Financial Information System to be implemented in July
by A. Hagedorn, Information Technology Assistance Center
published June 14, 2005
In two short weeks the first phase of the new Financial Information System (FIS) implementation will be
completed for campuswide use. The FIS is part of the multi-year LASER Project to replace the existing
financial systems (FRS, INV) and student systems (SIS, BRS, FAMS)
on the mainframe, with Oracle Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) modules.
The change brings new functionality to meet K-State's growing needs and support high
volume and online transactions. Highlights of FIS include:
- Web-based access
- Enhanced ability to encumber funds
- Enhanced reporting capabilities with access to universitywide data
In Phase II, the focus will be on improving the General Ledger, and
exploring the Projects and Purchasing
modules. Efforts will also be made to provide departments with greater ability to utilize FIS for their unique
financial accounting needs.
Since 2002, members of the Controller's Office, Budget Office, Internal Audit, Information Systems Office,
Human Resources, Data and Information Administration, Computing and Network Services, and the Information
Technology Assistance Center have collaborated to ensure the successful implementation of FIS. These units
will continue to work together in the future as additional FIS modules are added to the system.
More than 300 FIS end-users have completed hands-on training in anticipation of the go-live date.
Training sessions will continue to be offered for those who require refresher courses and further help.
Open lab sessions will also be hosted during the first two weeks in July. Users who would like one-on-one
training sessions should contact FIS training coordinator Ron Semarge at 532-1861.
For questions concerning FIS, users can visit the FAQs page
hosted by the Controller's Office, or contact Ron Semarge at (785) 532-1861.
For more information about the FIS implementation, visit these K-State sites:
LISTSERV service upgraded June 9 at K-State
by J. Morrill, Computing and Network Services
published June 14, 2005
The upgrade to LISTSERV version 14.3 was finished early in the morning on June 9 and appears to be working fine.
All of the functions previously used by K-Staters should work the same in this version.
If K-Staters notice something that doesn't seem right, send e-mail to
listhelp@ksu.edu.
According to L-Soft's
description of changes,
"Version 14.3 is the second most extensive update in LISTSERV’s 18-year history.
Over 100 of the 174 changes in version 14.3 are a direct result of customer requirements..."
They include administration and performance features, including
enhanced spam control, and
web-interface accessibility. Webpage templates and code were modified extensively
to follow accessibility guidelines recommended by W3C, and three new display
"themes" were introduced for improved accessibility.
K-State's modifications to the web interface are designed to make it
easier to find
popular LISTSERV functions such as the Subscriber's Corner and changing your LISTSERV password.
See the new version online at listserv.ksu.edu/web.
More e-mail worms hitting campus
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published June 14, 2005
Yet another e-mail worm is hitting campus. The latest one began showing up June 11. As before, this one is a
previously unseen variant that was just released. None of the
antivirus vendors have signatures for it yet, so it is not being
detected or blocked by Symantec or K-State's central e-mail servers.
The copy of the worm that is arriving claims "Your new account password is approved" for
using LISTSERV. The .zip attachment is a file with this name:
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updated-password.txt
.pif
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This file contains the actual e-mail worm. Note that the filename doesn't end at ".txt" -- it contains 70 or more
spaces followed by ".pif". This means it's actually a .pif file and will be
executed if/when someone double-clicks on it.
Remember: Don't click on unexpected attachments, no matter who the e-mail says it's from --
not even if it says it's from "K-State tech staff".
| Q/A: IT questions from K-Staters |
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published June 14, 2005
What IT questions do parents ask at student orientation?
K-State Orientation and Enrollment began on June 9 and will continue until June 24.
In the "Computing Resources at K-State" session being given by Tim Bagby, two questions
are commonly asked by parents:
1. Can my student access K-State computing resources when they are at home
-- meaning during weekends and breaks at their permanent home?
Yes. Using an Internet browser, students can access these systems online
by using their eID and password.
2. Is there wireless connectivity in the residence halls?
No.
Have a question or comment?
TellTuesday@ksu.edu.
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| Web watch |
Eternal Egypt
by the editors, InfoTech Tuesday
published June 14, 2005
www.eternalegypt.org is a collaborative three-year effort
between Egypt and IBM to present the wonders of Egyptian civilization to the world. According to the site,
"The stories of Eternal Egypt are told using the latest interactive technologies, high-resolution imagery,
animations, virtual environments, remote cameras, three-dimensional models and more."
Site features include:
- Zoomable images of thousands of artifacts
- 3-D reconstructions, including Tutankhamun's tomb
- Live webcams and 360-degree panoramic views
- An interactive map and timeline
- IBM's Text-to-Speech technology
- "My Collection", a personal set of your favorite items, which can also be accessed from mobile devices
Find a good site? TellTuesday@ksu.edu.
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