Windows 7 End of Support
With Microsoft’s end of support deadline looming, Technology Services will officially be withdrawing support for this operating system between now and Jan 14, 2020. You are required to make the transition to Windows 10 before that time. Technology Services will be actively upgrading existing Windows 7 machines to Windows 10 over the summer, and starting May 1, 2019, no new Windows 7 machines will be able to register on the Gustavus network.
End of Year Department Purchases
If you or your department are considering technology purchases before the end of the fiscal year, we encourage you to contact Technology Services prior to making any decisions. Our agreements with local and national technology wholesalers routinely result in lower and tax-exempt prices, and we’re often able to answer questions about your intended purchases to ensure compatibility with pre-existing systems, networks, and software.
Allow us to help you make the most of your purchasing decision by contacting Brianne Twaddle at x7180 or btwaddle@gustavus.edu before May 15, 2019. Purchases made after this date may not arrive in time to be charged to the current budget year.
Nobel Hall Expansion and Renovation Technology Update
The South Expansion is progressing quickly! We are excited to see it wrap up and are looking forward to assisting with the big move this summer. We are working closely with Faculty and Staff in Nobel Hall and will be reaching out to individuals in the next few weeks about coordinating the transition with GTS.
Technology Services Maintenance Windows
In an effort to improve consistency and minimize sporadic downtime for various systems, Technology Services will be consolidating many routine updates into scheduled maintenance windows from 7 to 8 a.m. every Wednesday. This time will be used whenever feasible, but certain updates and systems may still necessitate alternative times, dates, or schedules. You should still expect to receive prior email notification about any planned maintenance that may noticeably impact system access or performance.
Security Awareness Training Reminder
You should have received an email last week with information about the annual security awareness training. The curriculum consists of several short online video modules, complete with quizzes, that cover a variety of information security topics that we encounter routinely. With the recent increase in the number, severity, and sophistication of attacks, it is imperative that you dedicate 30 minutes of your time to complete this training before May 20, 2019.
Administrative Technology Requests Update
Technology requests for next year have been received and they are currently being evaluated. Additional requests can now be made via the mid-year technology request form.
College Calendar Changes
A new version of the College Calendar recently went live. The new calendar fixes some increasingly troublesome character encoding issues, adds a few new features, and updates the visual styling to better reflect current design trends that place emphasis on mobile-friendliness.
Position Updates
Technology Services is happy to announce that Justin Holcomb has been named Director of Administrative Information Systems. Justin has been with Gustavus for five years, serving as a Software Engineer in the Web Services office. Prior to his time at Gustavus, Justin worked as a .NET developer at the Occasions Group in North Mankato. While there, Justin gained experience working with, and building, ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems. He was also instrumental in the development of the company’s corporate websites. At Gustavus, Justin has proven himself to be a highly-knowledgeable and proficient developer who is not afraid to tackle big projects. Justin brings a broad technical skill set to the office, and we are excited to see him apply his talents to this challenging role.
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