Information for staff: Big improvements to IT for students

What’s changing for students?

From 10 – 20 July there will significant improvements to IT facilities for students:

• Student PCs on campus are being upgraded to Windows 7 and Office 2010, with more storage space for files and the latest versions of programs
• Student Email will be hosted in the cloud using Office 365 provided by Microsoft, offering more storage and easier access
• Blackboard is being moved to the latest version, with more consistent course sites and the availability of a mobile app
• Off campus students will benefit from ultra-fast internet in halls and discounted programs for home use

You will see posters and emails to students encouraging them to visit go.le.ac.uk/it4students to understand what is being improved, how to prepare and when changes are taking place. You may receive questions from students so this will help you know how to respond. Attached is the email that has been sent to students for reference and in case you need to forward it on to students in your department.

To accomplish these changes there will be some disruption during the 10-20 July.

How do the changes affect you?

Student email

• Don't send any important messages to students during 10-20 July
• Re-send any messages sent just before 10 July on/after 20 July to ensure they are received
• Most student email addresses will now end with @student.le.ac.uk except for those students who finish their studies with us before October 2012”
  
• If you send an email to a student which ends with @mail.cfs.le.ac.uk (who has been upgraded) this will no longer work – use @student.le.ac.uk instead
• To find student email addresses use the University Email Directory. Student email addresses will no longer appear in the Global Address List in Outlook
  

Teaching Rooms

• Lecture theatres and teaching rooms will be upgraded during July. An AVS guest account will be available to allow you to login if you have not moved to Windows 7.

PC Areas

• Some PC Areas will be out of action in the Library and elsewhere as they are converted to Windows 7 and so there may be limited access to PCs in these areas
• All open access PC’s will be upgraded by the end of September
• Schedule for PCs being upgraded
  

Blackboard

• Blackboard will be completely unavailable on two days 10 July and 20 July.  Between these dates you will be able to view a copy of the current version of Blackboard but if you make any changes to this copy, these will be lost when the new version becomes available.

I have further questions, what should I do?

Please contact the IT Service Desk on 0116 252 2253 or by email to ithelp@le.ac.uk.