August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Under Construction
ITS Franklin Updates
The renovation of the computer rooms and new data centers have been accomplished in a phased approach so that as old spaces are renovated, equipment can be transferred. The incremental transition of old to new allows for gradual moves with limited service interruptions for ITS staff and campus customers. The demolition of the old computer room at Franklin is near completion. Part of the demolition of that space includes the asbestos inspection. When safety requirements have been met and inspections completed, the next phase of the project will begin.
Additionally, carpet and ceiling tiles will be installed in coming weeks in the office work areas as part of the fall move-in deadlines. The new elevator installation is near completion and the tile has been laid in the lobby.
ITS Manning update
Unfortunately, the Web camera at the site was damaged by a tree falling during a storm. A replacement camera is expected later this week.
-- MRB with Mike Harris
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Spotlight On
Charles "Charlie" Green, the assistant vice chancellor (AVC) for
ITS Teaching and Learning, joins us from UNC–Chapel Hills Office of Arts and Sciences Information Services (OASIS), where he served as associate director for Academic Technologies.While in this role, Green
developed and led the ATLAS Program (Academic Technology Liaisons in the Arts and Sciences);
introduced new laptop applications and low-threshold technologies that served to advance the use of technology in teaching and learning; and
launched Creative Services, a fee-for-services division within OASIS offering design, Web, and multimedia services to the College of Arts and Sciences. Green also led a major research and educational effort relating to large-enrollment course redesign and was
awarded a grant from the National Center for Academic Transformation as part of its Roadmap to Redesign program. Green earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas in 1995 and a master's in literature from the College of William and Mary in 1996. His PhD in American Studies is also from the College of William and Mary.
One of Green’s first tasks as AVC will be to integrate the Teaching and Learning and Academic Technologies divisions within ITS. These groups comprise the Computer Labs, Classroom Support, the Carolina Computing Initiative, IT Training and Education, Electronic Content Delivery, Next Generation Infrastructure, Instructional Applications, Video Services, Information Resources, and the Center for Instructional Technology. This effort offers the exciting opportunity of bringing together resources dedicated to designing and supporting the Universitys technology-enhanced teaching spaces as well as those committed to the creation and deployment of instructional materials and e-content. Its in this intersection, this learning space, where our services can really make a difference and impact outcomes, Green says. --LJB, MRB with Charles Green
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Newsflash
CTC Fall Retreat Oct 19The
Carolina Technology Consultants (CTC) recently announced its advisory board for 2005-07 and the
board is currently planning a program for Oct. 19 that will allow campus information technology professionals an opportunity to discuss common challenges and share knowledge. To learn more about the CTC, e-mail
Dee Marley of ITS Communications. ****
UNC CAUSE November 8 -10A
state-wide conference is planned in fall as part of the work of UNC CAUSE. Established in 1970,
UNC CAUSE was created to promote cooperation and information sharing among the information technology departments of the 16 campuses in the UNC System. This years annual
UNC CAUSE conference is planned for Nov. 8-10 in Wilmington. The central region is hosting the 2005 event and Carolina is the conferences organizing group. The central region includes North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Greensboro and UNC. Online registration for the
2005 conference will be available later this month. -- MRB
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Newsflash
The
University of North Carolina–Greensboro (UNCG) is investigating a laptop requirement for their students. As part of their planning, they visited with ITS staff members on Friday, August 19, to ask questions, observe, and discuss laptop requirements from a technical and support perspective.Four staff members from the UNCG Information Technology and Planning department visited:
- Gloria Thornton, Assistant Vice Chancellor, IT Services
- Janice Tulloss, Assistant Director, Technical Services
- James Eagle, Manager, Technical Services
- Kevin Latimer, Project Manager
UNC–G is interested in creating a program similar to the Carolina Computing Iniative (CCI). In 2006, they will launch an optional student purchase pilot program;
that campus's mandatory laptop requirement is scheduled to begin in 2007. The project members are now writing the Requests for Proposals (RFPs) as part of the planning efforts.The visiting UNC–G staff members met with David Eckert, ITS Teaching and Learning, and Tim Coynesmith, IBM/Lenovo represenative, to talk about Carolina's laptop requirement program and
distribution models. Additionally, Doug Brown, ITS Security, spoke with them about
security benefits and concerns, while Matt Howell, ITS User Support and Engagement, led a tour of the ITS Response Center and Computer Repair Center (CRC) that highlighted
services that support students with laptops."Being one of the first state universities in the country to launch and support an undergraduate laptop requirement, Carolina is in the unique position of having extensive knowledge of the logistics, requirments, costs and benefits of creating a sustainable and successful laptop distribution and support system in the higher education environment," Eckert noted.The day of discussion among the two technology teams provided the opportunity to discuss lessons learned regarding the RFP process, licensing, security, and experiences with customers.Howell added, "We always enjoy providing tours of the response center and repair centers here in the Undergraduate library. It's also a great help to discuss the pros and cons of specific services with peers from other UNC universities. We can share our knowledge and learn from other teams' experiences to benefit both groups." -- DM with MRB
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Newsflash
ITS Phillips Data center is under tremendous pressure, especially with regard to power. To reduce the power load on the facility, ITS Data Center staff are working with other staff members to transfer secondary servers to ITS Franklin, while decommissioning and removing unused equipment from ITS Phillips.
If you have equipment at ITS Phillips that could be transferred to ITS Franklin (e.g. redundant, secondary servers), contact RC Teal.
Contact
Teal for assistance in removing equipment in ITS Phillips that is no longer in production or beyond its prime. ITS Data Center staff can also help you find other storage space for equipment needed for spare parts and assist you with arranging for University surplus to remove it.
Members of ITS Infrastructure and Operations are building an inventory system to better track and manage the systems in the ITS Data Centers. It is important to complete the
server registration form to register ALL equipment deployed in either ITS Phillips and ITS Franklin.
Server registration is required before installation of ANY equipment in either Data Center. -- MRB
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Newsflash
Joe Morris, Web systems manager,
ITS Communications, has been leading his team in the evaluation, installation, and testing of a
new search engine for the University's Web site . The current search engine, a Verity product, links off of the University's home page and to the
University's search page . Duncan Riley, part of the Web systems team, is evaluating a
Google search engine instance by matching the search criteria from the current engine to the test one, for an accurate comparison of results.
The search engine evaluation compares the results of searches for more than just the www.unc.edu page, but also Web pages from all over ITS and the rest of the campus (not under ITS).
Recently, Morris shared with the Service Managers' Council his observations of the Google search product. "Less than robust sites have been hit hard by the aggressivness of the Google search tool. Fortunately, those can be addressed by throttling back on site by site basis or avoiding particular sites altogether. It's also much more aggressive with CGI content to a fault and we're working through that problem as well."
All
ITS staff members are asked to use the test search engine (http://www.unc.edu/~driley/gsearch.html) and e-mail comments and results directly to
Morris. -- MRB
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Newsflash
You are reading the seventeenth issue of
The Hub, the newsletter that is published by, for, and about ITS. The goal of this publication is to provide each other with timely information about the services and activities of our department and to support the ITS community. Submit your stories and announcements to
its_communications@unc.edu by
5 p.m. Friday, September 2, 2005, to be included in the next issue.
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Bulletin Board
Do you know an ITS staff member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty this month? If so, nominate them for an
ITS Award.
Submit nominations to ITS Human Resources members,
Nealy Hall or
Melissa Harris by
Wednesday, August 31, 2005, at 5:00 p.m. -- MRB
August 22, 2005 | In
News
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Bulletin Board
During the August 18, 2005,
Service Managers' Council (SMC) meeting, Robyn East, associate vice chancellor and deputy CIO, announced that following the start of Fall classes, the
SMC meetings will move to Wednesday mornings. SMC meetings will be followed by the Office of the CIO staff meeting with Assistant Vice Chancellors (AVCs)
to ensure key issues are communicated in a consistent and timely manner. SMC members' calendars will be updated with the new meeting schedule once the location has been confirmed. -- MRB
August 9, 2005 | In
News
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Bulletin Board
From the Employee Forum: The
Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Quality, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill is sponsored by UNC Health Care and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to educate consumers about the quality of care they receive. Space is limited!
RSVP by e-mail at rsvp@ahrqtownhallnc.com or call (919) 882-1992 to reserve spaces.AHRQs mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.Along with representatives of quality improvement efforts now underway in North Carolina, featured speakers include
- William Roper, MD (Chief Executive Officer, UNC Health Care, and Dean, UNC School of Medicine)
- Carolyn Clancy, MD (Director of AHRQ)
- Trudy Lieberman (Director, Center for Consumer Health Choices, Consumers Union)
This interactive discussion between consumers and health care quality experts is intended to provide basic information for consumers so they can make good decisions about their health care. The program will also highlight efforts underway locally to improve quality and to give consumers information on what they can do to ensure better quality care for themselves and their families.
