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Bits & PCs Archives |
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News Items for 2004 December Get Serious About Spyware (12/14) Did you know that Spyware can do more harm
than simply slowing down your computer and producing pop-up windows? It
can also monitor your Web browsing and, in severe cases, gain password
information and credit card numbers. For advice on protecting your
computer from Spyware, see the Computer Services information page,
Spyware 101. Windows 95 and 98 Users Urged to Upgrade(12/14) Sheri Stahler, Associate Vice President of Computer Services, has released a memo detailing Microsoft's support of Windows 95 and Windows 98. Microsoft no longer supports Windows 95 and only supports Windows 98 on a fee basis. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 98 through June 30, 2006 and, after that, online self-help will be available through June 30, 2007. As a result, Help Desk consultants will no longer support Windows 95 and strongly recommends that you upgrade to Windows XP. As for Windows 98, Computer Services is finding it increasingly more difficult to provide support for this operating system. Consultants are also discovering various problems accessing Temple's systems using Windows 98. Faculty and staff can obtain XP at no charge for existing on-campus computers and students can purchase XP at a substantial discount. For information on upgrading to Windows XP, go to: http://www.temple.edu/cs/windowsupgradehelp.html Review TUmail Update (12/14) TUmail now features links for your Sent Mail and Junk Mail folders on the left side of the navigation window. These options were included to give you ready access to frequently used Mail folders. In other TUmail news, six Universities on the East Coast have chosen to contract with Mirapoint, Temple's e-mail provider. The list includes the University of Maryland, University of Delaware, University of Chicago, Canisius College, University of Massachusetts at Boston, Longwood University as well as the University of Maryland's Engineering School. Currently, over 75 Universities worldwide have chosen to implement the Mirapoint system. Call for Computer & Technology Fee Proposals Released (12/6) Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services has issued a Call for Proposals for the 2005 Computer & Technology Fee for the non-enrollment based units. Proposals should be submitted no later than January 18, 2005. For information on submission guidelines, please visit: http://www.temple.edu/cs/comptechfee Good News - E-Mail Aliases Can Now Be Dot-Free! (12/6) You may already know that you can create e-mail aliases to personalize your e-mail address or make it easier to remember. But did you know that now a period is no longer a requirement when you create an alias? For more details on aliases, see Using E-mail Aliases at: http://www.temple.edu/cs/tumail/ TECH Center Construction Approved (12/2) Last week, the Board of Trustees approved the construction of a $15 million comprehensive student technology center to be located in the Bell Building at 12th Street and Montgomery Avenue. To be known as the Technology, Education, Collaboration, and Help (“TECH”) Center, the facility will be the largest of its kind in the nation. The Center will emphasize collaborative learning among students and feature a 700-workstation student computer lab with specialized hardware and software, 13 student breakout rooms for group study, a CyberCafe, Temple’s Computer Help Desk, and wireless loaner laptops that can be used throughout the building. For faculty, the building will include an Instructional Support Center and the Temple University Teaching and Learning Center. “The way students learn today is changing. Students are spending more time working together in groups and collaborating on projects that require technical tools,” said Tim O’Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services. “There’s currently no central place on campus where students can work together in this manner. This Center will provide students with the resources they need to work on team projects around the clock. It will also keep Temple on the cutting edge of technology.” The TECH Center’s Help Desk and computer lab facilities will be open on a 24-hour-a-day basis. In addition, the TECH Center will be home to Temple’s new Welcome Center, a dedicated space where prospective students, parents, alumni, and members of the business community can visit and learn about Temple. The TECH Center is slated to open in the spring of 2006. What is Report2Web? (12/2) Report2Web is software that provides administrative staff access to a central, secure repository for reports generated from ISIS, FMS, and HRS. Report2Web users can access reports from any PC using a standard Web browser. This software also has the capability to filter reports, and based on selection criteria, extract pages for distribution to appropriate department folders. Printing multiple copies of a report, therefore, is no longer necessary. Reports processed by Report2Web are available on the Web within approximately one hour. This procedure eliminates the delay of having the report hand-delivered to your department. Report2Web has many other time saving features, such as the ability to download reports to your PC, receive an e-mail notification of report availability, annotate reports, and access archived versions. To find out more about Report2Web, please contact your Administrative Computer Services representative. To determine your department’s representative, go to the Administrative Computer Services Web site (http://www.temple.edu/cs/administrative) and click on the “Contact Us” link. November Use of Social Security numbers as identifiers to be evaluated (11/18) Recently, a number of inadvertent disclosures of personal information have been reported across the country. These incidents call attention to the importance of safeguarding personal information for the entire Temple community. As you know from previous announcements on this topic, Temple takes very seriously its obligation to safeguard the personal information of its students, employees, and patients. On Nov. 10, Chief Information Security Officer Ariel Silverstone issued a memo advising Temple employees who use computers or computer systems to review the University’s Social Security Number Usage Policy and Social Security Number Usage Procedure. Silverstone also announced that the University had initiated a major project to eliminate the use of the Social Security number as the primary identifier in all University computer systems. He indicated that the first step in this project is to identify the computers and systems that store Social Security numbers and requested that faculty and staff follow a four-step plan to evaluate how they store personal information. The memo is available on the Computer Services Web site at: http://www.temple.edu/cs/security/ssn.html Faculty forum to focus on plagiarism software (11/18) Faculty are invited to stop by the Tuttleman Learning Center, room 209, on Thursday, Nov. 18, at noon to learn how to take advantage of the latest resources Temple offers to detect plagiarism. The event is sponsored by the Instructional Technologies Users Group, a forum where faculty members share their experiences about technology and learn about new developments. For further information on ITUG, visit: Reports of problems with spyware increasing (11/11) Over the past several weeks, the Computer Services help desk has seen a dramatic rise in the number of computer problems caused by spyware. Students, faculty and staff are reporting incidents that range from sluggish performance to outright system malfunction. Some computers have been invaded with so much spyware that consultants have to do a system rebuild. If you have not done so already, please take advantage of Temple’s anti-spyware resources to protect your computer. As announced last week by Ariel Silverstone, chief information security officer, Temple has a site license for Ad-Aware anti-spyware for faculty and staff on-campus use. Home users and residence hall students can download a free version of the software from the Lavasoft USA Web site at www.lavasoftusa.com. To learn more about spyware and for instructions on how to download Ad-Aware for on-campus and home use, go to: http://www.temple.edu/cs/security/spyware New seminar schedule released (11/11) The new Computer Services seminar schedule for December, January and February is now available. Microsoft Office topics are back by popular demand, certificate programs are in the lineup, Blackboard courses are featured for faculty, and more. To keep up with technology, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of these seminars. Printed copies of the schedule are available from the help desk on the ground floor of Wachman Hall and at other campus locations such as the computer labs. On Nov. 15, the schedule will be available online at: Update information for the Contact Center (11/4) The Contact Center is the main switchboard under the management of the Office of Telecommunications. Each weekday, the center handles approximately 3,500 telephone calls, most of which are requests for directory assistance. To facilitate these requests, it is important to keep the contact information current. In order to do so, the center is requesting assistance from the Temple community. If your department was created within the past 12 months or if the name of your department has changed, please e-mail the name, address and telephone number to Joanne Turner-Allen, manager of the Contact Center, at turnerj@temple.edu. The Contact Center appreciates the efforts of the Temple community in helping to keep the directory information up-to-date. Participate in MyBackpack pilot (11/4) Tired of carrying around floppies or Zip disks? If so, check out: MyBackpack is a Web-based pilot program that allows you to quickly store files on the go. You can save files to your personal MyBackpack storage space and then retrieve them at home, in computer labs, at work, or anywhere you have a Web connection. To access the Web site, go to http://mybackpack.temple.edu and log in using your AccessNet user name and password. You can also go to TUportal and click on the MyBackpack tab. Since this is a pilot program, Computer Services would appreciate any comments you have about this resource. A feedback link is located on the MyBackpack site. Computer certification program offered on campus (11/4) Computer Services now offers the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program to Temple students, faculty and staff. This program is an official Microsoft certification that is recognized as the standard for demonstrating skills with the Office suite of products. MOS certification is available for Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Access. Since Microsoft charges for the certification, there is a fee of $70 for each exam. Computer Services conducts training and review sessions for each Microsoft Office application. These sessions enable candidates to prepare for the examinations, which are timed and run approximately 45 minutes. Certification is granted upon the successful completion of exams that require the participant to complete various tasks within a running version of the specific application. Successful completion of an examination provides a valid and reliable measure of technical proficiency and expertise. Upcoming MOS preparation sessions and tests include Outlook, Word and Excel. Additional details about MOS certification, as well as registration and payment information, is available on the Computer Services Seminar Web site at: October Faculty portal upgraded (10/28) In August, Computer Services introduced a new tab available only to instructors called “Course Tools.” This new tab iis part of a faculty portal that is designed to provide access to online resources and information specifically of interest to instructors. Computer Services is happy to announce that Phase 2 of the faculty portal is ready and was made available on Monday, Oct. 25. The new features of the faculty portal include: • A Faculty Links box that replaces the “TUlinks” box on the “My Portal” screen and contains links to resources frequently used by faculty. • A TUlibrary tab that enables access to University library resources from off campus without configuring the browser to go through Temple’s proxy server. (Students also have access to this tab.) • A My Backpack tab that provides access to a pilot system for storing, sharing and accessing your personal files online using a Web browser. (Students also have access to this tab.) • Turnitin plagiarism-detection software that will be available through the “Assignments” tool in Blackboard courses. (More information will be provided to faculty who use Blackboard on how to use this resource.) • A Course Tools tab for easy access to class lists and other course-related tasks. Installing the new faculty portal will remove any customization previously made to the “My Portal” screen. Over the next two weeks, please feel free to visit one of the Instructional Support Center locations for a preview of the faculty portal. ISC consultants will be happy to demonstrate the new features of the portal and answer any questions. For a list of ISC locations and hours, visit: Web site logs latest system alerts (10/28) For breaking news about the current state of Temple’s computer systems, network and more, tune in to the System Status Web Page. The site includes announcements on system outages, network operations, telephone availability, maintenance that affects resources, computer viruses, and e-mail frauds and hoaxes. The Computer Services help desk staff maintains this site and keeps it current for the Temple community as events unfold. To view the site, click on the System Status link on the Computer Services Web site at: Aliases operational in Temple Web addresses (10/28) If you currently have a personal Web page on Temple’s Astro system, you can now use your aliases in your Web address. For example, if your current Web address is http:// astro.temple.edu/~mcruz009 and you created an alias of marcie.cruz, you can access your Web page by typing http://astro.temple.edu/~marcie.cruz. If you created more than one alias, they will all work. For information on creating aliases, see Using E-mail Aliases at: http://www.temple.edu/cs/tumail/aliases.html Critical Updates Released for Windows and Macintosh (10/21) Ariel Silverstone, chief information security officer, announced the following information regarding updates for Windows, Microsoft Office and Macintosh. Microsoft has released a number of critical patches for all Windows operating systems, with the number of updates varying from one to nine depending on your computer's operating system and service pack. For security reasons, it is important that you install these patches by running Windows Update. For instructions on how to run Windows Update, go to: http://www.temple.edu/cs/windowsupdateinstructions.htm This site also includes instructions on how to set up your computer to obtain Windows Updates automatically. Critical updates for Microsoft Office are also available by going to: http://officeupdate.microsoft.com. To check for updates, select Check for Updates in the main box. In addition, Apple has released security updates for Macintosh OS X versions 10.2.x and 10.3.x. To determine the version of your computer, click on the Apple icon and select About This Mac. To perform a Macintosh update, select the Apple icon and click on System Preferences. Then click on Software Update and select Check Now. You can then select the updates and follow the prompts to have them installed. For more information on Macintosh updates, go to: If you have any questions about these updates, please contact the Help Desk at 215-204-8000. Smart Classrooms Enhanced Across Campus (10/21) Since the end of the spring semester, more than 20 classrooms on Main Campus have been converted to smart classrooms and 12 existing smart classrooms have had major renovations and/or equipment upgrades. The new smart classrooms include 14 rooms in the Tuttleman Learning Center and three rooms in Barton Hall. These rooms, which were formerly served by carts, have been converted into a new style of classroom, called a Level 3 classroom. Level 3 classrooms are equipped with:
Improvements were also made to eight lecture halls during the summer months. The renovated lecture halls are located in Anderson Hall (AL14), Barton Hall (BA130 and BA140), Beury Hall (BE160, BE162, BE164, and BE166), and Engineering and Architecture (EA126). The improvements include:
Tuttleman’s computer lab classrooms have been upgraded as well. More than 140 new PCs and Macintoshes were purchased for these labs. New Usability and Accessibility Resources Now Available (10/14) Computer Services has a new Usability and Accessibility Lab for the University community. The lab, located in Pearson Hall 200, contains resources for evaluating Web sites, Web applications, desktop applications, and other forms of media, to ensure they are both user-friendly and accessible to persons with disabilities. The resources include specialized programs that evaluate a Web site's usability by analyzing the information architecture and navigation structure. Software is also available to check for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Usability and Accessibility Lab also has an accompanying Web site with links to additional resources. The Web site is available at: Persons and departments affiliated with Temple can request an online evaluation survey customized for a particular Web site or application. Survey participants can then log in and access the survey from the Web site. Once the survey is completed, the data will be analyzed using statistical software, and the results will be summarized in various types of reports. For more information about the Usability and Accessibility Lab or to request a survey, please contact Viral Mehta (215-204-8733) or Abhishta Bodapati (215-204-3025), or send e-mail to: New Enhancement Added to TUmail Web Site (10/14) If you have been unhappy about the way your From address appears in the e-mail messages you send out, now you can change it. TUmail has been enhanced to allow you to update the From field using any of your aliases. To update the From field, select Preferences on the left side of the TUmail window. Then, in the From field, overwrite your default e-mail address with your e-mail alias. Then, click on OK at the bottom of the page. Please note, however, that when you subscribe to a Listserv mailing list, you are identified by your From address. If you change your From address (as explained above), you will not be able to post to the list. In order to post, you must use the same From address that you had when you originally subscribed. For more information on this new enhancement as well as information on creating aliases, go to: http://www.temple.edu/cs/tumail/aliases.html Faculty to Share Classroom Teaching Techniques (10/14) On Thursday, October 21, in Tuttleman 209, from noon to 1:00 p.m., faculty and teaching assistants are invited to preview techniques that their colleagues are using to engage students in the learning process in large classroom settings. Come and find out about the use of smart classroom equipment, multimedia, and electronic response systems to encourage participation and gain immediate feedback from students. For more information on this Instructional Technologies Users Group (ITUG) event, go to: Submit Your Service Requests on the Web (10/7) In a continuing effort to provide quality service to the Temple community, the Office of Telecommunications announces a new enhancement to their online forms. You can now fill out and submit service requests online. If you have a billing question, need an I.P. address to connect to the Internet, or want a voice mailbox, faculty and staff can now fill out and submit these requests on the Web. Residence hall students can also submit forms electronically to transfer or disconnect telephone service and to inquire about telephone or Internet charges. In order to access these forms on the Web, you must log in with your AccessNet username and password. Note that these forms are also available in Excel, Word, and PDF formats. To view the forms online, go to the Office of Telecommunications Web site at: http://www.temple.edu/cs/telecommunications/forms.htm Personalize Your E-mail Address (10/7) In addition to the standard Temple e-mail address, all TUmail accounts holders have the option to create an alternate e-mail name in their address known as an alias or nickname. This feature is particularly helpful if your standard e-mail address is difficult for people to type or remember. For example, if your address is mcruz009@temple.edu, you could create an alias of m.cruz@temple.edu or marcie.cruz@temple.edu. You have the option to set up five different aliases. As a University standard, an alias of firstname.lastname@temple.edu is automatically assigned to you when your account is created. If this alias was not created for you, it means that it was already assigned to someone else who has the same name. Mail sent to your alias name(s) will go to your TUmail account. In fact, you can use your aliases to organize incoming mail. If you set up a filter for an alias, TUmail will automatically place all incoming mail messages sent to that alias directly in a specified folder. To learn how to create an alias and more, go to: http://www.temple.edu/cs/tumail/aliases.html ITUG to Focus on ePortfolio (10/7) In the field of education, ePortfolio is a hot area of development. An ePortfolio system allows students to maintain an organized, digital collection of work throughout their educational career. The portfolio can be used to showcase projects and also track professional development and improvements in a particular area of study. Moreover, the portfolio can be made available online for feedback and review by potential employers. On Thursday, October 7, from noon to 1:00 p.m., in Tuttleman 209, faculty and staff are invited to attend the Instructional Technologies Users Group (ITUG) event to learn about Temple's ePortofolio pilot program. The event will feature a demonstration of the program and offer the opportunity for participation in the pilot. For more information on this ITUG event, please go to: September Anderson Equipped for Video Teleconferencing (9/30) The Office of Telecommunications announces that video
teleconferencing is now available in Anderson Hall 17. This location is
the first large lecture hall in the University equipped with this
state-of-the-art technology. Video teleconferencing provides additional opportunities for enhancing teaching and learning. In addition to Distance Education, this technology can also be used for meetings and guest lectures on Temple campuses as well as at locations off-campus. The video conferencing rooms are furnished with the following equipment:
Video teleconferencing rooms with a seating capacity of 25 people are also available at the following locations:
Please note that a technician will be available to operate the equipment in each of these locations. If you would like additional information about video teleconferencing or if you are interested using this technology for a class or meeting, please contact Claire McNicholas at clairem@temple.edu or 1-3377. Shopping for a Computer? (9/30) If you are in the market for a computer and need some buying advice, check out the "Guide for Choosing the Right Computer" Web site. Computer Services developed this site to help students and parents with computer shopping, but faculty and staff can benefit from the information as well. The site explains major computer components, suggests configurations for both basic and higher-end systems, and more. To view the site, go to: http://www.temple.edu/cs/shoppersguide Scheduled Network Maintenance Performed (9/30) To continue providing reliable access to numerous online resources, the Office of Telecommunications performs preventive maintenance on Temple’s network. This maintenance takes place on the first and third Wednesday of every month, between midnight and 3 a.m. During this time, access to the Internet and the University’s systems, such as TUmail and TUportal, can be intermittent. New Technology Comes to Ambler/Fort Washington (9/23) In an effort to enhance instruction, coursework, and research at the Temple Ambler/Fort Washington Campus, Computer Services has installed the following new technology resources:
New Technology Comes to Tyler (9/23) Various new computers, peripherals, and software applications were acquired for the Tyler School of Art and installed by Computer Services. The following technology resources were purchased primarily with 2003-2004 University and Tyler technology fee funds to benefit students from all Tyler curriculums:
Tuttleman Computer Lab Open Around the Clock (9/16) To accommodate the growing demand for around the clock on-campus computer access, the Tuttleman Scholars Information Center is open for Temple students 24 hours a day from Sunday through Friday afternoon. On weekends, the 100-workstation lab is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Sundays starting at noon. For more information on Temple University computer labs, go to: Guidelines for Windows XP SP2 Installation Released (9/16) Microsoft has developed a major, comprehensive upgrade to the Windows XP operating system called Service Pack 2. The upgrade was created to address many issues including security. Over the past several months, Computer Services has evaluated Service Pack 2 to see how it impacts access to Temple resources. After careful consideration, Ariel Silverstone, Chief Information Security Officer, released guidelines for the installation of Service Pack 2 on September 8, 2004. The guidelines include installing Temple's firewall configuration utility for on-campus computers, turning on Windows Automatic Update, and managing the new XP pop-up blocker. Guideline details are available online in Silverstone's memo at: http://www.temple.edu/cs/security/CISOannouncements/SP2guidelines.html Telephone user guides available online (9/16) The Office of Telecommunications offers detailed instructions for taking advantage of the many features available on the University’s telephone system. Online guides are available for residence hall students and well as faculty and staff. The residence hall telephone user guide includes instructions for activating call waiting and making international calls or conference calls. Single and multi-line user guides for faculty and staff include instructions for features such as leaving messages on a busy extension, transferring and forwarding calls, and abbreviated dialing. With abbreviated dialing, you can set up a directory of ten frequently called internal or external numbers, each identified by a one-digit reference code from 0 to 9. To view the user guides,
New Computer Virus Discovered on Residence Hall Computers (9/16) On August 31, a new type of computer virus called W32.Spybot.Trojan, infiltrated the Residence Halls, particularly hitting 1300 Cecil B. Moore. Computer Services responded by immediately removing the infected machines from the network to contain the spread of the virus. Thanks to cooperation from the students, consultants were able to study the infected computers and isolate the new virus. Computer Services then brought the virus to the attention of Symantec Corporation representatives, who researched a fix and released an updated virus definition file. The definition file was then pushed out to all computers on Temple’s network. The Computer Services staff appreciates the patience shown by the students during the time-consuming process of cleaning all infected computers and reconnecting them to the network. Consultants will continue to monitor the presence of this virus on campus and take appropriate measures to contain and remove it. Tuttleman Computer Equipment Upgraded (9/7) Temple keeps pace with technology with the installation of over 100 new student computer workstations in the Tuttleman Scholars Information Center (general use computer lab). The PCs have been upgraded to Pentium 4s with 17" flat panel monitors and the Macintosh computers have been upgraded to G5s also with 17" flat panel monitors. Discounted Microsoft Software Now Available for Temple Students (9/7) Temple University students can now save up to 60% off the regular academic prices on the following Microsoft products:
Temple University and Journey Education Marketing Company have joined together to make these special prices available to all Temple University students. The software is available through online purchases only.
For purchases, please visit: Students will be required to provide proof of enrollment at Temple University via an electronic verification form. All major credit cards are accepted. To launch this software savings program, JourneyEd and Microsoft are setting up a booth on Temple's Main Campus at:
The vendors will be on-hand to answer any questions and provide students with the ability to place their software orders on the spot. New Contract Simplifies Software Licensing for Faculty and Staff (9/7) In August, Computer Business Services announced a new campus-wide license agreement with Microsoft for faculty and staff. This agreement covers the following software licenses and updates, collectively referred to as the Microsoft Desktop Bundle:
New Seminar Schedule Released (9/7) The new Computer Services Seminar schedule for September, October, and November is now available online. Topics such as Excel XP and Access XP are back by popular demand. New topics, such as Word 2003 and EndNote are included as well. Current students, faculty, and staff are welcome to take advantage of these computer seminars. For a complete list of seminar topics and to register online, go to: Training Room Equipment Expanded and Upgraded (9/7) The training room located in Gladfelter Hall, room 659 was recently upgraded to include 13 Dell Optiplex 270 Pentium 4 computers at 2.80 GHz. Six scanners as well as two photo-quality inkjet printers have been installed in the room to accommodate digital imaging, text scanning, and desktop publishing seminars. In addition, each computer includes a DVD drive and burner to complement multimedia intensive classes. There is also a new ceiling-mount digital projector and screen to facilitate instruction by displaying lessons from the instructor's computer station. Blackboard Version 6.1.5 Installed (9/7) In July, Computer Services installed the latest version of Blackboard, 6.1.5. This new version includes a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor in the Text Box Editor that allows for more formatting capabilities when you type content. There is also a Spell Checker option and a Quick Edit feature. The Quick Edit option allows Blackboard instructors to toggle back and forth between the "Display View" and "Edit View" and provides a shortcut for instructors who want to modify content. ITUG to Focus on Turnitin (9/7) The Instructional Technologies Users Group (ITUG) is an dynamic forum for Temple faculty to learn about and share their experiences in using the latest computer technologies in the educational environment. The first ITUG event of the fall semester will provide an overview of Turnitin, a plagiarism detection program that quickly identifies unoriginal work. Faculty and staff will demonstrate how this program acts as a powerful deterrent against plagiarism. The event will be held in on Thursday, September 16th , in the Tuttleman Learning Center, Room 209, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Enrollment Verification Letters Available in OWLnet (9/7) Students can now request an enrollment verification letter using the OWLnet Web site. Students typically use these letters to verify their enrollment with financial institutions and health insurance providers. This enhancement replaces a manual process with an entirely electronic process that students can perform independently. Previously, Academic Records personnel would manually read each mail request, generate the enrollment verification letter, and mail it. Academic Records provides 7,000-10,000 of these letters annually. Financial Aid Award Letters Available in OWLnet (9/7) Student Financial Services (SFS) now notifies students when their financial aid is available by sending an e-mail to their @temple.edu e-mail account. Students can then view and print their financial aid award letter from the OWLnet Web site by clicking on the Financial Aid Tab. SFS encourages students to use this feature to share information with parents or third parties. Please note that with the new online feature, the financial aid award letter will no longer be automatically mailed to students. To request that a letter be mailed, please notify SFS (sfs@temple.edu or 215-204-2244) and allow five business days for processing. Federal Perkins Loans Web Site Debuts (9/7) Student Financial Services (SFS) will now notify students to accept their Federal Perkins loan by sending an e-mail to their @temple.edu e-mail account. The e-mail message directs students to a secure Web site where students log in using their AccessNet username and password. This Web site enables students to view, print, and electronically sign their promissory note. In the first three days of operation, approximately 1,200 students electronically signed their promissory notes or declined the loan. These transactions have been forwarded directly to PHEAA and will be completely processed without any intervention from SFS, saving many hours of work. Students Can Apply for Health Insurance Through OWLnet (9/7) Students can now enroll for health insurance for themselves and their dependents through the OWLnet Web site. At the time of plan selection, students see the cost of the plan they choose. The appropriate assessment is then calculated and automatically added to the student's bill. Detailed information about health insurance options and costs appear on the Human Resources Web site (http://www.temple.edu/hr). Before this new process was implemented, the Human Resources' Benefits Department would manually enroll approximately 4,000 students each year. The availability for OWLnet enrollments has greatly improved service to our students while freeing up Benefits personnel. Ongoing Privacy Initiatives Continue (9/7) To protect the confidentiality of student information, faculty will now see only the last four digits of a Temple Student ID on class lists and grade lists. MyHousing Web Site Enhanced (9/7) The MyHousing Web site has the following new enhancements:
Wireless Expansion Continues on Campus (9/7) Computer Services continues to expand the number of wireless zones across campus. In addition to the numerous sites available for using your laptop and PDAs, several new addition locations have been added on Main Campus:
For a complete list of wireless locations and find out how to set up your laptop or PDA for wireless access, visit the wireless Web site at: http://www.temple.edu/cs/wireless Telephone System Gets An Upgrade (9/7) In its continuing efforts to improve the University telephone system, the Office of Telecommunications completed the PointSpan upgrade in July. Temple's telephone system is now better positioned for the future, most notably in terms of stability and performance which are measured by "uptime" or the availability of telephone service to all users. This upgrade also enhances the University's disaster recovery preparedness and facilitates the future conversion to VoIP (Voice over I.P.) technology. While the upgrade does not noticeably impact the University community, it is just one example of the Office of Telecommunications' commitment to ensure the seamless provision of telephone and network services. For additional information about the services provided by the Office of Telecommunications, please visit: http://www.temple.edu/cs/telecommunications/ "The Bug Stops Here" AntiVirus Campaign Continues (9/7) Temple continues to wage the war against computer viruses by requiring the installation of Temple's centrally managed Symantec AntiVirus software on all on-campus computers. Since implementation last fall, the program has proven itself to be tremendously successful in protecting Temple computers from viruses. Residence hall students can automatically obtain the software from the getconnected.temple.edu website when they apply for Internet service. For a small fee, a home edition is also available for Temple students. Details about the home edition are listed on the antivirus.temple.edu Web site.
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