SSN Conversion Starts December 18. (12/14/04)
Beginning January 1, 2005, a new PSU ID will be used in place of the Social Security Number (SSN) as the University's primary identifier. Administrative systems will not be available during the conversion; see the SSN conversion status page (http://ais.its.psu.edu/ssn/ssn_update.html) for details. Learn more (http://ais.its.psu.edu/ssn/index.html) about the SSN project.

ITS Launches New and Improved downloads.its.psu.edu Web Site (11/17/04)
Downloading software supported by Information Technology Services (ITS) just became easier thanks to a new and improved version of "downloads.its.psu.edu." Now available to Penn State faculty, staff and students, https://downloads.its.psu.edu/ provides central, "one-stop-shopping" access to software applications, updates, related information and documentation for ITS-supported and managed software. more...

Audio Conferencing and Phone Support Services (11/15/04)
ITS offers various services through the Call Center (865-4700) that offer cost effective and time saving options for departments, faculty, and staff. more...

Penn State Call Center to Adjust Hours of Operation Effective January 2005
To better accommodate the needs of the Penn State Community and others who utilize Penn State's Call Center Services, the Call Center will be adjusting its weekday hours of operation effective January 2, 2005. The Weekend hours will remain the same. The new hours will be:

Monday-Friday: 7am to 10pm
Saturday and Sunday: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Call Center Operators can be reached by calling 814-865-4700. More information about the Penn State Call Center is available at http://css.its.psu.edu/callcenter/.

New Security Requirements Coming for ITS E-mail Service Users (11/09/04)
E-mail correspondence at Penn State will get just a little bit safer by the time the spring 2005 semester arrives. By January 25, faculty, staff and students will be required to check e-mail via a secure-only connection using Secure Socket Layer (SSL), software that encrypts data as it is transmitted over the Internet. Once an e-mail client (such as Eudora or Mozilla) is configured to use an SSL connection, SSL encrypts or "scrambles" a user's Penn State Access Account userid (user I.D.) and password when he/she checks e-mail via mail.psu.edu or email.psu.edu and also encrypts the messages as they are downloaded from the e-mail servers to an e-mail client on the user's local machine. more...

Faculty and Staff Preparation Key to Successful SSN Changeover (11/09/04)
These days, the importance of safeguarding personal data is a hot topic of conversation not only at Penn State, but also at many other institutions including the federal government. In July, the House Committee on Ways and Means approved the Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act, a bill designed to put further restrictions on the use and display of Social Security numbers (SSNs) in an effort to better protect identities. more...

Plotting Service Discontinuation Announcement. (11/09/04)
ITS will be discontinuing it's large format color postscript plotting service (i.e. the 201 Pollock Lab HP plotters) at the end of Fall Semester 2004. The last day for plot submission using that service will be Monday, December 20. Plots submitted by that time will be available for pickup during open hours at the Pollock Lab until 5:00 PM Thursday, December 23. more...

University computer security campaign to feature contest this October (10/05/04)
Higher education, government agencies, and large companies were hit hard this year when millions of computers fell prey to viruses and worms. Wasted resources have been measured in billions of dollars - and the next attack could be just around the corner. To help the University to meet these growing challenges, Information Technology Services (ITS) is launching a security awareness campaign this October and November with an urgent message for students, staff and faculty to "take control" by proactively ensuring that their computers are protected from security dangers such as viruses, worms and other system vulnerabilities. more...

Discussion series to address strengthening courses with cultural material (9/15/04)
A series of four fall faculty-led discussion sessions will provide an opportunity for instructors to share ideas about integrating U.S. and international cultural perspectives into any course. As the student population at Penn State becomes increasingly diverse, instructors can build trust and lend courses greater educational value by being attuned to the cultural spectrum. more...

University expands digital storage resources (9/2/04)
This fall, Penn State Information Technology Services (ITS) has increased digital storage space for University community members 250 percent above the amount of space offered in previous semesters. more...

Penn State WebAccess is now available (8/13/04)
The WebAccess system, which uses the University of Michigan's Cosign technology (a development effort that is funded by the National Science Foundation's National Middleware Initiative-Enterprise and Desktop Technologies program ), provides an environment in which users authenticate/login once with their respective Access Account userids and password to a central server in order to access multiple services protected with WebAccess without needing to re-authenticate. For example, a user can authenticate via Penn State WebAccess and then access services such as the Penn State Portal and Penn State WebMail without needing to authenticate again to those services. more...

Home Computer Security (7/23/04)
If you are like the majority of Americans, you have a computer at home that is connected to the Internet. To sell more computers, companies make computers relatively easy to use, often at the expense of computer security. Do you know if your computer is protected from the constant probes of other infected computers and hackers? This article will focus on steps to adequately safeguard against the real threats against your machine. more...

Blended Training Solutions Combine Resources to Support Teaching and Learning (7/23/04)
For students in this day and age, using some form of technology to complete class assignments is almost unavoidable, regardless of the subject matter of the class, according to ITS Training Services training specialist April Sheninger. With Blended Training Solutions, a new service from Information Technology Services (ITS) Training Services, faculty can face the challenge of helping their students learn the technology necessary to complete assignments while still maintaining focus on the primary course subject. more...

Multicultural Course Materials now Available to Penn State Faculty (7/23/04)
After months of work and collaboration with faculty across the Penn State system, the Multicultural Enhanced Learning for Diversity (MELD) project's Web site http://meld.tlt.psu.edu/ is now available for use by Penn State faculty. more...

University Departments Prepare for SSN Changeover (7/23/04)
With just seven months until Penn State adopts new Penn State ID numbers (PSU IDs) as the primary identifier of students, faculty and staff, University colleges, departments and campuses are steadily working to prepare their areas for the changeover. more...

In-depth Technology Seminars Available This Year (7/23/04)
Extended Format Seminars cover popular technology topics, such as Access, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop, in two convenient half-day sessions. Offered by Information Technology Services (ITS) Training Services, Extended Format Seminars explore a wide range of features and functions of the seminar topic. more...

Penn State Negotiates Student Microsoft Office Contract (5/21/04)
Penn State's Information Technology Services organization (ITS) recently negotiated an agreement with Microsoft to make Office Pro 2003 available for student purchase throughout the University. The agreement, which requires a signature from each student when he or she purchases the Microsoft Office product, provides a significant savings over retail pricing. more...

Penn State "Clicks" with Downloadable Audiobooks (5/21/04)
University community members, who enjoy reading novels by John Grisham, Alice Walker, Stephen King and many other popular authors, can now download and listen to their favorite audiobooks at a significant discount, thanks to a contract recently signed between Audible, Inc. and Penn State. more...

Red Hat Linux Now Available at Educational Rates (5/20/04)
Penn State's Information Technology Services organization (ITS) and the well known software vendor, Red Hat, have entered into an agreement to make the Red Hat Linux Operating System available to departments throughout the University at a significant educational discount. more...

University Arranges for Less Expensive Prepaid Calling (4/20/04)
Due to declining usage by students, the AT&T College and University Service (ACUS) program currently available to campus residents will be discontinued on May 15, 2004. This means that-while local service will remain the same-students will no longer be able to use direct dial to make long-distance calls. The University has arranged for a less expensive alternative in the form of The Penn State Personal Prepaid Calling Card. Administered by AT&T, these cards have a cost of approximately 4 cents per domestic minute and low international flat rates (rates differ by destination called), which are less than most direct dial rates. There are no monthly fees or surcharges and minutes do not expire. These PrePaid Calling Cards can be used from anywhere in the United States, as well as, from most international locations. They are also available to all students, staff and faculty to use at their desks, at home or while traveling. They are available at http://computerstore.psu.edu with free shipping. Residence hall students will also be able to use other brands of personal calling cards or a long-distance service accessible by dialing a toll-free number (such as 800, 888, or 877) to make long-distance calls.

Penn State Graduates Stay Connected With Friends of Penn State
Life after college takes Penn State graduates many places but they will never be too far from Penn State, thanks to a service called Friends of Penn State (FPS). In addition to some of the benefits graduates receive as brand new alumni, they now can forever stay connected to their alma mater with a free, FPS, lifetime digital identity. Beginning with the graduating class of spring 2004, all Penn State graduates will be automatically granted a lifetime Friends of Penn State account. For more information, please visit: http://aset.its.psu.edu/announcements/fps_digital_identity.html

SSN Changeover Project to Interrupt Fall 2004 Grade Reporting: (3/29/04)
Beginning January 2005, Penn State will restrict the use of Social Security numbers (SSNs) and start using new Penn State ID (PSU ID) numbers to identify faculty, staff and students. more...

Teaching with Technology Certificate Program Benefits Graduate Teaching Assistants (2/27/04)
Graduate teaching assistants and academic departments are invited to participate in the Teaching with Technology certificate program, detailed at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/support/twt/. Through the free program, graduate students apply existing technology skills, acquire new skills, and develop a philosophy about teaching with technology. They assemble a portfolio showcasing their knowledge, skills, and achievements using technology for teaching, under the guidance of a departmental representative. Upon approval of the portfolio, students receive a certificate from The Graduate School, enhancing their marketability when seeking teaching positions. Some departments in which graduate students have expressed interest in the program currently have no faculty member appointed to review student portfolios. Such departments are encouraged to appoint a representative. Graduate teaching assistants or faculty members interested in participating may contact twtc@psu.edu. The Teaching with Technology certificate program is jointly sponsored by The Graduate School and Teaching and Learning with Technology.

Computer Viruses Continue to Plague E-mail: (2/19/04)
It seems as if every few days a new computer virus shows up in e-mailboxes. The problem is growing, taxing the resources of information technology professionals as they try to maintain a secure, virus-free network. Prevention is the key to avoiding problems with e-mail viruses and worms. "I can't say it enough - even if the e-mail appears to come from someone you know, don't click on (the attachment) unless you can confirm from that person that they sent it," said Kathy Kimball, director of computer and network security in Information Technology Services (ITS) at Penn State. "Everyone also should have virus protection software installed on their computers by now, and they should update the virus definitions today and weekly." Read the full story on Penn State Live at http://live.psu.edu/story/5645

Affordable IT Professional training is now available (2/18/04)
IT Professional courses are new to the growing list of services available through ITS Training Services. Developed to provide high-quality technical training to members of the Penn State community, these courses are being offered at deeply discounted educational rates. Because this training opportunity is brand new, ITS Training Services is offering a no-risk, money back guarantee to all participants. IT Professional courses for March include: Programming a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Database, Designing a Secure Microsoft Windows 2000 Network, Implementing and Supporting Windows XP Professional, and Cisco CCNA Fast Track. All spring seminars take place at South Hills Technology Center (1315 S. Allen). Upon request, ITS Training Services can also arrange specialized training for your unit. For course descriptions and details, please visit the Web site at http://its.psu.edu/training/itpro/.

University Continues to Combat Global Computer Virus Outbreak (2/12/04)
The University has launched several preventative measures to ensure protection of the Penn State community against the latest, and one of the most deadly viruses, now spreading across the Internet. The virus, known as W32.Novarg.A@mm (or My.Doom), is a mass-mailing worm that arrives as an attachment with the file extension .bat, .cmd, .exe, ..pif, .scr, or .zip. If the attachment is opened, the virus infects the computer and quickly replicates and transmits itself throughout the network, bypassing security systems and consuming huge quantities of bandwidth. According to an article released by CNN last week (http://www.moneymag.com/2004/01/28/technology/mydoom_costs/), My.Doom has shut down networks worldwide and estimates for lost productivity and technical support expenses caused by the worm are over $100 million dollars. more...

IT Initiatives Dial-up Savings for University (1/30/04)
While the cost of energy, equipment and facilities associated with running a major university rise, institutions across the nation are searching for ways to keep tuition increases to a minimum. Recently Penn State created a Task Force (headed by Executive Vice President and Provost, Rodney Erickson, and Senior Vice President for Finance and Business, Gary Schultz) to identify avenues to help the University cut costs and increase non-tuition income. The Task Force responded with recommendations that are expected to save Penn State millions of dollars over the next several years. ITS is contributing to these cost savings efforts through three programs that will help reduce University expenses for software purchases and national and international phone calls. To read the complete article, go to: http://css.its.psu.edu/news/costsaving.html.

AIS Unveils New Web Site (1/27/04)
On Monday, Feb. 2, tune into the Administrative Information Services Web site (http://ais.its.psu.edu/). It will feature a cleaner look and more intuitive navigation. Extensive user testing is the basis for these changes. In addition the new site is fully integrated with a Web Content Management System, enabling content experts to upkeep the freshest information available to you. While the site may look different, the home page address will remain the same. Those who currently use browser bookmarks of specific services within the AIS site will, however, want to re-mark those pages, as some directories and file names have been altered. If your department's Web pages reference specific AIS pages, these also will need to be updated. Any further questions may be directed to AIS-Webmaster@psu.edu.

Spam Filtering Trial Update/Status (1/27/04)
On November 24, 2003, Academic Services and Emerging Technologies (ASET), a unit of Information Technology Services (ITS), began its trial evaluation of spam filtering on Penn State's e-mail servers. This spam filtering evaluation allowed ITS-operated Penn State e-mail servers to reject spam and minimize the impact to University networks and computers. Many "spammers" deliver their spam by using third-party resources without permission. The approach in this evaluation filters e-mail based on its origin rather than its content. For additional information and help resources, please visit http://aset.its.psu.edu/spamfilter_update.html.

Technology Seminars Available for Spring (1/13/04)
Registration opened on January 12 for the spring session of technology seminars, offered by Information Technology Services (ITS). ITS offers many free and for-fee technology seminars to target the needs of Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Exciting seminar topics for spring include e-Commerce, MS Project, Dreamweaver, StarOffice, TEACH Act, and many more. ITS offers this service to help faculty, staff, and students learn about the many technology tools that can enrich and enhance their knowledge and professional roles at Penn State and beyond. Seminars fill up quickly, so be sure to check online for the technology training you need. For more information, or to register for seminars, visit http://its.psu.edu/training/.

New Calling Options Dial-up Savings for University: (1/6/04)
With a directive from President Graham Spanier to find ways to cut University costs, ITS has created two new calling options for University and personal use. more...