The IT Technology Update: This electronic bulletin is published by the Office of
Information Technology (IT) to inform users of the quickly changing technology, policy, services and support at Medaille.

Contents:

1. Netiquette
2. How to deal with Email overload  
3. Students use WebCT tools even when faculty don’t!  
4. IT Summer Training Schedule
5. Hyperion Training available
6. ACC Summer Hours

WebCT News

1. How to get WebCT help
2. WebCT Tips for This Month

1.  Netiquette

“Netiquette" is network etiquette, the do's and don’ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace.  The following is a compilation of “rules” that guide you in using email effectively.

• Would you say that to a person’s face?  Never say something in email that you wouldn’t say in person.
• Remember that if you sent it, it can be saved somewhere even if you deleted it.  You can’t take back what is now published.
• Don’t leave the subject line blank.  Let the receiver know what you are sending.
• Use a subject line to summarize, not describe.  This allows the viewer to know what the email is about without having to read it first.
• Respect other people’s time and space.  Don’t send “chain letters”.  Don’t send a 4 M picture of your grand child.  Not every email provider can handle large files, and your email may be lost.  Before you copy other people on an email, ask yourself if they really need to know. 
• Don’t read other people’s emails.  If you are in someone’s office, don’t peak over at their screen to see what they have been seeing.  Snooping is always bad etiquette.
• Never put into email what you wouldn’t put on a postcard.  You have no way of knowing who can read your email. 
• Be careful of who you are replying to.  Don’t include others if it’s a 2 way conversation.
• Use mixed case in your emails.  Upper case looks like you are SHOUTING.
• Wait a day before sending emotional responses to email.  You can save a draft of your email.  Once you hit the send button, it’s like dropping a letter into a mailbox. 
• Refrain from using color text or backgrounds.  These expand the size of your emails.  And not all email service providers can handle your “cute” additions.
• Never give out any personal information via email. 
• Do not forward a virus warning.  Warnings coming from a source other than IT are probably a hoax.
• Use the Bcc field if you are sending email to people that don’t know each other.  If you put the email addresses in the TO: or Cc: field, the addresses are made public to all that receive the email.  
• Don’t deliver bad news via email.  Bad news always should have a personal touch.
• After 2 rounds of conversation via email, pick up the phone.  Many times things can be misread.

2.  How to deal with Email overload     

The average office worker receives 100 emails a day.  So how do you manage this new intrusion to your time?  The following are suggestions on getting email under control.

1. Block out times to go through your email.  Establish a routine.  Don’t answer every email as it comes in.  Let people know you answer email once, twice, etc. a day.  Then when the time comes, deal with each and every message. 
2. Order your emails by “conversation”.  That way, if an email has been responded to by others, you can catch the latest version.  
3. Set up folders under the “inbox” to move messages to.  You can set up rules that will automatically move incoming emails to them. 
4. Use the “follow up” flag for emails you need to get back to. 
5. Let people know you don’t want to receive certain types of messages.  Use your Medaille email for only college business. 
6. Set up a separate email account for personal or “non-business” email.  You can get a free email account from several web sites.  Use the free email account for your online purchases.  Have your friends use this free email account for those wonderful jokes and pictures they send you.
7. Use a junk email filter.  Outlook has this feature. 
8. Pick up the phone once in a while.  Make a site visit.  It’s good to move around now and then.

3.  Students use WebCT tools even when faculty don’t!

Every Medaille course has a corresponding session in WebCT Vista. Many Faculty members already utilize WebCT Vista extensively, as a supplement and back-up to their face-to-face courses. They find that the course management tools make assessment and grading much less time-consuming, not to mention the ease of distribution of course materials.

Computer-savvy students, however, often choose to use WebCT Vista for communication with fellow students even when the instructor has not assigned it. The student chat and discussion boards are active in many courses in the absence of faculty participation.

The bottom line: WebCT Vista can be a useful tool for faculty. And, for the convenience of their students, faculty members should consider posting at least the minimum materials for their courses (syllabi, etc.) in their WebCT Vista session.

4. IT Summer Training Schedule

The next class in our series occurs this Thursday – June 29^th.  We are asking you to submit technology related questions via the registration link.  We will answer your questions, and other common ones during this time. 

You may register for this session – Brown Bad Session at http://alpsite.medaille.edu/it/brownbag.asp

Summer Training Schedule

(All Classes 1p-2:30p in H215)

6/29 “Brown Bag”  -Open session to address technology questions.

7/11 Basic Hardware operations -How to use part of desktops/laptops/projectors/printers/copiers/smart classrooms

7/27 PowerPoint basics            -Slides, Animations, adding media.

8/4 “Brown Bag”-Open session to address technology questions.

8/17 Outlook Training.-Repeat of previous class

5.  Hyperion training available

Hyperion software provides a complete business intelligence solution for data query & analysis, enterprise reporting, and global information delivery to drive business performance.

Systems Analysts write reports and then post them on the web for end users to access through the Hyperion Intelligence Client (a plugin for Internet Explorer).

A Hyperion user account is required to access reports. Accounts are created once a user has attended training. This class instructs users in the basics of using the Hyperion reporting environment and the manipulation of reports.

Training is held on Wednesdays 12:30-2:00 in H215.  Reservations are required.  Contact the IT department at 716-880-2282 to reserve your seat. 

Your Department Head must ok your access to Hyperion.  Bring a signed copy of http://www.medaille.edu/college/it/ferpa.pdf to your training session.

6.  ACC Summer Hours

The Academic Computing Center (ACC) is now operating on summer hours.

The ACC’s H209 PC Lab Summer Hours are:

Monday & Wednesday   8 am to 9 pm

Tuesday & Thursday      8 am to 10 pm

Friday                             8 am to 4 pm

Sat & Sun                       Closed

From Aug. 14 thru 31 our “late summer” Monday to Thursday closings will change to 4 pm as no summer classes are in session.

For the 4^th of July holiday - Closing at 2 pm June 30^th. 

                                          Closed July 3^rd and July 4^th. 

WebCT News

1.  How to get WebCT help

If you are having WebCT problems and have access to email, please use our email contact – WebCT@medaille.edu.  This account is monitored by several staff members, and is monitored on weekends and over holidays.  The WebCT email account may also be given out to your students. 

There is also a plethora of WebCT information available from Drexel at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/services/webct/vista/index.html. 

2.   WebCT Tips for This Month

 * One of the great new features in WebCT Vista is the Discussion "Category" concept. This new feature provides educators with the opportunity to create topic arrays and organize them effectively for student viewing and interaction. You can selectively release Discussion

Categories to keep your students focused on the topics at hand.

* Don't forget to describe it! The Description field in WebCT Vista exists for links that you place on an Organizer Page anywhere in your Section. This enables you to provide students with information about the links, set their expectations about what the links contain, and provide them with detailed direction. Don't just add links - describe them too.

* The Syllabus tool in WebCT Vista provides you with more power than you expect. When you link students to a Syllabus document, it becomes a document just like any other that you provide for them. But with the Syllabus tool, you can turn various elements off and on, making each section available - or unavailable - with a few clicks. Thus, you can create the Syllabus when you have time, and control it effectively throughout the term.