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Show THE FORUM - FEBRUARY 6, 7 2013 L Kira Luke Staff Reporter Communication at Westminster is changing. Canvas, a new learning management suite, will replace ANGEL. Microsofts Outlook program will replace the GroupWise email system. The transition is coming, and the Information Services department is working to make it seamless. Information Services There are 22 different people with 22 different, but related roles, said Chad Labdon, a Westminster alumnus and com- puter support technician. These roles include website coding, Canvas, the security network, network administration; technical support for students, faculty and staff and anything to keep the computers running, according to Labdon. Labdon gives direct support to staff and faculty, holds training for migration to Outlook, diagnoses viruses and more. Its basically different needs being coordinated and moved forward harmoniously, Labdon said. IS manages the technology required to support Westminster. The colleges technology ranges from an extensive network of 261 wireless access points to over 150 academic programs. If you walk from the parking lot to Meldrum, youve been passed off between 12 wireless access points, seamlessly, said Robert Allred, Westminsters Chief Information Officer. IS keeps the wireless running, as well as testing and troubleshooting programs like statistical software, software for modeling molecules, the Adobe Creative Suite, and learning environments like ANGEL and Canvas. Whenever a student, staff or faculty member on campus runs into technical difficulties, someone in technical support, like Labdon, is around to fix it. No user wants to deal with it; Im happy to, Labdon said. Youre not just a problem I need to solve- - youre a person with that problem. imin Outlook The Process The IS staff has been busy ensuring a seamless transition. Whenever theres a big project, people have been working on it for longer than youd think, said Labdon. We try and plan projects, but emergencies happen. The IS staff goes through a twofold process of gathering feedback from other schools who have used the new software, and then testing it. Whenever we do something new, we try and test it out ourselves, try and break it, Labdon said. Outlook passed this process, and satisfied the goal of supporting more devices than GroupWise does. We made a conscious decision as an IS department that we need to become more -neutral. We dont care if students use a Mac or a PC, an iPhone or Android. The real goal was to provide platform neutrality, said Allred. platform- The Program Students who had issues OVJk O I think what set it apart was Canvas allowed faculty to communicate with students in a robust way, said Allred. Students can customize communication options, from text to email to Facebook. simplifies. If an instructor were to change a quiz date in their calendar, it would update the syllabus and notify the student, said Allred. It really Learning and Technology Facilitator Ben Neiswender said its designed for students with the way they communicate in mind. Its much more geared toward the way we communicate today. Canvas also enables faculty to gather and learn from student data. Professors can view learning outcomes, competency, how many files have been viewed and most frequent visitors. Many professors have already switched to Canvas voluntarily. By the end of May term, it will be school-wid- e. . Our students are pretty darn smart, said Allred, but support will still be available to anyone who has trouble with the new system. ac- cessing their school email may find it easier after the transition. Outlook is easier; it has a wider base and is easier to use on multiple devices, Allred said. Winter Morse, the computer support 8c project manager, was involved in the process. Our hope is to get students more connected with their email," she said, noting that many students forward their GroupWise to Gmail. Outlook migration has already begun for staff. Faculty will be moved in March, and students will be transferred at the end of March. Messages in folders and the inbox will remain and email addresses will be the same, according to "Morse. Canvas IS tested five different sys- Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Angel, and Canvas, with faculty and student input. Canvas was the winner. tems, see you looking at me. see the dollar signs in your eyes, like it. Maybe you should make a career out of it. can begin by managing The Forum accounts and working with advertisers. We need a Business Manager who can handle money. It's not Goldman Sachs, but it's close. You Moodle-Room- s, Contact forumbusinesswestminsterco!lege to apply. O vj 77 ,y |