The goal of Alfred ITS is to provide communication tools and infrastructure that facilitate learning and prepare students for an information-based workplace; enabling them to seek, organize, analyze, and apply information and associated technologies appropriately.
The University provides a gigabit campus network that is interconnected via a 10 gigabit per second campus backbone which services every residence hall room, classroom, and office on campus. Connectivity to the Internet is provided via redundant 10 gigabit per second WAN connections to multiple providers to ensure performance as well as reliability. In addition, the University has embarked on an aggressive computer upgrade initiative, replacing servers, student labs and faculty offices in an ongoing 4-year cycle.
The University uses a variety of approaches in making computers available to students. General and specialized computing labs are located throughout the campus providing access to Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Laboratory computers are preconfigured with Microsoft Office 365, standard Internet browsers, and enterprise level antivirus software. Specialized software such as SPSS, Maple, MatLab, SolidWorks, ArcGis, Minitab and others are available in all computer labs, 24-hour spaces, and library computers. Adobe Creative Cloud is available in select labs located in the Scholes and Herrick Libraries. Wireless network access is available in most campus buildings and locations. Email, file storage space and personal web page hosting services are provided to current faculty, staff, and students.
Students may borrow Windows laptops through ITS equipment lending at the ITS Helpdesk on the bottom floor of Herrick Library. This program enables students with short-term computing needs to borrow a laptop for use anywhere on or off campus for up to 7 days. ITS Equipment Lending also offers audio/visual equipment for short-term use for class projects. Equipment includes: projectors, digital video cameras, digital audio recorders, and other related devices. Through the University’s Microsoft Campus Agreement, all students can install, free of charge, Microsoft Office on their personal computers.
Alfred University provides a wide range of Web communication resources, including Canvas learning management system, Alfred Today, and the My AU portal, which support student academic, extracurricular, and social life. The MyAU portal features a mobile-responsive design, and provides easy access to frequently sought-after slices of information in single dashboard display. The portal dashboard is fully-customizable allowing campus users to reorganize the display of information based on their personal need.
Academic resources include Canvas, Panopto, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Turnitin. Canvas is AU’s Learning Management System. Instructors use Canvas to provide course materials and assignments, lead discussions, and give quizzes and exams. Canvas is used in both in-person and online courses. Panopto provides lecture capture and video management services. It allows instructors to record or upload videos so students may stream them on their computers or mobile devices. Live, real-time classes and discussions can be held using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams can also be used for document sharing, collaboration, and group projects. Turnitin is a plagiarism detection service; students or instructors may upload papers and assignments and determine the document contains unoriginal material. Turnitin also integrates with Canvas.
Students register for classes through the on-line BannerWeb process. They can review their grades, check their student accounts, and print off their class schedules to name just a few of the features that Banner provides.
The AU Information Technology Help Desk provides service oriented support for campus technology needs. ITS also offers employment and technical experience through the Student Technology Assistants (STA) program.