Early Bird

A pre-semester IT checklist

Before classes begin, check these ITS-recommended technology tasks off your to-do list.

By Corey Oxenbury

January 16, 2020

Welcome back! To help faculty and staff prepare for the new semester, Information Technology Services has provided a technology checklist to ensure that everyone is prepared before classes begin.

Update your Office 365 account recovery and MFA settings

If you got a new mobile device over the holiday break, or if you changed phone numbers or email addresses, follow these online instructions for updating your account recovery and multi-factor authentication settings in Office 365. Please remember, even though MFA will be whitelisted on the Metropolitan State University of Denver wired and authenticated wireless networks this weekend, you will still be prompted for a second authentication factor on other networks, so it’s important to keep your MFA information up to date.

Update your University-issued computer

If you haven’t used 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 (Software Center on PC, Self Service on Mac) for any recommended updates.

Log in to your University phone and voicemail

It’s a good idea to refresh yourself on your phone and voicemail PINs, especially if you don’t use them often. If you don’t remember either PIN, you can find instructions for resetting them in the Phone FAQ on the ITS Knowledgebase.

Check for necessary software and equipment in your classrooms

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 Helpdesk at 303-352-7548 or submit a request at support.msudenver.edu. For immediate tech support in a classroom or other learning environment, please call the phone number posted in the room.

Reset your web browser

Regularly resetting your web browser is a good way to improve performance and resolve any issues with web-based systems, including Blackboard Learn. Instructions for resetting various browsers are available on the Online Faculty Commons.

Contact ITS to request new technologies

If you plan to introduce any new, innovative technologies during the upcoming semester, ITS would like to help. Simple or small-scale requests for new software or hardware can be submitted through our Software and Hardware request forms, respectively. For projects with complex or large-scale implementation requirements, or if you need assistance in determining the best technology solution for a project, please fill out the Business Analysis request form.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 303-352-7548 or support.msudenver.edu.