IT News and Updates

Current academic year IT Updates and News are included below. Please use the navigation pane to view past year updates.

  • August 2022 IT Update Fall Kick Off

    Welcome Back, we’re so excited to be starting the fall semester. We wanted to share with you
    some of the things we’ve been up to this summer as well as make sure you’re aware of some of
    what IT Services can offer. As always, we’re here to serve you and make this academic year
    successful for you and your students!

    Benjamin Shier, CIO

    • Technology Available to Students

      IT Services is pleased to offer a variety of solutions to support student learning needs.  

       

       

      To learn more about these options, follow the links in this document or  
      contact the IT Tech Support Center at 907-786-4646.

    • UAA Online Security Update

      Threats against the university’s digital resources have increased dramatically in the past two years. Universities, including UAA, have become key targets. To combat this increase in malicious activity, numerous security improvements have been made recently and more are coming soon.  

      Recent Improvements: 
      • Advanced Antivirus  
      • Multifactor authentication (MFA) for employees 
      • Better security on UAA’s VPN 
      • Additional Network Threat monitoring 
      • Laptop encryption for all new devices

       

      Here are some things you can do to stay safe online: 

      • Use hard-to-guess passwords and never share your passwords with others, including anyone claiming to be from the university. IT Services will never ask you for your password. Review Data Security: Passwords for more about passwords and MFA. 
         
      • Do not approve a DUO MFA prompt unless you are expecting it. MFA will only protect your account if you only approve DUO requests you initiated and are expecting. Bad actors who have gained access to your password will sometimes send a DUO MFA prompt hoping you are not paying attention and approve it.  
         
      • Never click a link or an attachment in email unless you were expecting it. Learn more here on how to identify a suspicious email in the Data Security: Phishing training. 
         
      • If you receive a suspicious or phishing email, please report it to IT Services.  
         
      • If you ever think you may have been a victim of a bad actor, report it immediately to IT Services at 907-786-4646. 

       

      As we start the fall, we are committed to keeping you teaching, learning, and working safely on campus and online. If there is anything our IT Services team can do to help, our Technical Support Center (TSC) is standing by to support you. 

    • Virtual Labs

      IT Services offers virtual lab machines for anyone in need of accessing UAA resources remotely. These machines can be accessed from anywhere in the world from any device. To start using, simply connect to https://vdi.uaa.alaska.edu in a web browser and log in with your UA credentials. Once connected you may notice multiple desktop pools which are assigned depending on course registration information. You will always be able to access your personal dedicated VDI machine regardless of course affiliation.  

      If you are a faculty member and are interested in how you might leverage a virtual lab environment to support your classes, contact IT Services today!

    • MyUAA Beta Launch

      myUAA is a new dashboard that brings together several of our online services into one location. Every campus has their own branding and URL applied, but the dashboard works the same, allowing students to pick the campus dashboard where they feel most at home.  

      With myUAA, students can find contact info for instructors and advisors, maps to their class locations, progress from degree works and enrolled programs, overview of their students account, detailed personalized steps for financial aid process each year and more. Learn more about myUAA by watching the myUAA student tour video. A link to myUAA appears at the very top of all Anchorage campus websites.  

    • Getting Technology Help

      UAA IT Services is here to help you with your technology needs! IT has an extensive self-service Knowledge Base, available 24/7 at uaa.alaska.edu/techportal.  

      Want to talk to a technician? The Technology Support Center is available on the phone at 907-786-4646 or via email at uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu. Fall semester hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 am–6:00 pm and Sundays 10:00 am–2:00 pm. 
       
      See the next page for just a few of the things UAA IT Services can help you with. 

      • General UAA computer & phone support 
      • Classroom support 
        Want to schedule in-room training to learn classroom technology? Having tech trouble during class? We can help with that! 
      • Affordable personal computer repair 
        *free 30-min diagnosis 
      • All brands of computers support 
      • Authorized Apple & Dell service provider (computers, laptops, and tablets) 

      For IT support contact the Technical Support Center at:  

      • Monday to Friday 7:00 am – 6:00 pm  
      • Saturdays closed 
      • Sundays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
    • In Other News
      • Software licenses available for purchase 
        UAA IT Services has partnered with other UA MAUs to offer specific licenses at discounted rates. By leveraging bulk purchasing, we now offer Adobe Creative Suite, SPSS Statistics,  SAS, and Microsoft optional software such as Visio Plan 1 or 2 or Project Plan 3 at a discount to UAA departments. To purchase licenses, visit the UAA Tech Portal sites linked above or contact the UAA Tech Support Center at 907-786-4646.  
         
      • Microsoft PowerBI Pro, Project Pro, and Visio Pro now available 
        Microsoft software previously only available by purchase is now included in the UA Microsoft Education Agreement to most UA faculty and staff. Tenure track faculty and staff, except for crafts and trades, are included in the licensing. 
         
        Not sure if you qualify or need to purchase a license? Contact the UAA Tech Support Center at 907-786-4646 or uaa.techsupport@alaska.edu.  

     

  • September 2022 IT Update
    TBD
  • October 2022 IT Update
    TBD
  • November 2022 IT Update
    TBD
  • December 2022 IT Update
    TBD