Technology@Wooster

Computer Recommendations for Incoming Students

dwaldron — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:28:04 +0000

The College of Wooster recommends the Apple Macintosh and Dell lines of laptop and desktop computers for incoming students. Most retail chains like Best Buy or Circuit City offer back to school deals on computers. While these deals offer a lower sticker price, they don’t always include useful products like extended warranties, accidental damage protection, and productivity software. Extended warranties are a good idea. A logic board replacement can cost upwards of $900. A four year warranty will ensure that the computer will last throughout the student’s four years at Wooster. Both Apple and Dell offer extended warranty options. Apple provides Applecare protection on the Macbook, Macbook Pro, and iMac lines. Dell offers a four year warranty with onsite service. Should a hardware issue occur the student can call Dell and a technician will be dispatched to repair the system. Accidental damage protection through Dell also covers a laptop should liquid be spilled on the system, which happens often in dorm rooms. A normal warranty does not cover this damage.

Microsoft Office works on both Windows and Macintosh systems and is recommended by the Office of Information Technology. Dell bundles on the University page include a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 student edition. While the Apple bundle does not include a copy of Microsoft Office, it can be purchased at most retail stores, including the College’s Wilson Bookstore.

To simplify the computer purchase process, we have partnered with Dell and Apple to create recommended configurations for laptops and desktops. These recommendations can be reviewed on are partner websites which can be accessed via the computer sales page. This site also features information on Windows Vista and Office 2007. Questions about computer purchases can be directed to Mary Schantz, Manager of User Services, at mschantz@wooster.edu.

IT Offers Intermediate Word, Excel Training

dwaldron — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:22:46 +0000

IT is pleased offer day-long intermediate courses on Microsoft Word and Excel 2003. Each course is conducted in an on-campus computer lab and meets from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Word course will meet between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28. Topics to be covered include:

Working with Graphics
Using Advanced Formatting Options
Working with Headers and Footers
Working with Columns
Using Styles
Creating Tables
Formatting Tables
Using Basic Collaboration Features
Protecting Data
Using Charts, Diagrams and Organization Charts

The Excel course will meet between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 29. Topics to be covered include:

Working with Multiple Worksheets
Adjusting the Screen Display
Working with Advanced Functions
Using Advanced Formatting Features
Using Advanced Print Options
Filtering Data and Using Comments
Naming Worksheet Ranges and Formulas
Working with Charts
Protecting Data
Using Basic Integration and Web Features

All College employees are eligible to participate. Enrollment is limited. To register, contact Mary Schantz, Manager of User Services, at mschantz@wooster.edu.

Second Instructional Technology Candidate to Visit May 9

dwaldron — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:14:02 +0000

The second (of two) finalists for the position of Director of Instructional Technology will visit the campus on Friday, May 9. He will make a public presentation in Severance 009 at 4:00 on that date. He will speak to the role of technology in teaching and learning in the liberal arts environment. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend the public presentation and to provide feedback on this candidate for this important position. The candidate’s vitae, the position description and an evaluation form are available online.

First Instructional Technology Finalist to Visit May 6

dwaldron — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:08:06 +0000

The first finalist for the position of Director of Instructional Technology will visit the campus on Tuesday, May 6. He will make a public presentation in Severance 009 at 4:00 on that date. He will speak to the role of technology in teaching and learning in the liberal arts environment. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend the public presentation and to provide feedback on this candidate for this important position. The candidate’s vitae, the position description and an evaluation form are available online.

Instructional Technology Candidates to Visit Next Week

dwaldron — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:30:54 +0000

Two finalists for the position of Director of Instructional Technology will visit the campus during the week of May 5. The first will be on-campus throughout the day on Tuesday, May 6. He will make a public presentation in Severance 009 at 4:00 on that date. The second will be here on Friday, May 9. He will make a public presentation in the same location at 4:00 on that date. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend the public presentation and to provide their feedback on the candidates. The vitae of the first candidate will be available for download beginning on Monday, May 5. An evaluation form that can be used to submit comments to the search committee will be available at the same location. Questions about the search and the Director of Instructional Technology position should be directed to David Waldron.

IT Now Assisting with Web Site Updates

dwaldron — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:18:36 +0000

The position of Director of Web Services is currently vacant and a search to fill this position is currently underway. In the interim, the Office of Information Technology will provide assistance with essential web content updates. Update requests should be submitted to web-updates@wooster.edu. Requested changes will be processed as quickly as possible. Questions should be directed to Mary Schantz, Manager of User Services.

Colleague to be Unavailable Friday Evening, April 18

dwaldron — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:40:07 +0000

The Colleague (Datatel) system will be unavailable between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and midnight on Friday, April 18. During this period important system maintenance will be performed and data will be transferred from the legacy system into Colleague. ScotWeb will also be unavailable. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. Please contact Marlene Brown at x2304 with any questions you may have.

New Podcasts Available

dwaldron — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:47:02 +0000

The following podcasts are now available at http://podcast.blogs.wooster.edu:

Evaluation and Species Preservation
Bryan Norton
Bryan Norton is Professor of Philosophy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor Norton’s lecture was delivered at Wooster on March 31 of this year and was the third lecture of the Environmental Analysis and Action Symposium series.

The Earth’s Turmoil of the Last Deglacial Period
James Kennett
James Kennett is Professor of Geological Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This lecture was delivered at Wooster on March 6 and was part of The Consortium for Ocean Leadership Distinguished Lecturer Series.

Indigenous Peoples Creating, Managing and Conserving Biodiversity
Jan Salick
Jan Salick is Curator of Ethnobotany at Missouri Botanical Garden and Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. This lecture was delivered at Wooster on March 5 as part of the Environmental Analysis and Action Symposium series.

Mega Eruptions, Mega Impacts, Mass Extinctions, and the Shape of Life
Paul E. Olsen
Paul Olsen is the Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. His lecture was delivered at Wooster on February 27 and was sponsored by the Department of Geology and the Richard G. Osgood, Jr. Memorial Lecture Endowed Fund.

Tropical Diversity: An Endangered National Treasure
Rodolfo Dirzo
Rodolfo Dirzo is Professor of Biology at Stanford. His lecture was delivered at Wooster on February 20 as part of the Environmental Analysis and Action Symposium series.

The production of these podcasts is a joint project of the Media Services group and the Department of Instructional Technology, both within the Office of Information Technology. These podcasts may also be downloaded from iTunes. (Search for “College of Wooster.”)Questions about these podcasts or about podcasting at Wooster should be directed to Jon Breitenbucher.

ScotWeb Access During Registration

dwaldron — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:02:35 +0000

Over the last few days the College webserver (http://www.wooster.edu/) has been experiencing instability. We are currently working with the Director of Web Services to identify the source of this problem and to correct it. This instability does not impact ScotWeb.

Should you be unable to reach ScotWeb via the link on the College homepage, please remember that you can access ScotWeb directly at http://scotweb.wooster.edu.

Catharine Bond Hill Audio File Available

dwaldron — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:47:18 +0000

On February 19, Vassar College president Catharine Bond Hill delivered a lecture at the College of Wooster entitled “Democracy and Access to Higher Education.” This lecture was part of the College’s Great Decisions series. An audio file of the lecture is now available at http://podcast.blogs.wooster.edu. The podcast of this event can also be downloaded from iTunes.

The Media Services and Instructional Technology groups within the Office of Information Technology collaborate to create and distribute podcasts of special events that take place on campus. Check Speakers@Wooster and iTunes for the latest productions. Questions should be directed to Jon Breitenbucher.