Greetings colleagues,
In this unprecedented time, social distancing is critical, and many of us are being asked to perform our essential duties from home and to deliver instruction in a new format. ITS has been collaborating with all of you very closely to facilitate this transition as smoothly as possible. I want to take some time to bring you up to speed on our initiatives and the services that are available to you. I am available to speak to any of you regarding this. Please feel free to reach out to me.
For Employees working from an alternate location
ITS has provided instructions for remote access to as many college resources as possible on the Employee Remote Access webpage. We recognize that employees utilize a variety of technology on campus and that some scenarios may be missing. If you have been asked to work from home and are not able to find the tools you need to do your work, please contact the ITS Help Desk at (518) 629-7364 to discuss your needs.
Visit the Employee Remote Access webpage for detailed instructions on how to use the technology summarized below.
Desktop Access
ITS has provided connection options for the majority of our population to connect to an HVCC desktop to access our applications and secure resources. This includes all VDI builds and most physical builds.
Meeting and Collaboration/Zoom
Zoom will enable many employees to work from home and many courses can be offered by Zoom synchronously. The college has provided Zoom accounts for all faculty, staff and students. We are encouraging you to please use it liberally to minimize person-to-person contact.
Phone Resources
- SoftPhone: All employees will have access to their HVCC phone number via the Avaya one-X Communicator software that is installed in VDI and Citrix. A headset is required to use this service. If you do not own a headset please contact the ITS Help Desk at (518) 629-7364. A limited supply of headsets are available upon request.
- Voicemail to Email: All employees have been enrolled in the Voicemail to Email service. Voicemails left for your extension will be forwarded as an attached audio clip to your email.
- Call Forwarding: Call forwarding is available upon request. When enabled, your campus extension can be forwarded to an external phone number such as your cell or home phone. This is currently a limited capacity service as each call placed using this method consumes double resources on the phone system. This service will be prioritized for individuals who interact with the public and student population. Inter-personnel contact should use Zoom, direct phone calls or email where possible.
Visit the Employee Remote Access webpage for detailed instructions on how to use the technology summarized above.
Lecture Recording
Faculty may schedule time to come to BTC and receive assistance from the videoconferencing staff to record lectures and support from Distance Learning to put these lectures online. To schedule an appointment, please call Roger Pinke at (518) 629-8087.
Training for Faculty and Staff
The college is providing numerous training resources to faculty and staff, which can be found on the college’s COVID-19 Information webpage under the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Resources section. Technology documentation for all the services outlined above, self-paced videos and live instruction opportunities are posted there. The DL office has a comprehensive schedule of workshops and both ITS and DL staff will be available to conduct individual or group sessions (including remotely via Zoom).
If you would like to schedule a training session for any technology that you need to work or teach remotely, please contact the ITS Help Desk at (518) 629-7364 and they will coordinate connecting you with the expert on the topic you need.
Important note about Information Security and Privacy
Wherever possible, work in VDI or Citrix only and do not transfer sensitive information out of these environments to your personal computer or smartphone. Saving sensitive college or student information to these devices is not compliant with many regulations including FERPA. Please be mindful that even in these disrupted times we still must protect our students. If you have any questions or concerns about maintaining information security and privacy, please reach out to me directly.
Thank you all for your patience while we transition the college at an uncomfortably fast speed. We are ready and willing to assist you if you experience any issues. If you would like additional help with any of these items, visit the Employee Remote Access webpage, call the ITS Help Desk at (518) 629-7364 or email techsupport@hvcc.edu.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Thanks and warm regards,
Jon
Jonathan R. Brennan
Chief Information Officer
Hudson Valley Community College
(518) 629-4859
Published: Fri, 20 Mar 2020 12:30:55 +0000 by j.brennan