Eight helpful reminders from Information Technology Services ahead of spring 2021

Information Technology Services (ITS) has prepared the following news, reminders, resources and links to help faculty and staff get ready for the spring 2021 semester.

As always, members of our community can get more information, peruse our Knowledge Base and request support at the IT Client Portal.

1)    Adobe sign-on process has changed

Adobe Acrobat and/or Creative Cloud users will need to use a new “Single Sign-On” process to log into these applications. This change has made things easier to maintain and more secure. For more information see “Logging into Adobe services” in our Knowledge Base.

2)    Use Jabber to have your office phone right on your computer

All employees can use the Cisco Jabber software to connect to the campus telephone system and set up your office phone on your computer or device at a remote workstation. The software can be installed on PC, Mac, iPhone or Android phone, and acts just like a phone on your desk.

With Jabber installed and running, you won’t have to forward your desk phone or give out your personal contact information to receive calls while working from home since callers will just dial your regular campus number to ring your Jabber client. Outgoing calls will originate from the campus, meaning the people you call will see the campus caller ID and not your personal contact information.

Jabber works fine with built-in speakers and microphones, though we recommend using a headset for the best experience. We have a limited number of headsets available, so please be sure to let us know ASAP if you would like Jabber and need a headset.

Please use this link to request a Jabber account. Put “Jabber Request” in the title and be prepared to provide the following information: User ID, campus phone extension, type of device, and ownership of the device (campus or personal).

Please feel free to contact Will White, assistant director of telecommunications, at whitew@newpaltz.edu with questions about Jabber.

3)    IT Service Desk hours and Client Portal

The hours of operation for the IT Service Desk for spring 2020 are currently listed as:

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

These hours may be subject to change, so the best way to find the current operating hours is at the IT Support Client Portal. The following video provides a quick overview of how to navigate the Portal:

4)    Blackboard

Blackboard is the official Learning Management Platform for the campus and is supported by the Office of Instructional Technology. Blackboard can be reached by going to blackboard.newpaltz.edu. Support for Blackboard, including requests for course copies and merges, should be requested via the ITS Support site at support.newpaltz.edu.

5)    Knowmia

Knowmia is the campus’ recording and screen capture platform and it is available to all faculty, staff, and students by going to newpaltz.knowmia.com. Knowmia provides screen capture and video capture with a webcam, a mobile recording app (FUSE), a media storage library with basic editing functions, automatic closed captioning, engagement tools and much more.

6)    LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is a video tutorial platform with thousands of trainings on topics including business, computer science, interview and resume skills, health and well-being, graphic design and art software, and more. LinkedIn Learning is available at no cost to current faculty staff and students through my.newpaltz.edu.

7)    Office 365

Office 365, which includes Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, SharePoint and more, is available at no cost to all current faculty, staff and students. Learn more about how to install these valuable apps in our Knowledge Base article, “How Do I Install Microsoft Office to my Personal Computer or Device?

8)    Extended Virtual Classrooms

Please review the Knowledge Base article related to Extended Virtual Classrooms and be sure to request that your class be in the space you are most comfortable with. If you are unfamiliar with how to best use extended virtual technology in the classroom, we encourage you to request an Equipment Orientation.