Welcome back! To help you prepare for the new semester, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Information Technology Services would like to provide a technology checklist that faculty and staff members can run through this week before the semester takes off. 

  • Update your Office 365 MFA and account-recovery settings. If you got a new mobile device over the holiday break, or if you changed phone numbers or email addresses, you should add that information to your Office 365 profile. Remember, you’ll be prompted for a second authentication factor whenever logging in on non-MSU Denver networks, so it’s important to keep your MFA (multifactor authentication) information up to date. For instructions, please see How do I change my Office 365 MFA/account-recovery options? 
  • Familiarize yourself with the new Teams app. If you’ve already opened Teams today, you may have received a prompt to switch to an updated version of the app. As noted in the Early Bird just before break, this update was scheduled for Jan. 2 to avoid potential impact on classes while still giving faculty and staff members time to adjust to the new experience. Users are encouraged to switch to the new version as soon as possible. 
    • A note for macOS users: Testing at MSU Denver has revealed some problems with the new version of Teams on macOS Monterrey (12.x). These problems have generally been addressed by updating to macOS Ventura (13.x), so users are encouraged to update to the newest version of macOS while classes are out of session. For instructions on updating your MSU Denver Mac, please see How do I install software on an MSU Denver Mac computer using Self Service? 
  • Update your University-issued computer. If you haven’t been using your University-issued computer over the break, it may have monthly system or software updates to run. You will be notified of any required updates shortly after you log in, and you can check your computer’s asset-management tool for any recommended updates. 
  • Check for necessary software and equipment in your classrooms. You should check your classrooms and other learning environments to ensure that they have all the software and equipment you need. If necessary software is missing and can’t be installed through the computer’s asset-management tool, or if you need to request or check out equipment, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 303-352-7548 or submit a service request through the ITS support portal. For immediate tech support in a classroom or other learning environment, please call the phone number posted in the room or the ITS Service Desk. 
  • Know where to go for knowledge and support. MSU Denver uses a variety of tools and services as part of its mission to provide high-quality, accessible, enriching education for its students. 
    • Canvas Resources and Support 
      • The ITS Knowledge Base contains several articles for faculty and staff members (as well as for students) on the basics of using Canvas in the MSU Denver technology environment. 
      • The Center for Teaching, Learning and Design maintains a large variety of step-by-step tutorials and best-practice documents for getting the most out of Canvas on the Ready website, ready.msudenver.edu. 
      • For help with course design for effective teaching and learning, please contact the Center for Teaching, Learning and Design. 
      • For Canvas technical support, please contact Canvas Support (1-877-433-5878) or the ITS Service Desk (303-352-7548). 
    • Workday Resources and Support 
      • It’s been almost a year since MSU Denver launched Workday, but there continue to be dedicated support channels and resources for anyone who needs assistance. 
      • MSU Denver’s official Workday site, msudenver.edu/workday, has lots of information about the service and its implementation project and acts as a hub connecting the University’s Workday resources in one place. 
      • The Workday Transformation Teams channel hosts a wide range of content for general users and specific departments. 
      • Workday Launch Support is a collaborative team of Human Resources, Finance, Payroll and ITS staff members available to help employees with any Workday system problems. 
    • Information Technology Resources and Support 
      • The ITS Service Catalog provides details on the services ITS provides, as well as giving you a simple way to submit requests for these services through online forms. 
      • The ITS Knowledge Base is a collection of how-to articles and general information to help you find answers and solutions.
      • As always, you can request technical support for University systems at the IT Services Support Portal, support.msudenver.edu, or by calling the ITS Service Desk at 303-352-7548.