Tag: UF Faculty

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.

 

Announced: 2022-23 Tech Fee Grants

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Under the guidance of the Student Technology Fee Advisory Committee members and faculty director Dr. Jeremy Waisome, eight proposals were recommended. VP & CIO Elias Eldayrie approved eight proposals for 2022-23 Tech Fee funding:

• Enhancing Access through Assistive Technology
• Enhancing Student Learning through a Campus-Wide Podcasting Studio
• uConnect: A One Stop Shop for the Future of Work
• FeedbackFruits Group Member Evaluation Tool: Facilitating Collaborative Learning at UF
• Enabling Interdisciplinary Advanced Sonic Instruction and Research
• Arts & AI Virtual Workstation Studio
• AI Education for Graduate Students at UF School of Architecture
• Enabling Stunning Student Astrophotography through Innovative Use of Technology

The Student Technology Fee Grants program funds projects proposed by faculty, students, and staff focused on enhancing campus educational technology services. The creation of the MADE@UF virtual reality lab, modernization of the Pugh Hall Ocora, and the expansion of campus 3D printing options are just a few of the previously funded projects. Please contact Technology Fee Advisory Committee Support Administrator Anne Allen with questions about the proposal and selection process.

Workshops to Enhance Online Learning

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The Best Practices for Teaching Online certificate provides instructional faculty with the opportunity to explore pedagogically sound course design principles that promote student success in the online learning environment. This series addresses the needs of diverse learners through student-centered activities, while also focusing on key issues such as accessibility, usability, and engagement. Each course also counts towards the Passport to Great Teaching program with the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Engaging Online Learners: August 29 – September 11
Participants will experience the online learning environment from the student perspective, while working through activities that demonstrate mastery of designing for student success, aligning student learning objectives, and creating engaging and accessible presentations. Register for the next offering of Engaging Online Learners.

Creating Student-Centered Assignments: September 12 – September 25
Participants explore ways to develop varied student-centered content while establishing a collaborative learning environment through the use of active learning and feedback.
Register for the next offering of Creating Student-Centered Assignments.

Accessible Online Environments: September 26 – October 9
Participants learn to address the different types of accessibility needs and implement improvements for making an online course more accessible.
Register for the next offering of Accessible Online Environments.

Instructors with questions about this certificate program are welcome to contact UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Teaching Assistant Director Rodney Gammons.

Funding Available to Enhance UF Academic Life

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Did you know that several 3D printing and campus VR/AR tools are the result of successful Tech Fee proposals? UFApps and free access to LinkedIn Learning also began their UF life as Tech Fee proposals. If you have a great technology-related idea for enhancing UF’s academic environment, then consider submitting a concept paper for a Tech Fee grant. All students, faculty, and staff are eligible–and encouraged–to submit ideas fitting the submission guidelines.

Concept papers for the 2022 funding cycle must be submitted by January 28, 2022.

A concept paper is a simple, two-page proposal that you complete via the template available on the Tech Fee website. After the Technology Fee Advisory Committee reviews the approved concept papers, finalists will be invited to submit a full proposal for possible funding. Program information, guidelines, templates, and previously funded projects may all be found on the Tech Fee website.

Please contact Anne Allen, support administrator for the Technology Fee Advisory Committee, with any questions about the submission process. Good luck!

Free Self-Paced Statistical Software Training

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Two FREE, fully online trainings on statistics software will be offered during the fall term. Faculty, staff, postdocs, TAs, and graduate students can learn how to perform statistical analyses on research data while earning a certificate in SPSS and SamplePower 3 or the R programming language. In these self-paced trainings, participants will use the software through practical application and hands-on exercises. The training series introduces data analysis and visualization features that can help further research. Pre-registration is required. Use the links below to view the course flyer and to register:

SPSS and SamplePower 3
Aug. 23 – Oct. 7, 2021 | Register

R Programming Training: An Introduction for Data Analysis and Graphics
Oct. 4 – Dec. 3, 2021 | Register

Anyone with questions about either training may email the instructor, Senior IT Training Specialist Jose Silva-Lugo.

Fake Emails from “UF Faculty” Targeting Students

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Students are reporting suspicious emails in their Gmail or other non-UF inboxes, claiming to be from instructors. These phishing scams enable cybercriminals posing as faculty to convince students to deposit fake checks or send gift cards. Because students often handle email on their phones–where full email addresses are obscured–it isn’t immediately apparent that the email is a phish.

Impostor emails attempt to lure students with high-paying job opportunities and often come from faculty members the student doesn’t know. Cybercriminals can find enough information online to impersonate faculty without having to hack into their UF account. The proliferation of these scams is a great reminder to always be cautious when clicking on any email, no matter who they seem to come from.

Remember:
1. Even if a phishing email doesn’t include a malicious link or attachment, it’s still just as dangerous if you respond.
2. The [External Email] tag will appear in the body of emails originating from outside the university, alerting you that it may well be malicious.

If you think an email in your Gmail or non-UF inbox is a phish, forward the message as an attachment to abuse@ufl.edu.

Supporting Faculty Video Needs

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Faculty can now record course videos or professional work on their own time. UFIT recently opened its On-Demand Studio, offering a quick and easy alternative to filming lectures, trainings, or presentations.

UFIT produces instructional videos related to an official UF course at no cost to the instructor or department. The On-Demand Studio enables faculty to create professional-quality videos through a self-serve process for courses, research, or pre-recorded conference presentations. The studio is professionally set up with lights, a camera, and a green screen. Follow the instructions labelled in the room to start recording. The studio is located in the HUB room 225 and is open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Faculty can book time in the studio by using the calendar link on the On-Demand Studio webpage. A complete list of instructions, what to bring, and FAQs are also available. Please contact the academic media productions team with any questions
or to schedule a consultation.

Supporting Academic Accessibility Efforts

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UFIT is hosting Fix Your Content Day sessions as part of UF’s support of of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. These sessions will empower instructors, TAs, and academic support staff to maximize use of Ally and make courses accessible for all learners. Ally is an easy-to-use tool that generates accessibility reports, providing a score that correlates to the accessibility of the content, and offers suggestions for quickly fixing content. Two sessions will be offered on May 20. Participants may drop-in for all or part of either session:

• 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Fix Your Content Day is free. Pre-registration is not required. To participate, log in to the Canvas event page, select a session, and enter the Zoom lobby. Attendees will be paired with an e-Learning specialist or instructional designer who will discuss their course’s Ally report and identify ways to make content more accessible. UFIT’s Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) offers several options for creating inclusive courses, including Ally in Canvas, Designing an Inclusive Course, and Accessibility Fundamentals. For more information, please contact the CITT.

Save Time with Pre-Assessed “Fast Path Solutions”

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UF’s Integrated Risk Management
(IRM) program was created to support the university’s mission of teaching, research, and service by providing faculty and staff with a single point of contact for their digital business tools and solutions needs.

IRM’s foundation is Fast Path Solutions, a comprehensive list of pre-assessed software and computing environments. The Fast Path Solutions are searchable by product name or by software category. Faculty and staff working with non-restricted data may use the Fast Path Solutions without additional review by UF administrative, compliance, and risk management offices.

Several Fast Path Solutions are pre-assessed for use with restricted data, but faculty and staff are still required to register restricted data use to ensure the proper collection, transmittal, processing, and storage of restricted data on campus. Additional review may be required for software and computing environments using restricted data not listed as a Fast Path Solution.

Fast Path Solutions are one of a series of enhancements currently underway to streamline the review of risk and compliance across UF. The IRM team invites you to visit the https://irm.ufl.edu/getting-started/ webpage. Your feedback is also welcome! Please email questions or comments to IRM@ad.ufl.edu or phone the IRM team, 352-294-2589.