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Heading: The DoIT Monthly

Message from the VP of IT

Headshot of Vice President of Information Technology, Dr. Monique Sendze, in a red blouse on the campus grounds at California State University Chico

Welcome to another edition of our DoIT monthly campus newsletter. I hope you are enjoying getting to know more about the people, products, and services we have to offer you.  It has been four months since we launched our first Strategic plan as the new Division of IT to campus. This plan is a product of a strong partnership with all our stakeholders, and our commitment to work with our stakeholders in an ambitious, innovative, and progressive way to drive success for our students, faculty, and staff.  And you, our stakeholders, are valued partners as we begin working to operationalize the plan. Our success depends on IT initiatives that are clearly aligned with our institution’s goals, IT excellence, and our ability to drive technology innovation. 


We have released a video to highlight our IT Strategic Plan (our promise and commitment to our organization's current and future success) and how the Division of IT will partner with the campus community to realize the university's vision for a sustainable future using technology. This strategic plan is designed to align with our institution’s three strategic priorities: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Civic and global engagement, resilient and sustainable systems. Through our IT strategic plan, we seek innovative ways to use technology for the advantage of our campus community and to deliver the best experiences to our customers with our services and products. To this end, our strategic plan will be a living plan that will change as technology evolves in the future. This will make it possible for the Division of IT to deal with the unique and unprecedented problems of our times. 




Kind regards,

Monique Sendze

Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer

Contact VP Sendze
Section title: Did You Know?

Chico State has an in-house CNC Laser Cutter. University Print Services manages an environmentally friendly CO2 laser (size:  24” x 36") with the capability to laser cut designs out of various materials, including wood, translucent acrylic, metallic acrylics, cardboard, and matte boards. This allows for a wide range of creative projects and applications without having to outsource printing services. Some of the popular applications of the CNC laser cutter include:

  • Custom wood wall displays, such as the decorative nature pieces used to decorate the new Tribal Relations building
  • Custom wooden coasters that can serve as commemorative keepsakes, highlighting the university's rich history and providing a tangible reminder of the event
  • Custom-designed awards for faculty, staff and students
  • Event centerpieces with a Chico State flair
  • The university's signature Wildcat logo in various sizes

Get in touch with University Print Services to learn more about how their CNC Laser Cutter can help bring your creative vision to life for your next project or event.

Tiffany Drobny using the CNC Laser Printer to print a 3D acrylic wildcat logo for Chico State
Email University Print Services

Users can look up which areas of campus have wireless coverage. The Chico State website offers interactive maps that highlight areas that have outdoor Wi-Fi, including areas on campus such as the University Farm, University Village, Intramural Fields, etc. These coverage maps support the university’s goal of sustainability and inclusion, allowing the campus community to plan their activities wherever the commitment to higher education may take them. Over the summer, the Division of IT has worked on upgrading over 500 wireless access points throughout campus to eliminate dead spots and increase bandwidth to support the growing technology needs of the campus community.


To use the Wi-Fi coverage map, go the left hand column of the webpage below and select "Services." From there, you can check boxes for the coverage areas that you would like to see on the displayed campus map. If you are looking for indoor Wi-Fi, you can select "Buildings and Spaces" and highlight "Good Places to Video Chat" from the selection menu.

A screenshot of the campus coverage map for internet service and photos of wireless routers around campus with bugs on them
Campus Wi-Fi Coverage Maps at Chico State

Did you know that Avaya's Workplace softphone application is the recommended telephone option for all Chico State employees? Since the pandemic, the campus has used Avaya's Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution, which allows you to make and receive calls from your campus extension using your desktop or laptop computer. This is also possible with Avaya's Mobile app for iOS or Android devices.  No matter where you are, you can make and receive calls using Workplace's robust telephony features. A service ticket can be issued to accommodate a range of service alternatives via the Information Technology Support Services website for people who want to get 'set up with a physical handset. When a ticket is created, CASV (Communication Account Services) is notified and the process of assigning a new phone extension to the user begins.

A closeuo of an Avaya phone used at Chico State and photo of Bret Freitas from TSRV sitting at his desk
Resources for the Campus Phone System
Section title: DoIT Around Campus
Samantha Back working the Division of IT table at Chico State at the Upward Bound career fair for high school students in the program

DoIT at Upward Bound Career Fair


Division of IT employees volunteered to advise high school students about career paths that a STEM education can lead to at the Upward Bound Career Fair in June of 2023. Upward Bound is an academic and college preparation program funded by the U.S. Department of Education serving northern California high school students from low-income background, many of them preparing to become first generation college students. The program purpose is to help these high school students develop the skills and motivation necessary to successfully complete high school and to enter and succeed in college.

 

Samantha Back is a Chico State Alum with a degree in Computer Science - Systems and is now working in Enterprise Applications within Chico State. As a first-generation college student herself, she spoke to students about the hesitation they had about college and the challenges they face for being the first in their family to pursue higher education. Students and volunteers at the career fair welcomed a dialog about what their future careers could look like and a clear path to get there.

The rennovated space in Selversters at Chico State

Newly Renovated Rooms in Selvester's Café


Classroom Technology Services recently completed renovation of Selvester’s Café with technology enhancements added to rooms 100 and 104. The meeting space is one of the most iconic on campus, with floor-to-ceiling windows emitting natural light and scenic views of the creek, bridges, and foliage on campus. The mix of technology and natural scenery embodies the values of Chico State, and this space can be booked for your next meeting or social event via Astra.

 

SELV 100 (max. occupancy 144) IT equipment:

3 projectors (and 3 motorized projection screens)

2 web cameras

3 ceiling microphones, and 2 wireless microphones

Ceiling speakers, as well as a stereo speaker setup for musical performances

2 touch panel controllers

2 height-adjustable workstations

 

SELV 104 (max. occupancy 25) IT equipment:

2 Large displays

Web camera that frames to the size of the group

Ceiling microphone

Ceiling speakers

Touch panel controller


Reserve a Room on Astra
Section title: Ask The Expert
Screenshots of software used to perform software updates on Chico State managed PCs and Mac computers

Should I get software updates through my operating system or Chico State?


Campus managed computers have campus managed software updates pushed through Chico State, not third party vendors. You can open the "Software Center" application on a PC or "Self Service" application on an Apple computer to search for available software updates.

Visit the Knowledgebase
Screenshot of classroom technology weboages that show which tech equipment each meeting space on campus is equipped with

How do I know which meeting spaces on campus have the technology I need?


The classroom technology website has a drop down list of all rooms on campus and the tech available in each space. You can learn if your meeting space has built in projectors, speakers, cameras, etc in preparation for your meetings by checking out the website and selecting the classrooms and meeting spaces you are interested in.

Look up the IT Capabilities of each Chico State Meeting Room
Section title: DoIT Serving You

DoIT Webpage Views Report


Our Web Services Team recently completed an audit of all the DoIT webpages to analyze and assess which pages have the highest impact, and which should be deprecated in an effort to keep our content current and relevant for our website visitors. Below is a breakdown of how much web traffic each department within the Division of IT receives.

A bar graph representing all departments within the division of IT and how many hits each webpage got
Section title: Get to Know DoIT - Staff
Casey Darr portrait

Meet Casey Darr

UX Designer department of Technology, Equity and Inclusion (TEIN)


 I design website layouts and help people optimize their pages for ease of use.

 

Fun facts about me:

- My job as a UX designer is uncommon in the Cal State system. Of the 23 campuses, less than 5 have a dedicated UX role.

- My 6’6 height makes me a good person to ask for help grabbing that high-reaching orange on a nearby citrus tree.

- I saw both Prince and Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) in concert at Coachella in 2008. I also went to Burning Man that same year.

- I taught MADT 433 Human Factors at Chico State in Spring 2022 as a fill-in.

- I’m an avid podcast listener. Ask me what my favorite podcast is as a conversation starter.

- Disc golf, backpacking, and walks with friends & family are a few of my favorite hobbies. My best score at Peregrine Point disc golf course is -7.

- I’m originally from Lompoc, CA which is on the coast between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.


Tiffany Drobny holding a wildcat

Meet Tiffany Drobny

Lead Reprographics Specialist for the department of Creative Media Technology (CMT)


I have over 15 years of experience on campus. This job is the perfect blend of hands-on creativity and the opportunity to collaborate with some truly amazing individuals on campus. I can confidently say that my coworkers are the icing on the cake. (Mmmm. . . cake) 


In addition to overseeing the production hub of our campus print needs, I've taken the opportunity to learn and operate our CNC laser cutter, who I’ve named Phoenix, Phi for short. I’ve enjoyed getting to know its quirks and have created many unique custom pieces over the last couple years.  


When I'm not knee deep in the campus print world, I'm a mom to four active and hilarious kiddos. 

Outside of work, I do my best to find time to nurture my creative side and soak up nature's beauty with my family by embarking on hiking adventures, kayaking, hosting spontaneous dance parties, and finding laughter in all occasions.”


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