In the fall of 2023, OIT partnered with the Cox School of Business to onboard 500 new students, aiming to help them achieve Microsoft Certification for the 2023-2024 academic year. This effort was part of the Business Leaders Institute (BLI) course for first-year students. In response, IT Training & Communications expanded its certification offerings by adding ten additional class sections, totaling 564 certifications, on top of its existing commitment of 43 class sections. These sections cover certifications in Microsoft Office programs, which are widely utilized across most schools on campus, with Excel and Excel Expert required for Cox students and PowerPoint and Word for students in Meadows’ Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.
Recognizing that managing 500 additional students presented significant resource challenges, the team reviewed strategies to meet the increased demand. They extended testing times and added proctor resources to assist with physical resource limitations. Additionally, they examined the efficiency of data handling and grade reporting processes. Continue reading Enhancing Microsoft Certification Data Management
Microsoft has recently streamlined the call transfer process by introducing a new transfer button in Microsoft Teams that will display on your phone later this fall. This new feature will eliminate the confirmation of transfer and improve the overall user experience when transferring calls, making it more intuitive and user-friendly. 
The Office of Information Technology is introducing a new annual review process to help departments verify and update their public directory information. This fall, a Qualtrics survey will be distributed, allowing departments to update what appears on the SMU Department Directory webpage and ensure the accuracy of information for SMU call centers. 