CIS News: September 2004

News from the Office of Telecommunications

The Telecommunications Office reminds its customers that with the office's recent move to Davol Square, mobile communication devices such as wireless phones and pagers may now be picked up at the CIT Help Desk (CIT 101) during normal business hours (please bring your Brown ID). Emergency replacements can be arranged by calling 3-2007. The move has not affected Telecommunications' telephone numbers or e-mail addresses, though the campus PO box number reverts back to the original box 1885.

In other news:

• A new policy related to departmental telephone services was reviewed this summer and approved by the Computing Advisory Board (CAB). The Telephone Services Policy is posted on the CIS policy page.
• The agreement between Brown & AT&T Wireless has been renewed, offering incentives to upgrade your cellular service to AT&T Wireless GSM Service. There is also a new pooled plan available to users of Brown-issued phones: 300 "National Pooled Minutes" (no roaming or Long Distance charges continental US), unlimited "Mobile to Mobile" and free "Nights & Weekends". [Wireless Options]
• Department managers should note that the rates for international calling within departments were reduced an additional 20% over the summer. This would have first appeared in the August financial ledgers as an adjustment to July’s international calling charges (making the reduction retroactive to July 1). Any questions may be directed to the Telecom Financial Administrator at 3-1717. [Understanding Your Bill]

Visit the Telecommunications website or call 3-2007 to learn more about the above and Telecom's other services.

Computer Training Opportunities

CIS offers a variety of computing classes for both staff and students. The fall schedules are up and registration is now open.

Staff are invited to sign up now for free training classes from Computer Education. Most classes run 90 minutes and are held in the CIT building. Session topics include:

• publishing (both desktop and web)
• financial and administrative skills (marketing, data analysis, timemanagement, project management and spreadsheets)
• creating rich-media presentations
• computing administration (database design, IT security, data collection over the web and email management)
• Microsoft Office 2003 demo

Students can register for classes through the PASS (Professional and Academic Skills for Students) program, which offers regular sessions in:

• web skills (CSS and XHTML, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, HTML)
• graphics software (Illustrator and Photoshop)
• Microsoft Office tools (Excel and Powerpoint)
• plus more (FileMaker and Maintaining Your Windows Computer).

PASS also provides WebCT training when requested by faculty. Visit the new and improved PASS web site to register and for more details.

PAW Prints debuts September 15

As of September 15, free printing will be discontinued at Library and CIS cluster/dispatch printers. Called PAW (People Against Waste) Prints, the objective of this program is to reduce expenses associated with abandoned print jobs.

Throughout the month of September, PAW Prints free print cards are being offered to all students, who may pick up their card at the Dispatch window in the CIT lobby, next to the Help Desk. (Please bring your Brown ID to claim your card.) Each PAW Prints card is worth $25 of printing to PAW Prints printers for the 2004-2005 academic year.

Starting 9/15, a PAW Prints card, or funds on the vending stripe of your Brown ID card, will be required to release print jobs sent to the clusters or the Dispatch printer queue. Departments that need to print in the clusters or to Dispatch can purchase copy/print cards from Graphic Services. Individuals can buy a vending card from a CVC machine or add value to the vending stripe of their Brown ID. The charge is $.05/page simplex and $.07/sheet duplex.

More information about using the PAW Prints service is avalable on the Printing@Brown site.

Symantec AntiVirus 9.01 for Windows

Software Services has released the latest version of Symantec AntiVirus (v 9.01) to the Brown community, available for download now from the Software Distribution pages. Please notify the Help Desk (3-HELP) if you have any problems installing SAV 9.01 for Windows.

Symantec Anti-Virus (SAV) has been licensed for use by Brown students, staff and faculty on desktop computers. It can be used by all members of the campus community, whether on campus or off, including the home machines of staff and faculty.

Please note that according to Brown's Network Connection Policy, any device that connects to the Brown University network (whether through standard university ports, wireless services, or home and off-campus connections) and is capable of running anti-virus software, must have Brown-licensed anti-virus software (or other appropriate virus protection products) installed, current and running.