Monthly maintenance updates will occur on Thursday, 11/21, 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. This includes our monthly mandatory security patches for all services. Users may experience intermittent downtime.
IT Help Desk: Thanksgiving Holiday Help Desk Hours:
Prior to the start of spring semester 2025 is a great time to review your SharePoint site. Updated forms, links, and news items are key to engaging with your campus audience successfully. Need assistance? Check out SharePoint training dates by logging in to Runway or contact the ITC.
Want to Create Question Banks for Exams?
Creating Item or Question Banks is an effective way to promote academic integrity in online assessments. Akindi Exam Generator is a simple tool that allows faculty to create their questions and answer options in a Word file. The file is then uploaded to Akindi which generates the Canvas-ready file. If you are interested in learning how to use this tool, check out the upcoming training dates in Runway.
Need Assistance with Spring 2025 Courses?
The Instructional Technology Center is available to assist new and returning faculty in applying effective online teaching practices to their Canvas course content and organization. Contact the ITC at itc@utm.edu or 731.881.7877.
Stay Safe Online When Using AI
AI is becoming more integrated with computing systems and applications. Some have been released to the public relatively recently, while others have been around for a while. If you have a Windows 11 computer, you can probably see Copilot in the lower right of your taskbar or you can always access Chat-GPT online.
So, what can you do to lessen the risk of using generative AI insecurely?
The professionals at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have created four simple principles to follow:
Mind Your Inputs: Avoid sharing sensitive or confidential information with AI models - if you wouldn't post it on social media, don't share it with AI.
Be Privacy Aware: Think about what you share with a wide audience - would you want an AI to have it?
Understand How Hackers Use AI: Stay updated on cybersecurity best practices. Criminals' use of AI as a tool makes it more important than ever that everyone protect themselves by using The Core Four Behaviors: strong passwords, MFA, software updates, and reporting phishing.
Know that AI is a Tool: Treat AI as a helpful tool rather than a replacement for your skills. (UTK OIT).
RingCentral
The move to RingCentral is complete for all active extensions on campus. Remember you no longer dial 9 for an outside line, just use the full 10-digit number. All extensions should be available by 4-digit dialing.
User training is available in our Knowledgebase, or try clicking on help in the desktop and mobile app for quick tutorials on call forwarding, personal call handling, voicemail setup, and more.
Use of Sensitive Data Policies
As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the information we handle, we want to take a moment to remind everyone of the importance of understanding and adhering to key organizational policies, especially when it comes to sensitive data.
Many of us handle sensitive information on a regular basis - whether it's student records, financial data, or other sensitive information. We all need to be aware of the sensitive data we access and process. It's critical that we all recognize the potential risks associated with data breaches, and how they could negatively impact our campus, its reputation, and the individuals whose information we are entrusted with.
If you're accessing or working with sensitive data, always ensure you are following best practices:
Using strong, unique passwords
Lock or log out of your computer before you leave it unattended for any amount of time
Know and understand the sensitivity of the data you're accessing/processing/transmitting
Encrypting data at rest and in transit
Limiting access to those who truly need it
Properly disposing of sensitive materials
Avoid sharing sensitive data unless it is absolutely necessary. If you must share, only use secure methods (e.g., Vault, encrypted emails)
Do not store sensitive data on untrusted or unsecured devices, such as personal or publicly accessible devices
3. Report Any Concerns
If you're unsure about the proper handling of certain information or notice something that seems off, please don't hesitate to reach out to ITS at 731-881-7900. We are here to help.
Data security is everyone's responsibility. By staying vigilant and following best practices we can collectively help protect the integrity of our campus and the University.
ITC Training: November and December Schedule
Whether you need assistance in preparing your final exams or updating your spring courses, the ITC can help. Log in to Runway to register for training or contact the ITC at 731.881.7877 for an individual consultation.
Akindi
Wednesday, November 13, 11:00 a.m.-Noon, Online
Monday, December 2, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Online
Canvas Basics for New Faculty
Tuesday, November 12, 11:00 a.m.- Noon., Online
Thursday, December 12, 3:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m., Online
New Quizzes
Tuesday, November 19, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Online
Tuesday, December 3, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Online
SharePoint
Wednesday, November 6, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., 119 Crisp Hall
Tuesday, November 19, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m., 119 Crisp Hall
