Enhancing Microsoft Certification Data Management

Microsoft Certified Associate badgeIn 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

Seven Years of Certification: Then & Now with Cox Alumnus Jacob Becker

Microsoft Certified Associate badgeThis summer, I had the opportunity to attend the CERTIFIED Educator Conference, which is designed to help educators around the world as they introduce and enforce the need for certification to accompany traditional learning models. During one of the sessions I attended, I was challenged to find an alum or two who had gone through our certification experience and hear their story of how certification impacted them. Continue reading Seven Years of Certification: Then & Now with Cox Alumnus Jacob Becker

2023: Championing Excellence Through Certification

Certiport MOS Top 10 awardIn 2019, the Office of Information Technology added the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification as an official service offering. Over the years, we have continued expanding and growing participation in these industry-leading assessments. In 2023, we have several milestones to celebrate. Not only did SMU students, staff, and faculty successfully complete over 5,000 Microsoft certifications since launching the pilot program, but we also added several new faculty to the roster requiring certification for their courses. Most of all, one of our SMU undergraduate students received the top score for the state of Texas. Continue reading 2023: Championing Excellence Through Certification

Student Spotlight: Mastering Microsoft Certifications

Ryan ClintonRyan Clinton recently caught our eye as we noticed he completed three Microsoft Office Certifications, both as a class requirement and for professional development rather quickly. After seeing he had achieved two out of three exams with perfect scores, we reached out to him to learn more about his desire to get Microsoft Certified. Continue reading Student Spotlight: Mastering Microsoft Certifications

Introducing the New Microsoft 365 Apps Exams

Over the summer, Microsoft released its latest versions of the Microsoft Office Specialist exams: Microsoft 365 Apps Associate and Microsoft 365 Apps Expert. Starting this semester, anyone interested in certifying with OIT will be offered the Microsoft 365 Apps exam, with the exception of the Outlook Associate exam, which is currently only available in the 2019 version. Microsoft Associate badge Continue reading Introducing the New Microsoft 365 Apps Exams