January 2022
McMaster Connectivity Newsletter
For the IT community, by the IT community.
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Connectivity 2022: McMaster IT Forum - REGISTER TODAY
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Join your IT colleagues for Connectivity 2022: the 5th annual McMaster IT Forum! This year’s all-virtual forum is hosted by the Office of the AVP and CTO and celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of the IT community at McMaster.
From February 22 to 25, Connectivity 2022 brings campus IT professionals, tech practitioners and business partners together as One IT Community.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn, network and create a more inclusive tech community on campus, including special appearances by McMaster President David Farrar and keynote speaker Takara Small! Click below and see event details and registration!
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McMaster Byte Size launches!
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McMaster Byte Size is the new monthly newsletter open to all McMaster faculty members, students and staff covering tech topics from collaboration tools and service updates to tips and tricks, learning opportunities and much more. Byte Size launched its first edition! Subscribe so you don't miss out on the next one.
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Important IT Information for Winter 2022: UTS
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With the start of a new semester, check out key items to note about University Technology Services (UTS) for an enhanced IT experience, such as accessing IT help and support, UTS-managed computer labs, multi-factor authentication and much more.
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MacEduTech: Educational technology hub
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Check out the new Educational Technology Resources Hub on SharePoint to find services, recommendations, tips and resources for online security, University-provided software and more to support your teaching!
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REMINDER: 2022 UTS maintenance schedule
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UTS has released its monthly maintenance windows for significant repairs, installations and upgrades for the 2022 calendar year. The maintenance activity during these scheduled times may cause limited or interrupted access to McMaster’s IT system resources. See what services, systems, days and times are expected to undergo maintenance in the full 2022 schedule.
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Starting this month: MFA for Microsoft 365 required for students, faculty and staff
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As announced by the Provost and VP Operations and Finance in late 2021, McMaster will be requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA) on Microsoft 365 services for all students, faculty and staff, beginning late January 2022.
A rolling implementation for universal adoption will begin in late January 2022, with information and support to be shared in advance and throughout the winter semester.
Start using MFA today!
There’s no need to wait! You can start today and do not need to wait until your scheduled activation date. McMaster students, faculty and staff can sign up for and use MFA right now.
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January 28th is Data Privacy Day! This day highlights the importance of protecting personal and confidential information by raising awareness about the relationship between technology, privacy and data. Find out what you can do for Data Privacy Day!
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One Card to enhance McMaster student and staff experience
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To enhance the student experience, McMaster is implementing a One Card solution to seamlessly integrate several student and staff activities onto one ID card that can be virtual or physical.
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New Mosaic Employee Change Request eForms are replacing the paper-based HR Event Forms to streamline your work. On January 26, 2022, the 5 new eForms will be released and available to access in Mosaic. Big thanks to all who contributed to this enhancement!
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New, improved process for PCard expense reconciliation
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Financial Affairs is pleased to introduce an improved process for reconciling monthly PCard expenses. Starting January 10, 2022, McMaster PCard holders will experience a more streamlined and automated workflow when reconciling their expenses. The new PCard reconciliation process will provide the ability to add attachments, reduce keystrokes and eliminate the practice of hardcopy reports changing hands throughout the university. Another thank you to all who helped implement this improvement!
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GSuite decommission coming this semester
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With the institutional move to Microsoft 365, McMaster's GSuite will soon be decommissioned. Individuals who are impacted will receive advance notice and instructions on how to move their files and data.
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NEW! Microsoft 365 and Zoom features and updates
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Click here to see a demo of the McMaster Office 365 Hub.
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Head to the Discover Microsoft 365 and Zoom page if you're looking for ways to enhance the learning experience in online spaces, communicate and engage with students virtually or discover other creative use cases.
Want to join a community of practice? There's one for everyone — students, staff and instructors.
Automatic Zoom updates will roll out every third Thursday of the month. Zoom will be upgraded to the latest version so you have the latest upgrades and security. Make sure you allow for enough time to install the updates on your App before starting meetings and lessons.
Stay up to date on Zoom and best practices for securing your meetings.
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IT Spotlight: Connectivity 2022: the McMaster IT Forum
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From humble beginnings to a highly anticipated event, Connectivity: the McMaster IT Forum has been bringing campus IT professionals, tech practitioners and business partners together as One IT Community. But how did it all start, and more importantly, how will it grow, develop and reflect the McMaster IT community?
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Call for 2022 Virtual Hallway Chats with Gayleen!
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Are you missing the delightful run-ins and impromptu conversations on campus and want to chat with Gayleen? Express your interest and reach out to Tanya Reid at tanya.reid@mcmaster.ca to set up a Virtual Hallway Chat. In anticipation of Connectivity 2022, check out this Virtual Hallway Chat featuring McMaster President David Farrar and Gayleen!
Catch up on previous Hallway Chats.
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IT Strategic Plan anniversary
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Join us in celebrating the three-year anniversary of the McMaster IT Strategic Plan! Countless people from across McMaster IT are to thank for bringing the plan to life and continue moving it forward. We'll continue to collaborate to deliver a technology experience that is more connected, seamless, and transformative. Tune in to Connectivity 2022 to get the latest updates and see the festivities!
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REGISTER: NERCOMP Annual Conference
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Registration is now open for the NERCOMP Annual Conference, March 14 to 16, 2022, in Providence, RI. The conference will feature expert presenters and sessions in a variety of formats to help build your professional acumen, increase applicable takeaways, and facilitate the networking you need to stay in the know.
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EAB: 4 new data opportunities for success analytics—and where you should begin
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Students increasingly expect their institutions to use the rich data that lives in every college and university silo to support them holistically, with personalized interventions and seamless in-person and digital services. To meet these expectations, student success efforts must look beyond traditional academic data to ensure students are seen in their own context and to support them to succeed. EAB identifies four areas of focus that the most progressive institutions are exploring.
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SAVE THE DATE: OHEIT 2022
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Ryerson University will be hosting the Ontario Higher Ed IT (OHEIT) conference from Tuesday, May 24 to Friday, May 27, 2022. While OHEIT is an Ontario conference, all sessions will be available online, including the cybersecurity track that replaces Ryerson's traditional "cybersecurity day."
Save the dates for OHEIT: May 24 to May 27, 2022 and stay tuned for more information.
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Have a story you want to share with the IT Community? Email Peter McDonald at mcdonp1@mcmaster.ca to feature an article!
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