2018 Fall CIT Extension Event (CITx)
The Fall 2018 CITx event was held the morning of Friday, November 30, 2018, in the State Farm Hall of Business.
Networking Breakfast (8:30 am - 9 am, Atrium)
Catch up with colleagues over breakfast.
IT News (9 am - 10:30 am, SFHB 139 Caterpillar Auditorium)
Get the latest IT news straight from campus technology leaders. Dr. Jan Murphy, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, will provide the opening remarks.
Redbirds of a Feather Discussion Sessions (10:45 am - 11:45 am)
Following IT News, attendees will break up into discussion groups to collaborate and share on the topics of the day.
Collaboration - Shared Goals and Shared Creation (SFHB 150)
Facilitated by Bill Hamann
Recap: Bill Hamann led 15 attendees in the important topic of collaboration. The group agreed there are “tons of people working together on campus”, yet there are times where there is a gap from the top level leadership and front line staff. The idea of a technology liaison could help blur the line between tech and non-tech/faculty, making connections across campus.
The group also highlighted several outstanding examples of team work across silos. These include collaboration on SCCM and eSports. eSports is particularly interesting since it started as a student asking a question about space for the club to practice and it turned into a campus collaboration effort to provide an outstanding space for the club.
A big theme was how ISU can work together to find a way to allow the evolution of projects like the eSports room. Face to face communications and connections is very important. Meeting at events like CIT provides the mechanism to connect, learn about others and their initiatives, and provide a channel to get things done.
Charley Edamala talked about 3 major themes we should focus on as IT: 1.User experience, 2.Accessibility, and 3.Feel empowered to ask the question.
This calls for self-awareness. Bringing the right people in at the beginning, figuring out what needs to be done, know the rules, and having smart, agile governance that is a path to getting things done that provide value to the institution.
Microsoft Teams - Anything Goes! (SFHB 149)
Facilitated by Paul Unsbee
Recap: The group discussed the many different use cases for Microsoft Teams from different areas of campus - experience with Teams varies as well. Many have recently moved Sharepoint sites to the Teams environment. Some of the best Teams features discussed included communication shortcuts like chat and group chat, the mobile client, having a way to be available to customers and other staff without providing direct phone access, a feeling with Teams that is less disruptive to communicate, a single place to go and get access to a lot of things, and that customer reaction is generally positive to Teams. The group also discussed Teams features that could be improved, including: the activity feed can get very busy and hard to read when on many Teams, it is not the right tool for all use cases, search is just OK, it could integrate better with Outlook, and general confusion for customers about the Sharepoint backend for Teams.
In general, the group feels optimistic about Teams and its application to many use cases (but not all). As Microsoft continues to work to integrate it with other Office 365 tools, it is expected that the product will only get better.
Take Charge of your Career Development at Illinois State University (SFHB 148)
Facilitated by Dean Plumadore and Andee Radliff
Recap: Because career advancement and growth can require varied experiences and lead professionals down different paths, Radliff and Plumadore brought together universally-applicable tips and advice in this Redbirds of a Feather discussion session for professional development at ISU. Both presenters bring experience from a wide range of departments at ISU, including Administrative Technologies, Student Affairs IT, HR, and Career Center, among others. Attendees present were “curious of what pathways exist” at the University and wanted to know what the process of advancement might look like.
Those in attendance represented different levels of experience at different points of their career, but many discussion points applied to all equally. Recent political concerns include budget restrictions and less conference/travel provision for professional development. While there is no “level restriction” when it comes to Civil Service vs. Administrative Professional classifications, the what and how in regards to changing jobs will differ between the two. Many departments have different levels on generic titles (IT Support Associate 1, 2, 3, etc.), but there are no universal titles across departments (AT, OAT, SAIT, etc.).
Advancement can include some pitfalls to be aware of along the way that aren’t specific to the IT field. A professional may be really good in an existing role and receive a promotion higher in the organization, only to then fail because they don’t have the tools to manage properly. In this case “manage” can mean multiple things, including resources (time/money) but also interpersonal relationships and keeping managed staff on task alongside projects on goals of the department overall. Plumdaore points out specifically that many professionals in IT may already know, but “there are managers that don’t know tech but know how to manage people, and vice versa”; it may be helpful to define your professional development by defining your route as either “management in managing people” or “becoming a tech expert for a particular field.”
Radliff stressed to the group that it is of utmost importance to know what resources are available to you in terms of benefits, in particular Continuing Education, that may assist with professional development. To find these resources, contact your benefits counselor and employment consultant in HR for further information. Webinars and self-help training can be a smaller form of continuing education, and some campus resources are already available. If you do have the ability to attend conferences, many times the hosts will offer free or heavily discounted rates if you present at the conference itself. Volunteer at organizational events to show initiative (ex. Present at CIT!). If you are not already being reviewed on an annual basis, ask your supervisor! Annual reviews provide the opportunity to set and obtain goals and show professional growth in an official capacity; remember, raises/promotions have to make a case all the way up to the Associate Vice President level.
Don’t be afraid to look at jobs outside your comfort zone, finding a position that doesn’t fit your job history may be an opportunity to learn something new and/or take on new roles. Even if you’re happy with the position you have, visit the jobs website weekly to see the variety of positions available you may not have known about previously. Always look for your next step forward, even if you’re content with where you are at currently.
Everything Endpoint (SFHB 131)
Faciltated by Jeff Grabb
Recap: Microsoft’s recent announcement to end support for SCEP is a cause for concern with anti-virus protection on Mac OS throughout campus. Discussion centered around possible replacements or alternative solutions that would allow the university to remain in compliance. The focus on anti-virus in the Mac environment led the discussion towards JAMF, a computer management solution designed specific for devices with Mac OS. JAMF appears really promising for System Administrators considering past solutions, such as AirWatch, which are really MDM solutions with Mac support being an afterthought.
Focus then shifted to Windows management including the difficulties with keeping Windows 10 up to date. Current branch support is only 18 months and hardware manufacturers are increasingly limiting support to newer versions of Windows. Unfortunately, users are taking notice to the frequent need to push through upgrades even when on a stable release. Additional challenges to consider when upgrading Windows 10 are drivers, accommodation of a variety of hardware (standard models vs “one-offs”), and the size of your environment.
CITx Informal Lunch (12 pm - 1 pm, Buffalo Wild Wings, Normal)
Keep the conversation going at Buffalo Wild Wings after CITx.
