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About Royal News

  • Royal News is published for The University of Scranton community.
  • Submit announcements to royalnews@scranton.edu by Friday at 5 p.m. for inclusion on Tuesday.
  • For additional information about Royal News, contact:

    The Office of Public Relations
    (570) 941-7669
    send an email

 

September 7, 2010: Faculty/Staff News

IT Services Announces CNAC Deployment

The University of Scranton provides our campus community with a robust environment consisting of more than 2,000 desktop and laptop machines. Managing and ensuring the security of these machines has become increasingly challenging. In order to improve our services to you and increase our information security posture, we will be making changes to the way that desktop systems look and how they operate. Upcoming changes include a move to Internet Explorer 8.0 for using services found @scranton.edu sites, use of Firefox as the default internet browser, automation of additional third party application updates, a change in our anti-virus protection, and the deployment of Windows 7.

The next change that you will experience starting on Tuesday, Sept. 7, is the deployment of the Cisco Network Access Control (CNAC) system for all computers connecting to the University network. This system will require end-users to go through a process similar to the one currently used to connect to the wireless network (RoyalAir); meaning that you will be required to authenticate — enter your username and password — before gaining access to the network. The CNAC system will help us to validate that only individuals who should have access to our network resources will have access and, eventually, will help us to monitor the “health” (up-to-date patches, operating systems, etc) of the desktops that are connecting to our network. Collectively, this will insure a more robust and secure electronic working environment for all of us.

The implementation of CNAC will begin on Sept. 7 and is expected to take 30 days for campus-wide implementation. The implementation will occur in small network segments that are grouped by building and by floor. Network changes will be made overnight and users of the segment will notice the change the following morning. To assist end-users, information about the planned schedule for deployment can be found at www.scranton.edu/CNAC-Deployment. IT Services staff will be available and located in each of the affected areas as we work our way across campus. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to improve. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Technology Support Center at 941-Help or at Techsupport@scranton.edu.

House Calls 2010 Program Needs Volunteers

On Monday, Sept. 13, the Office of Residence Life would like to invite you to participate in the third annual "House Calls 2010 - Building a Community" Program. This event will involve each member of the class of 2014 living in the residence halls receiving a visit or "house call" from a team of two people comprised of University faculty and staff members. The benefits of reaching out to students after their first few weeks at college will help us identify any potential problems and reinforce that The University of Scranton is a caring and welcoming community. This unique opportunity will also give faculty and staff members a chance to visit the residence halls and interact with students in their communities.

Residence Life is hoping to attract as many as 50 volunteers amongst faculty and staff in order to make this program a success. As part of a team, you will have a prescribed format to follow that includes introductions and a few questions about the student's experience at The University of Scranton. Residence Life will also have a plan to follow up with problems or issues that may surface during the conversations between the students and faculty/staff teams. A similar program will also be conducted with our commuting first-year students in the Gannon Hall 1st floor lounge at the same time.

Please contact me at kingb2@scranton.edu or 941-6226 by Friday, Sept. 10, to sign up. This is a one-time commitment that involves your participation on Monday, Sept. 13, from 4:30 - 6 p.m. Light refreshments and training will occur at 4:30 p.m. in the Gannon Hall first-floor lounge with teams leaving that location to visit their residence hall floors. An incentive program will encourage students to fully participate in this event. Following the program, you will receive an evaluation to share your feedback.

Thank you in advance for your support of the "House Calls 2010 - Building a Community" Program. Please do not hesitate to call me should you have any questions. We hope to see you there.

Planning Office Shares Progress Report on Strategic Plan

The University's Planning Office is pleased to share the 2009-10 progress report on the University's strategic plan for 2005-2010: Shaping our Jesuit Tradition. This report marks the last on this plan, as we move into our new strategic plan for 2010-2015: Go and Set the World on Fire. To view the progress report, click here.

Internet Explorer 8 Installation Available

All staff and faculty using Windows XP are encouraged to visit the IT Services Installation channel in the Employee tab of the my.scranton portal to install Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). The IE8 installation package will update existing installations of Internet Explorer 6 and 7 to Internet Explorer 8 and will install the KACE KBOX agent. In an effort to better secure University desktops from malware infections, it is critical to install and maintain the KACE KBOX agent on all University owned computers. IT Services will continue to deploy third party patches to all office systems using the KACE KBOX systems management appliance.

Please be advised that because the KACE KBOX agent is included in the IE8 installation package, this package is intended for installation on University-owned PCs only.

Before you begin the installation, please save your work and close all other programs.

Questions and concerns about the Internet Explorer 8 installation should be directed to the Technology Support Center at ext. 4357.

Pet Therapy Scheduled Sept. 29

The Community Outreach Office will once again host Pet Therapy, Canines on Campus, on Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Dionne Campus Green. We are looking for well-behaved, social dogs owned by staff and faculty to interact with our students. If you would like to participate with your canine friend, please e-mail Ellen Judge at judgee2@scranton.edu.

Just Google It! Scheduled Sept. 14

One billion results in 0.27 seconds! When you need information, chances are you use Google™ to find it.  In this workshop titled Just Google It!, which is part of the CTLE/Weinberg Memorial Library Technology on Your Own Terms series, you will learn how Google’s Web search engine works. You will also learn some tips to help you improve your search experience as well as some of Google's special features, such as Google Books and Google Scholar.

The workshop will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14, from noon - 1 p.m. in WML 306 and will be taught by librarian Bonnie Oldham. All faculty and staff members are welcome, but seats are limited, so please register at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration (under Special Events) if you plan to attend.

Update Concerning the Faculty/Staff Directory

Focusing on sustainability, efficient use of resources, cost and utilization of available technology, we are moving toward a full online faculty/staff directory format for the 2011-12 academic year. Just for this transition year, we will complete a campus-wide distribution of a printed directory. The target date for this publication and distribution is Oct. 1, 2010, with data pulled as of Sept. 10, 2010.

For the 2010-11 academic year beginning this fall, we have completed the first phase of this transition with the following actions:
  • Redesigned the faculty/staff directory intake Form available via My.Scranton.edu to a more user-friendly format. This form will be available beginning Aug. 19, 2010, for faculty and staff members to review and update the contact information to be listed in the directory. Changes and updates will be accepted via the portal on an ongoing basis throughout the year but the 2010/11 printed directory will only reflect changes made as of Sept. 10. A memo providing specific instructions for this form will be sent separately.
  • Updated the layout and design of the online directory to display in a 3-column format similar to the current published directory. The new online directory immediately reflects updates entered into the system and will remain open and active throughout the year. This online directory can be accessed anytime via the University links tab of the My.Scranton portal: http://my.scranton.edu. Printed materials become out of date very quickly. Moving to the full online format will mitigate this issue and will provide an efficient way to access up-to-date faculty/staff contact information. The final phase of the transition to the online directory occurs next year (Fall of 2011), at which time there will be no campus-wide distribution of a printed faculty/staff directory. Faculty or staff members requiring a printed copy of the directory will have the option to purchase a copy through Printing Services. Updates and specific instructions on this new procedure can be found under the Personal Announcements channel in the my.scranton portal.
This is a joint effort between Human Resources, Information Technology and Public Relations. Please feel free to contact any of the three departments if you have questions.

Technology on Your Own Terms Series Returns

Each semester, the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence (CTLE) offer a faculty and staff advancement series called "Technology on Your Own Terms." The series introduces University faculty and staff to emerging technologies in a hands-on environment, in order to encourage innovation in the workplace and in the classroom. All faculty and staff members are welcome, but seats are limited, so please register for sessions you plan to attend at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration (select Special Event).

Technology on Your Own Terms continues in fall 2010 with the theme “Get to Know Google,” featuring workshops on four different Google services:

Just Google It!
Tuesday, Sept. 14, from noon – 1 p.m.
One billion results in 0.27 seconds! When you need information, chances are you use Google™ to find it. In this workshop, you will learn how Google’s Web search engine works. You will also learn some tips to help you improve your search experience as well as some of Google's special features, such as Google Books and Google Scholar. (Taught by Bonnie Oldham, Weinberg Memorial Library

Google Docs: An Excellent Way to Create, Collaborate on, and Securely Store Documents
Friday, Oct. 1, from noon – 1 p.m.
This workshop will introduce you to Google Docs, a service that allows you to create documents that parallel Microsoft Office: Word, Excel and Powerpoint. It also allows for the creation of online surveys and the storage of any type of document in a very secure environment. Google Docs offers excellent collaborative opportunities for working on any supported document type with both peers and students, meaning that the tool can be used for course paper submissions, faculty feedback, collaborative student projects, club or research purposes. (Taught by Tim Cannon, Psychology/Neuroscience

Get Where You’re Going with Google Maps
Tuesday, Oct. 12, from noon – 1 p.m.
Many people know that you can use Google Maps to get driving directions from one place to another. But did you know that you can also use Maps to scope out a vacation destination, find the closest Italian restaurant, or make a custom map for a friend or a project? In this workshop, you’ll explore specialized features and tools available in Google Maps to help you get where you want to go. (Taught by Kristen Yarmey, Weinberg Memorial Library

Does Google Give You A Voice?
Thursday, Nov. 4, from noon – 1 p.m.
In this workshop, we will explore Google Voice, a recently-made-public service of the search giant. Google Voice offers one central phone number, which can be set-up to call your other phones based on caller, time of day, etc. Other features of the service include visual voicemail, personalized greetings, voicemail transcription, international calling and a lot more. It is easy to set up … learn how! (Taught by Eugeniu Grigorescu, CTLE)

University Picnic Set for Saturday

The University Picnic for all employees will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Retreat Center at Chapman Lake, beginning at noon. The event is scheduled to take place “rain or shine." The picnic is a great opportunity to mingle with your co-workers, share a fun day with your family or relax with your friends. A picnic buffet will be served at noon. New menu items, such as sausage and pepper sandwiches, will be featured. Beer, wine and soda are also available.

There’s plenty for the young and the young at heart to enjoy. Rev. J. Patrick Mohr, S.J. will offer boat rides on the Stella Maris throughout the day. There will be summer backyard games for all to enjoy. Damian the Magician will perform at 2 p.m. For the little ones, a moonbounce, arts and crafts and a scavenger hunt are planned.

Mass will be celebrated in the Blessed Peter Faber Chapel for those wishing to fulfill their Sunday obligation.

Zumba, Cardio Core & More Classes Scheduled

The Center for Health Education and Wellness will host the following upcoming classes:
Zumba for Beginners 
A fun workout set to a Latin beat. Be prepared to sweat. Instructors are  Kristin Scalese and Shani Evans.
Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 7 until Oct. 26 (except Sept. 28)
4:45 - 5:40 p.m.
Jefferson Auditorium in Leahy Hall

Cardio Core & More
The name says it all. Kick up the intensity of your workout as you use footwork, drills and weight training.
Intermediate/Advanced level
The instructor is Dr. Monica Thomas
Fridays, beginning Sept. 10 until Oct. 29
12:05 - 12:45 p.m.
Byron Gym

Participants should fill out the fitness questionnaire (PARQ) located at www.scranton.edu/employeewellness. To register, e-mail mascellic2@scranton or call 941-4550.

Weight Watchers: Is it for You?

Have you wondered if Weight Watchers is a program that would work for you? If so, attend our free presentation on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 12:05 to 12:30 p.m., in the DeNaples Center 406 to learn all about it. An eight-week session will be offered for $80 beginning the following week.

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