Fall Conference: “Video without a Camera”

Roving reporter, Chad Schonewill, turned in the following regarding his Fall Conference experience:

Danna and I co-presented a very successful Fall Conference session today (August 20) called “Video without a camera.”  Sean was also key in helping us get the room set up, including a custom wiring situation so we could get sound working.

We demonstrated how to use the Adobe Voice app, and then attendees used iPads from one of our iPad carts to make their own one-minute video.  At the end, we all came back and took turns using Airplay on the Apple TV to show the results.

People had lots of fun, there was much laughing and applause, and several faculty and staff were keenly interested in using Adobe Voice for their classes/work.  Here are some snapshots (the first two are from Chad and the third is from Danna):

Adjusted pic - Chad's pic 1

Adjusted pic - Chad's pic 2

 

Adjusted pic - Danna's pic of classroom

 

Thanks, Chad, for the report and congratulations to you and Danna on a successful session!  Thanks, too, Sean, for your extra efforts to make their class a great one!

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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ITS:’s very own Indiana Jones

Beth Scaffidi, our GIS Administrator, recently traveled to Peru to continue work on her PhD archeology project.  While she took Baby T with her (he was very happy to go to another exotic locale!), the pictures she took with him were left behind with the project.  While we’re sad we don’t get to see him help her out, Beth did share some other photos of herself in the field:

Beth and her student digging a tomb (sounds creepy, but definitely interesting!).

Beth and her student digging a tomb (sounds creepy, but definitely interesting!).

Beth is all smiles as she begins to wrap up the field work portion of her PhD project.

Beth is all smiles as she begins to wrap up the field work portion of her PhD project.

 

Beth teaching her students in the lab.

Beth teaching her students in the lab.

Please keep us up-to-date on your project’s progress, Beth, and best of luck to you as you work to finish your PhD!  Thanks for sharing these pictures, too!

ITS:Alway fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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You oughta be in pictures (or at least take them!)!

Wednesday, August 19 is Photography Day, so I’d like to challenge all of you to take pictures while you are out and about on campus or while you are working diligently at your desk.  Let’s capture a day in the life of our ITS:Team from everyone’s perspective!  So what kinds of pictures should you take?  Well, here are some examples:

You have your basic selfie (please, no Kim Kardashian inspired pics!):

I hate having my picture taken.

I hate having my picture taken.

A photo of a colleague hard at work also is great:

Andrew hates having his picture taken, too.  I'm glad he's a good sport and let me take it anyway!

Andrew hates having his picture taken, too. I’m glad he’s a good sport and let me take it anyway!

Pictures of your colleagues in action are good:

This action is a shame, though...wishing Angie farewell.  :-(

This action is a shame, though…wishing Angie farewell. 🙁

Even beautiful or interesting campus photos work:

Can you guess where this was taken on campus?  The first person to do so and let me know through the comments wins a prize!

Can you guess where this was taken on campus? The first person to do so and let me know through the comments wins a prize!

So get the camera app on your phone ready and put it to good use!  Everyone who submits a picture to me (please do include a little explanation of the photo…a few words is fine!) on Wednesday, August 19 for posting on the blog will receive a prize!

I am eager to see what everyone will turn in!

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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You know you have worked together a long time…

…when you spontaneously come to work and your clothing closely matches your co-workers:

Jeff, Aleyah, and Leo from Help Desk - red and white were the "in" colors for the day!

Jeff, Aleyah, and Leo from Help Desk – red and white were the “in” colors for the day!

Great minds think alike!  Now we just need to get them all to smile…I know working at the Help Desk is hard work, but…  🙂

Thanks, Chad, for the photo!

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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Year-end celebration!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015 was a day to celebrate a productive and successful 2014-2015 year with our ITS: colleagues and family members at Stewart House.  I was able to get some good pictures of the festivities:

Folks begin to gather around the buffet.

Folks begin to gather around the buffet.

Jennifer, Matt, and Madison kick back and enjoy a beverage and lovely summer afternoon.

Jennifer, Matt, and Madison kick back and enjoy a beverage and the lovely summer afternoon weather with no rain in sight!

Angie and Danna join in on the fun.

Angie and Danna join in on the fun.

More gather around the buffet to get some of the awesome food Bon Appetit provided for us.

More gather around the buffet to get some of the awesome food Bon Appetit provided for us.

Dave A. and Jim G. brave the bright, very warm sunshine.

Dave A. and Jim G. brave the bright, very warm sunshine.

 

A family affair for all...it was great to see ITS: folks with their significant others and kids all having a good time!

A family affair for all…it was great to see ITS: folks with their significant others and kids all having a good time!

Brian and Aubrey have a chance to catch up while two of Aubrey's and Joseph's girls get ready to roast marshmallows.

Brian and Aubrey have a chance to catch up while two of Aubrey’s and Joseph’s girls get ready to roast marshmallows.

 

The s'mores were a hit with everyone, especially the kids...everyone wanted s'more s'mores!

The s’mores were a hit with everyone, especially the kids…everyone wanted s’more s’mores!

My thanks to everyone who helped make this a great event, from Bon Appetit, to our set-up crew in Facilities, to Dave A. and Madison who helped set up the badminton net!  Here’s to another great year in 2015-2016!

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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Caitlin Taber, computer ninja

Our very own student worker Caitlin Taber has been hard at work at the Help Desk lately…can you spot all eight computers that she is managing?

Adjusted pic - Caitlin Taber

 

First one to give me the correct response as to where all eight of them are  (without going to the Help Desk to count them in person!) will win a prize!

Thanks for your hard work, Caitlin, and thanks, Chad, for the great picture!

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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A staycation for Mama T and Baby T

Mama T and Baby T are normally good office mates.  They keep to themselves, don’t share any of the confidential information they learn from time to time, and do not make a mess.  I’m happy to have them with me.  Normally.  Lately, they have been grumbling because no one has taken them on vacation and when they got loud enough for me to hear them (Have you heard tigers complain?  The growling and ggrrring is so distracting!), I had to do something about it.  So I took them home with me over the Fourth of July weekend so they could spend some time out of the office and relaxing for a change (it’s hard work to stand there and wait for someone to take them along on a trip!).

First, they checked out our holiday decorations:

Checking out the holiday flowers on our back deck.

Inspecting the holiday flowers on our back deck.

Saluting the flag.

Saluting the flag.

Next, we took a walk around outdoors (5 acres to roam around!):

Surveying their territory for the weekend.

Surveying their territory for the weekend.

Mama T and I turned our backs for just a second, and Baby T got stuck in a tree!

Mama T and I turned our backs for just a second, and Baby T got stuck in a tree!

We visited the neighbors:

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Gnome!  Don't worry, we won't eat you!"

“Hi Mr. and Mrs. Gnome! Don’t worry, we won’t bite you!”

And finally, they got to visit some distantly-related family:

Lilly wasn't exactly happy with the unexpected visit from relatives.

Lilly wasn’t exactly happy with the unexpected visit from relatives.

All-in-all, I think they had a good time.  At least I can’t hear them talking about wanting to get out of the office any more!

So please, everyone, if you are planning a vacation or a work-related trip and don’t mind a small, easy-to-care-for traveler hitching a ride with you (you can take one or both!), please let me know.  I know they would be glad to go!

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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Division Meeting Notes from Thursday, July 16, 2015

The ITS:Division meet on Thursday, July 16, 2015, and discussed the following (please let me know if you have any updates/changes):

Matt introduced new employees Beth Scaffidi (GIS Administrator, started May 1) and Danna Duncan (Instructional Technologist, started June 1).  Welcome Beth and Danna…we are glad you are here!

Individual kudos were shared.

Linda stated that search committee had completed interviews for the database and system administrator position.  Vish, with help from Human Resources, was determining next steps in the search process based on the recommendation from the committee.

Brian discussed the top evaluation ranking category and why the number of employees receiving that ranking were higher than what was originally anticipated.  While the administrative side of the college fell well within expectations with around 4.8% of administrative employees receiving the top ranking, the academic side was higher.  This was due to the academic departments having a reduced understanding of how the new ranking system works; further clarifications will be made so that next year both academic and administrative departments are more closely aligned.

Brian also discussed the IT governance model that he and others are slowly implementing.  The model includes four key components: an executive committee (the president’s cabinet serves this capacity), the Administrative Systems Advisory Committee (already formed; reviews projects from the Enterprise Technology team; Vish serves on this committee), a committee focused on innovations and academics (made up of mostly faculty; Matt will serve on this committee), and a committee focused on Frontline/customer/student needs (Joseph will serve on this committee).  These committees will review projects, as well as funding for those projects, to help determine priorities and needs for their respective groups.  This will help provide transparency to the college on the work being done, as well as spending with regard to that work.

Brian informed the division that in response to feedback from the campus to increase events and audio/visual customer service, he has asked Sean to serve a lead role with events and audio/visual management.  He will still be a part of the Innovative Technology team.  In addition to working on a plan to increase customer service, Sean will play a part in setting up Ungerboeck (the new campus-wide calendar reservation system) and filling the vacancy left by Mike Smargie’s retirement.

Brian provided an update on upcoming moves and space on campus.  The folks located in Barnes will be moving, although there is no rush to do so.  Currently, this move is slated for mid-October but may change if needed.  The data center in Barnes will not be moving.  Eric moving to the Sunflower building is also part of this planned move.  The biggest space concern on campus right now is where those working in the library will be located during the remodel.  Every possible space will be used to accommodate these folks, even if it means mixing them in with other departments.  Brian gave a brief update on the library renovation and showed the group schematics on how the spaces on each floor will flow and be used, including the ITS: spaces located on the first floor.

David Ziemba stated that the implementation of ClearPass authentication was a success and thanked everyone who was involved in the process of testing and rolling it out.  Also, the recent roll-out of WiOfTheTiger was successful.  Please remember that while WiOfTheTiger is now active, it is running on old equipment in many places across campus.  Be sure to check out the network upgrade website to see the progress of new equipment installation.  Seventy percent of the wired closets and 20% of the wireless access points have been deployed across campus.  The Internet2 bore has been approved by all departments at the railroad and will be proceeding soon.

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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Round table discussion about communication on July 14

Don’t forget that Max Henry is sponsoring a round table discussion about communication on Tuesday, July 14, at 2:00 (Armstrong Hall Board Room).  A few spots remain, so please contact Linda at lpetro@coloradocollege.edu or x6250 to ask about getting a place at what promises to be a good discussion.  As always, please come with three questions you have about the topic.

In preparation for the round table, please see the TED talk with Ernesto Sirolli.  It’s a great one to watch even if you aren’t coming to the round table, as it highlights something we all need to make sure we are doing lots of: listening.

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

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Have fun and be safe for the holiday weekend!

Happy Fourth of July weekend everyone!

Fourth of July

ITS:Always fun, never boring
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Petro

 

 

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