OIT News

Office of Information Technology

Archive for the ‘OIT Publication’ Category

Graduate Student Technology News

Sunday, November 15th, 2020

Newsletter distributed to Rice graduate students on September 1st, 2020

Graduate Student Technology News

Welcome to the fall semester! Here are reminders about the services and resources available to you from the Office of Information Technology (OIT). We are proud to support Rice’s mission and goals related to research, teaching, learning and scholarship as your technology partner.

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Remote Learning

While each student may have different needs, there is a Preparing for Remote Learning checklist with considerations to prepare for and enhance your remote learning experience. You may also want to view the Student Guidelines for Remote Learning for suggestions and guidelines on participating in online events.

Online meetings and interactions can be an excellent way to stay engaged, get help when you need it, and feel supported. Zoom License accounts are available to all Rice faculty, staff, and students. You can also use it to schedule meetings or study sessions with other students. If you use Zoom, keep it updated so you will have the latest security fixes to prevent Zoombombing and other potential privacy issues. Google Meet is an alternate tool for virtual meetings and is accessible through the GSuite platform.

More: Rice University Guide to Remote Learning

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Instructor Resources

If you teach, the Learning Environments (LE) group offers a variety of resources to help you learn to use instructional tools. Workshops and one-on-one training for Canvas (Learning Management System), Kaltura (digital media sharing), Zoom (video conferencing) and other educational technology tools can be found at the Training Center.

Classrooms and teaching studios are equipped with multimedia and audio/visual equipment. Find information about teaching equipment at Fall 2020 Technology Planning. Introductory and advanced training is available upon request.

If you encounter technical issues while teaching in a classroom, there are Tech TAs stationed throughout the academic buildings that are available to come assist your class. Each classroom has an information card that lists the location of the nearest Tech TA station. You can also call 713-348-4989.

For non-urgent questions, please email teaching@rice.edu. To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, go to LE-News and click Join Group.

More: Teaching and Learning Tools

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woman in front of statistical displays

Research Computing

The Center for Research Computing offers resources and services that can help you to scale and accelerate your own research and that which you do for your advisor.

Services:
•   One-on-one consulting (email help@rice.edu with subject: crc-facilitation)
•   Workshops and classes
•   On-boarding onto our resources

Resources:
•   Cloud computing (at Rice and beyond)
•   Data storage and data transfer
•   Supercomputing (at Rice and beyond)
•   Remote access to research computing resources

When your data is too big for your laptop, contact the Center for Research Computing! We’re here to hook you up with powerful tools and show you how to use them.

More: Research Computing

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Technology Security

Everyone in the Rice community is responsible for protecting the electronic assets of the university. Follow security precautions at your remote working locations and be aware of email scams from hackers trying to take advantage of uncertainty during the pandemic.

More: Information Security Office

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Software

A number of software products are available for free or at a discounted rate to current students. Check out the list of Software Available to Students. Free products that can be installed on a personal computer include Microsoft 365, Matlab, SAS, SPSS, Mathematica and more. Discounted prices are available for Adobe Creative Cloud, Maple, and others.

Houston: If you are living and studying in Houston, please either download the software to your own computer or use a computer on campus.

Outside Houston: If you are fully remote outside Houston and are unable to download the software to your computer and need to access software for your class, please have your professor email teaching@rice.edu. We have a limited pool of VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) computers that will be available to students studying fully remote that can’t download software to their computer. (Note: The VMWare Horizon access to computer lab software from the spring has been deactivated.)

More: Software Availability Locations

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Campus Infrastructure

Networks: Departmental computers are connected to the wired network. The wireless networks available throughout campus are:

Rice Owls (secured via NetID and Password)
Rice Visitor (public network for visitors and guests)
Eduroam (collaborative world-wide access network)

Storage: Data storage, file sharing and collaboration spaces include U:drive, Rice Box, Microsoft One Drive, and Google Drive.

Voice and videoconferencing: Rice telephone system (Cisco VoIP services) and Zoom Videoconferencing.

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Getting Help

OIT’s Help Desk is the central point of contact for computing help and support. Help Desk staff answer technical questions and route service requests to other OIT professionals. You can submit requests any time via the web site or email. You can also call during office hours.

Rice OIT Help Desk

OIT is currently providing contactless technical support only. Walk-in services and office visits have been suspended.

Telephone support:
713-348-4357 (HELP)
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.
(excluding holidays)

Request help electronically:
• complete online form
• email helpdesk@rice.edu

Online resources:
IT Status: Subscribe to email or text notifications about incidents or maintenance
Rice KnowledgeBase: Online how-to documentation and announcements

More: Help Desk Services

Posted in In the News, OIT Publication, Security, Students, Systems and Services, Teaching and Tech | Comments Off on Graduate Student Technology News

Staff Technology News

Sunday, November 15th, 2020

Newsletter distributed to Rice staff on September 1st, 2020

Staff Technology News

Welcome to the fall semester! Here are reminders about the services and resources available to you from the Office of Information Technology (OIT). We are proud to support Rice’s mission and goals related to research, teaching, learning and scholarship as your technology partner.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Working Remotely

Check out the Technology Guide to Remote Working with links to information on essential applications and services, office phone management and best practices for working remotely.

Online meetings and interactions can be an excellent way to stay engaged with your colleagues. Zoom License accounts are available to all Rice faculty, staff, and students. If you use Zoom, keep it updated so you will have the latest security fixes to prevent Zoombombing and other potential privacy issues. Google Meet is an alternate tool for virtual meetings and is accessible through the GSuite platform.

One of the challenges of learning remotely can be your home Internet service. If you are having issues, check out these helpful tips for optimizing your network connection.

More: Preparing for Remote Working

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imagineOne

imagineOne is the project to implement Oracle Cloud as Rice’s new unified business system. Launched in January 2020, imagineOne will streamline the university’s business processes by integrating human resources, financials, procurement and related reporting into one modern, cloud-based platform. For more information about how imagineOne will improve the end-user experience and enable continuous evolution, visit the website below where you can also sign up for the monthly imagineOne newsletter and access DiOlogues podcasts.

More: imagineOne

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Instructor Resources

If you teach, the Learning Environments (LE) group offers a variety of resources to help you learn to use instructional tools. Workshops and one-on-one training for Canvas (Learning Management System), Kaltura (digital media sharing), Zoom (video conferencing) and other educational technology tools can be found at the Training Center.

Classrooms and teaching studios are equipped with multimedia and audio/visual equipment. Find information about teaching equipment at Fall 2020 Technology Planning. Introductory and advanced training is available upon request.

If you encounter technical issues while teaching in a classroom, there are Tech TAs stationed throughout the academic buildings that are available to come assist your class. Each classroom has an information card that lists the location of the nearest Tech TA station. You can also call 713-348-4989.

For non-urgent questions, please email teaching@rice.edu. To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, go to LE-News and click Join Group.

More: Teaching and Learning Tools

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woman in front of statistical displays

Research Computing

The Center for Research Computing assists researchers in the use of specialized computing infrastructure. We run regular workshops in partnership with Digital Scholarship Services, if you want to brush up on or learn new programming skills. Our services can be found at https://researchcomputing.rice.edu

For research staff: if you or your P.I. need more computing power, more storage space, or the ability to transfer large datasets efficiently, please ask us about the following services by emailing help@rice.edu with the subject “crc-facilitation”:

Virtual Machines/Cloud Computing
Secure Virtual Environments
Networked Storage and Fast Data Transfer
Grant Consulting Computing Resources

More: Research Computing

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Technology Security

Everyone in the Rice community is responsible for protecting the electronic assets of the university. Follow security precautions at your remote working locations and be aware of email scams from hackers trying to take advantage of uncertainty during the pandemic.

More: Information Security Office

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Software

Certain software products are available for free or at a discounted rate to Rice employees. For instance, Microsoft 365 can be used for free and CrashPlan (backup service for Mac/PC) requires a yearly $82 fee.

More: Software Available for Faculty and Staff

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Campus Infrastructure

Networks: Faculty and staff office computers are connected to the wired network. The wireless networks available throughout campus are:

Rice Owls (secured via NetID and Password)
Rice Visitor (public network for visitors and guests)
Eduroam (collaborative world-wide access network)

Storage: Data storage, file sharing and collaboration spaces include U:drive, Rice Box, Microsoft One Drive, and Google Drive.

Voice and videoconferencing: Rice telephone system (Cisco VoIP services) and Zoom Videoconferencing.

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Getting Help

OIT’s Help Desk is the central point of contact for computing help and support. Help Desk staff answer technical questions and route service requests to other OIT professionals. You can submit requests any time via the web site or email. You can also call during office hours.

Rice OIT Help Desk

OIT is currently providing contactless technical support only. Walk-in services and office visits have been suspended.

Telephone support:
713-348-4357 (HELP)
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.
(excluding holidays)

Request help electronically:
• complete online form
• email helpdesk@rice.edu

Online resources:
IT Status: Subscribe to email or text notifications about incidents or maintenance
Rice KnowledgeBase: Online how-to documentation and announcements

More: Help Desk Services

Posted in In the News, OIT Publication, Teaching and Tech | Comments Off on Staff Technology News

Faculty Technology News

Sunday, November 15th, 2020

Newsletter distributed to Rice faculty on September 1st, 2020

Faculty Technology News

Welcome to the fall semester! Here are reminders about the services and resources available to you from the Office of Information Technology (OIT). We are proud to support Rice’s mission and goals related to research, teaching, learning and scholarship as your technology partner.

Instructor Resources

The Learning Environments (LE) group offers a variety of resources to help you learn to use teaching tools. Workshops and one-on-one training for Canvas (Learning Management System), Kaltura (digital media sharing), Zoom (video conferencing) and other educational technology tools can be found at the Training Center.

Classrooms and teaching studios are equipped with multimedia and audio/visual equipment. Find information about teaching equipment at Fall 2020 Technology Planning. Introductory and advanced training is available upon request.

If you encounter technical issues while teaching in a classroom, there are Tech TAs stationed throughout the academic buildings that are available to come assist your class. Each classroom has an information card that lists the location of the nearest Tech TA station. You can also call 713-348-4989.

For non-urgent questions, please email teaching@rice.edu. To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, go to LE-News and click Join Group.

More: Teaching and Learning Tools

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woman in front of statistical displays

Research Computing

When your data is too big for your laptop, or you want to accelerate student research, the Center for Research Computing (CRC) can help.

Resources for scientists, social scientists and humanists who need more computing power include:

Virtual machines and cloud (at Rice and beyond)
Data storage and data transfer
Supercomputing (at Rice and beyond)
Remote access to research computing resources

And the CRC provides services to facilitate use of these resources for you, your lab, your department or your undergrads:

One-on-one consults
Tailored presentations on demand

To request one of these services, email help@rice.edu with the subject: crc-facilitation. Also see pre-scheduled workshops and classes.

More: Research Computing

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Technology Security

Everyone in the Rice community is responsible for protecting the electronic assets of the university. Follow security precautions at your remote working locations and be aware of email scams from hackers trying to take advantage of uncertainty during the pandemic.

More: Information Security Office

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Software

Certain software products are available for free or at a discounted rate to Rice employees. For instance, Microsoft 365 can be used for free and CrashPlan (backup service for Mac/PC) requires a yearly $82 fee.

More: Software Available for Faculty and Staff

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Campus Infrastructure

Networks: Faculty and staff office computers are connected to the wired network. The wireless networks available throughout campus are:

Rice Owls (secured via NetID and Password)
Rice Visitor (public network for visitors and guests)
Eduroam (collaborative world-wide access network)

Storage: Data storage, file sharing and collaboration spaces include U:drive, Rice Box, Microsoft One Drive, and Google Drive.

Voice and videoconferencing: Rice telephone system (Cisco VoIP services) and Zoom Videoconferencing.

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Getting Help

OIT’s Help Desk is the central point of contact for computing help and support. Help Desk staff answer technical questions and route service requests to other OIT professionals. You can submit requests any time via the web site or email. You can also call during office hours.

Rice OIT Help Desk

OIT is currently providing contactless technical support only. Walk-in services and office visits have been suspended.

Telephone support:
713-348-4357 (HELP)
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.
(excluding holidays)

Request help electronically:
• complete online form
• email helpdesk@rice.edu

Online resources:
IT Status: Subscribe to email or text notifications about incidents or maintenance
Rice KnowledgeBase: Online how-to documentation and announcements

More: Help Desk Services

Posted in In the News, OIT Publication, Teaching and Tech | Comments Off on Faculty Technology News

Faculty Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

Distributed via email to faculty on 4-3-2020.

Faculty Technology News (photo of dog in lap of man at computer)

We each have our individual challenges working from home- such as Annabelle who lives with a Rice OIT staff member. We hope you will find these resources helpful.

We Are Here For You

The Office of Information Technology is committed to supporting you as you adjust to teaching and working remotely. Prior to the start of remote teaching, Learning Environments (LE) partnered with Rice Online Learning and the Center for Teaching Excellence to offer individual workshops for each school as well as a number of one-on-one training sessions. There were 500 attendees at the school sessions while another 400 watched the recorded videos. LE held close to 100 one-on-one training sessions as well. We will continue to be here to support your teaching needs.

Support

Learning Environments staff are available by phone at 713-348-4989 to help you troubleshoot and answer problems while you are teaching. Business hours are from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday but support staff members are on call in the evenings.

Additionally, if you have questions on Canvas, Kaltura, Zoom or any other academic technology, you can submit a Help Desk ticket (via our online help formor email) and someone from Learning Environments will contact you. We are happy to set up one-on-one training sessions via Zoom to provide you the help you need.

For more general questions, you can also call the Help Desk staff from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday at 713-348-HELP (4357). (Walk-in services have been suspended.) Or look for the answer to your question by searching our KnowledgeBase.

Remote Teaching Resources

A number of excellent resourceshave been created to help you with questions or step by step instructions on how to do something. The Remote Teaching Resourcesguide in Canvas offers steps for communicating with your students, creating a course in Canvas, using Zoom, securing Zoom for privacyand a number of additional functional tools, such as how to share documents, record a lecture, give a live lecture, create an assessment, and more.

Tools

Canvas

Rice’s learning management system, Canvas, is designed to manage your courses and student communications. You can find information on using Canvas in the Remote Teaching Resources modulewithin Canvas. You can also get 24/7 support via chat or phone from within Canvas. For details, log in to Canvas and click on the Help icon. For tips and tricks, follow the Teaching and Learning with Canvas blog.

Video Conferencing

Zoomis a collaboration and online meeting tool. Zoom License accounts (formerly called Pro accounts) are available to all Rice faculty, staff, and students. Zoom can also be used in Canvasto allow instructors to schedule online meetings within Canvas. Google Hangouts Meetis an alternate tool for virtual meetings and is accessible through the G Suite platform.

Recording Your Lectures/Lessons

There are a couple of options for recording your lessons for viewing offline or asynchronous delivery. Zoom allows for recordingand works well when you are presenting to a live audience. If you wish to record your lessons in advance, Kalturaworks well for this. Kaltura is a lecture capture tool and can receive multiple inputs (webcam, doc cam, etc.).

Software

Faculty are eligible for free and discounted software including Adobe Creative Cloud, Crashplan, Office 365, Matlab, Mathematica and more. Many of our vendors have extended the usage of our licenses to allow faculty and students to be able to download the software onto their personal computer at no cost to them. Check the software pageto see which software includes this feature.

Secure Connections

Additional software may be needed to securely connect to Rice resources. Using VPN(virtual private network) securely connects your computer to the Rice network. Duoprovides an extra authentication step and is required by some systems, such as VPN and Esther.

Home Network

One of the challenges of working remotely can be your home Internet service. If you are having issues, check out these helpful tips from Internet2 (Rice is a member of this collaborative research and education technology community.)

Tips for Troubleshooting Home Connectivity

Optimizing Your Home Network for Working and Learning

Research Computing

If you already use Rice research computing resources, access remains the same since using research computing resourcesis done remotely. If you are interested, the Center for Research Computingstaff welcomes the opportunity to support your research computing needs. CRC staff can offer advice and set up services from high-performance computing/high-throughput computing (HPC/HTC) to research virtual machines and cloud (ORION) to research data facility (RDF).

Security Reminder

Follow university guidelinesto protect your computer and Rice data. Keep your guard up against email scams designed to obtain your account information, especially during this crisis.

Posted in OIT Publication, Systems and Services, Teaching and Tech | Comments Off on Faculty Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Staff Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

Distributed via email to staff on 4-8-2020.

Staff Technology News (photo of dog in lap of man at computer)

We each have our individual challenges working from home- such as Annabelle who lives with a Rice OIT staff member. We hope you will find these resources helpful.

We Are Here For You

The Office of Information Technology is committed to supporting the university as many of us adjust to teaching, learning, and working remotely. Below are some of the tools and resources available to connect us and enable us to continue operations. If you are experiencing issues or need assistance, contact the OIT Help Desk.

Support

You can call Help Desk staff from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday at 713-348-HELP (4357). Walk-in services have been suspended. You may also submit a request by completing our online help form or sending an email. Or look for the answer to your question by searching our KnowledgeBase.

Remote Resources

The Preparing for Remote Working page offers steps for preparing to work at home and is followed by a reference guide of functional tools, such as how to store files, how to connect to secure Rice resources, and more. Be sure to check out the Technology Guide to Remote Working as well with links to information on how to collaborate on files and best practices for working remotely.

Tools

Managing Office Phones

You can manage your office phone remotely using the features of the new VoIP phone system. Single Number Reachwill allow you to set up an additional phone number (such as your mobile phone) that will also ring when your office line is called during scheduled times (e.g. Monday through Friday, 8-5pm). Call forwardingdirects calls to voicemail or another number. Access your voicemail remotelyby calling 713-348-3000 and following the prompts.

Video Conferencing

Zoom is a collaboration and online meeting tool. Zoom License accounts (formerly called Pro accounts) are available to all Rice faculty, staff, and students. Zoom can also be used in Canvas to allow instructors to schedule online meetings within Canvas. Google Hangouts Meet is an alternate tool for virtual meetings and is accessible through the GSuite platform.

Alert: If you use Zoom, please keep it updated so you will have the latest security fixes to prevent Zoombombing and other potential privacy issues. Read more aboutZoom Meeting Privacy and Security.

Software

Staff are eligible for free and discounted softwareincluding Adobe Creative Cloud, Crashplan, Office 365, Matlab, Mathematica and more. Many of our vendors have extended the usage of our licenses to allow employees and students to be able to download the software onto their personal computer at no cost to them.

Secure Connections

Additional software may be needed to securely connect to Rice resources. Using VPN (virtual private network) securely connects your computer to the Rice network. Duo provides an extra authentication step and is required by some systems, such as VPN and Esther.

Home Network

One of the challenges of working remotely can be your home Internet service. If you are having issues, check out these helpful tips from Internet2 (Rice is a member of this collaborative research and education technology community.)

Tips for Troubleshooting Home Connectivity

Optimizing Your Home Network for Working and Learning

Security Reminder

Follow university guidelinesto protect your computer and Rice data. Keep your guard up against email scams designed to obtain your account information, especially during this crisis.

Posted in OIT Publication, Systems and Services | Comments Off on Staff Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Graduate Student Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

Distributed via email to graduate students on 4-8-2020.

Graduate Student Technology News (photo of dog at laptop)

We each have our individual challenges working from home- such as Banjo who lives with a Rice OIT staff member. We hope you will find these resources helpful.

We Are Here For You

The Office of Information Technology is committed to supporting the university as many of us adjust to teaching, learning, and working remotely. It is critical for you to remain connected and in communication with your instructors and other students as we finish the semester online. Below are tools and resources available to support your online experience. If you are also an instructor, see the section on remote teaching at the end of this newsletter. If you are experiencing issues or need assistance, the OIT Help Desk is available to support you.

Support

You can call Help Desk staff from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday at 713-348-HELP (4357). Walk-in services have been suspended. You may also submit a request by completing our online help form or sending an email. Or look for the answer to your question by searching our KnowledgeBase.

Remote Learning Resources

There are many resources online to support your remote learning experience. While each student may have different needs, there is a Preparing for Remote Learning checklist with considerations to prepare for and enhance your remote learning experience. The Rice University Guide to Remote Learning provides an overview of resources with step by step instructions. You may also want to view the Student Guidelines for Remote Learning for suggestions and guidelines on participating in online meetings.

Tools

Video Conferencing

Zoom is a collaboration and online meeting tool. Zoom License accounts (formerly called Pro accounts) are available to all Rice faculty, staff, and students. Zoom can also be used in Canvas to allow instructors to schedule online meetings within Canvas. Google Hangouts Meet is an alternate tool for virtual meetings and is accessible through the GSuite platform.

Alert: If you use Zoom, please keep it updated so you will have the latest security fixes to prevent Zoombombing and other potential privacy issues. Read more about Zoom Meeting Privacy and Security.

Remote Lab Access

Depending on the course, you might need to remotely login to a lab computer using virtual desktop access. You will need to install VMWare Horizon Client.

Software

Students are eligible for free and discounted software including Adobe Creative Cloud, Crashplan, Office 365, Matlab, Mathematica and more. Many of our vendors have extended the usage of our licenses to allow you to download the software onto your personal computer at no cost.

Secure Connections

Additional software may be needed to securely connect to Rice resources. Using VPN (virtual private network) securely connects your computer to the Rice network. Duo provides an extra authentication step and is required by some systems, such as VPN and Esther.

Home Internet

One of the challenges of learning remotely can be your home Internet service. If you are having issues, check out these helpful tips from Internet2, a collaborative research and education technology community that Rice belongs to.

Tips for Troubleshooting Home Connectivity

Optimizing Your Home Network for Working and Learning

Research Computing

If you already use Rice research computing resources, access remains the same since using research computing resources is done remotely. If you are interested, the Center for Research Computing staff welcomes the opportunity to support your research computing needs. CRC staff can offer advice and set up services from high-performance computing/high-throughput computing (HPC/HTC) to research virtual machines and cloud (ORION) to research data facility (RDF).

Security Reminder

Follow university guidelines to protect your computer and Rice data. Keep your guard up against email scams designed to obtain your account information, especially during this crisis.

Instructor Resources

Support

Learning Environments staff are available by phone at 713-348-4989 to help you troubleshoot and answer problems while you are teaching. Business hours are from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday but support staff members are on call in the evenings.

Remote Teaching Resources

The Preparing for Remote Teaching page has been created to help you with questions in your role as an instructor. The Remote Teaching Resources guide in Canvas offers steps for communicating with your students, creating a course in Canvas, using Zoom, securing Zoom for privacy and a number of additional functional tools, such as how to share documents, record a lecture, give a live lecture, create an assessment, and more.

Canvas

Rice’s learning management system, Canvas, is designed to manage your courses and student communications. You can find information on using Canvas in the Remote Teaching Resources module within Canvas. You can also get 24/7 support via chat or phone from within Canvas. For details, log in to Canvas and click on the Help icon. For tips and tricks, follow the Teaching and Learning with Canvas blog.

Recording Your Lectures/Lessons

There are a couple of options for recording your lessons for viewing offline or asynchronous delivery. Zoom allows for recording and works well when you are presenting to a live audience. If you wish to record your lessons in advance, Kaltura works well for this. Kaltura is a lecture capture tool and can receive multiple inputs (webcam, doc cam, etc.).

Posted in OIT Publication, Students, Systems and Services, Teaching and Tech | Comments Off on Graduate Student Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Undergraduate Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

Distributed via email to undergraduates on 4-8-2020.

Undergraduate Technology News (photo of two students with pets)

Since many students are home, you might see a wagging tail or hear a meow in the middle of a live class. Meet Zoom fur buddies Edison and Hanna Gratch (Hanszen ’21) on left and Rosie and Madison Morris (Sid Rich ’21) on right.

We Are Here For You

The Office of Information Technology is committed to supporting the university as many of us adjust to teaching, learning, and working remotely. It is critical for you to remain connected and in communication with your instructors and other students as we finish the semester online. Below are tools and resources available to support your online learning experience. If you are experiencing issues or need assistance, the OIT Help Desk is available to support you.

Support

You can call Help Desk staff from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Friday at 713-348-HELP (4357). Walk-in services have been suspended. You may also submit a request by completing our online help form or sending an email. Or look for the answer to your question by searching our KnowledgeBase.

Remote Learning Resources

A number of excellent resources are available online to support your remote learning experience. While each student may have different needs, there is a Preparing for Remote Learning checklist with considerations to prepare for and enhance your remote learning experience. The Rice University Guide to Remote Learning provides an overview of resources with step by step instructions. You may also want to view the Student Guidelines for Remote Learning for suggestions and guidelines on participating in online meetings.

Tools

Video Conferencing

Online meetings and interactions can be an excellent way to stay engaged, get help when you need it, and feel supported. Zoom is a collaboration and online meeting tool. Zoom License accounts are available to all Rice faculty, staff, and students. Your instructors may use Zoom in Canvas for online meetings. You can also use it to schedule meetings or study sessions with other students. Google Hangouts Meet is an alternate tool for virtual meetings and is accessible through the GSuite platform.

Alert: If you use Zoom, please keep it updated so you will have the latest security fixes to prevent Zoombombing and other potential privacy issues. Read more about Zoom Meeting Privacy and Security.

Remote Lab Access

Depending on the course, you might need to remotely login to a lab computer using virtual desktop access. You will need to install VMWare Horizon Client.

Software

Students are eligible for free and discounted software including Adobe Creative Cloud, Crashplan, Office 365, Matlab, Mathematica and more. Many of our vendors have extended the usage of our licenses to allow you to download the software onto your personal computer at no cost.

Secure Connections

Additional software may be needed to securely connect to Rice resources. Using VPN (virtual private network) securely connects your computer to the Rice network. Duo provides an extra authentication step and is required by some systems, such as VPN and Esther.

Home Internet

One of the challenges of learning remotely can be your home Internet service. If you are having issues, check out these helpful tips from Internet2, a collaborative research and education technology community that Rice belongs to.

Tips for Troubleshooting Home Connectivity

Optimizing Your Home Network for Working and Learning

Security Reminder

Follow university guidelines to protect your computer and Rice data. Keep your guard up against email scams designed to obtain your account information, especially during this crisis.

three students with dogs

More faces you might see on Zoom! left to right: Nanuq and Athena Chien (Jones ’21), Minnie and Alex DeAnda (Sid Rich ’21), and Hannah George (Wiess ’21) and Jasper.

Posted in OIT Publication, Students, Systems and Services | Comments Off on Undergraduate Technology News: Tips on Working Remotely

Campus Technology News for Staff, Fall 2019

Monday, October 21st, 2019

This message was distributed to the Rice community on October 3, 2019.

John Williams, Digital Information Accessibility Coordinator, will be offering a variety of practical workshops in October explaining how to make digital resources (such as .pdf files and videos) accessible and offering guidance on how to ensure Canvas course pages and email campaigns are usable by the entire campus community. (See Supporting Digital Access below.)

NEWS

Introducing a New Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System

Chris Williams was hired this summer as the new ERP Project Director and will oversee the project to implement Oracle Cloud as Rice’s new unified business system for human resource, payroll, and financial systems. Project completion is expected in the summer of 2021.

E-signatures Streamlining Campus Processes

Adobe Sign, a digital signature tool, is providing a solution for the approval of campus electronic processes. Adobe Sign has been implemented in all schools and 20 administrative departments. As adoption continues, more administrative groups will be added and digital forms and documents will continue to be developed. A notable usage example is Human Resources’ Personal Action Form (PAF), which was redesigned for digital use and has been commended for facilitating the hiring process.

Updated Registration System

This fall, new undergraduates enrolled in courses using an updated registration system that was developed in conjunction with the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising. Students communicated the importance of being able to plan out their schedule, search by subject, keyword, course number and/or the day/time of the week. In addition, students wanted a visual representation of their schedule, links to course and instructor evaluations and other miscellaneous details about courses, all within one window. The upgraded system delivers that. All students will use the new system for spring registration.

Supporting Digital Access

Last spring, OIT hired John Williams as a Digital Information Accessibility Coordinator. He serves as an advocate for awareness and education about supporting access to electronic resources by all individuals including those with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. In addition to offering practical advice to support Rice’s current tools and resources, John will work to improve awareness about the need for everyone to discuss accessibility with vendors when considering the purchase of any new technologies. New products should meet standards and guidelines, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). By working with the Rice community and technology vendors, the goal is to ensure that Rice websites, web applications, online courses, and digital content can be understood and easily navigated by everyone. In October, John will host a series of awareness workshops.

Windows 10 Migration Reminder

The last remaining Rice-owned computers running Windows 7 must be upgraded to Windows 10 this fall as a campus information security precaution. Microsoft is discontinuing support and security updates to Windows 7 after January 14, 2020. Learn more.

SERVICES

Instructor Resources

If you are new to working with Canvas or want to learn more advanced techniques for managing your courses, a variety of training options are available (workshops, one-on-one appointments, tips blog, and online tutorials). Telephone or chat support is available for Canvas–24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For chat links and phone numbers, click on the Help icon when logged into Canvas or see this KnowledgeBase article.

If you are seeking to increase your proficiency or improve your comfort level using classroom and lab equipment, request an individual training session. If you ever need urgent technical assistance in a classroom, call 713-348-4989. (After business hours, a classroom technician will be paged to call you back and assist you over the phone.)

Research Computing

The Center for Research Computing (CRC) welcomes the opportunity to support your research computing needs. CRC staff can offer advice and set up services from high-performance computing/high-throughput computing (HPC/HTC) to research virtual machines and cloud (ORION) to research data facility (RDF).

LinkedIn Learning

Faculty and staff can subscribe to the online training resource, LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda Pro). An annual subscription license is $85, which will be prorated based on date of purchase. If interested, complete an OIT Help Desk ticket and provide your full name, NetID, email, fund/org and billing contact.

Adobe Creative Cloud

As part of an enterprise license agreement with Adobe, faculty and staff can use Creative Cloud applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more). To learn how to set up your AdobeID and install the software on your computer, see this KnowledgeBase article.

CrashPlan: Backing Up Your Rice Computer

If you store files locally on your Rice-owned computer (laptop or desktop), it is highly recommended that you back up those files to protect against hardware malfunctions, accidental deletions, or other mishaps. CrashPlan is simple to use, highly efficient, and very secure. The annual cost of the service is around $80 per year and is payable with a Rice fund and org code. To learn more, read this CrashPlan article in the OIT Knowledgebase.

Free and Discounted Software

Faculty and staff are eligible for free or discounted software.

OIT Annual Report

Learn more about OIT’s projects and initiatives by reading the 2018-2019 OIT Annual Report.

SUPPORT

Technology Help

OIT’s Help Desk is the central point of contact for computing help and support. OIT Help Desk staff answer technical questions and route service requests to other OIT professionals. You can submit requests any time via an online form. You can also call (713-348-HELP (4357)) or drop by (Mudd 103) during office hours (Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, excluding holidays). Student consultants are also available in the evening on the first floor of Fondren Library (Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 – 11:00 pm).

Online Resources

To learn more about the Office of Information Technology’s services, go to the OIT web site, https://oit.rice.edu. For an easy-to-search source of instructions about services and tools, use the OIT KnowledgeBase at https://kb.rice.edu. Use the IT Status Page at https://status.rice.edu to check for any system outages or to subscribe to updates on specific services.

Posted in OIT Publication | Comments Off on Campus Technology News for Staff, Fall 2019

Student Tech News for Undergraduates, Fall 2019

Monday, October 21st, 2019

This message was distributed to the Rice community on October 3, 2019.

OIT offers computing services and resources from poster printing to troubleshooting to free/discounted software.

NEWS

Updated Registration System

This fall, new undergraduates enrolled in courses using an updated registration system that was developed in conjunction with the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising. Students communicated the importance of being able to plan out their schedule, search by subject, keyword, course number and/or the day/time of the week. In addition, students wanted a visual representation of their schedule, links to course and instructor evaluations and other miscellaneous details about courses, all within one window. The upgraded system delivers that. All students will use the new system for spring registration.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Students can use Adobe Creative Cloud applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more) on Rice computers in the labs including Fondren Library. Initially, you will need to set up an AdobeID so you can login via lab workstations to access the suite of Adobe products. Learn more.

Student Input

Last spring, an OIT service team was formed to look at the student digital experience while at Rice including registration, communication, learning management systems, classrooms, wireless, and other technological interactions. Many suggestions gathered at focus groups have already been implemented and others are in progress. If you would like to participate in the next focus group session, email ITinput@rice.edu.

SERVICES

Free and Discounted Software

Undergraduate students are eligible for free or discounted software.

Printing Posters

The Mudd Lab Operations Center has five plotters for printing posters. You can find instructions on printing in this KnowledgeBase article. OIT Help Desk staff in Mudd 103 can help you as well. The Operations Center is open Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 2:00 pm, 3:00 – 5:00 pm. The OIT Help Desk is open Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

The cost of printing posters is $3 per foot for plain paper and $7 per foot for glossy paper. (See also rates and locations for other OIT lab printers.) Printing charges are billed via your Esther account each month. You should review your print charges periodically looking in Esther under the Student Services tab. Once the charges are submitted, the Cashier’s office cannot adjust the balance. You can request a refund for print jobs due to a malfunction of the printer (smudges, faint toner, etc.) at the OIT Help Desk (Mudd 103) within seven days.

SUPPORT

Technology Help

OIT’s Help Desk is the central point of contact for computing help and support. OIT Help Desk staff answer technical questions and route service requests to other OIT professionals. You can submit requests any time via an online form. You can also call (713-348-HELP (4357)) or drop by (Mudd 103) during office hours (Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, excluding holidays). Student consultants are also available in the evening on the first floor of Fondren Library (Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 – 11:00 pm).

Canvas Support

At the beginning of each semester, you can take a student Canvas workshops (see the Canvas Training Center). Telephone or chat support is available for Canvas–24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For chat links and phone numbers, click on the Help icon when logged into Canvas or see this KnowledgeBase article.

Online Resources

To learn more about the Office of Information Technology’s services, go to the OIT web site, https://oit.rice.edu. For an easy-to-search source of instructions about services and tools, use the OIT KnowledgeBase at https://kb.rice.edu. Use the IT Status Page at https://status.rice.edu to check for any system outages or to subscribe to updates on specific services.

OIT Ambassadors

Each college has an OIT Ambassador to help you find the computing services you need as well as monitor your college’s lab for issues and to refill paper in the printer.

Photos of the OIT College Ambassadors

Posted in OIT Publication, Students | Comments Off on Student Tech News for Undergraduates, Fall 2019

Campus Technology News for Faculty, Fall 2019

Monday, October 21st, 2019

This message was distributed to the Rice community on October 3, 2019.

John Williams, Digital Information Accessibility Coordinator, will be offering a variety of practical workshops in October explaining how to make digital resources (such as .pdf files and videos) accessible and offering guidance on how to ensure Canvas course pages and email campaigns are usable by the entire campus community. (See Supporting Digital Access below.)

SERVICES

Instructor Resources

If you are new to working with Canvas or want to learn more advanced techniques for managing your courses, a variety of training options are available (workshops, one-on-one appointments, tips blog, and online tutorials). Telephone or chat support is available for Canvas–24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For chat links and phone numbers, click on the Help icon when logged into Canvas or see this KnowledgeBase article.

If you are seeking to increase your proficiency or improve your comfort level using classroom and lab equipment, request an individual training session. If you ever need urgent technical assistance in a classroom, call 713-348-4989. (After business hours, a classroom technician will be paged to call you back and assist you over the phone.)

Research Computing

The Center for Research Computing (CRC) welcomes the opportunity to support your research computing needs. CRC staff can offer advice and set up services from high-performance computing/high-throughput computing (HPC/HTC) to research virtual machines and cloud (ORION) to research data facility (RDF).

LinkedIn Learning

Faculty and staff can subscribe to the online training resource, LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda Pro). An annual subscription license is $85, which will be prorated based on date of purchase. If interested, complete an OIT Help Desk ticket and provide your full name, NetID, email, fund/org and billing contact.

Adobe Creative Cloud

As part of an enterprise license agreement with Adobe, faculty and staff can use Creative Cloud applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more). To learn how to set up your AdobeID and install the software on your computer, see this KnowledgeBase article.

CrashPlan: Backing Up Your Rice Computer

If you store files locally on your Rice-owned computer (laptop or desktop), it is highly recommended that you back up those files to protect against hardware malfunctions, accidental deletions, or other mishaps. CrashPlan is simple to use, highly efficient, and very secure. The annual cost of the service is around $80 per year and is payable with a Rice fund and org code. To learn more, read this CrashPlan article in the OIT Knowledgebase.

Free and Discounted Software

Faculty and staff are eligible for free or discounted software.

OIT Annual Report

Learn more about OIT’s projects and initiatives by reading the 2018-2019 OIT Annual Report.

NEWS

Introducing a New Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System

Chris Williams was hired this summer as the new ERP Project Director and will oversee the project to implement Oracle Cloud as Rice’s new unified business system for human resource, payroll, and financial systems. Project completion is expected in the summer of 2021.

E-signatures Streamlining Campus Processes

Adobe Sign, a digital signature tool, is providing a solution for the approval of campus electronic processes. Adobe Sign has been implemented in all schools and 20 administrative departments. As adoption continues, more administrative groups will be added and digital forms and documents will continue to be developed. A notable usage example is Human Resources’ Personal Action Form (PAF), which was redesigned for digital use and has been commended for facilitating the hiring process.

Updated Registration System

This fall, new undergraduates enrolled in courses using an updated registration system that was developed in conjunction with the Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising. Students communicated the importance of being able to plan out their schedule, search by subject, keyword, course number and/or the day/time of the week. In addition, students wanted a visual representation of their schedule, links to course and instructor evaluations and other miscellaneous details about courses, all within one window. The upgraded system delivers that. All students will use the new system for spring registration.

Supporting Digital Access

Last spring, OIT hired John Williams as a Digital Information Accessibility Coordinator. He serves as an advocate for awareness and education about supporting access to electronic resources by all individuals including those with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. In addition to offering practical advice to support Rice’s current tools and resources, John will work to improve awareness about the need for everyone to discuss accessibility with vendors when considering the purchase of any new technologies. New products should meet standards and guidelines, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). By working with the Rice community and technology vendors, the goal is to ensure that Rice websites, web applications, online courses, and digital content can be understood and easily navigated by everyone. In October, John will host a series of awareness workshops.

Windows 10 Migration Reminder

The last remaining Rice-owned computers running Windows 7 must be upgraded to Windows 10 this fall as a campus information security precaution. Microsoft is discontinuing support and security updates to Windows 7 after January 14, 2020. Learn more.

SUPPORT

Technology Help

OIT’s Help Desk is the central point of contact for computing help and support. OIT Help Desk staff answer technical questions and route service requests to other OIT professionals. You can submit requests any time via an online form. You can also call (713-348-HELP (4357)) or drop by (Mudd 103) during office hours (Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, excluding holidays). Student consultants are also available in the evening on the first floor of Fondren Library (Sunday – Thursday: 7:00 – 11:00 pm).

Online Resources

To learn more about the Office of Information Technology’s services, go to the OIT web site, https://oit.rice.edu. For an easy-to-search source of instructions about services and tools, use the OIT KnowledgeBase at https://kb.rice.edu. Use the IT Status Page at https://status.rice.edu to check for any system outages or to subscribe to updates on specific services.

Posted in OIT Publication, Teaching and Tech | Comments Off on Campus Technology News for Faculty, Fall 2019