Category: Enable Student Success

Prepare to Leave UF’s GatorCloud Environment

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Commencement is around the corner, which means graduating Gators should prepare for life after college. For those graduating or not continuing to take classes at UF following the spring 2024 term, Gators should prepare to lose access to multiple digital services. Review the following list of resources to make the appropriate arrangements:

GatorMail: Your UF email account will be deactivated 365 days after graduation or 365 days since last being registered for a class. If you have signed up for any third-party services (such as Instagram or Spotify) using your GatorMail email credentials, change your login and account recovery information on those accounts before you get locked out. Also, forward any important attachments or information you may have kept in your GatorMail to another email account or storage option.

GatorCloud: Apps and files in your GatorCloud, including Office 365 and Google Suite, are accessible up to 365 days after graduation. Plan ahead by transferring all files to a separate cloud storage and downloading all ongoing projects saved on a GatorCloud application to another location.

UFApps: Access to UFApps is deactivated once you are no longer a student. Allot time to go through UFApps and transfer any useful coursework files and unfinished projects you want to keep to a personal storage option.

If you have any account questions or need assistance before saying goodbye to the university’s digital environment, please contact the UFIT Help Desk by calling 352-392-HELP/4357, or visiting in person at 132 Hub (across from the Starbucks.).

Student Perspectives on AI (Live Event)

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UF Information Technology’s (UFIT) Tech Byte series continues this spring with a unique, student panel event. Current undergraduates from diverse majors will talk about their use of AI in coursework, how AI is showing up in their lives, and about AI’s impact on their career path and plans for the future.  UFIT will livestream this moderated panel on Thursday, April 18, at 2:00 p.m.  If you’d like to submit specific questions to be asked of the student panel, email Associate Director of Academic Technology Ryan Yang.

Register now to watch and listen in to this innovative panel: https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqc-irqzkjH9OO23WdTpgkIrMOhW1vdvuc#/registration

For further details on this event or on UFIT’s Tech Byte series, visit: https://citt.ufl.edu/workshops/tech-bytes/

Open: Summer 2024 Canvas Course Requests

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Faculty can now request Summer 2024 Canvas courses via ONE.UF using these instructions. Only instructors of record may use ONE.UF to request courses. Faculty or staff requesting on behalf of instructors will need to do so via myUFL.

If someone normally requests courses for you, please let them know you are handling your own course request. If you do not need a course in Canvas this summer, then follow the instructions above and find the “Exclude Section from Canvas” instructions.

Course auto-creation for all Summer 2024 courses begins Wednesday, May 8, at 12:00 p.m.  Courses not requested or marked as “Exclude Section from Canvas” by that date and time will automatically be created. Instructors who need sections combined into one shell are advised to make their course request before Wednesday, May 8. Any course section added to the Student Information System after auto-creation will still need to be requested.

As a reminder, instructors cannot use Canvas Announcements or Inbox to communicate with students prior to the start date of the course and the course being published. Instructors that want to communicate with students prior to the start of the Summer A/C 2024 semester (Monday, May 13), may use the Class Rolls feature in ONE.UF to do so. Full course rosters will not load into Canvas until after the auto-creation date.

The e-Learning Support team is offering one-on-one consultations to help prepare your course for the upcoming term. Please schedule an appointment at http://go.ufl.edu/CanvasHelp. The consultations will be conducted via Zoom. Please reach out to the e-Learning Support team with any questions:

Intern with UFIT!

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Applications for Summer 2024 internships are now live, with opportunities in wide-ranging IT fields: https://it.ufl.edu/internships/. UF Information Technology’s (UFIT) paid internships offer immersive on-the-job experience supporting a campus of 100,000+ stakeholders with cutting-edge technologies used by Fortune 500 companies. The internships are open to all students regardless of major or year. Prospective applicants can explore the catalog of internship opportunities offered across UFIT’s eight departments:

  • Academic Technology
  • Applications, Development, and Integrations
  • Customer Experience & Resource Planning
  • Data Platform and Analytics
  • Information Security Office
  • Infrastructure & Communications Technology
  • IT Business Center
  • Research Computing

Information systems junior Srinithi Reddy is interning in the Customer Experience & Resource Planning department, where she collaborates with the business relationship managers group to enhance UF’s enterprise IT experience.

“This opportunity has helped me hone my interpersonal communication skills, develop a better understanding of collaborating with a variety of specialized teams, and enhanced my proficiency with MS Visio by transforming complex data into visually engaging and informative charts and diagrams,” Reddy said.

John Wes Miller, a sophomore at American University, is a risk analyst intern for the Information Security Office. Miller said his tasks include classifying data and conducting security assessments of the university’s digital infrastructure.

“This internship can truly set you apart and lay the groundwork for a successful career in information security,” he said. “It has given me hands-on experience in cybersecurity and insights into the real-world challenges faced by organizations in securing their digital assets.”

Internship application deadlines may vary according to department. Have questions about the internship program? Contact UFIT at it-comm@ufl.edu.

Connecting Students with Tech Resources

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UF Information Technology (UFIT) hosted its annual Tech Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Tech Fair allows students to explore various free campus tech resources and services available, regardless of major. Among the resources for students to discover this year were AI tools for building e-portfolios, AI prompts for effective studying, and the Career Connections Center’s AI resume-reviewing tool, Quinncia.

Camila Diaz-Borges, a classical studies freshman, said she left Tech Fair with a deeper understanding of the AI certificate offered to UF students after speaking with Career Connections Center staff.

“I think I might apply for the AI certificate now that I know more about it,” Diaz-Borges said.

Students explored equipment available to check out from the George A. Smathers Libraries and how to make the most of their free, UFIT-provided LinkedIn Learning subscription. Students also had a chance to learn what IT training is offered by UFIT and Help Desk staff were also providing on-site IT assistance.

Rachael Yacuzzo, a junior history and women’s studies double major, stopped by the ONE.UF booth, where students were encouraged to share what improvements should be made to the mobile app.

“Something that I found really troublesome with the app was that I could never [open] my degree audit on it, so I’m glad they asked for feedback,” Yacuzzo said.

Computer science graduate student Nicholas Sily and general business freshman Jenna Vell said the range of equipment available to rent from Smathers Libraries caught their interest.

“I’m really impressed with the video-filming equipment that students can check out from the libraries,” Sily said.

“We’re learning about 3-D printing in class, so it’s great to know we have 3-D printing services right here in Marston,” Vell said.

This year’s event tracked 523 student interactions. For any questions about the 2024 Tech Fair, email UFIT Communications at it-comm@ufl.edu.

Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunity in High Performance Computing and AI

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Interested in high performance computing and AI? A National Science Foundation grant awarded to Assistant Professor Mickey MacKie and supported by UF Information Technology (UFIT) is open to two undergraduate women.

The two selected students will have the opportunity to develop their project utilizing the university’s supercomputing resources. Students will also receive a financial stipend along with mentoring throughout their project’s lifecycle. Additional details about this undergraduate research opportunity, along with the application form, are available here:

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eVvjmoKeH4XbrCu.

Dr. MacKie and AI Support Manager Ying Zhang are accepting applications for the Women in High Performance Computing Scholarship through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 15, 2024. Undergraduates from all disciplines are welcome to apply! Students with questions prior to submitting their application are welcome to contact Ms. Ying Zhang.

2024 Tech Fair

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The annual Tech Fair is an opportunity for all students–undergrads, graduate, and professional students– regardless of major, to learn about IT services and support available to them during their UF career. The 2024 Tech Fair will be held on:

Wednesday, Feb. 28

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Marston Breezeway – CSE Plaza

This year’s experiential event focuses on helping students utilize AI and online tools to get to the next level. Get information about a variety of tech as well as tech support (such as account questions or getting fast secure campus Wi-Fi on your phone) during the event. Have you thought about what it might take to get that coveted internship? Check out Tech Fair and see how managing your online portfolio or completing a LinkedIn Learning career path might get your name on the top of that internship list! You can also see some of the technologies available in Marston, get tips on setting up a great GitHub presence, and meet with a Career Connections Center rep who will answer your questions and show you how to use their online resources.

As always, Tech Fair also means prizes and this year UF Information Technology has several available! Stop by the welcome tent and learn how you could win Apple Air Tags, a JALL smart wakeup light, Beats, a JBL Bluetooth speaker, water bottles, and more. See you Feb. 28 on the plaza, Gators!

Certification Practice Exams Now Available on LinkedIn Learning

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LinkedIn Learning now offers technical certification preparation practice exams to help users prepare for official certification exams. Tech certifications are an industry-recognized benchmark for verifying skills, especially for roles in technical support, network administration, and information security.

With LinkedIn Learning, users can choose from nearly 50 practice exams to assess their current subject matter knowledge and also pinpoint what skills need improvement to be successful prior to taking the official exam. Each practice exam covers current certification content from leading providers such as AWS, CompTIA, ISC2, and Microsoft Azure. You can also customize your practice exam by choosing what skills to test on.

Your FREE LinkedIn Learning account provided by UF Information Technology (UFIT) offers access to the certification preparation practice exams, along with 20,000+ courses covering a wide range of professional and personal skills.

Visit https://elearning.ufl.edu/supported-services/linkedin-learning/ to activate your account. Need assistance? Contact the UFIT Help Desk by calling 352-392-HELP or visiting 132 Hub, across from the Starbucks. Students can also stop by the 2024 Tech Fair on Feb. 28 to learn how to make the most of free access to Linkedin Learning!

Elevating Generative AI Recipes to Encourage Authentic Assessments

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UF Information Technology (UFIT) offers multiple Tech Bytes each year. Tech Bytes are shorter, “byte-sized” events that demonstrate new/emerging technologies and strategies to enhance teaching and learning. The next Tech Byte is on Thursday, Feb. 29, and focuses on encouraging authentic assessments with artificial intelligence (AI).

Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (via Zoom)

Registration link

Educational Technologist Chris Sharp and Instructional Designer Leslie Mojeiko are hosting this new Tech Byte that explores how to utilize generative AI to increase authentic assessments in the classroom. Chris and Leslie previously shared their AI Prompt Cookbook in a 2023 Tech Byte, which contains recipes (or prompts) designed to enhance teaching and learning. This new session will feature recipes that elevate instructors’ use of generative AI to move beyond basic use and embrace how it can transform the teaching and learning process. Join Chris and Leslie to learn new tech recipes for debating, role playing, tutoring, and more.

Previous Tech Byte event recordings are available online at no charge. Instructors with questions about this event are welcome to contact UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training via their online form.

Money Available for Tech Purchases that Enable Student Success

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Could your college or major benefit from a new software or hardware purchase? Is there a tech resource you wish UF’s libraries offered? The 2024 Student Technology Fee grant submissions cycle is now open to all students, faculty, and staff with IT-based purchase ideas that support teaching and learning at UF.

The annual proposal review process involves the randomized selection of a committee comprised of several students along with one faculty member to determine which proposals are recommended to CIO Elias Eldayrie for funding. Students are encouraged to submit their ideas because part of their tuition each semester funds the Tech Fee program–at a rate of $5.25 per credit hour for undergraduate courses and $6.56 per credit hour for graduate courses. In other words, this student-led initiative is paid for and determined by YOU.

Winning proposals from the 2022-23 Tech Fee funding cycle include a podcasting studio at Marston Science Library (available to all students regardless of major), the Arts & AI Virtual Workstation Studio for College of the Arts students to experiment with AI technologies, and state-of-the-art equipment purchased for the Quest 2 astrophotography course. Your one-time proposal could change course instruction and the student experience at UF for years to come!

Did you know that LinkedIn Learning and iPads for borrowing at Smathers were both proposals initially funded by your Tech Fee? The deadline for submitting a proposal is Monday, March 18, 2024. Students must partner with a UF department or college on their proposals so get started now! Review the 2024 Tech Fee Proposal Template for submission guidelines, including how to format your proposal and who you must send it to for review prior to deadline. Important dates for the 2024 funding cycle are listed on the Tech Fee Grants webpage. If you have questions, please email UFIT Manager Anne Allen (alallen@ufl.edu), support administrator for the Technology Fee Advisory Committee.