FAST FIVE for the week of January 12, 2014

News:

Breakfast with the CIO:

McGill University has voluntary breakfast meeting with the CIO. These sessions are an opportunity for IT staff to discuss processes and directions within the IT organization, share ideas, and network with other members of the department. CIO breakfasts

Better voicemail:

The University of Victoria is improving its campus telephone system. The upgrade, dubbed "Better Voicemail,"  will provide enhanced features, including integration with email and calendar. Voicemail upgrade

Mobile student services:

The University of Calgary introduced a new mobile application for student services. The app allows students to access services provided by their Student Success Centre, Career Services, Leadership and Student Engagement, and the Centre for Community-Engaged Learning. The app is designed for iPhones and iPads. Student services app

Security awareness training:

IT at the University of British Columbia has licensed a security awareness program for use by all faculty and staff. The course reviews privacy and security issues relating to encryption, passwords, social networking, wireless security, and telecommuting. Security videos

Online learning:

Ontario is providing students access to shared, transferable online courses through Ontario Online. The new service is intended to minimize duplication and improve collaboration between colleges and universities by allowing students to take the same, centralized online courses. It will operate three core services. First, a course hub will offer online courses that are fully transferable between participating colleges and universities. Second, an instruction hub will allow institutions to develop and share best practices, research, and data on how best to teach online courses. Finally, a support hub will provide academic and technical assistance to students, instructors, and institutions. Ontario online learning