomputing/.
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Tigers Now Enrolling Online!
TigerEnroll, FHSU's new online enrollment system, was implemented during the Spring 2007 semester. A pilot group
of approximately 200 students tested the system during the Fall 2006 semester before it went live in Spring 2007.
Students no longer need to worry that classes they wish to take will be filled before they are able to meet with
their advisors. Now, students can reserve seats in their desired classes by using TigerEnroll to submit course selections to
their advisors.
TigerEnroll is located under the Online Services tab inside the TigerTracks portal. TigerEnroll has everything
needed for enrolling in classes and making payment arrangements all in one place. The process is simple: A student starts off
by building a worksheet. This step is made easy and convenient because a student can now search for and list all classes they
are interested in on a worksheet without having to travel to other pages to search for classes.
In the second step, TigerEnroll lists any enrollment holds a student may have (such as unpaid parking tickets,
etc...), along with the appropriate contact information needed for resolving them. This benefits both the student and the
university, because all holds must be lifted before a student can pre-enroll. After all holds have been cleared, a student
proceeds by selecting courses and submitting them to the advisor for approval.
After the advisor reviews the course selections, the student receives an e-mail in their FHSU student e-mail account
from TigerEnroll informing them of whether the courses were approved or denied. The advisor may also provide suggestions for the student.
The student can view the current status of their courses at any time using TigerEnroll. After all courses have been approved, the student
proceeds to the next step to make payment arrangements.
Course changes are also easy to manage. If a student wishes to add or drop a course before the class begins, it
can simply be added or removed from the schedule via TigerEnroll. After the semester begins, the student should consult with
their instructor and advisor in order to drop a class.
Both on-campus and virtual students have responded very well to this new method of enrollment, citing the
benefits of a simplified, yet comprehensive enrollment process. We greatly appreciate all of the long hours and hard work the
TigerEnroll development team and programming staff put forth to make this new system a reality.
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From Dave's Desk:
Dr. David Schmidt, Computing and Telecommunication Center Director,
provides a glimpse into coming attractions at FHSU.
This has been a very busy year for the CTC and for various teams working with the CTC. The
TigerEnroll team, which includes Joey Linn, Judy Getty, Dennis King, Patty Griffin, Jo Anne Crispin, Jackie Ruder, Daryl Carswell, Chad Dague,
Doug Storer, and me, has been meeting every week to implement and reengineer the online enrollment process. We did a pilot
implementation in October and then opened it up to the university community in March. Meeting these deadlines took a lot of
work behind the scenes. I want to highlight the ongoing commitment of these people for this big undertaking, and I am very
pleased that the implementation went smoothly. We are working on a list of enhancements that will give TigerEnroll
more functions and make it more usable.
Students used StarREZ for the first time this Spring. This system assists students in selecting
rooms, roommates, meal plans, and other things related to university housing. Students also participated in on-line voting
using the TigerTracks portal several weeks ago for the Student Government Association elections. 561 students
voted in that election. Blackboard recently received a major infrastructure upgrade. A new load-balancing
switch has helped Blackboard handle the load much better, and this switch will allow us to add more servers
as needed. To me, Blackboard seems much more responsive than it was before the upgrade.
Next year will bring new work to us and additional functionality to campus. Here are some of the projects we
know about now:
Web-based degree audit system. This system will allow students to check on their progress towards their
degree. Their individualized degree summary will be displayed on the web, and students should use it to check their progress
towards a degree. It will list any remaining requirements for their degree. This web application will assist students with using
TigerEnroll to enroll in the right set of classes. Students considering attending FHSU will also be able to
check degree requirements on the web. Currently, degree analysts prepare degree summaries for students, print them out, and
then share them with students. Next year, students will be able to see their summaries using the TigerTracks
portal. Web-based Recruitment and Admissions system. An RFP (Request for Proposals) was issued by the University,
and a new Recruitment and Admissions system will be purchased. This system will be designed to attract new students to what
FHSU has to offer. It will assist departments in communicating with these new students and track the various types of
communications that each prospective student has received. The information presented to prospective students will be
tailored to the interests indicated by the student. After it is set up, a lot of this process will be automated using the
power of the web. This Fall, students will be issued a new university ID number. Over the past several years we have taken
steps to remove social security numbers from reports and screens to protect this unique identifier. In Fall 2007, students will
have a new 8-digit ID that will become the unique identifier for each student. It will appear on cards issued to new students and
to other students who choose to purchase a new TigerCard. This new ID will appear on class rosters and elsewhere as we have time
to change reports and screens. One example of a change on TigerTracks and TigerEnroll is adding the option for faculty to search
for students on the web using the new ID. JobX. A new student employment site will be launched in this upcoming year. Students will be able to
apply for campus jobs on-line by checking what jobs are available to them. Since many students look for jobs on campus,
this will help automate this process and make it more user-friendly to students. Blackboard Content System -- E-Portfolio. The e-portfolio initiative has been funded. This
e-portfolio system offers opportunities for administrative functions as well as academic functions. It will be quite useful for tracking
and facilitating Departmental AQIP (Academic Quality Improvement Program) processes and procedures. As it is rolled out students will also
be able to post their digital contributions to it. Students who are increasingly using Facebook, MySpace,
uTube, etc. will now be able to build their own professional portfolios on the web. Faculty will be able to require
students to post their work on a portfolio system and track progress over time. This will all take a bit of time to implement because we
need to install the software, and FHSU staff at CTELT (Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technologies) will need to learn it, set
it up, and prepare training sessions. Core Switch/Router and Hub Upgrade. We are reviewing options and will purchase a new major network
core switch/router soon. This upgrade also includes major data communications upgrades for McCartney, Albertson, and Forsyth
Library. The new core router will permit us to handle much more bandwidth, increase security management, and handle additional
wireless traffic. Because McCartney and Albertson have Cat-5 wiring already in place, the hubs will handle the increased
bandwidth. Forsyth Library will take longer because it needs additional wiring, but it will also receive a new hub.
This highlights some of the major new and continuing projects that we are working with here in the CTC. There
are other challenging tasks too. Mobile Computing is a boon to most people, and we are trying to find ways to
provide good service and meaningful help. The CTC HelpDesk will work closely with the Learning Commons area to coordinate
support functions for students. As mentioned, I believe that most faculty and staff who have received tablets and laptops find
them quite useful. The wireless infrastructure makes it relatively easy to check e-mail and to connect to
folders from most places on campus. Doing the initial configuration for faculty who have a number of unique applications on
their desktop takes time, and the Microcomputing staff have been working hard at getting new tablets into faculty hands. The
Telecommunications staff (with some valuable help from the Physical Plant folks) have completed much of the wiring at the
Union and are working hard to complete wiring for the new Robbins Endowment Center. Other staff members are working with the
backup system, the Paetek phone billing system, the labs, microcomputing repair, and other issues.
We hope this information is useful to you, and we trust that all of you will have a good summer.
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FHSU Students Vote Online using TigerTracks Elections
April 11-12, 2007, marked the days that local student elections became available electronically for the first
time at Fort Hays State University. Elections is an application within the university's portal that allows students to vote for
Student Government elections through the Web. "Delivered through the university's TigerTracks portal, Elections provides
students the ability to quickly, easily, and securely vote in elections to which they have access at their convenience from any
internet-enabled computer at any location," said Jackie Ruder, Manager of New Development at the Computing and Telecommunication
Center.
Students have the option to vote from the comfort of their own homes, now that elections are provided via the Web.
Ruder played a very key role making this landmark development a reality. "TigerTracks Elections was implemented in an effort to provide
further online services to the students of Fort Hays State University," said Ruder.
Say goodbye to hanging chads! Vote interpretation is no longer an issue with the electronic process. Results are
tallied more accurately and quickly as well. Ruder went on to say, "The application minimizes the time and effort of manually
processing votes through anonymous database capture and tallying of ballots cast online." Voter participation has increased from
previous elections, and that trend is expected to continue.
2007 SGA Election Participation:
| President/Vice President |
561 |
| |
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| Senatorial Votes Cast: |
|
| Counseling & Education |
32 |
| Life Science |
32 |
| Humanities |
73 |
| Social Sciences |
76 |
| General Studies |
24 |
| Natural Sciences & Mathematics |
43 |
| Business & Leadership |
152 |
| Health |
41 |
If you wish to add the Elections channel to your personal TigerTracks layout, follow the instructions located at
www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/tigertracks_elections.shtml.
On-campus students and the Student Government Association have responded very well to this new method of voting,
citing the benefits of ease and scalability. We sincerely appreciate the extra efforts Jackie Ruder put forth to design and
develop this new portal application.
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Software Center Highlights
In April 2007, FHSU's online Software Center
released several new Microsoft products! The following products are now available for purchase by currently enrolled FHSU
students:
Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Suite
Microsoft Office Standard 2007 Suite
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 Suite
Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007
Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007
Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007
Microsoft Windows Vista Business Upgrade
Some new statistical software products have also been added to the site. They are available to students at
discount prices on a rental basis for either a six or twelve month time period.
Click here to view information
about new Adobe and Macromedia products that will also be coming to the Software Center!
Click here to learn how to access the
Software Center. To view products, system requirements, prices, and other information, log in to the Software Center and then
click on the SOFTWARE link at the top of the page. Products you are eligible to purchase will be shown. Click
on the product you wish to view, and then click View Product Details.
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Go Wireless with FHSU!
Over the past few years, FHSU's wireless network has expanded campus-wide and has gone through a process of
fine-tuning. Wireless access is now available in all academic buildings and all residential halls, with the exception of
Wiest Hall. The Memorial Union is still under renovation and may not have full wireless network coverage until construction
is complete.
Service for the wireless network has been perfected to a point in which users should experience little or no
connectivity issues under normal operating conditions. Students should connect using TigerNetStudent and use
their TigerTracks login to register on the network. Faulty and staff should connect
to TigerNet using their FHSU network login. If a guest would like to use wireless Internet on-campus, they
should connect to TigerNetGuest - no login is required.
Students are able to register two devices using their TigerTracks login. This may include a mobile device, such as a tablet or laptop, and a desktop. Or a student could choose to register their computer and a game system.
When connecting for the first time, you will be directed to a registration page after opening your Internet browser. If you would like more information about FHSU's on-campus wireless network, please visit www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/wireless_info.shtml.
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Spotlight on a CTC Employee
A Dozen Questions for Michelle Schlyer, Tiger Info Call Center Supervisor
- Q. How long have you worked for the Computing and Telecommunication Center?
A. Since December of 2005
- Q. Hometown?
A. Hays, America
- Q. What is your favorite hobby?
A. Taking Pictures and being a Mommy
- Q. What CD is in your CD player?
A. AC / DC Back in Black
- Q. Favorite Food?
A. Taco Shop
- Q. Most visited website (besides FHSU.edu)?
A. Yahoo.com
- Q. Cartoon Character?
A. Family Circus
- Q. Favorite TV show?
A. Grey's Anatomy
- Q. Actor and Actress?
A. Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan
- Q. Favorite Movie?
A. Shag
- Q. Any video games?
A. No
- Q. Favorite Sport's Team?
A. Kansas City Chiefs
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FHSU Internet Dial-Up System to be Retired on May 31, 2007
Fort Hays State University's Internet dial-up system has served us well over the past ten years. However, as you are probably aware, many new, more effective options for Internet service have become available and most users are now taking advantage of them. Dial-up no longer provides satisfactory download speeds necessary to maintain system updates or perform student coursework.
As Internet standards have changed over the past few years, most dial-up equipment is no longer being supported by the manufacturers. Because of this, our dial-up system has reached its "end of life", and if the equipment should fail it is very likely that we would not be able to restore it to service. Thus, it is possible that dial-up service could end at any time without notice due to equipment failure.
For these reasons, FHSU Internet dial-up service will be permanently discontinued on May 31, 2007. We encourage all current FHSU dial-up users to evaluate new options for Internet service as soon as possible.
FHSU now provides free campus-wide wireless Internet service to our students, faculty, and staff. For information about using wireless Internet on campus, see www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/wireless_info.shtml. FHSU also provides free Ethernet access to students living in the residence halls on campus (see www.fhsu.edu/ctc/res_hall_connection_policy.shtml). It is no longer cost effective to provide Internet service to off-campus locations.
Please note that discontinuation of FHSU dial-up service will NOT affect your FHSU e-mail account. This means your "scatcat.fhsu.edu" or "fhsu.edu" e-mail address will remain active. FHSU e-mail can be accessed regardless of the type of Internet service you use. More information about FHSU dial-up service discontinuation is available at www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/dialup_discontinued.shtml.
We appreciate the patronage of our dial-up users over the past ten years and look forward to working with you during your transition to more efficient Internet service!
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CTC HelpDesk Continues Expanded Hours of Service
In order to better serve you, the CTC HelpDesk increased their hours of service during the Spring 2007 semester. Expanded hours will continue for the Summer and Fall semesters. Click here to view HelpDesk office hours from now through Fall 2007.
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Help Us Help You!
Have you recently contacted or visited the CTC HelpDesk? If so, how did we do?
If you have ideas, concerns, or other feedback, let us know! Contact us, complete our survey, or use our secure comments form to give us your suggestions. Thank you in advance for your feedback - we look forward to hearing from you!
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Other HelpDesk Headlines
CTC
HelpDesk News is a semi-annual newsletter published by
the
Fort Hays State University Computing and Telecommunication Center
HelpDesk.
Nancy Cunningham and Michelle Schlyer, Editors |
