Backup! Backup! Backup!

We have covered this issue in previous newsletters, but with the beginning of a new summer session this important message needs to be conveyed to all of our newcomers.  Hard drives, like cars, will experience mechanical failure at some point.  The only way you can be assured that your data is secured is to make multiple backups. This process is simple, and can save you an enormous amount of grief.  For campus offices, critical information can also be stored on your local shared drive, ensuring that you have a copy of those critical documents in the event of a system failure.  A rule of thumb is that you keep your documents backed up on either a USB flash drive, external drive, or on CD/ DVD media, or your departmental shared drive. These devices are fairly inexpensive and allow you to maintain a current backup of your information at all times. Imation makes a great series of USB flash drives that have proven reliable over time. You can purchase these devices at the campus bookstore, Wal-Mart, Radio Shack or from a number of online vendors. If you are a faculty or staff member and you need recommendations on the best method to back up your data, please contact the Help Desk @4444.

 

 

 

 

 

BB CE6 FAQ’s – Especially for Faculty

Not sure how to submit grades using the new BB CE6 course management system?  Faculty who use the Blackboard-CE6 grade book and who choose to submit final grades via the Blackboard-CE6 grade book will need to make sure that they are submitting grades in the FINAL grades column of their grade books. This column may or may not be revealed in the grade book. If it is NOT revealed, faculty members can make it appear by clicking on the REORDER COLUMNS button in the grade book. From this screen, faculty members will need to find the FINAL grade column and click the SHOW COLUMN button.

 

Once the column is revealed, faculty members need to make sure that the column is a TEXT column (i.e., it cannot be CALCULATED, NUMERIC or ALPHANUMERIC). If it’s not already a TEXT column, faculty members can convert it to TEXT by clicking the GRADE BOOK OPTIONS button and selecting the COLUMN SETTINGS option. Faculty will need to change the TYPE of the column (by clicking the link beneath the column label) and selecting TEXT and the NEW VALUE. This column must be a TEXT field, as the Banner administrative system accepts letter grades only.

To transfer grades from the Blackboard-CE6 grade book to Banner, faculty will need to select FINAL in the EXPORT TO SIS dropdown menu at the bottom of their Blackboard-CE 6 grade book.  Visit the DSU Blackboard FAQ site for more information on using Blackboard CE 6. You can also contact our 24/7 Blackboard/WebCT help desk at extension 4800 on campus or toll free at 1-866-264-1465 for additional support issues with CE6 after hours.

 

 

 


Tech News

(from News Factor )

·          Mobile Workers Taking Risk Online

·          Google gets Failing Grade for Privacy

·          Dell to Hit Retail Store Globally

 

Issue No. 85 – June 8, 2007

 

 Smart Phone Tips

Interested in a Smart phone?  If so, there are a few things that you will need to consider before purchasing a smart device.  Some of those questions include the following:

·          Is the smart device a university phone or a personal phone?

·          Do you want to receive your university email and calendaring on the phone?

·          Do you want the device to update automatically while away from the office?

·          What operating system is the device?

The Office of Information Technology is currently supporting Windows based devices only (In other words, devices running Pocket PC such as the UTStarcom from Cellular South).  The state has an agreement with Cellular South and hence that is the only cell phone company currently supported.  Blackberry devices are not currently supported by OIT.  These devices require an additional server and routing mechanism to be placed in front of the DSU Exchange email server.  If you are considering a SMART device and you have questions, please contact the OIT helpdesk at 4444 for advice.  For now, simply look at the Cellular South Pocket PC devices and not the Blackberry.  The Palm operating system devices will work with the DSU Exchange server but the set up is somewhat complex.  Please consult OIT prior to purchasing a smart phone device if you want it to display your University email.

 

 

 

 

 Microsoft Unveils New Surface Computer

Do you have between and $5,000 and $10,00 to spare for Microsoft’s newest creation?  Microsoft recently unveiled their newest product known as “Surface”.  This new coffee-table shaped computer responds to touch and to special bar codes attached to everyday objects. Users can interact with the computer by touching or dragging their fingertips and objects such as paintbrushes across the screen. Surface can respond to more than one touch at a time.  See Mobility Today for more information

 

 

 

 

 

 


Technology Term of the Week

(from Webopedia )

 

Text messaging is the process of sending short text messages to a device such as a cellular phone, PDA or pager. Text messaging is used for messages that are no longer than a few hundred characters. The term is usually applied to messaging that takes place between two or more mobile devices. Compare with SMS and instant messaging.

 

To really understand text messaging and the strange abbreviations you might see from others, check out these text messaging abbreviations in the Quick Reference section of Webopedia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Office of Information Technology
DSU Box 3123 • Bailey 114
Tel: 662.846.4444
Fax: 662.843.4032
http://oit.deltastate.edu

Go to DSU Website
Go to Sungard Collegis website

 

 

Questions or comments ~ feel free to contact Glenn Trammel at 662-846-4840 or email at gtrammel@deltastate.edu