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Student Computing Labs Go Virtual; Hillman Location Open

Monday, August 10, 2020 - 09:53

 

In helping to create a safer environment for learning and living at the University during the COVID-19 pandemic, most Student Computing Labs on the Pittsburgh campus will remain closed for the fall term. The Hillman Library location will be open, and software and services offered through the Virtual Computing Lab will remain available 24/7 from any location.

Lab Safety Considerations

A primary tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is physical distancing and de-densifying shared spaces. Shared computers are a particular risk due to the prolonged exposure between a user’s face and hands and a device’s keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

Virtual Computing Lab (pi.tt/virtuallab)

Pitt IT launched the Virtual Computing Lab in March to provide a remote experience that is identical to using a lab machine—with the same software, appearance, and compute power. By using Windows Virtual Desktop, any personal device with an internet connection can become a lab PC—regardless of the user’s location.

Hillman and Lab Classrooms Will Be Available

When circumstances such as the failure of your personal computing device arise, the Hillman Lab will be available during the library’s operating hours. In addition, the classroom spaces in the Cathedral and Bellefield Labs can still be reserved by faculty for academic classes. The number of computers will be adjusted to meet physical distancing guidelines. Visit technology.pitt.edu/labclassroom for more information.

Student Technology Recommendations

The University is aware that closing the physical labs will impact students on the Pittsburgh campus. To that end, here are suggestions for using technology effectively in the hybrid classroom model.

  • Use the Virtual Computing Lab: Bookmark the Windows Virtual Desktop web client or download the desktop client so you can connect at any time.
  • Keep your laptop with you: A laptop is a necessity for taking advantage of hybrid classroom options. Pitt IT recommends keeping your device with you on campus.
  • Print at Pitt Print Stations:  Most Pitt Print Station locations will remain accessible across campus. Please refer to this list for current availability.
  • Download free software and apps: Office 365 and other free software, as well a wide variety of mobile apps, are available from Pitt IT.

Updated: Virtual Computing Lab Undergoing Extended Maintenance August 9-16

Saturday, August 8, 2020 - 11:28

 

Pitt Information Technology has revised the implementation plan for maintenance of the Virtual Computing Lab. The system will remain online and available to students while updates are made in parallel with the existing interface. Therefore, no service disruptions are anticipated during the one-week maintenance period between noon on Sunday, Aug. 9, and 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement. 

Friday, August 7, 2020 - 16:10

The Virtual Computing Lab for students will be unavailable during scheduled maintenance over a one-week period from noon on Sunday, Aug. 9, to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16. This maintenance is necessary to implement system and software updates.

If work is completed ahead of schedule, the Virtual Computing Lab will be returned to service earlier and an announcement will be posted to technology.pitt.edu.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement. 

Lecture Capture (Panopto) Maintenance Scheduled on August 15

Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 16:25

 

Panopto—the service provider for Lecture Capture—will be unavailable during scheduled maintenance from 9 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15. This maintenance is necessary to maintain the stability and reliability of the service.

Users will not be able to access online recordings or upload new videos during the maintenance period.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

 

Convey Name Pronunciation and Pronouns with NameCoach

Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 14:35

 

The Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for Global Affairs, in partnership with the Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer, are pleased to announce that NameCoach is now available to University students, faculty, and staff.

NameCoach allows you to record and share the pronunciation of your name with others. Your recorded name can then be easily shared in your email signature, on LinkedIn, and through social media. In addition, instructors can also enable NameCoach in their Canvas courses, making it easy for everyone in a class to learn each other's names.

NameCoach also gives you the option to specify your personal gender pronouns. If you choose to use this feature, your pronouns will be visible to all students and instructors in your Canvas courses.

To get started, visit My Pitt (my.pitt.edu) and search for NameCoach. Visit the NameCoach at Pitt page on our website to learn more. Read more about NameCoach in Pittwire.

Oracle Maintenance on Aug. 7-8

Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 12:20

 

Oracle will perform infrastructure maintenance on the University’s Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service (PBCS) starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, until 7 a.m. on Saturday Aug. 8, 2020. Please do not attempt to access PBCS during this maintenance window. 

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

Faculty Information System (Elements) Maintenance Scheduled for July 30–31

Thursday, July 23, 2020 - 13:29

 

The Faculty Information System (Elements) will be unavailable during a maintenance period from 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, to 8 a.m. on Friday, July 31.

This maintenance is necessary to implement a new software update.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

Phishing Alert: Fraudulent Message to LastPass Customers Requests Password Update

Monday, July 20, 2020 - 15:00

 

Pitt Information Technology is aware of a new email phishing scam that claims to be from a LastPass representative. The message asks the reader to click a button to update their master password. The button actually links to a harmful website that attempts to collect the recipient’s University password.  

Below is a sample of the recent fraudulent email. If you receive a similar message to the one below, please report it by forwarding the email as an attachment to phish@pitt.edu. Detailed instructions on reporting scams are available at our phishing awareness page.

******************************************************************************

From: LastPass representative – do-not-reply-support[@]lastpass.ch or do-not-reply-support[@]lastpasses.net <external email addresses>

Subject: LastPass – Adaptive Protection Alert

 

******************************************************************************

Pitt IT strongly recommends that you do not reply to unsolicited email or messages from unverifiable sources. Avoid clicking on links contained in such emails, as these may lead to sites that contain malicious software. If a link looks suspicious, you can hover over the link with your mouse to preview the URL without clicking on it.

In addition, Pitt IT recommends that all students, faculty, and staff install Antivirus and Anti-Malware (Malwarebytes) Protection. Departments can submit a help request to obtain Malwarebytes for multiple machines.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

The Future of Box at Pitt

Thursday, July 16, 2020 - 13:22

Box is ending unlimited storage and putting in place significant changes to its licensing structure. After discussions with various stakeholders, analyzing survey feedback from Pitt Box users, and evaluating alternatives, the University has decided to replace Box with Microsoft OneDrive for cloud storage and collaboration by August 2022. Pitt Information Technology will migrate users’ Box data to Microsoft OneDrive and is committed to providing a smooth transition. Learn how you can prepare for the migration...

Box is ending its unlimited storage offering and changing its licensing structure after the University’s contract expires next year—in August 2022. As a result, Pitt Information Technology is proactively considering alternatives to Box for enterprise cloud storage that could be implemented over the coming year.

The input of students, faculty, and staff is an essential part of the discovery process. So that Pitt IT can plan accordingly, we sent a short survey to all Box users on July 10 to better understand how they currently use Box and what features are most important to them. 

Next Steps    

Pitt IT is currently exploring options should data migration be necessary in the future, and we will provide more detailed guidance after assessing survey results. In the meantime, here are some guidelines to help prepare for any future changes: 

  1. Do not transfer your Box folders or files to an alternative cloud storage solution, as this step is unnecessary at this time.
  2. Reduce the amount of data you are storing on Box by deleting any unnecessary files and folders. 
  3. Remove yourself from any shared Box folders or files to which you no longer need access. 
  4. For new cloud storage needs, consider using Microsoft OneDrive or contact the Technology Help Desk for guidance. 

Please continue to use Box for any workflows or processes that currently use it. As always, contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions about this announcement. 

July Microsoft Security Update

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 - 16:19

 

Microsoft Corporation has announced security updates for July that affect the following software: 

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Edge (EdgeHTM-based)
  • Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) in IE Mode
  • Microsoft ChakraCore
  • Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps
  • Windows Defender
  • Skype for Business
  • Visual Studio
  • Microsoft OneDrive
  • Open Source Software
  • .NET Framework
  • Azure DevOps

Pitt Information Technology recommends that users immediately identify and install the security updates necessary to remediate these vulnerabilities by using Microsoft's Windows Update feature on their computers as soon as possible. Additional information about the updates is available on Microsoft’s Security TechCenter.

In addition, Pitt IT recommends that all students, faculty, and staff install Antivirus and Anti-Malware (Malwarebytes) Protection. Departments can submit a help request to obtain Malwarebytes for multiple machines.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.

Lecture Capture (Panopto) requires new version of recorder on July 16

Tuesday, July 14, 2020 - 11:45

 

On Thursday, July 16, at 8 p.m., Panopto—the service provider for Lecture Capture—will upgrade their service. No downtime is expected and you can learn more about the upgrade on Panopto’s support page.

To gain access to the latest features and improvements, as well as uninterrupted access to Panopto, all creators should download the most recent desktop client by July 16. After the upgrade, the new version of Panopto apps will be required in order to access the service.

Additionally, as part of this upgrade macOS 10.12 will no longer be supported for Panopto recording or viewing. New Panopto features will not function properly if macOS 10.12 is used.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.