| A Message from Geneva Henry, Vice Provost for Libraries and Information Technology |
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| Modernization of Banner and Acceleration to the Cloud
We are focused on enabling the delivery of world-class education, research, and clinical care by providing an efficient, scalable, and secure digital experience. To that end, GW has been investing in cloud computing for several years as a way to reduce our dependency on the campus data centers, increase the availability of our services to the GW community, and support campus-wide sustainability efforts in reducing our carbon footprint. We are now accelerating the move of applications and infrastructure to the cloud to increase capacity in a low risk and cost effective way.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the use of software and infrastructure that is hosted and managed by an external vendor. GW has been relying on cloud computing for many years for things like Google email and Box storage, which are considered Software as a Service (SaaS).
By utilizing more cloud computing, GW IT can offer robust feature sets without taking on the overhead tasks of management or physical space of maintaining hardware. This allows GW IT to focus more on education and research, enhancing operational efficiency and technological advancement. As we accelerate to the cloud, we are evaluating services and considering the advantages of potential cloud migration, while prioritizing security and compliance.
Moving Banner to the Cloud
We are excited to announce GW is modernizing its student information system and human resource system by implementing Ellucian’s Banner Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. This will lead to significant improvements in efficiency and the faculty/staff/student experience, including:
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- Real-time data for decision-making
- Mobile access and personalized dashboards with notifications and alerts
- High availability, scalability, and security
- Reduction in carbon footprint
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This modernization effort will take 18-24 months and require the adoption of best practices and baseline functionality to streamline processes. GW IT will communicate regularly throughout the project as we define the timeline and hit milestones, including posting updates to the Banner SaaS Initiatives page. The success of this project depends on the collaboration and engagement of GW community members across the university.
The Banner SaaS project generates momentum towards our vision of an agile and resilient IT infrastructure that drives the growth and success of the GW community.
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| A new myGW and GW Mobile app is coming soon! We are excited to announce that the myGW website and GW Mobile app are being redesigned to streamline access to the university’s online services. Along with a new look, the new MyGW offers a customizable interface and enhanced integrations that allow access to resources and data directly in the app.
The new myGW mobile app will be available for download on January 16th in the mobile app stores, replacing the existing mobile app. The current GW Mobile app will continue to function until February 1st. Stay up-to-date on rollout details at the New myGW initiatives page.
Access the new myGW on January 16th prior to the official cutover on February 1st by visiting go.gwu.edu/mygw. Both sites will be available until February 1st.
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Updates to Security Policies |
GW IT is reviewing policies, standards, and guidelines within our purview. This process has led to the consolidation of several policies, resulting in a more streamlined policy framework. As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure and efficient IT environment, we will continue to review and update IT policies to ensure compliance.
IT Policy Changes:
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- Acceptable Use for Computing Systems and Services
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- Acquisition of Computer Hardware and Software
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- Application and System Access
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- GW UserID Individual Accounts
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EAS Will Soon Use SSO Authentication |
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GW IT has kicked off a project to bring a consistent login experience to the Enterprise Accounting System (EAS). This Spring EAS will be integrated with GW Single Sign On (SSO) for authentication. This initiative will make access easier for new users, reduce GW’s cybersecurity risk, and prevent the need for additional login credentials for many EAS users. Check back at the new IT Initiatives page for future updates.
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Home.gwu.edu Retiring in June |
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The legacy website hosting service ACAD, also known as home.gwu.edu, will be decommissioned on June 4, 2024 in favor of better solutions that fit personal website needs. This includes decommissioning redirects of old home.gwu.edu URLs. All website owners were emailed shortly before the break with a link to their website files, and all sites have been archived at archive.org.
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New Resources Available to GW Faculty and Staff |
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Gartner research, insights and advice are now available to all GW Faculty and Staff. You can access their subscription based tools by selecting Gartner from your MyApps Dashboard. By logging in, you will have access to insights of more than a 1,000 technology experts.
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Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) is now available to GW faculty and staff. Microsoft’s Copilot is a chatbot powered by generative AI, and can be used to find information, research a topic and generate content. GW provides access to Copilot with Data Protection, which offers enhanced security. Copilot data is not saved or shared with Microsoft, and data is not used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. Learn more about Microsoft Copilot
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Classroom Technology Training |
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Software Request for Summer |
Need additional software in your classroom? Submit a software installation request before the semester deadlines:
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- Summer sessions: February 1st
- Fall semester: June 1st
- Spring semester: November 1st
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New Microsoft Teams Now Available |
Microsoft is now offering a New Teams app. They have reimagined Teams to be faster, simpler, and more flexible. The new Teams app is now available to all GW users. Microsoft will be automatically updating users to the new Teams app starting March 31st, 2024.
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The IT website has been redesigned. The new design is the first step in improving navigation and making it easier to find resources and support. In the redesign, we consolidated acadtech.gwu.edu and printing.gwu.edu into IT.gwu.edu, making it more convenient to access related services. We have plans to expand the resources and service offerings in the future. As we evolve, your feedback is invaluable. Please fill out our survey.
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