End-of-year updates from Information Technology Services
As we approach the end of the fall semester and the end of 2022, Information Technology Services (ITS) shares the following news and reminders about campus technology.
As always, ITS is here to help with your support needs and questions during this time of significant technological change. Please visit our online IT Service Desk to get started.
Campus H: Drive to be retired – PLEASE MOVE YOUR FILES NOW if you haven’t already done so
As previously announced, we are in the process of retiring campus network drives and moving files into the cloud.
The shared Campus Drive, also known as the H: Drive, will be eliminated on or soon after Dec. 31, 2022.
On Aug. 1, the H: Drive was made “read-only.” Since then, no new documents were able to be saved to the H: Drive.
Students, faculty and staff can still move existing files from the H: Drive. Please do so before Dec. 31 to ensure important files are not lost.
If you currently use the H: Drive for inter-departmental work or communication, please let us know as soon as possible by filling out this IT Service Request so we can help you create an alternative method to accomplish your goals.
With more campus community members needing access to their files remotely, moving to the cloud is both more convenient and more secure. One example of how the cloud is better for security is through the increasing use of OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint, as these tools make it unnecessary for faculty and staff to place files with sensitive data on the Campus H: Drive, where that privileged information is potentially exposed to all.
Technology Training Available
There are several technology related training and professional development resources available to faculty, staff, and students, including:
LinkedIn Learning – There are thousands of technology, business, certification prep and interpersonal skills related courses available. Badges for completion of some full courses can be posted on your LinkedIn profile. Use this link to get started.
Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI) training – There are hundreds of learning paths on various Microsoft related products and technologies. Some of the trainings include preparation for and taking certification exams. Use this link to get started.
SUNY Center for Professional Development (CPD) – SUNY organized professional development courses. Some of these courses may have a cost associated with them. Use this link to get started.
If you are interested in any other technology training not included above, please request training by clicking here or emailing employeetraining@newpaltz.edu.
Operating system updates – Windows 11 and MacOS Ventura
Microsoft released the latest version of Microsoft Windows, Windows 11, in October 2021. Think of Windows 11 as the next version of Windows. Many OS providers, such as Apple, Google, Samsung, and others, release updates to their operating system, (MacOS, iOS, or Android, respectively) on a frequent basis.
Microsoft has also announced the planned discontinuation of Windows 10, which is what we and much of the world use today. Windows 10 will be supported until October 2025 and will no longer receive important updates afterwards.
To prepare for this future event, ITS has created a plan to migrate the College to this new operating system. To ensure our computers receive support and updates in the future, computers will need to be upgraded to this new OS. IT Services plans to roll out Windows 11 across campus in batches.
In similar news, Apple released their latest operating system, Ventura, on Oct. 24. While most campus areas use PCs, there are many Mac computers in use in different offices and departments. ITS plans to roll out macOS Ventura across campus in batches.
For both the Windows 11 and MacOS Ventura upates, ITS will begin with a few campus computers to allow for optional testing, and then move into classrooms and offices. We will inform each area when the OS will be installed in classrooms and offices in their building. The anticipated full roll out will be over the summer.
Brightspace migration is complete
The migration from Blackboard to Brightspace is complete, including reintegration of all campus managed or faculty requested tools.
The campus Blackboard server will be fully decommissioned on Dec. 21, 2022 and, past this point, any requests for student data from prior semesters will be accessed through an archive service that will be retained for three years in compliance with SUNY retention guidelines.
Requests for any prior Blackboard data should be made using this Brightspace support ticket.
Security training resumes in January 2023
The annual Information Security Awareness training will be sent out in mid-January 2023. As per SUNY-wide and New Paltz policies, as well as several state/federal regulations, this is required annually for all employees. A separate announcement with more details will follow.