Concerned about Moodle support for you and your students? More help is on the way!

The Simmons Online Instructional Design team has partnered with Simmons Technology this summer to train front line phone support technicians at the Technology Service Desk on how to resolve basic Moodle issues.

The phone support staff is now ready to help faculty and students with things like: How do I access my Moodle course? Why isn’t my course visible to students? How can I add a discussion forum to my course space? Where can I find my grades?

Simmons Online and Technology are committed to continuous training and improvement as the front line support team increases their level of Moodle knowledge.

Fall semester is just around the corner, and while we’re all eager to spend more time in the sun, we also can’t wait to welcome everyone to campus!

We want to ensure that you have the resources you need to get going right away.

Find Answers to Your Tech Questions

Online
The Service Desk website is always available and it features answers to common questions and links to popular services. You can also submit support requests directly from the site.

Service Desk
Open for phone support Monday–Friday from 7:30am–5:30pm, with additional classroom/event support hours from 5:30–9pm on weekdays and 8am-3pm on Saturdays.

Technology Support Center
Located on the 3rd floor of Lefavour Hall in L331 and open for walk-ins Monday–Friday from 8am–6pm.

Get Started with Technology at Simmons
If you’re new to Simmons, get going with our quick start guides for students, faculty, and staff.

Stay Safe on Campus

Simmons Public Safety has officers available across the academic and residence campuses 24/7 to help keep everyone safe. In an emergency, call 617-521-1111 (or dial 911). For all other Public Safety needs, call 617-521-1112.

Plan an Event or Meeting

If you’d like to schedule an event or reserve a room on campus, you can submit your request by contacting[email protected] or online at events.simmons.edu.

While summer is the time for vacation, it’s also when Simmons Technology (along with many other departments on campus) prepares for the fall semester. Right now, we’re updating lab, classroom, and public access computers to create a more consistent experience for faculty.

We will upgrade these computers’ operating systems from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and from Microsoft Office 2013 to Office 2016. These changes will be complete before the first day of fall semester classes.

To ensure a smooth transition, we’ll be providing walk-in training sessions for faculty. Keep an eye out for an email with the times and locations. You can also find online Windows and Office training at Lynda.com.

If you have any questions about these changes or about any other academic technology in preparation for the semester, please contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222 or online atservicedesk.simmons.edu.

The Online Faculty Fellows Hub is a resource containing a wide array of strategies, definitions, and guides to help faculty prepare to teach online.

Individual guides offer help with Course Design and Management, Presentation of Materials (for both blended and online classrooms), Communication and Collaboration with Students, Group Work, and much more.

Although focused on online teaching and learning, all faculty can benefit from the information available in the Hub. Each page is organized around pedagogical questions and offers strategies for ways to define and apply solutions in the classroom.

Available Resources

eLearning Toolbox
Access guides that break down all the tools used across Simmons College for asset design, course organization, and creative exercise creation.

Follow step-by-step guides on how the Toolbox can be used in the classroom to best serve you and your students.

Faculty Spotlights
Learn about other faculty members’ experiences teaching in blended or online classrooms.

Online Faculty Fellows Program
Simmons Online sponsors the Online Faculty Fellows Program, focusing on faculty development and collaboration for those who are preparing to teach or design courses for online delivery.

Training
We currently offer Basic Training, and coming soon, Simmons Online will offer Advanced Training.

• The next Faculty Fellows Basic Training session is Oct 3 – 28. Interested in signing up? Contact Kristen Palson.
• Advanced faculty training sessions will begin in Fall 2016. Look for complete details to be announced in September.

Congratulations! Spring semester is over and you can (maybe? hopefully?) relax a bit and enjoy the beautiful weather Boston has to offer this time of year.

Whether you’re on campus, off campus, or halfway around the world this summer, you can still access many Simmons services.

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT

Service Desk
Open for phone support Monday-Friday from 7:30am – 5:30pm at 617-521-2222.

Technology Support Center
Located in LEF-331 and open for walk-ins Monday-Friday from 8:00am – 6:00pm.

If you need help during the evening or on the weekend, or if you’d rather not pick up the phone, you’ll find answers to many common questions on the Service Desk website.

Services Available Online
You can access your email, calendar, Google docs, Moodle, AARC, Workday, and more from any location using mobile sites and apps.

If you need access to technology services that are only available from the on-campus network, you can tap into them remotely using VPN. Simmons VPN is accessible on mostcomputers and mobile devices.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

If you’re staying in Boston this summer, most on-campus services are available to you. Be sure to check in advance for modified summer hours.

Dining
Common Grounds Cafe and The Fens are open throughout the summer for staff, faculty, and students taking summer classes.

Public Safety
Located in Palace Road, suite P-106, Public Safety officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency, call 617-521-1111 (or dial 911). For all other Public Safety needs, call 617-521-1112.

On-Campus Parking
On-campus parking is available during the summer. Purchase parking online via the online parking store.

Awareness Guides Spreading Across Campus
Public Safety student workers Fiona Chadwick and Meghan Cokely have created a series of emergency preparedness guides for distribution across campus. These handouts highlight how to prepare for an emergency and what you can do to remain calm in the event of an emergency on campus.

Fiona and Meghan also created “You’ve Been Bitten” cards which call out the importance of preventing theft of personal items on campus. When our officers see unattended bags, electronics, and other items, they’ll leave a card to remind you that theft on campus can often be prevented simply by keeping an eye on your things while in public spaces.

Thanks to our student workers for their invaluable contributions to the mission of Public Safety!

Relay for Life Fundraising
In March, the Public Safety team volunteered with Northeastern University Police Department’s Relay for Life team. Their efforts helped to raise more than $1,500 for the American Cancer Society.

Public Safety Who’s Who
Coming soon, there will be a Public Safety team photo wall outside of our main entrance in Palace Road and near the entrance of the Public Safety Office in Simmons Hall. We hope this helps everyone on campus recognize our team members. If you see us around, say hello! We’re always looking for opportunities to engage with the community.

Throughout July and August, the Buildings & Grounds team will be working to replace the roofs of the School of Management Building and the Park Science Center.

Both buildings’ roofs sustained damage during a hailstorm late last summer. Temporary repairs were made shortly afterwards so that the roof replacement project could be postponed until after the academic year concluded.

While work is in progress, a crane will be parked on the grassy area between the two buildings. This area will be inaccessible during the project, but the rest of the academic campus quad will still be available for you to get out and enjoy the summer weather.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Richard Stewart at [email protected].

Simmons Technology is rolling out ID card based printing for faculty and staff across campus. This service allows you to print, copy, and scan quickly and securely from any multi-function device (MFDs) on campus by tapping your ID card on the reader.

Earlier this month, we conducted a successful pilot period in the Technology department and the Library. We expect to activate ID card readers on all remaining MFDs between May 3rd-5th.

This change provides faculty and staff with the same flexibility that CampusPrint provides to students: a networked, secure, campus-wide solution that allows you to get your documents when and where you need them. With tap-access printing, there’s also no need to cancel print jobs you may have sent accidentally or decided not to print.

Please note that while this feature will be available on all MFDs, you can continue to print directly to MFDs in your office or department without tapping your ID. Copying and scanning at MFDs will require tap-access at all times.

In May, Simmons Technology will provide drop-in training sessions and project manager Roy Balcom ([email protected]) will work with individual departments to coordinate trainings, as requested.