Simmons Technology has opened a new support venue in Lefavour Hall, just in time for the Fall semester. The Technology Support Center (TSC) provides a variety of services focused on student workers supporting other students. The TSC provides assistance with personally owned computers, mobile phones, tablets, and the various Simmons online resources, such as Simmons Connection, Google Apps, and Simmons Moodle. The TSC is located in LEF-331, conveniently positioned upstairs from Beatley Library and is open Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm. The TSC operates on a first come, first served basis and, while the focus is on helping students with tech questions, our student workers are available to assist faculty and staff as well.

In addition to the TSC, technology support is also available at the Beatley Library reference desk. Technology staff will be there to assist with any computer or printing difficulties in the Library and can also direct you to the TSC for assistance with more complex issues. Technology staff are available in the library Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm, with extended hours as needed.

For additional information on this and other Technology services, please visit the technology support page on our website.

If you frequently plan or attend meetings on the phone or via the Web, you know that there are a lot of options out there. Simmons Technology also recognizes this and, to better serve the community, we’ve created a partnership with GoToMeeting to provide a comprehensive phone and web conferencing solution for faculty and staff that’s accessible using your Simmons email address. GoToMeeting is available on your computer or mobile device and features built-in chat, webcam sharing, desktop sharing, and more. We hope you’ll find this service useful for enhancing your use of collaborative media in your office or classroom.

All Simmons faculty and staff now have access to GoToMeeting using their Simmons email address. You should have received an account creation email from Simmons Technology instructing you to create a password and complete your account setup.

If you’re using a Simmons computer, the software is already installed. If you want to install GoToMeeting on a personal computer or mobile device, you can find the download links here. Once you’ve installed the software, you can create, schedule, or join a meeting of up to 25 participants at any time.

We’ve created an FAQ to help you get started, and you can find additional resources by visiting the GoToMeeting support center, where you’ll find answers to common questions as well as step-by-step video tutorials.

Looking for a guided tour of GoToMeeting? Sign up for a one-hour webinar to learn more:

The transition to a new learning management system began in Summer 2011 and since then, we have worked with each School to move all requested course content out of eLearning and into Moodle. As of the Fall 2013 semester, the transition is complete. Looking forward, we hope that this project will mark the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership as faculty members continue to enrich and improve this critical teaching and learning tool.

Simmons Technology would like to thank the Simmons College faculty and support community for their cooperation throughout this transition. We would also like to thank our original pilot faculty as well as adventurous instructors from across the faculty whose input and patience have helped make this transition possible.

A recent article in The New York Times covered a widespread malware attack conducted through a web browser plug-in that hijacked people’s social media accounts and used those accounts to send spam on their behalf.

While attacks like these are unfortunate, they serve as useful reminders that the proliferation of apps, plug-ins, and add-ons, created by thousands of developers throughout the world, opens new channels for malware, viruses, and phishing attempts. Most apps and plug-ins available through trusted sources such as the iTunes Store or Google’s Chrome Web Store are free from harmful code, but it’s worthwhile to be cognizant of what you’re downloading and installing. You can do this by reading reviews from other customers and being mindful of what access you grant when installing software that integrates with your web browser or social media accounts.

Another important step is to keep your browser and apps up-to-date. While it’s easy to ignore those little app store reminders that updates are available, you should make an effort to install updates as often as possible. Frequently, updates include enhanced security features or fixes for recently discovered vulnerabilities.

Staying up-to-date will minimize your exposure to malicious software and help to keep your data safe.