MinerAlert
MinerAlert
In the fall of 2024, we surveyed students to identify technology support gaps. The survey revealed that students frequently use mobile devices for coursework but face issues with limited power outlets. Larger classrooms tend to have fewer outlets per seat. We identified the most affected classrooms and aim to increase power outlet access in the first-floor auditoriums of the Undergraduate Learning Center by the spring of 2026. This initiative will enable continuous mobile device use during classes and is expected to enhance the student experience as reflected in the 2026 Technology Support survey.
A new educational building, the Texas Western Hall, is expected to open in the spring of 2026. The new building will have state-of-the-art technology in 37 classrooms, several large auditoriums, and 23 collaboration spaces. The Learning Environments team is responsible for the planning, design, and installation of the Audio-Visual (AV) infrastructure. Once this project is completed, the oldest classroom facilities on campus will be demolished and replaced with modern learning spaces in the Texas Western Hall.
We are tasked with replacing an outdated and non-scalable system for the Miner Teacher Residency program. In partnership with the College of Education, our objective is to review, assess, identify, and implement an efficient, scalable, and sustainable system to support this program. The new system will streamline and manage student admission, field placement, residency experiences, and observation data effectively.
In fall 2024, the Tech-Enhanced Learning Advisory Committee was tasked with recommending technology-enhanced learning strategies for the Information Resources division's three-year plan. A survey distributed to UTEP faculty revealed a need for lecture recording and video conferencing in classrooms. The initial goal is to develop and test a prototype in select fall 2025 courses. The prototype should be user-friendly and scalable for hundreds of classrooms. The final objective is to equip all tech-enhanced classrooms with these functionalities, contingent on funding.
Blackboard is ending support for the original course view and transitioning to the Ultra Course View (UCV), available since fall 2021. Starting in fall 2025, all courses will be created in the UCV, with a one-time option to revert if needed. Despite enhanced training resources, adoption has remained low at 18% as of spring 2025. As the deadline approaches, we must collaborate with academic leaders and faculty to ensure a smooth transition by highlighting UCV's benefits, such as streamlined course creation and management.
Our strategy now focuses on working closely with faculty leadership to understand their needs and demonstrate how UCV can save time and increase efficiency. We aim to build a community of faculty champions to share successful case studies and encourage broader adoption.
Last year, we researched and identified an efficient ITSM platform. We chose an industry-leading platform that offers the best value and plan to transition in the upcoming months. The new platform will integrate Microsoft Teams, Talkdesk, and AI capabilities, saving significant time for our Technology Analysts. To handle the high volume of password reset calls, we will implement an automated self-service password reset solution. This will allow users to securely reset their passwords without needing a live agent, reducing the workload on our support team and improving response times.
Users with administrator access can make significant changes to computers, including installing unauthorized software and altering critical configurations. These actions could potentially spread across other segments of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) network, leading to substantial disruptions. To mitigate this risk, we are implementing Microsoft’s Endpoint Privilege Management. Once this implementation is complete, UTEP users will be able to perform tasks requiring elevated privileges, such as application installations, without being granted full administrator rights.
Microsoft will discontinue support for Windows 10 in October 2025. At UTEP, approximately two thousand computers currently run Windows 10. The plan is to implement automatic upgrades via our Endpoint Management systems in April 2025. Any computers that are not automatically upgraded will receive individual attention from our Technology Analysts starting in July 2025.