CLICK on news September 2001, Volume 1, Number 7
WHAT'S NEW
* Annual report to be special edition of Extension Connection
* County stakeholder report templates available
* “Challenging students” graphic available
* Read your Iowa State news onlineUPDATES
* Instructional technology “survival skills” series setQUICK TIPS
* Dispose of ISU property properly
* Contact the Extension Information Technology support team
* Try these tips for File Scatter
* Check new virus information Web pages
* Replace aging computer equipmentWhat's old ... but still useful? Check the archive and index.
WHAT'S NEW
Annual report to be special edition of Extension Connection
This year ISU Extension’s annual report will be produced as a special edition of the Extension Connection newsletter. It will be an 8 1/2 by 11 inch saddle-stitched booklet and will be available in mid-January. The annual report edition will be produced in place of the regular winter edition of the newsletter.County stakeholder report templates available
Updated county stakeholder report templates and instructions are now available (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/communications/stakeholder/). A stakeholder report is a marketing tool that showcases significant impacts that ISU Extension has made in a county during the past year. Target audiences for these reports include community leaders, governmental officials, partners and legislators. CEEDs should send copies of their stakeholder reports to Mark Settle and to their area director by Dec. 1. For more information, check the Web site.“Challenging students” graphic available
ISU’s theme for this year is "Challenging students to become their best." Learn more about the theme at http://www.iastate.edu/~saff/challenge/. If you would like to use the theme graphic, you can download it from ISU Printing (http://web.print.iastate.edu/New%20Pages/Theme.html). (Note: the “strengthening families” theme year has ended. If you have the “strengthening families” graphic on your Web site, replace it with the “challenging students” graphic.)Read your Iowa State news online
You can be among the first to know what's in the ISU faculty/staff newsletter, Inside Iowa State, by reading the online version (http://www.iastate.edu/Inside/). The online version is available Thursday afternoons preceding the Friday publication dates. For the very latest university news, don't forget to check Today's News, http://www.iastate.edu/news/today. It is updated throughout each day. The Iowa State Daily, the student-run newspaper, also is posted online (http://www.iowastatedaily.com/).
UPDATES
Instructional technology “survival skills” series set
“Instructional Technology Survival Skills: A National How-to Series for Faculty” will be broadcast via satellite from PBS Adult Learning Services beginning Oct. 18. At ISU, the three-program series is sponsored by the Office of Academic Information Technologies, the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Instructional Technology Center and Continuing Education and Communication Services. Because of this sponsorship, there is no fee for ISU and Extension participants. Detailed information is available at http://www.pbs.org/als/programs/itsk0100.htm. To sign up call the Training and Development Office at (515) 294-8914.
QUICK TIPS
Dispose of ISU property properly
If you need to get rid of equipment that you purchased through Iowa State University, follow proper procedures to do so. To find out what you need to know to dispose of ISU property, contact Joan Ballard at (515) 294-2940 or jballard@iastate.edu.Contact the Extension Information Technology support team
When you need information technology support, who do you call? Rather than trying to reach a particular staff member, please contact the Extension Information Technology (IT) unit by e-mail at eit@iastate.edu or by the hotline, (515) 294-1725.Try these tips for File Scatter
The Extension IT unit provides staff with a Web-based system for sharing electronic files. File Scatter is an effective alternative to sending attachments via e-mail or sharing files via Extension’s old H:\ (public) file server sharing system. The File Scatter form can be found on the Web (http://dbs.extension.iastate.edu/filescatter/). This URL must be typed in exactly as shown. You may want to bookmark it. A pdf document on how to use File Scatter can be found at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Comp/Training/reference.html -- click on "Sharing Files."Check new virus information Web pages
As part of our efforts to help you keep your computers virus-free, Extension IT has developed several new anti-virus information Web pages, (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Comp/virus/). Available information includes:
- Viruses -- What are they?
- Ten tips for preventing viruses on your computer
- Installing and configuring VirusScan
- Virus hoaxesIf you haven't upgraded your VirusScan software in the last six weeks please do so, even if you have your computer set to automatically download virus updates. You can install a new version of VirusScan with the Scout CD that was sent to field offices in the Aug. 10 transmittal packet. On campus, upgrade through the network by going to Start--Programs--Scout. Remember that you must be connected to the Internet when using Scout to upgrade software on your computer.
When you upgrade VirusScan, the installation will automatically set up scanning of downloaded documents. Also go into the VirusScan Scheduler and check that automatic updates and automatic scans are set. For more details on how to do this, go to http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Comp/virus/configure_menupage.htm, which provides information on configuring VirusScan.
Viruses are one of the leading causes of computer problems so it pays to keep your anti-virus software up to date.
Replace aging computer equipment
It's a common story. "I have old computer equipment in my office that can't even run current software applications, but I can't afford new computers for all my staff. What can I do?" Here are a few options to consider. However, keep in mind that the Extension IT unit can't perform magic on old 386 or 486 computers and make them run like new.
1. First and foremost, plan ahead. As a general guide, replace computers about every three years. So, plan to replace about one-third of your office computers every year by dividing the number of staff in your office by three and multiplying by $2,000 ($2,500 if you can afford it). For example, in an office of 12, try to budget at least $8,000 per year to sustain office desktop computers. Note: If some of these computers are laptops, budget another $500 per computer.
2. If you can't afford $2,000 for a new computer, you might consider purchasing a new, but less expensive computer. For example, the Dell Web site recently showed a basic but nice Pentium 4 computer listed for about $1,200. Please keep in mind these computers are less expensive for a reason and you will need to replace them sooner than the more robust, expensive models. Also, these less expensive computer models should not be purchased for high-end users or applications, but are fine for Netscape, Eudora, MS Office and other standard office applications. Remember that any new computer purchases should meet the minimum campus purchase standards for computers found at http://www.iastate.edu/computing/standards/purchase.html.
3. Finally, if your budget is extremely tight, ISU Surplus (http://www.public.iastate.edu/~centrals/isusurplus.htm) provides one last option. Every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, ISU Surplus opens its doors to redistribute university assets, including computers, to university and state agencies. Please note, this is not our recommended solution because many of these computers may not meet support standards. If you want Extension IT to support a computer purchased from ISU Surplus, that computer must meet the minimum campus computer support standards found at http://www.iastate.edu/computing/standards/support.html. The computers available for purchase at ISU Surplus change every week. Call ahead to (515) 294-5536 or e-mail Mark Ludwig (mludwig@iastate.edu) to find out what computers are available for purchase. Also, you must bring an Intramural Purchase Order form with you.
If you have any questions, contact Floyd Davenport at Extension IT, (515) 294-8658, or e-mail at floydd@iastate.edu.
Check the Continuing Education and Communication Services Web site. Also visit the ISU Extension Web site. Send your comments or questions about this newsletter to Laura Sternweis (lsternwe@iastate.edu).
Nondiscrimination Statement and Information Disclosures
