You might have heard talk

about some recent work on

our campus web site. The

NVC web site is our single

most impactful tool for mak-

ing direct contact with our

community and students. It

lets us tell the world who we

are, what we do, communicate

a wealth of information and

establishes the “brand” of the

college in the virtual world.

Given the impact of our web

site to our overall mission, we

need to re-asses our online

presence periodically and

grow our web presence.

To that end, a layout and

color scheme re-design is in

the works and has been pre-

sented to all the different

campus constituencies for

feedback. Initial feedback has

been very positive and an

Fall 2013

This Old Web Site initial mock up of the proposed re-design will be presented to the college

before the end of the Fall semester. Keep an eye out for the big date!

indicates “Dterm” or “NEC,” you

are slated to be migrated to the

new phone system. If your set

indicates “Cisco IP Phone” and

you have a 7000 series extension,

your phone has already been up-

graded to the new system.

What is Voice over Internet

Protocol (VoIP)?

Voice over Internet Protocol is

simply a transmission method for

carrying voice traffic over IP-

based computer networks. That

means using one high speed wire

connection for both network and

phone connectivity.

Why the change?

The new phone system will re-

place the aging phone equipment

across campus that has reached its

end-of-life and is no longer sup-

ported by the manufacturer. Addi-

tionally, the new phone system

will provide improved fiscal man-

agement of voice services, a re-

duction of operating costs over

time, and a lower Total Cost of

Ownership (TCO).

Will this new system affect my comput-

er?

No. Even though your new phone and your

computer may share the same connection,

the transmission of your phone calls and

network data will be separate.

Will the phones work during a power

failure or network outage?

Not necessarily. Depending on the severity

of the power or network outage, telephone

services may be affected. However, backup

provisions are in place to handle and pre-

vent most interruptions.

Will my phone number change?

Yes, all phones on the new system will

require a number in the (707) 256-7000

series.

How do I reach others on campus?

Simply dial the other party’s four-digit

extension. If you do not know the party’s

extension, you can

use the directory

button or the voice

activated dial-by-

name feature by

dialing x7000 and

Voice Over IP has arrived!

Ins

titu

tio

na

l T

ec

hn

olo

gy

Ne

ws

lett

er

The campus is currently fin-

ishing up a project to migrate

from our legacy PBX tele-

phone system to a new, net-

work-based telephone service

also known as Voice over

Internet Protocol (VoIP).

While the NEC PBX tele-

phone system has served the

campus well since the 1990s,

that system has reached the

end of its life and the manu-

facturer no longer provides

parts or support. Additional-

ly, that system runs over

aging and degraded copper

infrastructure that is over 50

years old.

VoIP represents the next

generation in communica-

tions and changes the way

telephone services are pro-

vided. Check out the follow-

ing FAQ’s for more infor-

mation.

How do I know if I will be

getting a new phone?

If your existing telephone set

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The IT Department provides, supports, and manages instructional technologies; enterprise systems; servers; wired and wireless data net-

works including Internet; and communication & collaboration systems including electronic mail, voicemail, telephone service, video, and

web. Our purpose is to respond to the needs of our community by providing and supporting the technology necessary to achieve mission-

driven goals and objectives.

A lot goes on behind the scenes and is required to provide

basic technological commodities we’ve come to expect in our

daily lives such as Internet access and e-mail. For example, in

order to provide gigabit access to NVC’s high speed network

backbone across several buildings for over 2000 devices re-

quires dozens of servers, routers, and switches connected

through miles of fiber optic and copper cabling. Providing e-

mail alone requires multiple servers, systems, and compo-

nents. Additionally, IT provides many other online systems

such as webadvisor, websites, databases, network storage, re-

porting, financials, printing, and document imaging. Providing

all this in a safe, secure, and reliable environment requires not

only hardware and software, but dedicated and highly skilled

technical staff as well. So when you are at your computer and

the magic world of bits and bytes is providing the resources

you need, remember there is a very large and interconnected

system of people and equipment hard at work for you.

IT—Behind the Scenes of a 21st Century Campus

Many of you might have seen the IT technicians and student assistants in a frenzy of activity

this semester. That is in part thanks to a campus wide workstation refresh under way. The refresh

mainly includes updating your Windows operating system to Windows version 7, upgrading your MS

Office Suite to 2010 and increasing the amount of memory in your system as necessary.

In a large number of cases, the computer systems are current generation hardware, but the

older software installed can be fraught with issues and concerns. One very big concern is that the origi-

nally installed Windows XP and Office 2003 software is being “sunsetted” by Microsoft as of April

2014. That means there will be no further updates for important issues like security risks and an in-

creasing lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturer support. By refreshing

your operating system and Office software, we ensure you computer runs as best it can and protect our

campus network from incompatible or problematic software.

We have been scheduling upgrades as time allows, in a manner intended to cause the least amount of inconvenience to your busi-

ness workflows and ultimately, our students. With over 85% of our campus workstations upgraded, you might already have had a visit. If

you have not been contacted yet regarding scheduling your upgrades, rest assured it won’t be long until you hear from us. In the meantime,

it would be a great help if everyone waiting could run through the check list below, so that any systems requiring update are ready to go.

1.) Make sure that any data you need is saved either on your departmental shares or has been

saved in your personal user directory.

2.) It can be challenging to coordinate schedules. When we visit, we are likely to open up the computer and inspect

the interior. If we have to schedule your upgrade when you are not in office, we will need clear access to your

computer. We want to ensure any confidential or important documentation is not at risk of being scattered or

lost when we are moving around the equipment.

3.) In most cases, we do not have backups or original disks for unique software your department might have ordered.

In order to ensure we get you up and running as quickly as possible, please prepare a list of any non-standard or

specialized software that you require. You can always email support@napavalley.edu if you have questions

about software on your computer.

Once we have installed your new operating system and Office software, you might also see some additional and very useful soft-

ware like Adobe Acrobat and Illustrator. You can contact the Training and Learning center to ask about training classes. We hope you

enjoy your upgraded computer and if you have any concerns or questions we are always here and happy to support you.

Upgrades A-Plenty

As we assembled the information contained in this newsletter, we realized that there have been some changes in position descriptions

and responsibilities as of late, so we thought now would be a good time to get re-acquainted with who each of us is here in IT and what we

do.

l to r: Kathy Franco, Karen Smith, Mark Cratty, Skip Dito, José Sanchez, Amar Abbott, John Uboldi, Robert Butler

Robert Butler: Dean, Institutional Technology

Responsible for the leadership and administration of the Institutional Technology Department, including district technology, sys-

tems, and staff in support of the administrative and instructional needs and mission of the institution.

Robert has been supporting and managing technology in higher education since the 1980s. This includes California Community

Colleges (CCC) as well as work in the UC and CSU systems. Robert has also been involved with educational and research networks since

the 1980s including BITNET and ARPANET, which later became known as the Internet. In addition to Internet2 in the 1990s, he was in-

volved in efforts that merged UC and CSU networks into a single statewide network for all k-20 schools in California. He is also working

with NapaLearns on a high speed educational network backbone initiative intended to provide technology and access to all students in the

Napa Valley. Robert holds degrees in the areas of electronics, communications, MIS, and technology management. He has also taught com-

puter, networking, and management courses.

John Uboldi: Application Support Analyst

John is a lifelong resident of Napa and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. His primary responsibility here at

NVC is to support the Datatel ERP application which handles all the administrative and accounting needs of the College. His background

includes computer programming, business analysis, and software development. His interest in computers began in 1986 when he first at-

tended the Computer Learning Center in San Francisco. In 1987, he attended night school here at NVC where he studied accounting and

computer accounting. In 1988, he accepted a position at SBT Accounting Systems in San Rafael and ended up staying there for the next 20

years where he was extensively involved in the support, maintenance, and development of accounting products. His expertise and certifica-

tions in SQL Server Databases and SQL Server Business Intelligence are ideally suited to his efforts here at NVC.

Mark Cratty: IT Computer Specialist

Mark worked as a consultant and trainer for the Microsoft Office Suite of products before joining the NVC IT department in 2002.

He acts as Lead Helpdesk technician and helps to coordinate the efforts of the Helpdesk unit. Often wandering around the campus in his

trademark hat and Hawaiian shirt, he is here to help and ensure that your day goes smoothly.

Page 3 I NS TI TU TI ONA L T ECHNO LOGY NE WS LE TT ER

Meet the Institutional Technology Staff

Meet the Institutional Technology Staff (cont.)

F A LL 20 13

Skip Dito: Network Analyst

Skip was born in San Francisco, but calls Sonoma home and has lived there since 1974. He started his career as an Interior Com-

munications Electrician in the United States Navy. He later went to work for GTE SPRINT where he became a Switch Maintenance Tech-

nician, primarily working with NEC PBX telephone systems. Eventually, Marin General Hospital made him an offer he couldn’t refuse and

he spent 10 years there working as a Telecommunications Specialist, as well as a Biomedical Equipment Technician and a Network Techni-

cian. When he saw that voice communications was headed into the data world, he made a career change and took a job with the City of

Santa Rosa, where he worked for 10 years and earned his certification as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. He then made his way

here to Napa Valley College where he is happy and able to utilize all his skills supporting the network and systems of the college.

Karen Smith: IT Computer Specialist

Karen began working in the IT Department in 2000 as a Student Helper while attending the Computer Networking Program. She

graduated in 2001 with a Computer Networking Certification and worked in IT Operations until 2002 at which time she became an IT Com-

puter Specialist. In the past 8 years she has taken courses in Disk Imaging and A+ Essentials in IT Technician/Remote Technician. In addi-

tion to Computer Support Karen has also been trained and is ready to assist our campus users with any phone issues that may come up.

Amar Abbott: Alternative Media Specialist

As an Assistive Technologist at Napa Valley College (NVC), Amar uses various technologies to support the education of students

with disabilities. He has experience training students in the use of assistive technologies and has developed curriculum specific to teaching

the subject. Amar also trains faculty, staff, and administrators regarding educational technologies and how to use them to increase the ac-

cessibility of the college’s courses and programs. As a member of the IT support staff, he also troubleshoots technical issues regarding

hardware, campus networks, and supports current educational technology objectives. He has a Master’s degree in Educational Technolo-

gies and is knowledgeable about the laws related to disability, including but not limited to the ADA, sections 504, 508, and Title 5. As a

Certified Educational Technologist, he is also required to maintain current knowledge in the field of disability education and assistive tech-

nology. Amar has enjoyed his time working at Napa Valley College, and looks forward to serving students and staff in the future.

Kathy Franco: IT Computer Specialist

Kathy has worked at Napa Valley College since August 1996. Having started as a student, she was hired as a lab assistant with the

BCS department. She continued her education receiving certificates in Bookkeeping, Application Specialist, Networking and Computer

Specialist, receiving her Associate degree in Business and Computer Studies in 1999. Kathy now works in the IT department and is happy

to be part of a team dedicated to bettering the experience of our students and staff here at NVC.

José Sanchez: Web Applications Analyst

José started his IT career in Southern California as a contractor for Computer Sciences Corporation, working at the Hughes/Raytheon

Space and Satellite division. He earned his way up the ladder and with a new found career and skill set, Jose was hungry to learn as much as he

could. When the opportunity arose, he sought employment with a hardware support contractor and then with IT consulting firms in the greater Los

Angeles area. He was hired by a firm with an incredibly diverse, entertainment industry based clientele and serviced accounts ranging from home

end users to talent agencies, business management agencies and multinational film studios including Intermedia Films, Sony Pictures and Imagine

Entertainment. Having a strong background in hardware, software and systems administration, he made the transition into educational computing,

by taking an IT support position at the University of California at Los Angeles, in the Chemistry department. He greatly enjoyed the next three

years supporting all the technology needs of the Chemistry department and had the pleasure of working directly with the labs of groundbreaking

pioneers working in the fields of Chemistry, Biochemisty and Nanotechnology. Always intending to return to the Napa Valley, José moved back to

Northern California where he worked in the private sector before returning to employment in the educational computing world at Sonoma State

University. When the opportunity arose, he applied for an open position with the NVC IT department and has been with us since 2007. In his cur-

rent position he is primarily responsible for supporting our SharePoint based campus web site and part of the team supporting our campus ERP/SIS

system. He is excited to be part of our campus community and looks forward to many more years of calling NVC home.

Page 4

Inspiring Students through Technology

If you look on college campuses today, you'll see

an ever-growing use of educational technologies. For

those unfamiliar with such technologies, some of the

questions that may arise are: how to use it, when to use

it, and how does it help students?

Rebecca Scott and Amar Abbott are working on a

special project to help students with learning disabilities

(LD) achieve greater academic success through the use

of technology. The project is called "The Kurzweil Pro-

ject: Learning Modules". Some of you may be asking

what is Kurzweil?

Our Dean of IT was recently appoint-

ed to the CCC Chancellor’s Office

Systemwide Architecture Committee.

This is a good opportunity for NVC to

participate at the State level in the

decision making and development of

common standards, infrastructure, and

platforms that enable transition to the

next generation of our CCC system.

A goal of this tech committee is to

help reduce or eliminate the (often

redundant and high) development and

support costs of complex online sys-

tems to individual campuses through

efforts such as shared resources; best

practices, policies, and standards; and

open source platforms. This includes a

technological infrastructure for a full

range of open source support services

for students to explore careers and

colleges, apply to college and finan-

cial aid, and create an academic plan

toward degree or transfer.

With that in mind, we thought it would

be nice to tell everyone about some

current systemwide architecture initia-

tives being planned. They include:

The OpenCCCApply and Federated

Identity Initiative is the next genera-

tion of online student application sys-

tems. It allows students and staff ac-

cess to Web-based applications across

colleges via a single sign-on account.

This also includes an Internet-based

platform for electronically requesting,

sending, downloading, and viewing

transcripts and other academic data

between CCCs as well as CSU and UC

campuses.

The Online Education Initiative gov-

erned through consortium agreements

between colleges, seeks to leverage

technology to expand online educa-

tion, streamline processes, improve

success and retention, enhance student

services and provide

professional develop-

ment support for online

education.

The Education Plan-

ning Initiative seeks to

provide a comprehen-

sive, technology-based

education planning

system. The system includes tools for education

planning and degree audit, as well as an underlying

system of data required for statewide education

planning. Underlying data includes, electronic tran-

scripts, articulation between community colleges

and four year institutions, and assessment and pro-

gram inventories.

The Common Assessment Initiative seeks to provide

a common assessment instrument for each of the

curricular areas of: English, Math, and English as a

Second Language, as well as a common delivery,

administration, and data collection and evaluation

system to the benefit of all California Community

Colleges.

Page 5

What’s on the Horizon for Community Colleges?

I NS TI TU TI ONA L T ECHNO LOGY NE WS LE TT ER

Kurzweil Project: Learning Modules According to their website, Kurzweil is a reading technology designed to

help students with LD or students with visual impairments. For those of us who

have taught others to use Kurzweil, it is a learning tool that supports the con-

cept of Universal Design for Learning and includes a suite of reading, writing,

test taking and study skill tools that can make curricula accessible to all stu-

dents. Kurzweil is particularly helpful for students with LD, such as dyslexia,

dysgraphia, struggling with reading comprehension, and English Language

Learners (ELL).

Initially, the Kurzweil Project is designed to infuse technology into the

curriculum for students with disabilities, but eventually we hope to bring this

project campus wide so all students can use this fantastic software. The first

phase of the project will consist of getting assignments from learning resource

teachers and turning the coursework into learning modules for students. The

learning modules will provide Rebecca and Amar with approved coursework

that can be used to instruct NVC’s students how to use Kurzweil. Upon the

successful implementation of these first modules, we could expand the use of

the technology to all students in the basic skills classes. Faculty input and sup-

port will be a key to increasing the success and retention of those students using

Kurzweil technology. The use of Kurzweil will also result in students being

more independent and confident in their abilities to do college-level work.

The hope is to eventually establish a class where all NVC students

(regardless of disability status) can learn and use Kurzweil for their course-

work. With the number of students attending NVC, there is great potential for

helping a large number of diverse learners across the disciplines to better access

their college courses and become more successful in reaching their academic

goals.

Avoiding Phishing Scams

Please be aware of “phishing” scams sent via email. These types of scams will often request personal information such as your

account name and password in order to avoid the cancellation of an account. The messages may also pretend to come from your bank, Pay-

Pal, or a credit card company. While these messages may look somewhat official, there are some telltale signs indicating they are fraudulent

such as:

-Asking for verification of a password or other personal information

-Warning about being over quota on an account

-Threatening the cancellation or termination of an account

-Containing web links which you must click to do some kind of verification or upgrade

-Use of all capital letters or other non-standard text

-Containing grammatical errors

Please disregard/delete phishing scams you receive and remember to never provide per-

sonal information to unknown or unconfirmed sources. Additionally, Napa Valley College’s IT

staff will never ask for your password or other person information via email. If you have responded

to any of these phishing messages, including clicking on a web link, you should immediately

change your password(s). If you have concerns or questions about scam email, please contact the IT

Helpdesk at x7550.

Safe Computing Corner

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Technology Tidbits The Terrific, Synergistic Phablet: What’s in a name?

If you are a fan of the modern smartphone, you are already familiar with the concept of synergistic design. Synergistic design

combines multiple functions into one device. In short, having a device that is a phone, can send a text, play a music or video file, take a

snap-shot and make a quick video, can cut down on how many different devices you need to carry when enjoying those different kinds of

activities and media uses. Another synergistic device that has become very popular is the tablet. It’s very interesting to note that the tablet

typically separates out the phone feature, so that you can have a larger screen to work with when enjoying your media. In many cases, a

tablet can sync. with your smart phone, giving you the ability to use it as an extension device to make calls or connect to the Internet from

your tablet if you so choose.

There is another class of device on the scene that is projected to overtake tablet sales in 2014 (IDC Report—2013) and it is called

a “Phablet” (phone + tablet). A phablet is basically a smart phone with a screen between 5 - 6.9 inches in size. Devices like the Samsung

Galaxy Note fall into this category. The purpose of a phablet is to bridge the gap that exists between 7” or

larger tablets and their smaller and more portable phone counterparts. Think “Kindle Fire” on steroids.

For fans of the phablet, it’s about how it fills the gap. Hands free headsets have gotten smaller,

but they have also become much more functional. In some cases, the headset can fully operate the phone

via voice command. Current versions of text messaging software can read you the text you just received

and transcribe the text you want to reply with. As a result, having the right headphone accessory can mean

you don’t even need to hold your phone to use most of its features. For music aficionado’s, there are now

wireless headsets that will play your music as well as provide you with all the features of a Bluetooth tele-

phone wireless headset. For those wanting a video player or interacting with the tablet surface, the large

screen makes the experience nearly as pleasant as using their larger tablets. So as a package, the phablet is

intended to do everything your smartphone does, but give the larger screen experience of a tablet. In many

cases, the phablet also has video and audio outputs that can easily be connected to an HDMI ready com-

puter monitor or TV screen, further increasing the value of the phablet. When used with external display

devices, it can be a portable media center or even a portable computer when you add on an external key-

board and mouse.

The key when considering the purchase or integration of any kind of newer technology, is asking

yourself if you understand what it is designed to do and how it integrates into your lifestyle and/or work

style. When you properly identify your needs, you get the best ROI (return on investment) and the best

user experience.