SMU’s College Access Programs office within the Simmons school have long helped first-generation, underrepresented, and low-income students achieve their dreams of a college education here on the Hilltop since 1966. Including TRIO programs like Upward Bound and McNair Scholars, this office has previously handled thousands of student records and grant financial data largely with paper forms and manual storage methods. Both the College Access office and OIT staffer Keven Jones saw a unique opportunity to leverage OIT resources and College Access’ trove of useful data to create a digital document management repository for past and future students and initiatives. Continue reading College Access Programs, OIT Create New Digital Document Repository
Author: Zach Peterson
Zach is a Senior IT Training & Communications Consultant with OIT. Zach began his SMU career at the IT Help Desk in 2012 and joined the Training & Communications Team in 2015. He is a 2011 graduate from the University of North Texas and obtained a Master of Liberal Studies degree from SMU in 2018. He enjoys reading and collecting vintage and antique radio sets. He grew up in Valley View, Texas near Denton.
Canvas Plus: December 2023 Edition
In our Canvas Plus Monthly, we discuss the new features and enhancements available in Canvas and any updates to academic technology/software that are integrated into Canvas. All Canvas updates will be available in Canvas by the 3rd weekend of the month. Continue reading Canvas Plus: December 2023 Edition
New Grade Import Tool Makes Final Grading Easier
As we inch ever closer to final exams, the task of entering final grades in my.SMU can be a tedious and time-consuming endeavor, especially for larger classes. Starting this term, however, a new grade import tool can help make things easier during this hectic time, allowing you to export your grades from Canvas and then upload them to my.SMU with far less manual data entry!
OIT and the Registrar’s Office have worked together over the past several months to develop this new method to assist in the midterm and final grading process. Here’s a quick look at how it works: Continue reading New Grade Import Tool Makes Final Grading Easier
Teams-Certified Headsets Chosen for Campus Use
As part of our transition from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams in 2024, OIT has been working on selecting a new standard headset for the SMU community. We’re pleased to announce that we have selected the Jabra Evolve2 40 as our primary headset! Continue reading Teams-Certified Headsets Chosen for Campus Use
Canvas Plus: November 2023 Edition
In this edition of the Canvas Plus Monthly, we discuss the new anonymous grading with quizzes, how to duplicate Item banks, and the improved efficiency with those Item banks; plus, we look at the new Readings & Resources to organize your course materials and encourage student engagement. All Canvas updates will be available in Canvas by the 3rd weekend of the month. Continue reading Canvas Plus: November 2023 Edition
