IT News

UD has now joined the Apple Education License Program, allowing faculty and staff to install the Mac Software bundle on any University-owned Apple computer. The software, including Mac OS 10, iLife, and iWork, is available on udeploy.udel.edu. This license does not cover student-owned computers, nor does it cover a faculty or staff member's personally owned computer.

The latest security vulnerability for Adobe Flash Player should remind us all to keep all the software we use up to date.

Beginning January 20, all students can choose to use an exciting new service: Google Apps @UDel.edu. Using their UDelNet IDs (UD e-mail address), students can now use Gmail for their University e-mail and can also use the entire Google Apps for Education software suite. Students will be able to use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites, and Google Talk. Gmail offers more storage capacity and advanced features; the rest of the Google Apps suite enables students to work more productively.

IT invites faculty to attend brown bag seminars in which they can share ideas about using Sakai@UD with each other and with IT staff. The seminars will be January 22 and 29, noon to 1:00 p.m., in 010 Smith Hall.

 IT reminds all departments to follow UD administrative policy 5-6 when disposing of computers and hard drives. IT has posted a Web page that explains what action steps that policy requires. (Link)

Each spring since 2005, UD students and over 25,000 students from more than 100 other US colleges participate in the ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology. ECAR is a research unit of EDUCAUSE, a professional association whose mission is to promote efficient use of IT in higher education.

The study provides a glimpse into students’ perceptions of how technology affects their college experience. The survey helps university and college administrators learn about undergraduates’ behaviors, preferences for IT, and satisfaction with IT in the college environment.

Responses to the IT Customer Satisfaction Survey are being accepted through December 23, 2009. Faculty and staff who have not yet done so may share their thoughts about the support and services IT provides through Dec. 23.

The University of Delaware has joined other prominent universities, world-renowned museums and academies of life-long learning on Apple's iTunes U, which provides educational audio and video content through the iTunes Store.

“The delivery of educational materials is changing rapidly and the University of Delaware is keeping pace through this new partnership with Apple's iTunes U,” said David Brond, UD vice president of communications and marketing. “We are pleased to be able to offer this important service to the University community as part of our continuing commitment to innovation and excellence.”