Earlier this month, credit reporting agency Equifax revealed that they experienced a security breach that exposed the personal information of 143 million people. From May through July of this year, cyber criminals accessed names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and other sensitive information.

If you have any kind of credit history, there’s a good chance that some information about you was included in this breach. Unlike a leak of credit or debit card information, there is no simple solution, like getting a new card. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to minimize the impact.

• Review the Federal Trade Commission’s guide to the breach. This page provides comprehensive information and gives step-by-step instructions for what you should do to protect your information.
• Check your credit reports. Federal law provides you with free annual access to your credit reports from the three credit reporting agencies. Visit annualcreditreport.comto access and download them. If you see activity on your reports that you don’t recognize (a line of credit opened in your name, for example), visit identitytheft.gov for guidance on what to do next.
• Consider putting a credit freeze or fraud alert on your file.
• Keep a close watch on your bank and credit card accounts for unusual activity.
• In addition, many banks offer free credit monitoring to their credit card customers. Contact your bank to find out if this is available and how it might benefit you.

This summer, the Simmons Technology team has been working to replace the entire wireless network infrastructure on the residence and academic campuses.

What does this mean for you? Once the project is complete, Simmons will have double the WiFi bandwidth and significantly improved coverage across campus. Areas on campus where the WiFi network was overburdened will be covered by new, more powerful access points, providing you with a strong and stable connection no matter where you are.

We’ll be continuing our work as the fall semester begins and we’ll provide an update once the network infrastructure replacement is complete.

If you need help connecting your devices to the network, or experience any issues with WiFi on either campus, please contact the Service Desk (617-521-2222) for support.

This summer, Simmons Technology partnered with Public Safety, Student Life, and the Registrar’s Office to help implement an important College-wide policy allowing students to use a first name other than their legal first name at Simmons.

As a result, all Simmons students can now update their first name and have it reflected in AARC, on class rosters, as part of their Simmons e-mail addresses, and on Simmons ID cards. We are working to make this option available in additional College systems and to streamline the process.

For more information about how to update your first name and to learn about how this differs from a legal name change, visit the Registrar’s page on Name and Address Changes.

If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar at 617-521-2111 or [email protected].

As students head back to campus and faculty and staff prepare for the fall semester, Simmons Technology wants to ensure that you have the resources you need for the first day of classes.

Get Answers to Your Tech Questions

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

Over the Phone
The Service Desk provides phone support Monday–Friday from 7:30am–5:30pm, with additional classroom/event support hours from 5:30–9:00pm on weekdays and 8:00am-3:00pm on Saturdays. Call 617-521-2222 to speak with one of our technicians.

In Person
The Technology Support Center is located on the 3rd floor of Lefavour Hall in L331 and is open for walk-ins Monday–Friday from 8:00am–6:00pm.

Get Started with Technology at Simmons

If you’re new to Simmons, get started quickly with our tech overviews:

• For Students
• For Faculty & Staff

Learn more about our Popular Services, including:

• AARC
• Campus Print
• Simmons Moodle
• Technology Discounts
• Online training at Lynda.com

Get up to speed on Information Security and two-step verification, then download antivirus protection for your personal computer.

After a late push in May to enroll people in SharkPass, we’re pleased to report that everyone at Simmons is now protected by two-step verification. This added step when logging into services keeps your information—as well as sensitive College data—safer than ever in the face of frequent cyber attacks.

As a reminder, please take a moment to add a backup device to SharkPass—like a landline phone—or send yourself backup codes. Having a backup means that you’ll still be able to log in even if you don’t have access to your phone or if you get a new phone and haven’t yet registered it in SharkPass. If you get a new device, remember to register it (see step-by-step iPhone and Android instructions) and download the Duo Mobile app for iPhone or Android.

If you need any help with two-step verification, contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222 and our technicians can guide you through the process.

If you haven’t enrolled in SharkPass two-step verification yet, you only have a week left to take action.

To enroll, visit sharkpass.simmons.edu and follow the step-by-step instructions. Be sure to have your mobile device with you before getting started. When you enroll, you should also add a backup device (like a landline phone) or send yourself backup codes. Having a backup means that you’ll still be able to log in even if your primary device isn’t nearby or if its battery is dead. To get help, contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222and our technicians can guide you through the process.

We strongly encourage you to enroll as soon as possible. On June 1, anyone with a Simmons account who hasn’t signed up will be automatically enrolled. This means that you’ll have to set up SharkPass before you can log into Simmons’ web-based services, including email, Simmons Connection, and AARC.

In the asynchronous classroom you may find yourself asking: Are my students really getting it? How will I know?

This session will showcase effective ways to engage the student with the material even when they are not being graded.

It will highlight interactive delivery methods such as animated case studies, student panels, branching and gaming scenarios—all with checkpoint options that require the students to interact with the content and each other.

This session is open to ALL faculty—whether you teach online or on-campus. Visit the Faculty Fellows Hub to get complete details on all the sessions being offered.

Interested in signing up for this session? RSVP today!

Throughout the spring semester, the Technology team has worked with departments to purchase and distribute new computers to eligible faculty and staff. As of today, we have replaced 250 computers and are on-track to replace almost 600 during FY17. Our team is following an accelerated timeline in order to complete the remaining computer replacements this summer. You can track our progress by checking the status page on the project website.

This project has been a significant focus for our department during the year and we’ve worked hard to deploy and upgrade computers while balancing resources with concurrent projects and ongoing technology support and maintenance.

We want to thank the many employees we collaborated with in dozens of departments. Their commitment and cooperation have made this project a success. The Service Desk staff also deserves credit for planning and scheduling computer replacements while minimizing disruptions to the daily work of their colleagues across campus.

For more information about the computer replacement program, please visit the project website.

Simmons Technology recently announced the implementation of SharkPass two-step verification for logins to most online systems at the College. This new service improves the security of our data and reduces our vulnerability to phishing attacks and other scams.

Because the security of your information is at stake, we want to act quickly. Simmons is requiring all students, faculty, and staff to be enrolled in SharkPass by June 1, 2017. We encourage you to set it up as soon as possible so you don’t experience any interruptions in access to services during finals, commencement, or the summer break.

To activate and enroll in SharkPass, visit our project website (sharkpass.simmons.edu). There, you’ll find step-by-step instructions—and videos—to guide you through the process and help you get started with two-step verification.

When you enroll, be sure to add a backup device—like a landline phone—or send yourself backup codes. Having a backup means that you’ll still be able to log in even if your primary device isn’t nearby or if its battery is dead.

On the project site, you’ll also find a calendar of on-campus events. Technology staff members will host these in-person demonstrations across campus, giving everyone at Simmons an opportunity to ask questions and get hands-on help.

If you need help with SharkPass, or if you are an online-only student or faculty member, please contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222. Our technicians are ready to answer your questions and assist with SharkPass activation and enrollment.

At this point, you have likely heard that the new Simmons advising system, Starfish, is live for undergraduates and online programs. Starfish is a toolset that allows students, advisors, faculty, and student-facing professional staff to communicate, as well as make referrals, raise flags, and store student records in an organized and confidential manner.

   Sample student flag in Starfish

A few resources and reminders to help you make the most of Starfish:

• Starfish is currently being used for the following programs: undergraduates, Nursing@Simmons and SocialWork@Simmons students
• Starfish can be accessed at starfish.simmons.edu and uses your current Simmons username and password
• The Student Quick Start Guide includes an overview of Starfish and its features
• Instructors, advisors, and student support staff can access our Faculty & Staff Help Guides for assistance with topics such as:
  • Setting up office hours
  • Raising and clearing flags
  • Making notes and messaging students
• Please see the Faculty & Staff Training Calendar for drop-in sessions where you can stop by and work through any questions you may have

As a reminder, please direct any questions, concerns, or feedback to [email protected]!