fall17-insights

This summer, the MultimediaDevices network was launched. The new network replaced the Gaming network in the residence halls and extended the service to all buildings on the Kent Campus. The change resulted from a need for instructors to use such devices as Apple TV or Roku in their classrooms. Devices on this network must be preregistered ...

Kent State Wireless launched this summer, replacing Flashzone-WPA as Kent State’s preferred wireless network. The main motivation for this change was to eliminate the confusion around which network to access. Each incoming freshman class will be directed to connect to Kent State Wireless while attending DKS. Other users will be directed to...

Information Services is in the process of upgrading Kent State’s Banner ERP system from version 8x to 9. Updates to the administrative pages of the system are currently underway with testing in the development environment occurring over the next few months. The new version includes an updated user interface, which eliminates the relianc...

On September 8, 2017, Information Services hosted its annual 5S Day, a day focused on the LEAN methodology of improving efficiency and effectiveness by organizing and maintaining a clean, high-performance office environment. The five S’s stand for Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. The day started with a short lesson on ...

KSUMobile is Kent State’s app for accessing information about the university across all campuses. Available on both iOS and Android platforms, over 4,000 people have downloaded the app with an average of 70 new users each day. Since the initial release of the app, IS has delivered various updates to improve performance and add new features...

Information Services has initiated a project to install a new firewall that will better protect the Kent State community from Internet threats. Kent State users are sent a barrage of malware, phishing attempts, and active hacking attacks. While the current system blocks a great number of these threats, the new firewall will be capable o...

Beginning in Fall 2017, a portion of the university community will begin piloting a security enhancement to FlashLine called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA provides additional security protections whereby accessing an account requires a username, password and an additional factor that is randomly generated at login time. This addit...

The Division of Information Services once again demonstrated its strong students-first philosophy to freshman and transfer students new to Kent State University. Incoming students eased their transition to the Kent Campus by seeking help at TechHelp tents and tables located throughout campus during Welcome Weekend and the first week of cla...

Information Services has launched DocuSign, an electronic signature capture platform that replaces printing, faxing, scanning, and mailing documents, potentially making every approval and decision digital. At present, 136 templates have been published, with many more to come. The initial focus was on streamlining the onboarding process for...

Software.kent.edu is a new portal for Kent State students, faculty, and staff to download free software such as Microsoft Office. Software titles are displayed based on the user’s role, so only software that is available will be visible to download. The portal automated a process that previously could take up to 72 hours to fulfill, elimin...