Take advantage over the summer to learn more of the organizational features of Gmail. These workshops will be offered to all CFCC employees this summer only.

Register today!

Organize Your Email
Time: 1 hour
This training session will provide faculty and staff a hands-on opportunity to learn, practice and use organizational features of Gmail such as:

• labels
• search email
• sectioning inbox items (stars, unread, read…)
• “move to”
• color coding
• turn on/off email threads

Gmail Tips and Tricks
Time: 1 hour
Discover the hidden “gems” of Gmail with the click of a button. This hands-on session is open to faculty and staff and will cover items like:

• requesting a “Read receipt” for sent email
• retract an email
• create a “canned response”
• display settings
• “send as” aliases
• and more!

Well you are in luck. New WordPress training sessions will be available for Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 12pm for the month of May. Space is limited so pick a session and sign up today!

If you have any questions or need some individual help, you can also drop by the TTC (L-210 in the LRC) anytime 9am – 11am, and 1pm – 4pm on Fridays through the end of the semester.

If these times are inconvenient, you can view online help materials here: CFCC’s Google Apps Learning Center

Click one of the calendar events to register, or choose from the list of sessions below (same sessions, just presented in a calendar and a list)

Please click the ”Register” link below to select a session.

More sessions will be announced soon – we plan to have weekly sessions through the end of the semester.

Migration is ahead of our original schedule.  If we continue at our current rate, we should be finished by mid April rather than the orignal June date.

Our plan is to contact each department the week before their move.

We will offer training for two days in the TTC or in NA-311 each week. We also plan on holding open house at the TTC for several hours on Fridays (this could change depending on demand) for anyone with questions about Google Apps.  Online help materials are available, too.

See the Training Schedule to sign up for a training session and to see the Friday walk-in hours.

The following is a TENTATIVE schedule, and may shift as we go along.

December: President’s Office – complete
January: IT Services – complete
Feb 4-6:Foundation – complete
Feb Feb 4-8: Marine Technology – complete
Feb 11-15: Science – complete
Feb 18-22: Vocational – complete
Feb 22-24: Social and Behavioral Sciences – complete
Feb 22-24: Health Sciences –  complete
Feb 22-24 : Instructional Operations  - complete
Feb 24-26: Math and PE – complete
Feb 24-27: English –  complete
Mar 1-3: Humanities and Fine Arts –  complete
Mar 3-8: Engineering Technology  -  complete
Mar 7-8: Public Services –  complete
Mar 8-10: Business Technologies  -  complete
Mar 11-15: Institutional Effectiveness and Human Resources  - complete
Mar 11-24: Student Development -  complete
Mar 15-20: Business and  Institutional Services  -  complete
Mar 18-22: Learning Lab and LRC  -  complete
Mar 20-26: Continuing Education – complete
Mar 29: Auditing

For some of us, it’s tough… we’ve spent over 20 years on GroupWise and now it is going away?  Yes, Gmail is now the official email platform of Cape Fear Community College.  GroupWise will not exist after June.

The period between February and June will be the transition from the old to the new.  IT Services is going to do as much as possible to make that transition a smooth one.  However, this transition will require us all to learn new things and do a few things differently.

I’ve received many responses since my last email.  Thanks!  Here are answers to a few of the questions you sent me:

Where/What is this Gmail account and how do I get one?

You already have it.  My apologies.  I have used the term “Gmail” as shorthand for the email system provided by our college web-portal ” myCFCC. ”

• The myCFCC Portal actually includes Google Apps for Education, a full suite of services geared for education.
• This suite contains a word processor, a presentation application, calendar, file storage and…. Gmail (and more!).
• So, it really is Gmail, just without the ads or banners and with an increased email capacity limit (25GB!).

 Will I be able to keep my old GroupWise email address?

Yes!

• Everyone who currently has a GroupWise address (mine isdchappell@cfcc.edu) will be able to receive email under their GroupWise account address.
• This will be accomplished initially via a Forward from GroupWise to your Gmail account.
• This also answers several already Frequently Asked Questions such as:
  • Do I have to get new Business cards?  No
  • Do I have to locate every instance of my old email address (like on websites) and change it?  No
  • Do I need to alert everyone I have sent an email to that my address has changed?  No

What about sending email?  Which email address will appear to the recipient of my email address, GroupWise or Gmail?

Either!

• You will be able to select either your GroupWise or your Gmail address to be displayed.
• This is a setting that you control.  Stay tuned for easy instructions on how to set it to your preference.
• Email sent to you using both/either address(es) will be received in your Gmail account.

 What do I need to know as we transition to Gmail?

- No new GroupWise email accounts will be created.

• All existing employees already have a myCFCC Gmail account.
• All new employees automatically receive a myCFCC Gmail account when the hiring process is complete.
  • In the transition period, new employees will not have a GroupWise-like email account name (i.e., dchappell@cfcc.edu).
  • However, after the conversion process is complete in June, a GroupWise-like account name may be created for them.

- If you send a “Capefear_All” from GroupWise, you will miss those new hires that only have Gmail addresses during the transition.

Therefore, during this transition (only), follow these simple steps to send an email that will reach everyone:

1.    Go to Gmail (in myCFCC, click the  ”Email” icon
2.    Select “Compose”
3.    In the “To” field type: “capefear_all@cfcc.edu” (with an underscore) and this will send email to all GroupWise accounts.  **Then**, in the same field, type: “capefearall@mail.cfcc.edu” (with no underscore) and this will send email to all the Gmail accounts.
4.    Fill in the “Subject” Field
5.    Type your message
6.    Hit “Send”

OK, it sounds confusing, but doing it is actually easier than it reads…  Be careful that the correct addresses are selected as “auto complete” may not give you what you intended.  Remember: “capefear_all” and “capefearall” … but it’s only for a short while.  As soon as everyone is on Gmail, there will be only one capefearall.

What do I need to do now to prepare?

- Clean out your GroupWise mailbox and Archives.

• Delete unwanted GroupWise email and empty the Trash.
• Go through your Archives and keep only things that might have future value to you.
  • Hint: sort the Archives by different categories to cast a wide net for unwanted email.

- Disable all forwards to GroupWise.

• If you have any email accounts forwarding to GroupWise, especially from myCFCC Gmail, Remove Those Forwards Now!
• Forwarding from any other email system (especially Gmail) will create an endless email loop once we put into place a Forward from GroupWise to Gmail.

-Sign up for a Gmail class.

• These will be announced in the coming weeks.

 Anything else I need to know?

-The Auto-archive feature in GroupWise has been disabled.

• This has been done in preparation for your move.
• This means that older email will simply stay in your inbox.

Do not manually archive messages.

• We are trying to reduce the amount of Archived email that will be migrated to your Gmail account.

-Items in the GroupWise Trash will empty immediately on request.

• This wasn’t the case before    … Even after Deleting, your email stayed in the Trash Folder until our system had a chance to back it up.  This gave folks a chance to change their mind…
• Now, when you “Delete and Empty,” it’s *gone* instantly.

Stay tuned for more FAQs and in the meantime, keep your questions coming!

This means it’s time to learn all about WordPress.

WordPress is the content management system used to create, edit, and maintain content on the new website. Training tutorials will be offered starting February 4th in the TTC (L210 in the Library Downtown.).

Available times are:

• Monday Feb. 4th 10am-12pm
• Friday Feb.  8th 10am-12pm
• Monday Feb 11th 2pm-4pm
• Thursday Feb. 14th 2pm-4pm

These sessions are open to all. However, if you currently use Adobe Contribute to create web content for CFCC.edu it is highly recommended that attend one of the training sessions. Sign up by registering for one of the four training sessions below. If you do not currently work with web content for your program or department and want to learn how, then sign up! The are 15 seats available for each session.

If you have any questions email them to jfloyd@cfcc.edu

Thank you for your interest but all sessions are FULL! More training sessions will be scheduled. Stay tuned to Cape Fear All emails and to the IT Update Blog for future information from the web team.

View / Download the WordPress 101 Tutorial.

CFCC Redesign offers a fresh, new look.

Beginning in late January CFCC’s public-facing website CFCC.edu will have a brand new look! The new website has been developed in tandem with the current website and features a new responsive web site design that will adapt the page layout and content to the size of the user’s display or device. This will improve the accessibility of content  on CFCC.edu for mobile devices, tablets, and traditional desktop computers. The new website is operational and available for review at http://www2.cfcc.edu.

Furthermore, the new website has been built and developed on the WordPress Content Management System. This will usher in a new era of web content management and generation allowing in-browser editing from any PC for authorized users and eliminate the necessity of purchasing Adobe Contribute to maintain the website. CFCC has used WordPress as a content management system for several years: the CFCC News Feed, the Foundation, and the Hanover Art Gallery all use WordPress to create and maintain web content for the college.

What is the plan?

Some departments and sub-sites have already begun using the new website. This includes the Vocational Department, Student Clubs and Activities, and the new Faculty Association website. Several other departments have migrated and will launch soon.

In late January the CFCC home page will migrate to the new look and feel along with several general information pages that are maintained by the web team. For a short while the New and Old websites will exist in tandem and careful cross linking will allow site visitors to access all current website content. The CFCC public-facing website is a massive site with numerous content editors and this requires a phased approach to migration. As the Spring 2013 semester progresses the web team will approach (and work closely with) departments to migrate their content to the new look and feel as seamlessly as possible.

This is an opportunity for all departments to examine their current websites, review content and form new strategies for web assets. Some changes will be slight, others may be drastic. Regardless, the Web Team will assist and support every step of the way.

In addition to migrating, content tutorials and training will be offered to all current web editors and contributors to allow them to become familiar with the new website and its internal workings. Training will be offered via online tutorials, workshops in the TTC, and one-on-one training on an as-needed basis. More information on training and tutorials will be available soon.

• It is important to note that the current method of creating and editing content will remain in place until the web team works specifically with a department to migrate to the new site.
• Departments who do not currently maintain their own content will also be notified ahead of time prior to any migration of their web content.
• Your website will not be changed without notification or your involvement.
• Migration to the new site is mandatory.

Out with the old in with the new! What is changing.

• The public-facing website will no longer require the purchase and installation of Adobe Contribute to access and edit pages.
• Web editing is now accomplished in a web browser
• The new website will have a fresh new look and a responsive layout providing solid user experience on tablets and mobile devices.
• Current sub-sites with custom designed templates will temporarily use the standard CFCC template until site migration is complete.

What is not changing.

• Site contributors are still in control of their own content
• Create, edit, and maintain text, images, media, and documents
• Site design, development and support is still handled by the CFCC Web Team
• Site URLs (where appropriate) will remain the same. For example: cfcc.edu/lrc will remain cfcc.edu/lrc

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a Content Management System. (CMS) A web-based program that stores, manages and displays web content. Website content creators use a web-based dashboard to create, edit and maintain text, images and media in various pages and posts.

Who can use it?

Potentially any CFCC employee can be given some level of permissions to access, create and edit content for the website. The content an employee can access has alot to do with the organization of the CFCC.edu website.

The previous CFCC.edu website was a large static site made of numerous directories and thousands of individual files that formed the site’s pages and content. Access is granted using a third party software and users are restricted to pages within the directory where their website resides.

The new CFCC.edu website is actually a network of micro-sites bound by a common design theme and a universal navigation structure. Each Academic or Administrative department will be its own site in the network of CFCC websites. Consequently, each department can assign their own site administrator and users that can only access and edit the content of their specific site.

Overall cohesion, site-wide navigation, and look and feel will be managed through the use of themes and plugins that are centrally controlled by the CFCC Web Team.

So what’s next?

• The new home page will launch in late January.
• Training and tutorials will be ready by launch in late January.
• The web team will approach departments to migrate sites throughout the Spring 2013 semester.
• Even as the new site begins to take shape features and content will be revised and improved. Constant and evolutionary changes to cfcc.edu are to be expected.
• Please send questions or feedback to the college web designer at jfloyd@cfcc.edu

There are only a few student computer labs on campus that are connected to Active Directory (AD) S501 and NB233 in 2012.  IT Services goal is to have all computer labs converted by Fall 2013. AD is already on all the lecture room instructor PCs and that means instructors have to log into the computers. Once the computer labs are converted, students will also have to log into the computers. 

Now on Active Directory and Windows 7 Operating System:

Testing Labs (2) A316 and NB106

NA-Bldg (13+): 107, 203, 204, 206, 207, 211, 212, 213, 303, 304, 306, 311, 312 (Learning Lab – about half the lab and 2 in LRC (9-10))   

S-Bldg (11): 306, 308, 500, 501, 502. 503, 508, 509, 513, 609, 613, 615

NB-Bldg (1):  233

Q:  What operating system and software will be on the computers?

A:  All lab computers will have Windows 7, Office 2010, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome browsers.  Specific software needs for your class will also be available if compatible with Windows 7.

Q:  How will I know if my software is compatible with Windows7?

A:  Check out the Compatibility list in this blog or visit Microsoft’s Windows 7 Compatibility Center website  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

Q: Will students have to login to the computer?

A:  Yes, both students and employees will use their myCFCC account to login.  There are instructions at the login screen about the ‘passwordhelp’ account if you forget your username or password.

Q:  What if I invite a guest speaker?  How can I help them get logged into CFCC owned computers or wireless?  What if they bring their own laptop?

A:  Fill out the Room Request Form found on the intranet.   The room schedulers have the ability to reserve the room for your guest as well as provide temporary login accounts.  These accounts will grant access to the classroom computers as well as SurfCFCC wireless internet (WiFi), depending on your needs.

Q:  Will my current class’ network shared drive still be available?

A:  No.  The preferred method to share files with your class is make use of your already existing BlackBoard class.  Every Curriculum class automatically gets a BlackBoard class with your students already populated.  Using BlackBoard will allow the students to work on assignments from any computer with internet access.   For more information and assistance with BlackBoard, please visit our Instructional Technologists in the Library.

Q:   When will my lab get converted?

A:  Currently only four computer labs have been converted to Active Directory NB233, NB106, A316 and S501.  IT will convert up to 27 labs prior to the start of Spring 2013.  The rest of the labs will be converted during Summer 2013.  All labs will be converted prior to Fall 2013 Classes.