Issue 17, June 22, 2021

Ever have a question about one of the university’s IT products or services but don’t know where to find the answer? Maybe it’s on our Information Technology Services website, but where? You could Google it, but the answer will be generic. Or call the Help Desk, but only during business hours. There’s got to be a better way, right?

Well, good news – soon there will be! The new IT service site coming in July has a searchable knowledge base that we are filling with all kinds of technical instructions and other helpful information about the products and services that ITS offers and supports. No more having to scour our website, Google, call, or guess! And we’ll keep growing it based on the questions you ask. You’ll even be able to tell us which articles are helpful (or not) so we can adjust based on what you need. The answers you’re looking for will be at your fingertips at any time!

Video Calls Are Here to Stay!

You may feel Zoom or Teams video fatigue at times (it is a real thing!), but it looks like video conferencing is here to stay, even as the country begins to open up again after the pandemic.

Check out this Forbes article titled "Video Calls Are the New Handshake: Why Zoom (And Platforms Like It) Is Here to Stay." It tells you how video conferencing is an excellent way for employees to connect and share ideas and is often a better choice than a back-and-forth chain of emails. 

How to Write Great Survey Questions (And Avoid Common Mistakes)

When you take the time to send a survey to people, you want well-thought-out questions that provide the answers you need.

Sounds easy, right? It's not.

Sometimes you need a little help on the different types of survey questions and mistakes to avoid. Ensure the next survey you send out gets the results you need by checking out this helpful Qualtrics article on How to Write Great Survey Questions (and Avoid Common Mistakes).

LISREL by Scientific Software International

LISREL analyzes Structural Equations Models (SEM). Variations of these models include confirmatory factor analysis, analysis of covariance structures, path analysis, or causal modeling. LISREL is viewed by many as the most powerful and most difficult to learn of the SEM packages we have available. 
 
Learn more about LISREL on UTK’s Research Software website. Learn when to use it, where to run it, how to learn, and where to get help.

Microsoft has some excellent training courses we recommend:

• Smarter Business Month: Fundamentals of Microsoft Teams (June 28 - 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CST)
• Fundamentals of PowerPoint (June 30 - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CST)
• Empowering Collaboration in the Modern Workplace with SharePoint and OneDrive for Business (July 01 - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CST)

Two Minute Training: Insert a Header or Footer in Word

Learn in less than two minutes to insert a header or footer into a Microsoft Word document in this video.

Email

How to Reschedule a Meeting

Sometimes, it is necessary to reschedule an Outlook meeting. Here are the simple steps to do this for Windows, Mac, and web Outlook users:

1. Go to the calendar and double-click the meeting.
2. Change the date, time, and any other meeting details that have changed.
3. Explain the reason for the change in the body of the meeting.
4. Select Send Update.
5. The meeting details change on the calendar, and a meeting update email is sent to the attendees.

Lean 6 Sigma

NCCI 2021 Conference Session - High Conflict People in the Workplace- Oh My! Tools & Tips to Manage

Is there a difficult person in your trajectory who has a knack for making your work life full of conflict? Yes! These mega-maintenance and high conflict people seem to always be around now. If one or more of these folks have found their way onto your campus, you know how miserable they can make you or your whole team. This doesn’t mean your entire department has to dig for shelter. There are several tips and tools to prevent them from ruining your work life. The skills you’ve so diligently developed over the years do not work on difficult people. Come learn how to identify them, discover what forces drive them, how to manage your relationships with them or to avoid them, and a few tips to not hire them in the first place. It’s in our best interests to make the best out of every situation. While high conflict people can pose significant challenges, there is a way forward!

This session is just one of those that can be attended at the 2021 NCCI Conference. All UTHSC faculty, staff, and students can attend this virtual conference for free by registering online. If you don't have an existing NCCI account, you will need to create one, but it is super easy (just be sure to use your official UTHSC email when you register so you won't be charged).
 

Creating A Secure Environment

An important but often overlooked step toward protecting sensitive information is ensuring that it remains physically secure.  As we move back to a more on-campus presence, keep the following physical security guidelines in mind:

• Keep locked doors locked, and do not prop doors open.
• Do not let anyone follow behind you when going through a door that requires card access.
• Safely stow electronic media and devices (e.g., thumb drives, CDs/DVDs, backup tapes, laptops, etc.) in physically secure areas, such as a lockable cabinet. If any of these items store sensitive information they should be encrypted.
• If you remove sensitive data from a secure area for a specific work purpose, be sure to return it immediately when you are through with it. If you still need the information but must pause your work, lock it away until you are ready to continue your work.
• Limit access to sensitive areas to only those who require it.
• Don’t leave unattended sensitive data on a copier, fax, printer, or any other unsecured area.
• Make sure that other individuals cannot look over your shoulder or at your computer screen while working on confidential information.
• Always dispose of electronic and paper media in a secure manner. 
• Visit the Protect Yourself/Secure Your Device webpage for more helpful tips.

Dan Fast
In each issue, we feature one of our amazing ITS team members. We learn more about Dan Fast with our Cybersecurity team in this segment.

What is your role and how long have you been in ITS at UTHSC? I am a newcomer to the ITS team and the university. I started in October as the Security Architect for the Office of Cybersecurity.

What is a day in the life of Dan like? My day usually starts with a hot mug of Lady Grey tea, avocado toast with everything bagel seasoning, and some sort of book. That doesn’t usually last long however with four younglings 10 and under, and a puppy romping about the house. My workday so far has been different from week to week. I am currently developing our IT risk management and security assessment programs and processes and exploring tools to support those initiatives. I am also helping in the areas of procurement and vendor due diligence. My evenings usually consist of dinner, family walks and wrestling the kiddos into bed followed by more reading (I like to read if you haven’t picked that up).

What is your favorite thing about working at UTHSC? The ITS team! There is so much to learn and so many areas to dive into and contribute to the effort alongside great ITS colleagues. I came from a very small community bank with very limited resources and staff, so it is great to be part of a larger team working alongside experts in their field. I am thrilled to be part of this group!

What’s something most people don’t know about you? One interesting fact is that I am not local in Memphis. I live in Morristown, TN, which is just east of Knoxville. Morristown is known as the disc golf capital of TN. Disc golf is one of my favorite outdoor activities. Let me know if you are in the area and would like to play a round!