MinerAlert
MinerAlert
UTEP TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
The incident management system used at UTEP assists our IT department in managing over 68,000 support requests every year. The current system works well, but enhancements are available by migrating to the SaaS (cloud-hosted) version. The on-premise version which we are currently using is dated and experiencing sporadic performance issues. Furthermore, the APIs available in our on-premise version is not compatible with newer systems we want to integrate with. Finally, the mobile app of the current system is problematic and limited to older mobile devices. Moving to the cloud offers many benefits such as keeping the system updated, secured, and highly available. It will provide better API support and be compatible with the latest mobile devices. One of the significant operations enhancements that we are looking for in the cloud version of our system is the remote screen sharing capabilities to provide remote support to users on computers, laptops, and mobile devices.
Outcome:This project is partially completed and will continue into next year. On November 26, 2022, we completed upgrading the incident management system to the latest version required for cloud migrations. Nevertheless, the improved performance and most desired new functionality were accomplished by this upgrade. For example, the mobile app on the latest mobile devices works perfectly. On this new version and before we move this system to the cloud, we will first add two more ways for our UTEP community to get our help with the integration of Microsoft Teams and Live Chat.
Blackboard’s Ultra Course View (UCV) was made available to all faculty in Fall 2021. With this new and enhanced course option available, we must work with faculty to increase its adoption. To help with adoption, we plan to offer introductory training on UCV to faculty throughout the year. Our goal for fall 2022 is to have at least 10% of all semester courses in UCV.
Outcome:
We implemented the following strategies to increase faculty adoption:
Unfortunately, we didn’t meet our goal since the UCV adoption was at 7% in the fall 2022 term. Nevertheless, I am very proud of our team because they accomplished quadrupling the number of courses in UCV compared to the fall of 2021.
Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) is a Microsoft product that manages the local administrator password of domain-joined computers. This solution automatically updates the password on a routine basis and each domain computer will have a unique password for the local administrator account. Currently, the local administrator account has the same password for all domain computers and that password change is a manually initiated process that is performed on a scheduled basis or when someone who knows the password leaves the department. Technology Support with the collaboration of the Systems team will identify strategies to deploy LAPS to all UTEP domain Windows computers. This initiative further improves the security of our users and their computing devices.
Outcome:LAPS was successfully implemented in July 2022 and over 5,200 computers have been enabled to use this solution. Technology Support groups and Technology Implementation Managers have been trained and provided with guidance on managing this solution.
Tech-related issues with technology in the classrooms negatively impact teaching performance and student success. A malfunction of any of the equipment below hinders in-classroom instruction.
We can be proactive to equipment malfunctions by monitoring the equipment in the classrooms in real-time. A centralized equipment monitoring dashboard will allow for Technology Support to respond and resolve any equipment issues before they are a problem to teaching faculty; therefore, maximizing their in-person teaching performance. We will create a centralized dashboard with all AV equipment reporting their operating status.
An internal audit on administrative access to user computers was completed in February 2022. As a result, Technology Support will implement measures to address the recommendations of the six findings in the audit report.
Outcome:Technology Support implemented recommended actions to remediate the following audit findings:
Microsoft released Windows 11 to the public on October 5, 2021. this new version yields higher performance and security on compatible devices (eighth-generation Intel Core CPU or newer) than the Windows 10 version. Technology Support must update their processes to be able to deploy Windows 11 to existing compatible and new computing devices.
We must investigate Microsoft Intune for upgrading Windows 10 devices, but also Windows Autopilot to set up applications, settings, and policies into newly purchased institutionally owned Windows 11 devices.
Outcome:New UTEP computer standards for Dell equipment were released on December 2022.
Classroom support is our highest priority. It is in the classrooms where our students receive their education hence, we must excel in the tech support service we provide to faculty in the classrooms. To help us improve and measure our quality of work, we ask faculty for their feedback as to their classroom support-related requests are closed. Our goal is to obtain a monthly Customer Satisfaction rating of 93% or better.
Outcome:
Zoom cloud recordings are saved temporarily in Zoom. With the installation of a Zoom connector in Yuja, any new Zoom cloud recordings will automatically upload to the user’s Yuja account. In Yuja, these recordings are saved permanently, captioned, and can be easily shared with students (publish to Blackboard courses). This connection between Zoom and Yuja streamlines the accessibility of Zoom recordings to students in Blackboard courses.
Outcome:Starting on June 2, 2022, Zoom cloud recordings are stored on UTEP's video management system, YuJa. This means that your new Zoom cloud recordings will automatically be available in your YuJa account and auto-captioned within an hour after your meeting has ended. For faculty, this streamlines the process of saving videos and embedding them inside your Blackboard courses. Note that these recordings will be temporarily available in Zoom's cloud storage for 7 days, after which, they will remain in YuJa where you can continue to download and manage them.
The audit goals were to determine if processes and tools were in place to ensure the EDR solution was working effectively, and that EDR-onboarded Microsoft Windows computers were periodically synching with the EDR solution. The audit was conducted over the summer of 2022.
Outcome:Technology Support implemented remediation measures for the following audit findings: