Brandon Werner is a screen reader specialist at the University of Michigan, where he ensures blind students have what they need in order to be successful in life and throughout college. Alongside his work as a screen reader specialist, Brandon reviews university websites like Canvas and Google to make sure they work with the screen readers and other… Read More »
With COVID-19 changing the landscape of how higher-education and other areas of our society operate, gaining important insights from data is more important than ever. As U-M begins a historical public health-informed in-residence semester, the Michigan Insights on Demand (MIND) team at Information and Technology Services (ITS) continues to make strides in building and enhancing the ecosystem needed… Read More »
The innovative and creative spirit of the Michigan IT community flourished over the summer. As our plans for the hybrid semester come together, we continue to find innovative ways to support a world-class Michigan educational experience.
Mark your calendars for the Michigan IT Virtual Symposium, November 10-12, 2020. That’s right. “Virtual.” The pandemic has changed our approach in planning for the 2020 Michigan IT Symposium. Due to constraints regarding a face-to-face event, the planning committee has worked with the Michigan IT Steering committee to develop the framework for a rich and rewarding virtual experience. … Read More »
Most people by now are familiar with the steps necessary to make their own videoconferences secure. But what should you do if you happen to be participating in a videoconference that experiences some type of interruption, such as a Zoombomb. Disruptions can include anything from the mundane – barking dog or crying children, unintentional screen sharing, or dissonant noises… Read More »
It goes without saying that COVID-19 changed many things at Michigan Medicine. One major change has been the restricted hospital visitor policy, significantly limiting the number of people and time visitors can spend with a patient. For clinicians, this has upended patient-family communications, typically conducted face-to-face. “Not being able to share information with families in-person has been a… Read More »
Information and Technology Services recently informed Winter 2020 and Summer 2020 graduates that they are eligible for four more months of Adobe Creative Cloud at no cost. “It’s not lost on anyone that the journey for our recent graduates from college to what’s next in their career is different from those who have gone before,” said Ravi Pendse,… Read More »
A Zoom beta feature is now available, providing automatic live transcription for meetings and webinars. “Now more than ever, creating opportunities for the entire academic community to participate in discussions, presentations and lectures about today’s issues is vitally important,” said Ravi Pendse, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “We want to improve the ability for… Read More »
The Strategic Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) is expanding from 16 to roughly 50 members to represent voices from all units across campus to create a place for IT community members to come together, share information, and collaborate. STAC, previously known as the Unit IT Steering Committee, was formed nine years ago. Since then, its objectives have remained the… Read More »
Jackie Wolf is a web project manager and an user experience specialist for Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. Primarily she and her team build and support websites for Michigan Medicine. She also ensures that the web technology is robust, flexible, accessible, and secure. Collectively, the team gathers data to look for lessons about how frequently the content is… Read More »
Tech Shop, the U-M campus technology store formerly known as Computer Showcase, successfully launched a new point-of-sale system and ecommerce website on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted previously announced plans to unveil the new service name in conjunction with the grand opening of a re-designed Michigan Union store. Despite that delay, development on behind-the-scenes systems… Read More »
Facing a surge in requests for help, HITS used new tools, streamlined processes, and called on volunteers to keep Michigan Medicine working. Because of the shift to remote work due to COVID-19, HITS experienced a significant surge in requests for help. Help Me Now locations were closed to ensure worker safety, phone wait times increased substantially, and there… Read More »
From the fight against the novel coronavirus to ICU transfer and patient rehabilitation, the Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care (MCIRCC) is developing intelligent prediction software to support health systems. Technology is transforming every corner of the health care industry, including the way clinicians monitor patients. Current systems have demonstrated that early detection of patient deterioration… Read More »
Information and Technology Services (ITS) recently announced an agreement to offer Dropbox, a cloud file storage option that provides automatic back-up and is readily accessible from any device, to all faculty, staff and students on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses as well as Michigan Medicine. U-M’s agreement with Dropbox includes a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), which… Read More »
Gloria Moroshan has been in quarantine since March. Her few social interactions have been when her 4-year-old great grandson calls during his lunch breaks or by waving at neighbors when the weather is good enough to sit on the porch. So the octogenarian, who is visually impaired and does not know how to work a computer, takes every… Read More »
As with most schools, the U-M School of Dentistry converted to online learning on March 16, 2020. While this was an abrupt and unplanned change, the Dental Informatics team at the school helped convert more than 70 classes to an all-online format for dental and dental hygiene students, adopting new software programs and transforming the learning process. Perhaps… Read More »
Our community is experiencing extreme challenges, and our Black sisters and brothers are dealing with centuries of racism and hurt that are playing out before our very eyes. I know all of us feel angry, hurt, scared, and tired of reading and watching these types of horrific events repeat every day. These acts underscore the importance of our efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of life. It challenges me and all of us to do what is right, and not to wait to make changes.
Fast. Efficient. Innovative. Responsive. All describe how Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) worked behind the scenes to make the immediate and necessary adjustments to accommodate the COVID-19 outbreak. HITS instantly sprang into action to answer the call – literally. The Service Desk received nearly 16,600 calls and 4,000 chat requests between March 15-31, doubling their typical volume. Staff worked… Read More »
Instead of canceling your upcoming event, let the U-M Detroit Center (UMDC) help you transition to hosting online. This service helps those looking pivot to digitally hosting events in this new and changing landscape. UMDC offers a range of options, from consultations to running technology during the event itself. Features and benefits of these virtual event planning services include. A consultation to help determine the best… Read More »
With COVID-19 and working from home upon the university community, leadership at UM-Dearborn identified the need to move the paper-based process for grade corrections known as Grade Change into an electronic format. There was an additional pressure: the “busy season” for grade changes was just a few weeks away. Salesforce was chosen as the solution—it was already in use,… Read More »