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Changes by ITS for Fall Term, 2020

Welcome to Fall, 2020! 

ITS has been hard at work this summer to make your start to the year as safe and easy as possible. While many of our service operations have changed due to COVID-19, we remain committed to engaging our community and providing faculty, staff, and students the resources to successfully navigate this unique period.

Here are some of the additions and changes we have been working on:

ITS Support:

ITS has a new Service Portal: https://support.swarthmore.edu. To better serve our community, this Service Portal offers a number of powerful features that will make communication between you and ITS more streamlined.  In addition to submitting your ITS support requests, the portal allows you the ability to view important announcements and to get quick solutions to common questions. To best serve our community, we recommend all requests for support always start by entering a service request in the ITS Service Portal.

ITS will continue to provide remote support as a first option in compliance with Swarthmore and the CDC’s recommendations for social distancing. Our on-campus helpdesk will operate by appointment only and will not be open for walk-in support.

Media Services:

Media Services will similarly operate by appointment only and will not be able to troubleshoot classroom A/V and computer related issues while classes are in session, or while conference rooms are occupied. Any repairs in classrooms or conference rooms will be made after the spaces have been vacated. Please allow sufficient setup time before each class or meeting. Media Services staff will be for support via Zoom (by appointment), phone (610-957-6201) or by visiting https://support.swarthmore.edu.

To better protect our faculty, staff, and students, ITS has made the following adjustment to our equipment loan policy:

All A/V equipment and computing loans will be for academic purposes only. At this time, loans for personal use are no longer available. Anyone checking out equipment will be allowed to keep it for the duration of the Fall Term on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have questions about equipment already loaned, please contact ITS via the service portal.

Technology Outreach:

Our Technology Outreach team has been focusing on continuing to meet the changing needs of our community as we moved from in-person to remote to hybrid. As a result, we worked to overhaul our documentation to better provide solutions to commonly asked questions. We continue to gather and share resources on our remote page (https://swarthmore.edu/remote) to provide timely and up-to-date resources for wherever you are in our community (https://kb.swarthmore.edu/). We look forward to seeing you at one of our virtual “Ask Us Anything” sessions where you are welcome to bring any and all questions.

Language Center, Media Center and MakerSpace

To better support the campus with limited staff we’ve consolidated Language and Media Center services in the Language Center – Kohlberg 326.  The MakerSpace, Language Center and Media Center will be available by appointment only from 9am to 7:30pm Mon.-Thu. and from 9am to 4:30pm Fri.  The Language Center and MakerSpace will also be open 12:30pm to 7:30pm on Sunday. Please contact lmc@swarthmore.edu to schedule access in advance.

  • In addition to lab computers, Wacom tablets and scanning are available in the Language Center, Kohlberg 326.  We’ll be offering a combination of in-person and remote support.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud is now available via Amazon AppStream. Consider using the software in the comfort and safety of your own space. Information about using AppStream is available here, and additional information about using Adobe products on the platform can be found here.
  • We are available to support AppStream, Creative Cloud, media projects, and large format printing via email and Zoom. Contact us about individual support sessions and group workshops.
  • Some furniture has been removed to support social distancing. 
  • Occupancy will be limited.
  • Computer stations and touch surfaces need to be wiped down before and after use by visitors.
  • In the MakerSpace, hand tools, worktables, and stationary equipment shall be sprayed with disinfectant after use.
  • A no-touch 3D Print pick up station will be added.

Remote Teaching Studios 

ITS has adapted five smaller classrooms as Remote Teaching Studios, based on a design from John’s Hopkins University.  We believe these studio spaces will allow for more dynamic remote teaching and the creation of better recorded lectures and teaching materials.  The idea has met with great enthusiasm from faculty who will have access to the first of these spaces this week. Rooms are in Kohlberg 114, Kohlberg 328, Beardsley 305 and Science Center 102.  Reservations may be made through SwatCentral. Feel free to contact ITS for more information.