Announcement – IT Connect

On Track for Fall 2020: Unprecedented Faculty Response to Fully Online & SMUFlex Instruction & Technology Readiness

Dear SMU Faculty,

Into this second week of July, we recognize the unprecedented effort and long hours that you are contributing toward Fall 2020 instructional readiness. I’m pleased to report high levels of enrollments and participation in the Online Teaching and Canvas technology courses which are being expertly facilitated by SMU’s Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and Office of Information Technology (OIT). Over 120 faculty have already completed at least one of these two online courses in this first week! Nicely done! In addition to those making online preparations, some faculty are right now successfully teaching again on campus in classrooms equipped with new “SMUFlex” remote technology and their experiences are helping shape and improve support resources as we re-open our classrooms just next month. Continue reading On Track for Fall 2020: Unprecedented Faculty Response to Fully Online & SMUFlex Instruction & Technology Readiness

Duo Now Required to Access Canvas

Canvas LMS + Duo Security As announced in a recent communication, as of July 1, 2020, Duo multi-factor authentication is now required to access the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). When you plan to logon to the Canvas LMS or most other SMU online services that use Single Sign-On (SSO), please be sure to have your enrolled device available. Your logon experience for the Canvas LMS will now be exactly as it is for other SMU services, such as my.SMU, Office 365, Box, Qualtrics, etc. Requiring Duo for services like the Canvas LMS helps protect sensitive information from adversaries who might otherwise be able to logon as you if they somehow obtain your password. Continue reading Duo Now Required to Access Canvas

Adobe Flash Player’s Time is Coming to an End

After a long reign as the king of interactive media for the web, Adobe Flash Player – usurped in recent years by open standards such as HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly – is coming to an end. After over a billion downloads, on December 31, 2020, the once standard for adding rich web content will step down from its throne for good.

Adobe announced in July 2017 that they would stop distributing and updating Flash Player after December 31, 2020 (“EOL Date”). This means Adobe will no longer issue Flash Player updates or important security patches after that date. Continue reading Adobe Flash Player’s Time is Coming to an End

Ramping Up Support for Fall 2020: Resources for Fall Instructional & Technology Preparations

Due to the continued rapid pace of communications and many daily changes, your faculty teaching and technology support partners will begin to communicate with you more regularly regarding instructional and technology support and planning resources necessary to ensure academic continuity for the fall term. Starting this July, the Office of Information Technology (OIT), in direct collaboration with the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and SMU Libraries, will be expanding the frequency of joint communications and resources explicitly geared toward SMU’s fall academic continuity. Our goal is to provide more regular information and clarity as you navigate the changing requirements and challenges of upcoming course preparations.

Fall 2020: I’m teaching fully online: What do I need to know?

Continue reading Ramping Up Support for Fall 2020: Resources for Fall Instructional & Technology Preparations

Zoom Cloud Recordings Limited to 30 Days

SMU’s Zoom video conference service allows users to record meetings and classes either locally or temporarily to Zoom’s Cloud Video Storage System itself. While Zoom’s Cloud Video Storage System recording capabilities provide easy convenience for Zoom users, cloud recordings should be transitioned quickly to appropriate university storage and sharing systems. Effective Wednesday, July 1, 2020, Zoom cloud recordings will be stored in the cloud for no more than 30 days, after which they will be automatically deleted. Continue reading Zoom Cloud Recordings Limited to 30 Days