IT NEXT
Learn more about the technology innovation and changes occurring at the University of Cincinnati.
View a calendar and list of service changes using the Change Management webapp (requires UC login).
Our Next Lives Here focuses on 'inventing tomorrow'. IT@UC will lead a digital transformation that supports UC’s new era of innovation and impact.
Nelson Vincent, Vice President for Information Technology & Chief Information Officer
Blackboard
Blackboard is UC's learning management system, part of the Canopy eLearning toolset. Updates to Blackboard are set through IT Governance and are selected to coordinate with the academic calendar.
| Date | Deadline Description |
|---|---|
| Second Thursday of every month, 5AM-7AM; Thursdays after exam weeks |
Recurring Updates (require minimal, if any, interruption to Blackboard service) |
| January 28 |
Fall 2018 student enrollment disabled |
| February 11 |
Summer 2019 College templates due |
| February 19 |
Summer 2019 courses created and instructor enrollments added |
| April 23 |
Summer 2019 student enrollments added |
| May 28 |
Spring 2019 student enrollment disabled |
| June 3 |
Fall 2019 college templates due |
| June 11 |
Fall 2019 courses created and instructor enrollments added |
Network & Telephone Refresh
The IT NEXT: Network & Telephone Refresh Project will provide the university a smarter, faster, and more secure network that meets the ever-increasing demands for reliable and robust connectivity.
View the IT Network & Telephone Refresh Project's schedule page for more information on building refresh schedules and what to expect during the process.
About the Project
The two-year project will refresh critical components of the university’s IT infrastructure in four phases.
- Phase 1 Wired IT Network Replacement: Network building switches in network equipment rooms across the university.
- Phase 2 Wireless IT Network Replacement: Wireless Access Points (WAPs) throughout the university. Phase 2 will boost wireless capacity and coverage across the university.
- Phase 3 Telephone System Replacement: Phase 3 upgrades the university’s phone system to an Internet-based Voice-over-IP phone system for increased stability, ease-of-maintenance and scalability. This step includes upgrades to all desk and phone lines.
- Electrical Upgrades: The Office of the University Architect and P+D+C will assess and complete any necessary renovations and electrical upgrades in network equipment rooms to accommodate the new equipment as part of the overall project.
Office 365 Collaboration Tools Project
In partnership with IT managers across the university and the Staff Success Center, IT@UC released Office 365 to all UC staff and faculty. Office 365 includes the Office Professional Plus desktop applications that you already know and love, and takes them to the next level by fully integrating them with the Office 365 cloud platform.
NOTE: Box at UC files will be migrated to OneDrive before fall semester 2019. You will receive an email with details before the move.
- Summer 2019 – Migration of files from Box at UC to OneDrive
- June 1, 2019 – Skype retires
- Fall 2019 – Intranet pilot project begins
What’s new in Office 365?
- 100 GB Outlook mailbox
- 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage
- Easy document collaboration and sharing from any Office application
- 5 installations of Office Professional Plus applications for your work or personal computers
- 5 installations of Office Mobile apps for iOS and Android mobile devices
- Microsoft Teams for informal, team-based collaboration – Instant Messaging, document sharing, co-authoring, video/audio calling and more, all in one place! (View the Interactive Demo.)
- Built-in Accessibility tools
- Workflow automation with Flow
- Digital storytelling with Sway
- And much, much more!
How do I get Office 365?
All of the new Office 365 tools will become available to you automatically and are accessible in any modern web browser.
- Log in via https://mail.uc.edu or https://portal.office.com to start collaborating
- Connect your Office 2016 desktop/mobile applications to your account for an even more connected, collaborative experience
How can I learn more about the new Office 365 tools and features?
- View the Office Training Center for an overview of what each application can do, and how it integrates with the rest of the Office 365 suite.
- View the Staff Success Center Website for details on additional educational opportunities–including instructor led classes, eLearning, and more.
Canvas Pilot
The Learning Management System Task Force, made up of representatives from the student body, faculty, and staff, recommended that the university conduct a pilot of Instructure Canvas as a possible replacement of Blackboard. For more detailed information about the Spring 2019 pilot, please visit the Canvas on Campus webpage.
What is Canvas?
Canvas is a cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS) from Instructure. Similar to Blackboard Learn, Canvas will be used to submit assignments, view announcements, interact with discussion boards, and communicate with professors.
Canvas has been designed to be used online, on mobile, and on tablet. Faculty and students can utilize other Canopy tools through Canvas with seamless integration. Canvas is used by more than 3,000 institutions globally, including K-12 schools and universities.
About the 2019 Spring Semester Pilot
The pilot includes about 80 faculty members, including 30 faculty members from two academic programs: Nurse Midwifery in the College of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences.