Olivia DrakeThe web at Wesleyan is undergoing major design and functionality changes, and the Website Design Team is seeking input from the Wesleyan community. "This team has been charged with preparing a new website design strategy for the university," says Melissa Datre, director of the Information Technology Service's New Media Lab. "Through their request for feedback, peer school interviews, and faculty and student input, they will, over the next several weeks, propose to a new design concept for Wesleyan’s website presence." In early March, the team launched a web redesign blog to give every member of the campus community the opportunity…
Wesleyan sports fans can view play-by-play action of their favorite events through Wesscores, a new service hosted on Twitter. Twitter is a popular social networking and “microblogging” service used to communicate timely information as well as exchange quick, frequent messages with others. The short Twitter messages, referred to as the "tweets," can be viewed on a web browser or cell phone as text messages. The Athletics Department at Wesleyan has created a Twitter account called wescores to send updated sports information and is inviting all the Cardinals fans to follow this account on twitter by visiting the URL http://twitter.com/wescores and…
Jolee West, director of academic computing services, director of digital projects, was chosen to participate in the 2009 Frye Leadership Institute for library and information professionals. The intensive summer program takes place at Emory University from May 31 to June 11. Following the two week session at Emory, each participant works on a year-long practicum at their institution, and the classes remain in contact through e-mail groups and subsequent conferences. Ganesan "Ravi" Ravishanker, associate vice president for Information Technology Services, nominated West for the Leadership Institute. The nationally competitive application process selects around 45 participants from an average of 200-250…
Q: Scott, when did you begin your Wesleyan career in Information Technology Services? A: I arrived in mid-September 2008. Q: You're currently the academic computing manager for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics area. Do you generally support faculty? A: Supporting faculty takes up most of my time. However, because grad-students work closely with faculty, I have also been supporting grad-students in certain situations. For example, a grad student may need assistance with Wesfiles or Blackboard and I would assist him or her. Additionally, I may also conduct specific training for a class of undergrads. Q: Is supporting NSM any different…
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If you had one minute to speak with newly-elected President Barack Obama, what would you say? Wesleyan undergraduate, graduate and Graduate Liberal Studies Program students are invited to video-record a response to this question with a chance to win a $100 cash prize. As part of Wesleyan's "Minute with the President-Elect" challenge, students can create and upload a video to Wesleyan's YouTube site. Site viewers can log in, view the videos and rate their favorite entry. (more…)
Ganesan Ravishanker, associate vice president for Information Technology Services, spoke on Wesleyan's electronic portfolio Oct. 24 during the West Coast National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) Group's meeting at Reed College in Portland, Ore. The topic of the meeting was "Is There a Niche for e-Portfolios at Liberal Arts Colleges?" In this presentation, Ravishanker provided a brief history of how ITS and Academic Affairs began developing an electronic portfolio in 1998 as part of a new curricular renewal initiative. The electronic portfolio was originally conceived to enhance the communication between (more…)
The Wesleyan community is invited to go "Backstage at Information Technology Services" during an open house Nov. 12. Self-guided and guided tours for faculty, staff and students will be ongoing from 1 to 4 p.m. Raffle prizes will be awarded. Also, during this time, ITS will host three "acts." "ITS is hosting an open house to provide an opportunity for the community to visit our staff members in their environments, to learn about what they do, and in some cases to put a face with a person to whom they have either spoken on the phone or emailed," says Ganesan "Ravi"…
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