After weeks of input from IT customers across campus — including students, faculty, staff, researchers and IT employees — UAB IT has drafted an IT Strategic Plan designed to empower everyone at UAB.
The draft plan has been published on the IT Strategic Plan web site. Members of the UAB community are encouraged to review the plan and provide additional feedback within a 30-day period ending June 24, after which the final plan will be reviewed by the strategic plan executive committee and published.
Feedback is welcome on the SPARK platform, where there are campaigns for each IT strategic imperative.
“We have welcomed input from across campus as we finalize this strategic plan,” said Dr. Curt Carver, vice president and CIO. “As our partners, you have helped co-author this plan, which will help prioritize the technology improvements worthy of advancing UAB.”
When the plan is published in June, it will provide UAB IT with a roadmap for developing those technology improvements. But Carver noted that the plan is a living document that may evolve as the needs of campus change.
“When we publish the final strategic plan, we will embark on the real work — completing the objectives that will help us support and empower our world-class university with world-class IT services,” Carver said.
May 23, 2016
Kick off summer with UAB IT at 'Screen on the Green'
Help kick off summer with Screen on the Green, a free movie event on the Campus Green, sponsored by UAB IT and TechBridge.
Faculty, staff and students are invited with their families to watch “The Incredibles” on Thursday, June 9. The movie will begin at 8 p.m., but attendees are invited to begin gathering at 7 p.m. on the Campus Green. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and coolers with snacks to enjoy a fun night under the stars. (Please remember that alcohol is not allowed on campus.) Food trucks will also be on hand with a variety of dinner and dessert options.
RSVP for yourself and your number of guests here.
UAB IT is sponsoring the event to celebrate a year of technology-related successes on campus. Partner sponsor TechBridge is a non-profit organization that drives community impact by brining affordable technology and business expertise to other nonprofits, specifically those that are on the frontline of alleviating the causes of poverty. Other partners include SIM Alabama, TechBirmingham, the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, Innovation Depot and Infragard.
May 12, 2016
UAB hosting Microsoft Education Tech Days
UAB IT is hosting Microsoft's Education Tech Days event on campus May 18-19.
The event is targeted at technical managers and support personnel from schools and universities across the Southeast and will cover many products and technologies. Sessions will be hosted by Microsoft specialists, partners or peers from other schools and universities in attendance.
Sessions topics will include collaboration for education (Office 365); Microsoft cloud; SQL Server 2016; modern data visualization and analytics; Windows 10; and more.
A data summit will be held Wednesday, May 18, in the same location as Tech Days. This event is targeted for academic and data managers and support personnel from schools and universities across the Southeast.
The event is open to both internal and external attendees, so registration is required. The event will be held in the Hill Student Center, ballrooms C and D.
Registration can be accessed here.
The event is targeted at technical managers and support personnel from schools and universities across the Southeast and will cover many products and technologies. Sessions will be hosted by Microsoft specialists, partners or peers from other schools and universities in attendance.
Sessions topics will include collaboration for education (Office 365); Microsoft cloud; SQL Server 2016; modern data visualization and analytics; Windows 10; and more.
A data summit will be held Wednesday, May 18, in the same location as Tech Days. This event is targeted for academic and data managers and support personnel from schools and universities across the Southeast.
The event is open to both internal and external attendees, so registration is required. The event will be held in the Hill Student Center, ballrooms C and D.
Registration can be accessed here.
April 28, 2016
Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions now half price
UAB’s 3-year subscription to Adobe’s Creative Cloud product will enter the final year of the agreement beginning in June 2016 and run through May 2017. For that final year UAB IT will be able to offer subscriptions for $150 instead of the current $300. In addition, the $150 pricing for a subscription through May 2017 is retroactive to any customers that subscribed to Creative Cloud since April 1, 2016.
Take advantage of this opportunity quickly to get full value of the price reduction and length of the subscription as the $150 will not be prorated during the year and will be valid only through May 2017. Pricing for any new agreement with Adobe as of June 1, 2017, and subsequent subscription prices to UAB customers, will be based on negotiations with Adobe next year.
Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions include:
· Photoshop CC, for image editing and composition
· Illustrator CC, for vector graphics and illustration
· InDesign CC, for page design, layout and publishing
· Dreamweaver CC, for web sites, app design and coding
· Adobe Premiere Pro CC, for video production and editing
· After Effects CC, for cinematic visual effects and motion graphics
· Acrobat XI Pro, for creating, editing and signing PDF documents and forms
· Adobe Muse CC for web site design without coding.
To learn more about Adobe Creative Cloud and place an order, click here.
Take advantage of this opportunity quickly to get full value of the price reduction and length of the subscription as the $150 will not be prorated during the year and will be valid only through May 2017. Pricing for any new agreement with Adobe as of June 1, 2017, and subsequent subscription prices to UAB customers, will be based on negotiations with Adobe next year.
Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions include:
· Photoshop CC, for image editing and composition
· Illustrator CC, for vector graphics and illustration
· InDesign CC, for page design, layout and publishing
· Dreamweaver CC, for web sites, app design and coding
· Adobe Premiere Pro CC, for video production and editing
· After Effects CC, for cinematic visual effects and motion graphics
· Acrobat XI Pro, for creating, editing and signing PDF documents and forms
· Adobe Muse CC for web site design without coding.
To learn more about Adobe Creative Cloud and place an order, click here.
More...
Over the past three weeks, UAB IT customers have taken an active part in shaping the IT Strategic Plan — voicing their opinions in 14 town hall meetings and eight committees, even jotting ideas on Post-It notes. 
As the next phase of strategic planning begins, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to continue sharing their ideas on the SPARK platform, where there is a campaign for each of the seven strategic imperatives.
Getting campus feedback through the strategic planning period has been essential to shaping a plan that will empower UAB students, faculty, staff and researchers through technology.
By the end of May, an executive committee will approve the draft of the plan before it is shared with the campus for a 30-day review period.
Hundreds of people participated in IT town halls in April, providing feedback that will be incorporated into the draft plan as committees continue to shape IT strategy and priorities for the next three years. Committees are made up of faculty, staff and students from across campus disciplines and departments.
"This is not our strategic plan; this is your strategic plan," Vice President and CIO Dr. Curt Carver said.
During the 30-day review period, UAB IT will host two town halls to showcase the strategic plan, which will be published in June.
But while the plan will guide IT strategy and priorities for the future, Carver noted that the IT Strategic Plan will be a living, breathing document that will evolve as campus needs change.
Details about the plan, committees, strategic imperatives and town halls can be found at uab.edu/empoweruab.
As the next phase of strategic planning begins, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to continue sharing their ideas on the SPARK platform, where there is a campaign for each of the seven strategic imperatives.
Getting campus feedback through the strategic planning period has been essential to shaping a plan that will empower UAB students, faculty, staff and researchers through technology.
By the end of May, an executive committee will approve the draft of the plan before it is shared with the campus for a 30-day review period.
Hundreds of people participated in IT town halls in April, providing feedback that will be incorporated into the draft plan as committees continue to shape IT strategy and priorities for the next three years. Committees are made up of faculty, staff and students from across campus disciplines and departments.
"This is not our strategic plan; this is your strategic plan," Vice President and CIO Dr. Curt Carver said.
During the 30-day review period, UAB IT will host two town halls to showcase the strategic plan, which will be published in June.
But while the plan will guide IT strategy and priorities for the future, Carver noted that the IT Strategic Plan will be a living, breathing document that will evolve as campus needs change.
Details about the plan, committees, strategic imperatives and town halls can be found at uab.edu/empoweruab.
April 18, 2016
New phone scam: Callers pretend to be FBI
A phone scam targeting college students across the country is spoofing the FBI's phone number, threatening students and parents that they will be arrested if they do not pay thousands of dollars for such alleged debts as tuition, student loans or parking tickets.
The FBI has warned consumers to be on alert for such scams. Similar scams — in which malicious callers pretend to be law enforcement — have targeted UAB students in recent months, even costing them and their parents money.
The FBI will never call private citizens requesting money.
Often, callers in such scams appear to have students' personal information, but it is important to note that there has been no breach of personal information at UAB. Malicious callers often try to solicit more personal information from their victims over the course of the call.
If students or parents receive a call that seems suspicious, they should disconnect immediately and notify law enforcement.
If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller's instructions. Instead, the FBI advises you should:
The FBI has warned consumers to be on alert for such scams. Similar scams — in which malicious callers pretend to be law enforcement — have targeted UAB students in recent months, even costing them and their parents money.
The FBI will never call private citizens requesting money.
Often, callers in such scams appear to have students' personal information, but it is important to note that there has been no breach of personal information at UAB. Malicious callers often try to solicit more personal information from their victims over the course of the call.
If students or parents receive a call that seems suspicious, they should disconnect immediately and notify law enforcement.
If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller's instructions. Instead, the FBI advises you should:
- Notify your banking institutions.
- Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
- Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
- File a complaint through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Need to log on to WiFi while you're communiting across campus?
UAB IT is working with Parking & Transportation Service to outfit all of the Blazer Express buses with digital signage and WiFi. The digital signs will convey emergency information as well as general content from around campus.
In addition, all buses will have a WiFi hotspot for improved connectivity to the internet.
The signs and WiFi are in testing currently and will be piloted on two buses over the next four to six weeks. Plans are to roll out to all buses in the coming months.
April 01, 2016
Security tip: Guard your privacy when you are traveling
Planning a vacation? People are frequently more vulnerable when traveling because a break from their regular routine or encounters with unfamiliar situations often result in less cautious behavior. If this sounds like you, or someone you know, these five tips will help you protect yourself and
guard your privacy.- Track that device! Install a device finder or manager on your mobile device in case it's lost or stolen. Make sure it has remote wipe capabilities and also protects against malware.
- Avoid social media announcements about your travel plans. It's tempting to share your upcoming vacation plans with family and friends, but consider how this might make you an easy target for local or online thieves. While traveling, avoid using social media to "check in" to airports and consider posting those beautiful photos after you return home. Find out how burglars are using your vacation posts to target you in this infographic.
- Traveling soon? If you're traveling with a laptop or mobile device, remove or encrypt confidential information. Consider using a laptop or device designated for travel with no personal information, especially when traveling out of the country.
- Limit personal information stored on devices. Use a tool like Identity Finder to locate your personally identifiable information (e.g., SSN, credit card numbers, or bank accounts) on your computer, then secure or remove that information.
- Physically protect yourself and your devices. Use a laptop lock, avoid carrying identification cards, shred sensitive paperwork before you recycle it, and watch out for "shoulder surfers" at the ATM.
