• April 15, 2008

New features at K-State Open House Saturday, April 19

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published April 15, 2008

The Open House 2008 overview is a quick guide to what's happening at University Open House this year. (The hot spots list has events in specific colleges.) Most events and displays run 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 19. New features include:

  • "Open House highlights" podcast and video
  • First-ever, live television coverage (see the Spotlight in this issue)
  • A "carnival of conservation and culture" on the quad (open space north of Hale Library) including go-green displays such as a model sustainable house with working wind generation and photovoltaics, and a 30-foot hoop house for crop-growing in winter
  • Tour of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Pat Roberts Hall (north of Vet Med)
  • Info on where to park (due to campus construction) plus campus shuttles that run every 15 minutes

In addition to the many displays and activities in the K-State Student Union and across campus, this is the first year Open House is scheduled in conjunction with the K-State Athletics Spring Game Fan Fest and the spring football game at 6:30 p.m. For more details, browse the Open House website or visit the information booth Saturday at the north entrance of the Union.

Cut down on credit-card junk mail with OptOutPreScreen.com

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published April 15, 2008

One way to decrease your risk of identity theft is to cut down on postal-mail offers for new credit cards or insurance, said Harvard Townsend, IT security officer, at the March IT Security Roundtable. OptOutPreScreen.com is a resource he identified that lets consumers "opt out" from receiving preapproved offers by paper mail for five years or permanently. The site is operated by the major consumer credit reporting companies (including Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), and it also allows you to "opt in" again if you wish to receive offers.

Consumers can also opt out via phone by calling toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688), according to the Federal Trade Commission's webpage on Prescreened Offers of Credit and Insurance. The FTC webpage notes that either way, you'll be asked to provide personal information including your name, date of birth, and Social Security number, all of which will be kept confidential. For more details and Q/A, visit the FTC's webpage.

Technology open forum Thursday, April 17, at Salina campus

by Amanda Tross, Office of Mediated Education, and Lynn Carlin, Interim Vice Provost for Information Technology
published April 15, 2008

Students, faculty and staff: Help shape the future of the K-State technology service needs by attending the "Upgrade K-State: Tell Us What You Need" brainstorming open forum. Tell us what K-State technology services you want to see different and the changes that would make your life easier.

The K-State at Salina open forum is 9:30-11 a.m. Thursday, April 17, in Room 120 of the Technology Center.

For more information or to submit comments, visit the Upgrade K-State website. The open forums are sponsored by the Campus IT Needs Assessment Working Group. Results will be shared on the website later this spring and used by the Working Group to develop recommendations for Provost Nellis and the Computing Executive Committee regarding future IT services.

iSIS training dates now available in May

by Aimee Hagedorn, Information Technology Assistance Center
published April 15, 2008

Additional training dates for the month of May have been added to the iSIS training schedule. Training topics include:

  • Academic department staff training
  • Administrative department staff training
  • Admissions for colleges/departments training
  • Advising in iSIS training
  • Class schedule working session

Visit the iSIS training webpage to view class descriptions and register online.

Adobe contract finalized; orders being processed

by Kathy Leonard, Computing and Telecommunications Services
published April 15, 2008

The campus Adobe CLP contract has been finalized. K-State orders that were being held by Software House International (state contract vendor) have now been placed. Thank you to everyone for their patience! If you have questions, contact Kathy Leonard, 785-532-4926, kantink@k-state.edu.

IDT Roundtable April 17: Deploying Teaching Case Studies for e-Learning

by Swasati Mukherjee, Office of Mediated Education
published April 15, 2008

Shalin Hai-Jew will present "Deploying Teaching Case Studies for e-Learning" at the IDT Roundtable 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in Union 212. Case studies have wide use in business, law, ethics, education, medicine, psychology, and a range of other fields. Various national databases of teaching case studies have emerged to offer free use of cases that may provoke critical thinking and deep learning. See how to use the tools of K-State Online to effectively deploy a teaching case study. Bring your own teaching case study ideas and drafts for discussion.

Registration and refreshments start at 10:45 a.m. RSVP by contacting the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, 785-532-7828, catl@k-state.edu. Coffee, tea, and water will be available, and you are welcome to bring your lunch.

eTips April 23: Insert Excel spreadsheets, charts into Word

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published April 15, 2008

Marty Courtois will present an eTips session on "Inserting spreadsheets and charts into Word" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, desktop webinar via Wimba. If you create any type of report, chances are you need to organize your data in an Excel spreadsheet. Or, do you end up struggling with Tables in Word because you're not sure how to transfer your spreadsheet to Word? This session will cover various methods for inserting spreadsheets and charts created in Excel into Word documents. Attend this session and learn some simple techniques for controlling how your spreadsheets appear in Word.

Reminder: Kevin Champion will present an eTips session on "Getting started with Zoho Creator" at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, desktop webinar via Wimba.

eTips registration is required at least 24 hours in advance to allow time to add you to the session and ensure your workstation is configured properly for accessing the session.

Security tip of the week

"Secure Remote Access" handout, PowerPoint online

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published April 15, 2008

Forty-six people attended the "Secure Remote Access" IT security roundtable April 4 to learn more about how to safely access K-State systems from off-campus, in anticipation of future changes in the network that are needed to improve security. Harvard Townsend, IT security officer, told the attendees there will be more sessions in the future as the details of the network security changes are developed, well in advance of their implementation.

Presentation materials from the April 4 session are on the IT security website, including the PowerPoint presentation and the Secure Remote Access handout (PDF).

K-State Online

Use K-State Online for secure group communication

by Amanda Tross, Office of Mediated Education
published April 15, 2008

K-State Online is not just for credit courses. It also can be used for search committees, working groups, graduate student advising, and other team projects. Using the Student Grouping tool, Manage Files repository, and FileShare assignment type, many units and K-Staters are able to communicate and share files in a secure, online environment.

  • Search Committees -- Use the Student Groups tool to upload resumes and interview questions, discuss the candidates in the synchronous Chat Room, post notes to the asynchronous Message Board and easily e-mail other search committee members directly from K-State Online (no LISTSERV mailing list needed). Hold a group interview for out-of-state candidates using Wimba Live.
  • Working Groups -- Share and store meeting agendas, drafts, and reports in the Manage Files repository. Use the Calendar to track upcoming meetings and important events.
  • Graduate Student Advising -- Thesis committees can use the FileShare assignment type to share, submit, comment, and track student thesis revisions. FileShare submissions are private; only the instructors (supervisory/committee members) and the student submitting the assignment (thesis/dissertation) have access to the submitted file. For distance graduate students, use Wimba Live to have virtual face-to-face advising meetings.

For more information about these tools, contact the IT Help Desk. To sign up for personal or group K-State Online training, see the IT training website.

Computer recommendations for 2008?

by Information Technology Assistance Center staff
published April 15, 2008

Where are the computer recommendations for the 2008-2009 academic year?

On the www.k-state.edu/infotech/buying site.

Spotlight

First-time, live TV coverage of K-State Open House

by Steve Smethers, Journalism and Mass Communications
published April 15, 2008

Saturday, April 19, is University Open House, and the first-ever, live television coverage of the event will be on K-State TV (Cable Channel 8) as a joint venture of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the Educational Communications Center, and New Student Services.

Students in the Miller School will provide 10-minute live reports from the K-State Student Union at the top and bottom of each hour from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The channel will also air clips of recent programs produced by students for airing on K-State TV between the live coverage.

K-State TV is carried on Channel 8 of the campus and Manhattan city cable systems, and in Ogden, Junction City, Fort Riley, and Milford. Additionally, the coverage will be streamed by the Office of Mediated Education via the www.k-state.tv site on Saturday, allowing K-State alumni, parents, and prospective students across the state and nation to watch the coverage. Pat Bosco, dean of student life, is sponsoring and funding the streamed telecasts.

The live coverage is being relayed to ECC in Dole Hall via fiberoptic cables that were set up last year to connect KSDB-FM audio with Cable Channel 8.

TV reporters will be located in a portion of the Union art gallery, which will feature a display by student photographers for the Collegian and Royal Purple.