Computing Servic-es Offered by ISAS

These days it is im-possible to be in-volved in higher education without a reliable computing re-source. Howard Uni-versity’s Information Systems and Services’ (ISAS) Office of Aca-demic Support (OAS) maintains computing, printing and scan-ning facilities for HU faculty, students and researchers.

The iLAB, our largest computer lab, is located in the Technology Center at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Bryant Street (see map on left). For convenience, the iLAB also has a smaller sattel-ite lab located in Howard’s student union, the Blackburn Center, which is located on “the yard” (Howard’s quad).

This semester, ISAS/OAS will open several new Collaborative Learning Centers (CLCs), or residense hall business center To learn more about OAS services and initiatives, see page 4.

Get Important OAS updates on Twitter Join OAS’s Facebook Group

New Faculty/Student Orientation Edition

(The is the special edition cover page. Flip or remove it to see page 1)

Aerial Map of OAS Office and iLAB

If you have computing issues while at the iLAB, come to the help desk

HU’s Office of Academic Support (OAS) is happy to provide you, Howard students, faculty

and researchers, with services that enhance your academic environment.

See below and inside to learn more about the OAS’s services and other useful information.

HU Office of Academic Support

Howard Univer-sity has joined a growing num-ber of universi-ties and institu-tions nationwide in going green. President Sydney Ribeau made this a Howard prior-ity when he com-missioned the HUESC (Howard University Environmental Sus-tainability Council) earlier this year. Other green Howard ventures including a campus-wide re-

Table of Contents

Extras

iLAB Software/Hardware Layout Map

Front Page

Faculty Page

Student Page

OAS Bytes

Green Bytes

OAS IntroductionUsing OAS ServicesOAS Goes Green

HU’s Green Initiatives

OAS & FacultyFacNet: Computer

distribtuionCETLA: Faculty Re-

source Center

Collaborative Learn-ing Centers (CLCs)

Using your email & Google Apps

Howard Username Login Info

Mac ‘How-to’ TrainingOAS/iLAB Services &

General InfoOAS Collaborative

Learning Centers About Bison Bytes

HU Recycling Intern-ship

HU Green Initiatives

Technology on the Yard: “Disconnect-ed Connectivity”

Fall 2010, Orientation Edition

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INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES FOR HOWARD STUDENTS, FACULTY & RESEARCHERS FROM ISAS

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Office of Academic Support: An Intro

WANTED! HU student interns - writing, editing, design & photography - email bisonbytes@howard.edu for more info

Howard Universty’s Green Initiatives

How to Utilize Our Ser-vices and New Initiatives

Our new and improved OAS print system will be more efficient and eco-friendly. See “The OAS Goes Green” below.

Continued on page 6 “OAS Goes Green”

Continued on page 5 “Howard’s Green Initiatives”

Giving quality service and creating a supportive academic environment is the OAS’s priority, but maintaining energy efficient operations and ser-vices is also very important. Under the direction of OAS Director Ms. Ester Lopes, a LEED-certi-fied architect and member of the HUESC (Howard University Environmental Sustainability Coun-cil), the OAS will soon introduce a more earth-

The OAS Goes Green - Have You?

Welcome new faculty, students and all other readers! This is a special issue of Bison Bytes intended for those who are new to the HU community and seeking some direction. The Office of Academic Support (OAS) is interested in helping out: • See our Faculty Page• See the Student Page• See a list of OAS Services• Read about our new Collaborative

Learning Centers (CLCs)• See the table of contents (left) for more!

“Technology on the Yard” See page 5

friendly printing service, as well as several other “green” initia-tives involving the principles of “Re-think...Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.”

Howard Material Resources Sustainability Internship Program interns visit Fort Tot-ten Waste Transfer Station in DC

Photo by HU Senior Travis White

ISAS

CETLA Introduces Green Teaching

Certificate

ISAS/OAS Faculty Services and More FacNet: Faculty Com-puter Distribution

OAS faculty services include providing for your computing, printing and scanning needs, distributing free software, manag-ing FacNet Computer distribution (see ad-jacent article), reset HU email passwords, publishing Bison Bytes IT e-Newsletter and making both a Mac-based and a PC-based classroom available for faculty reservation (see page 4 for a list of services).

Recently the ISAS/OAS hired a new direc-tor who has been working to improve its services to include a more efficient campus printing system (see the printing page) as well as put its software distribution system online. In the near future, all of the ISAS/OAS’s software will be distributed online.

The iLAB is located in the Technology Center Building, formerly called “Wonder Plaza” after the building’s previous occu-pants, the Wonder Bread Factory. Other

important HU services located in this building include the Howard ID Office, which creates faculty and staff ID cards, and Peoplesoft Training Computer Suite, which trains faculty to use Peoplesoft.

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Faculty/Researcher BytesFall 2010, Orientation Edition

Modeled after a program created at Amer-ican University, CETLA has introduced the voluntary Green Teaching Certificate pro-gram this past summer. The purpose is to “reward faculty members who are green teachers and to enable students to se-

lect green courses.”

A c c o r d -ing to C E T L A’s d i r e c t o r , Dr. Teresa

Redd, PhD, this initiative “...strengthens Howard’s efforts to become a sustainable campus,” and, “It enables conscious stu-dents to maintain best practices and other students develop “green” habits of studying and thinking.”

There are several levels of certification, and an instructor earns points based on the amount of green practices they adopt.

Beginning next spring semester, students will be able to choose classes based on which instructors are green-ceritified. See CETLA’s homepage to learn more.

What is CETLA? The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Assessment.

Who does CETLA Support? Howard Uni-versity Faculty.

Where is it located? On the 2nd floor (ad-jacent to the OAS/iLAB) of the Technology Center Building at the corner of Bryant St and Georgia Ave (see map on )

Why does it exist? To provide educational resources to HU faculty, in order to en-hance Howard’s academic environment.

CETLA’s Services include both hands-on and digitial support and training in teaching, learning, and classroom as-sessment (both with and without tech-nology). It also provides valuable infor-mation and networking opportunities.

CETLA Resources for new faculty:• CETLA Faculty Orientation• Syllabus Database• Intro to Blackboard 9.1 • Tutorials and Workshops• Textbook options• Digital Portfolio

We distribute software to faculty

What is it?The FacNet program, which began in

1996, is responsible for faculty computer distribution and is run by ISAS’s Office of Academic Support (OAS). The program provides HU’s full-time faculty with a com-puter and printer every three years.

Am I eligible? How do I sign up?All full-time HU faculty are eligible to receive a FacNet computer along with a printer once every three years. After sign-ing up, choosing a machine, and schedul-ing a delivery date, the ISAS/OAS FacNet managaers will deliver your computer. We are currently working on putting the FacNet sign up process online, but until then, please call the ISAS/OAS front desk at 202-806-0650 to sign up.

CETLA, Howard’s Largest Faculty Re-source and What it Can Do For You!

Founded in 2003, the award-winning Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning As-sessments (CETLA) has become Howard’s premier faculty resource. Its mission involves “developing a cadre of faculty who will produce distinguished and compassionate leaders to serve the nation and the global community.” CETLA’s philosophy is that by training faculty in how to utilize new teaching tools and methods, the overall academic environ-ment at Howard improves and students will greatly benefit. The large increase in faculty participation of CETLA’s programs is a testament to its effective instruction. For more info, see Howard Capstone’s article about CETLA, or, see CETLA’s homepage.

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Fall 2010, Orientation Edition

Student Bytes

5. Blackboard

2. Library Database

3. Computer Login

4. Wireless Login A “virtual classroom,” in which students can submit classwork, take exams, and participate in classroom forums via dis-cussion board.

STERLING is Howard’s digital database system in which students, faculty and staff can search for periodicals, journals and other digital resources.

On any OAS computer, you must login in order to use the machine. This is for network security reasons.

In network preferences, select HOW-ARDU. Enter your username and pass-word in the prompt. More details can be found at isashelpdesk.howard.edu.

1. Login to http://mail.bison.howard.edu.

Your email address is User-Name@bison.howard.edu and password is “HU@” + your stu-dent ID number (see Howard ID card). See article on the right to learn how to ac-cess your email account’s functions.

Howard’s virtual administra-tion building, Bison Web provides access to course, registration, student accounts, financial aid, grade and transcript information.

•Login to Bison Web•Select “Student Services and Financial

Aid”•Select “Registration”•Select the appropriate term•Click “Submit term.”•Click “Check registration status” to as-

sure you are able to register. •Click “Look up classes to add.”•Select courses. If done, click “Register.”

Your HU Login Credentials & it Purpose

2. Library System Database

4. Wireless Internet

4. BisonWeb

1. HU Email Account

5. Blackboard(Drop the “@” symbol in the username)

HU Username LoginUsername: your issued usernamePassword: password you created

Administrative Login Username: 9 Digit Howard ID # (including the “@” symbol)Password: By default, it is your 6 digit numerical date of birth (with-out dashes) until you change it

3. OAS Com-puter Login

OAS & Collaborative Learning Centers (CLCs)ISAS/OAS is directing the construction of

Collaborative Learning Centers (CLCs) in each residence hall, beginning with Merid-ian Hill Hall, the Baldwin building of the Tubman Quadrangle and Drew Hall. The first 3 CLCs will open in the Fall; CLCs will be constructed in the other residence halls soon after.

Each CLC will include study rooms, ro-bust computer wireless access, as well as printing, scanning, and faxing capabilities. In addtion, it wil provide desktop space for

students who prefer using a laptop. Also, to facilitate study group sessions,

especially during exam periods, several private group study rooms within each CLC will be available for online reserva-tion. These will feature telepresence capa-bility allowing for virtual interactactivity with group members who cannot be pres-ent.

We look forward to serving you! To get updates on CLC construction, call 202.806.0650.

4. Bison Web

4a. Class Registration

WANTED! HU student GREEN Employee - to assist with OAS Green Initiatives - Contact bisonbytes@howard.edu for details

Gives access to:

Gives access to:

Howard Email & Google Apps

For all incoming Howard University freshman this year, email accounts will be accessed through Google Apps, which of-fers a suite of useful applications or “apps.” See the diagram on the left to learn how to log in; see below to learn about each app.

In additon to email, what other Google App features can I access?•Calendar (http://calendar.bison.howard.

edu): Assists in coordinating classes, extra-curriculars and social events.•Docs (http://docs.bison.howard.edu):

Store documents and share with others. •Chat - Instant message and voice chat

with anyone in the world!•Sites (http://sites.bison.howard.edu):

Create customizable webpages.•Groups (http://groups.bison.howard.

edu): Chat with others, upload docs, etc.

Do non-freshman Howard students have the same type of email account?

Yes, but they have to manually switch from the old system in order to access it. The deadline is October 1, 2010.

What other advantages are there?Students now have access to a much great-

er amount of storage space: 7gb+ for email, 10gb for video and 100gb for sites.

What resources are avialable to help me learn how to use Google Apps?• Google Apps Help: Features a “Help

Center” for each app•Google Apps Learning Center: General

info about using Google Apps, featuring video tutorials and more.

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Fall 2010, Orientation Edition

ISAS/OAS Bytes

MissionTo inform Office of Academic Support constituents about the application of technological innovation in education and research development, as well as give campus technology updates.

Bison Bytes TeamJonathan Pourzal, Editor, Layout Designer, Writer, and the OAS/iLAB Staff

Sponsored by the Office of Academic Support2301 Georgia Ave NW, Suite 200Washington, DC 20009

Contact: bisonbytes@howard.edu202.806.0650

Ester Lopes, Director, Howard University Office of Academic Support

iLAB Software Training ClassroomsThe OAS’s computers are equipped with

a bunch of great software, such as the Adobe Design Suite, Autocad and SAS, but what if you don’t know how to use it? Beginning this fall, we plan to offer self-paced training tutorials accessible from the computers in both our Mac and PC mini-labs.

Also, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Macs or might be intimidated by the different interface of a Mac, look for our “How to use Mac OS X” tutorial software in the Mac mini-lab. After using this tuto-rial, users will be comfortable with the Mac operating system. Contact Ms. Edmonds at 202-806-0650 for details.

NEW!

About Bison Bytes

FEEDBACK - Take our survey To receive new BB issues via email contact bisonbytes@howard.edu

Afraid of Macs? No need! Our Mac classroom has tutorials!

ISAS/OAS Update: Improved Printing Services

•Computing: 17 PCs & 18 Macs •Printing: 2 HP Laserjet 9050n;

prints 50 pages/minute

•Scanning: 1 HP Scanjet G4010; Max flatbed scan - 8.5” x 12.2”

•Available Software: All PCs have SPSS & Mathematica

LocationBlackburn Center lower level, adja-cent to the cafeteria

Summer HoursClosed for the summer - will re-open at the start of the fall semester

Blackburn Services

•Howard Email/User Account Login Maintenance & Support (for assistance - visit OAS office)

•Computing: 106 PCs & 70 Macs

•Software Distribution: (pick up at OAS office adjacent to iLAB in Suite 200)

•Students: Microsoft Forefront Anti-virus (32 & 64 bit editions) •Staff: All of the above plus Microsoft Office Suite 2010 & Win-

dows 7 • Faculty: All of the above plus SPSS, SAS & Mathematica

•Printing: 7 HP Laserjet 9050n; prints 50 pages/minute

•Scanning: 3 HP Scanjet G4010; Max flatbed scan - 8.5” x 12.2”

•Computer Lab Classrooms (available for faculty reservation) •PC Classroom: 12 Dell 755s with Autocad plus 1 computer for

instructor

iLAB/OAS Info & Services Location2301 Georgia Ave NW, 2nd FloorWashington, DC 20009

Summer HoursMon-Fri: 8 am - 8 pm

Sat & Sun: Closed

Blackburn Lab General Information

Back to Table of Contents

In addition to several other excit-ing new developments that are in the works (outlined in other parts of this issue), the OAS will soon introduce a new printing system. This “follow-me printing” system will make printing much more convenient for OAS users, as well as save waste; it enables users to send a print job online and retrieve it from any OAS printer at any time, day or night. Printers will be located in the iLAB, Blackburn Lab and resi-dence halls.

Also, a new print shop offering cus-tom color and custom size printing and binding will soon open in the iLAB. Services will cost significantly less than Kinko’s and other off-cam-pus printing businesses; this will be especially convenient for students needing to publish a PhD dissertation or master’s thesis.

More information about this devel-opment will be availale soon. Contact us at iLAB@howard.edu for more de-tails and updates.

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Fall 2010, Orientation Edition

Green Bytes

cycling program, involvement in a nation-wide competition, a Howard recycling in-ternship program (see article above), green teaching ventures and more.

The HUESC is made up of a broad array of campus community members, includ-ing students, faculty, staff, administrators, Howard alumni and others. Its goals, ac-cording to Pres. Ribeau, are “to reduce our carbon footprint, expand our recycling program, develop relevant educational and research initiatives and disseminate appro-priate information.”

The Council’s first important decision was to implement the “Greenhouse Gas Inventory” (GH Inventory). According to a memorandum sent by Troy A. Stovall, HU Executive Vice President and Chief Operat-ing Officer, “The GHG inventory is a com-prehensive accounting of all [greenhouse gas] emissions attributed to an organiza-tion’s operations...the university is looking to understand and take responsibility for its GHG emissions...with detailed carbon

Because the recycling project is relatively new at Howard, it did not rank among the top schools. However, its participation set a foundation to build upon in the future and inspired other campus programs, such as ResFest, to get involved as well. ResFest, a week-long group of competitions between Howard residence halls that occurs in the Fall semester, included Recyclemania last year as one of its competitions.

Two other exciting green initiatives began in the summer. CETLA (Howard’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Assessments), which is Howard’s largest faculty resource, created the Green Teach-ing Certificate. This program helps profes-sors adopt green teaching practices and al-lows students to pick professors based on their dedication to sustainable practices. For more details, see our faculty page.

An additional venture is Howard’s alliance with Honeywell. According to Mike Harris, Associate VP of Administrative Services, Howard hired Honeywell to implement a number of measures to promote more sus-tainable practices on campus, such as ret-rofitting campus buildings and installing energy-efficient lighting systems.

Howard’s Recycling Internship

Howard’s Green Initiatives

A lot of folks talk the talk when its comes to “being green” and recycling; Howard now provides students with an opportunity to walk the walk. For seven weeks during summer break, the Howard Material Re-sources Sustainability Internship Program, a partnership between the Ferguson Foun-dation, DC Office of Recycling (under the Department of Public Works), DC’s Busi-ness Improvement District (BID), DC Con-vention Center, Keep America Beautiful and Howard University, offered a full load of unique learning activities for its first six Howard interns.

Ashlea Smith, Coordinator of the Trash-Free Potomac Watershed Initiative of the Ferguson Foundation, was one of four pilot interns in last year’s program; she is now one of its organizers. According to her, the program’s puropse is to “train college stu-dents in material resource sustainability, as well as promote diversity in the solid waste industry.” As of now, she stated, this indus-try is run by older, white males.

When asked about their motivation, in-terns expressed interest in advancing sus-tainability at Howard, as well as a desire to help their own communities do the same. HU junior Rose Boomsma called the pro-gram “an opportunity to learn about recy-cling and sustainability...and to help How-ard’s program get off the ground.”

Each of the seven weeks was filled to the brim with meetings, site visits and hands-on work. On Mondays and Tuedays the group met experts in the field and toured solid waste management facilities, such as the Fort Totten Waste Transfer Center (photo on page 1). Each Wednesday in-terns learned about and assessed the Con-vention Center’s “know the code” recycling and waste minimization program. On Thursdays interns visited U Street business-es and assisted them in developing waste management solutions. According to intern Senior Thomya Goode, “As ‘eco-coaches,’ we applied what we learned to businesses in the U St. area...teaching them how to implement better recycling practices.” On Fridays, interns’ work center around “pre-paring the university for responsible waste management,” said Smith. This included activities involving waste prevention, green procurement, and organizing the university around the cause.

But now that the program is over...what next? Interns are planning longer-term ef-forts to unite campus entities under one banner of material resource sustinability.

Howard Interns conduct a waste sort on campus.

Back to Table of Contents

Photo by HU Senior Travis White

(cont. from page 1) accounting.” According to Mr. Alfonze Ch-isholm, a member of the GH Inventory task force, “the HUESC will make campus-wide policy suggestions to reduce emissions using the findings of the inventory.”

Another green initiaitive is Howard’s recy-cling program, which has unofficially been titled the “Bison Recycling Program.” Mr. Al-fonze Chisholm, director of Capitol Planning at Howard and a LEED-certified architect, heads this project. Chisholm, who agreed to to do so out of a passion for sustainable practices, hopes that one day “students can run the pro-gram. Students should be taking leaderhship.”

According to Chisholm, Howard now recy-cles about 16% of its waste. This number will increase as more students and faculty under-stand its importance.

In order to increase student enthusiasm, Chisholm entered the university into a na-tionwide campus recycling competition called Recyclemania, “a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduc-tion activities to their campus communities.”

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(cont. from page 1)

Fall 2010, Orientation Edition

Extras

The OAS Goes Green!

The OAS collects used batteries and ink cartridges for recycling.

RETHINK...REDUCEOAS Green Initiative: The OAS is seeking

a Howard student employee who will coor-dinate its green initiatives, as well as think of creative solutions to reduce waste. For more info, email bisonbytes@howard.edu

Pay-for-printing: In the near future, OAS users will pay a small (below market value) printing fee. This is to reduce wasteful printing practices.

Zero Carbon Output from printing: Dur-ing the first year of the new printing system (to begin soon) enough trees will be planted on behalf of the OAS to completly offset the carbon emissions produced from energy and resource usage associated with print-ing. Oce International, which will be over-seeing OAS printing, guarantees this policy.

Power Management: All computers in OAS operated computer labs and facilities are set to shut down during off hours in or-der to reduce electricity usage. Also, as an office, The OAS has committed to turning

off lights and electric equipment when not in use.

REUSEComputer Reusage: All old computers

and printers collected from faculty during the FacNet programs are re-used by the

OAS, or donated to a charitable cause.

RECYCLEThe OAS encourages its users to recycle

any and everything possible (when it can-not be reused). This includes all beverage containers, as well as other glass, aluminum and recyclable plastic, rechargable and reg-ular batteries, cell phone batteries and ink cartridges. The OAS has recycling bins to collect all of these items. They are located at the access desk at the building’s entrance, the help desk in the iLAB (see photo on left) as well as the student lounge area.

Also, in the near future, the OAS is prepar-ing to introduce a “green office certificate” program to Howard, which will be based on Harvard Universitys’s Green Office Re-source. This will assist various Howard de-partments and offices to adopt more Earth-friendly practices and policies and become an example for others to follow.

The OAS Green Initiative will continue to introduce green practices and keep you up-dated.

Technology on the Yard

“Disconnected Connectivity”

With the social networking revolution of the past deade, this generation’s digital connectivity is exponentially greater than ever before.

However, should we automati-cally assume that this is a positive thing? Are we losing interest in normal physical social interac-tion? If we are, does it matter?

Do you have personal/work sto-ries involving this phenomena?

Email us your response to Bison-Bytes@howard.edu and it might get published in the next Bison Bytes issue.

Back to Table of Contents

Fall 2010, Orientation Edition

iLAB Layout & Software/Hardware Availability

8 Back to Table of Contents

Southeast Section: Mac OS X (Leopard) SoftwareNorth Section: SPSS & Mathematica

Help Desk: Come here for iLAB com-puting/printing issues

South Section: Mac OS X (Leopard) SoftwareWest Section: SPSS, Mathematica & Google Sketchup

Printing Station

Personal Computer

Mac/Apple ComputerSouth Graphics: Mac OS X Software, Adobe Creative Suite CS4

West Graphics Sec-tion: Autocad, Adobe Creative Suite CS4, Maya 3D 2010, 3DS 2010, Education Suite

East Section: SPSS & Mathematica

Laptop Section

P PP

P

P

P

P

PP

P

PC

M

A note about the iLAB’s com-puter equipment: Because technology, both soft-ware and hardware, is constantly being upgraded, the OAS strives to keep its services and equip-ment as up-to-date as possible. As we obtain new software li-censes and new services, we will keep you informed. Please see this page in the future for up-dates.

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