Announcement – Page 136

Early Issues with ExamSoft and El Capitan

Update: ExamSoft announces a new version of SofTest compatible with El Capitan is available now.

Update: ExamSoft announces a new version of SofTest supporting El Capitan will be available by the second week of November.

El Capitan (OSX 10.11) was recently released to the public by Apple. While it is exciting to be the first one to use a new OS, if you use ExamSoft, we would urge you to wait.

At this time, ExamSoft’s SofTest is not compatible with El Capitan due to a vulnerability identified during the initial testing. If you are running El Capitan as your OS, ExamSoft will prevent you from downloading or registering SofTest on your device. We urge you to please refrain from updating to El Capitan until an official support announcement has been made by ExamSoft.

Questions about Mac OS upgrade should be directed to the Help Desk.

If you need to access your ExamSoft account, please visit www.examsoft.com/smu. Log into the account under the ‘Administrator/Faculty’ area. If you forgot your password, use the ‘Lost Password’ link to have it resent to you.

Post Updated 10/02 to include information about Mac OS upgrading and ExamSoft account login.

Phishing Exercises Coming Soon.

Phishing No. It’s not about fish doing Zumba.

Twice per year, SMU conducts a simulated phishing exercise where the University sends a simulated phishing message to employees based on the types of phishing messages we have most recently received. Last year, over 100 SMU accounts were compromised due to users falling victim to these attacks so we are committed to reducing our click through rate through user education and awareness. When we started the simulated phishing awareness campaigns in 2013, we saw a 40% click-through rate. In 2014, we reduced that click-through rate to 20%. In our first campaign of 2015 that number had dropped to just 10%.

SAS e-Learning Available

SAS OIT is working with SAS to provide self-paced e-learning for users of SAS software. This SAS Education Analytical Suite will allow you to study SAS programming at your own pace and convenience, at no cost, from the comfort of your own computer.

To access the SAS Education Analytical Suite, you will need to activate the training under your SAS Profile. These activation codes are available from the IT Help Desk. Just contact the IT Help Desk and request the SAS e-Learning activation code. Anyone with a valid SMU account is eligible to receive the activation code for e-learning.

SAS Analytics technology in a bundle specifically designed for teaching and research in education. Licenses for the Education Analytical Suite come with unlimited access to these SAS e-learning courses:

SAS Programming Language

SAS Programming I: Essentials
SAS Programming II: Data Manipulation Techniques
SAS Programming III: Advanced Techniques and Efficiencies
SAS Macro Language I: Essentials
SAS SQL I: Essentials

SAS Enterprise Guide (point-and-click interface)

SAS Enterprise Guide 1: Querying and Reporting (latest version of the course)
SAS Enterprise Guide 2: Advanced Tasks and Querying

Statistics

Introduction to Statistical Concepts
Predictive Modeling Using Logistic Regression
SAS Enterprise Guide: ANOVA, Regression, and Logistic Regression
Statistics 1: Introduction to ANOVA, Regression, and Logistic Regression

Also available, by request, is the Associated e-Learning with SAS Enterprise Miner. The Associated e-Learning with SAS Enterprise Miner training includes:

Applied Analytics Using SAS Enterprise Miner
Rapid Predictive Modeling for Business Analysts

A Sneak Peek at New Technology Services

OIT Technology News There are several exciting new services that will be available to the SMU Community during this Academic Year. The following are a few projects that are underway to deliver new technology to the campus community. Each of these will be highlighted in various blog posts and newsletters over the next several months.

Box (File Storage replacement for Locker)

Box Locker.SMU and Bstore.SMU will be replaced by a popular file storage solution, Box. Box was selected for the replacement service as it will offer unlimited storage for all faculty, staff and students in addition to providing a robust and more user-friendly interface! Box is a cloud-based system that allows you to store documents online so you can access, manage and share them from anywhere (including your mobile devices). This project has just launched, so a timeline will be provided in a future update.

Canvas: New Learning Management Tool

As announced by the Provost, Blackboard will be replaced by Canvas for the next academic year. OIT is working closely with the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Assessment and Accreditation to coordinate the transition to Canvas. Many faculty have begun using Canvas this semester as a pilot group. All faculty will have the option to transition to this new platform for the Spring semester. Blackboard will be decommissioned in June of 2016. Workshops, migration options and other resources will be made available throughout the semester to ensure a smooth transition to Canvas.

LyndaCampus: Online Training for the SMU Campus

Lynda Lynda.com offers over 2,000 self-paced training classes on a variety of applications. Click here for more details about this service.

Duo (Two Factor Authentication)

Duo provides two-factor authentication before accessing various applications or content. This requires both your SMU credentials and a quick verification process that can be completed with the click of a button on a mobile device. OIT is currently reviewing the list of applications to select the appropriate ones to integrate with this extra security component. Our intention is to protect the most sensitive information first, such as direct deposit information and other financial information.

Unified Messaging (New Voicemail for On Campus Phones)

Unified Messaging We are currently in the pilot phase of the new voicemail replacement project. During the summer, we migrated approximately 75 accounts to the new system. We will begin the campus wide implementation during the month of October. This new service will deliver voicemail messages straight to your email mailbox. A speech-to-text transcription will be included in the email message along with the actual audio file. In addition, users can call into the voicemail system to retrieve messages as well as access email, calendar appointments and more. If an individual calls your number but does not leave a message, a missed call notification will be delivered to your email as well. All of these features (and more) can be controlled from the options menu within webmail.smu.edu.

Power BI (Business Intelligence Application)

The Power BI service was recently enabled via Office 365 for faculty,staff and students. This online service enables you to find and visualize data through dashboards, shared reports and more. To activate Power BI, you must login to office.smu.edu with your @smu.edu username and account password. Select the Power BI icon to begin the activation process.

We look forward to bringing these new solutions to the SMU Community during the upcoming academic year.

IT Help Desk: New Location, New Hours

Help Desk Map Over the summer, the Help Desk relocated to the Hughes Trigg Student Center while Fondren Library is under renovation. They are conveniently located on the main floor, right next to the M Lounge.

Semester Hours:

Monday through Friday 8:00AM until 8:00 PM
Saturday 9:00AM-5:00PM
Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm

Contact Information:

Phones: 214-768-4357
Email: help@smu.edu
Online Support Portal: help.smu.edu
Walk up support in Hughes Trigg

We have hired a great group of students who will be assisting our full time staff in providing support during our open hours. The STAR students will also continue working on a variety of projects including web publishing, graphic design and assisting faculty with instructional projects. We look forward to a great semester in our new location!