Filter Services
Account Initialization (New User)
Account Initialization is a one-time process that all new users (faculty, staff, students, and guests) must follow when joining the University of Rochester/Medical Center and its affiliates. This process allows for the initialization of all University accounts and enrollment of those accounts in our two-factor authentication solution, DUO Security.
Blackboard (Learning Management System) – For Faculty & Instructors
Blackboard is the University's Learning Management System and provides faculty and instructors a place to manage their course content, collect student assignments, facilitate online tests, and more. It also provides access to many of the technology tools available for teaching.
Blackboard Basics
The following are some basic features of Blackboard that will help you manage your course.
Blackboard Discussion Boards
The Discussion Board is an asynchronous communication tool that lets students or groups of students participate in threaded online forums. Discussion boards are hierarchically organized forums with threads and replies. Typically used by instructors to post course-related questions and have students provide answers.
Blackboard Grading
Blackboard has the ability to distribute interim grades (homework, quizzes, tests, assignments) to students throughout the term.
Blackboard Online Assessment
Collecting assignments electronically via the Assignments tool is one of the most popular used in Blackboard. Blackboard can also be used to facilitate online tests and surveys. Tools often used for online conversations (discussions, blogs etc.) can also be graded and managed in the Grade Center by the instructor.
Blackboard Online Course Content
Delivering content online to your students is an important part of your teaching process. You can deliver any electronic digital information to your students through Blackboard.
Classroom Technology
Event and Classroom Management provides classroom technology support to classes and other curricular activities for the School of Arts & Sciences and Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. This includes supporting traditional audio/visual needs as well as computer and multimedia projection in classrooms.
Cloud Computing for Non-Research
UR-sponsored cloud services for faculty, staff and departments include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) via Microsoft Azure and AWS. Consult your local IT staff regarding cloud use within your unit or department. We are also available to consult regarding technology options.
Domain Names
Host and domain names in the Internet's Domain Name System carry significant marketing and branding value. Third-level host or domain names under rochester.edu are reserved for names of organizational sub-divisions or institution-wide activities/services. All names must be registered with University IT.
Electronic File Management (OnBase)
OnBase integrates document management, workflow processing, and records management. It allows you to scan, store, index, and retrieve any paper documents, emails, multimedia, and many other types of files.
Enterprise Architecture
Enterprise architecture describes the principles and standards by which the organization utilizes information technology to meet business objectives. The architecture team sets policies and guidelines based on industry best practices and provides governance through collaboration with stakeholders to develop systems that are highly available, scalable, fault tolerant and secure.
Faculty/Staff Telephone & Voicemail
Telephone and voicemail service is offered to faculty and staff with full support from University IT. There are wired, wireless, and multimedia IP phone options for remote workers capable of managing multiple lines and providing features like call transferring and call forwarding.
File Servers
Each faculty and staff member is typically provided with a home share on a file server (sometimes called a network drive) to store their files. Departments or groups may also use file servers to store and share files that they are working on collaboratively.
Gartner Research Access
University faculty, staff, and students are granted access through the University’s enterprise contract. For faculty, staff and students, Gartner’s research can help validate technology decisions defined in requests for proposals and requests for information. Two popular qualitative data analysis tools — the Magic Quadrant and the Hype Cycle — are especially helpful.
General Encumbrance Management System (URGEMS)
URGEMS is a general encumbrance management tool used to track and manage transaction details that shadow the UR Financials system, for both grant and non-grant accounts.
Google Analytics
University IT can help integrate Google Analytics into your website to gather data on user interactions, which you can use to improve your website. University IT also consults on creating properties, views, segments, custom campaigns, and other features of Google Analytics.
Guest Accounts
Guest accounts provide a convenient and secure way for guests of the University — such as visiting scholars, special program attendees, and contract employees — to access a variety of online services at the University of Rochester. Active University, URMC and Affiliate Hospital employees can sponsor and manage their guests in the Guest Account System.
Institutional Business and Data Glossary (Data Cookbook)
The business glossary provides authoritative definitions for institutional data related to clinical, administrative, research, and instructional activities. The Data Cookbook hosts the glossary online and provides a forum for communicating with data experts and users. This central resource creates reliability and consistency in reporting and systems across the University.
Institutional Data Reporting (Cognos)
Cognos offers drag-and-drop report building to summarize and organize institutional data from the Data Warehouse. Cognos tools include Query Studio, Workspace Advanced, and Report Studio.
Institutional Data Visualization (Tableau)
Tableau allows users to make ‘visual sense’ of data and through the use of interactive controls, such as filters and parameters, a user can see various aspects of a data set. It is available as a desktop application or as a limited web interface application. The desktop application is available to purchase through University IT ( click on the Request button below).
Instructional Technology Resources
Technology can assist with making instruction more effective, accessible, and comprehensive. A variety of instructional technology resources are available for faculty and students at the University.
Integration Platform (Boomi)
The integration platform allows users to build, deploy, and manage integrations between databases, applications, and software-as-a-service both on premise and in the cloud. The platform can be utilized for self-service integration development, or University IT offers integration development services.
Mailing Lists: Exchange
Exchange distribution lists allow you to send an email to a single address and then have that message automatically delivered to a group of people. Exchange lists enable easy two-way communication between those authorized to use the list, and they are accessible through the University's Global Address List (GAL).
Mailing Lists: Listserv
Listserv allows you to send an email to a single address, and have the message automatically delivered to a group of people. Mailing lists enable easy two-way communication between you and other members of your list, both internal and external to the University. Listserv is effective for announcements, moderated discussions, and mailing to groups on a variety of email systems.
Microsoft 365
Faculty, staff, and students can download the latest version of Microsoft 365 (Formerly Microsoft Office) free of charge as part of the Microsoft Campus Agreement. You can install Microsoft 365 on up to five computers or devices, either University owned or personally owned. The package includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and Access (PC only) for Windows and Mac.
Microsoft 365 Delve
Delve helps you discover the information that's likely to be most interesting to you across Microsoft 365. Find information about people - and through people - and help others find you. You don't have to remember the title of a document or where it's stored. Delve shows you documents no matter where they're stored in OneDrive for Business or in SharePoint in Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 Forms
Microsoft 365 Forms is a tool to create surveys, quizzes, and polls, and easily see and analyze the results as recipients complete them. Form data, such as quiz results, can be easily exported to Excel for additional analysis or grading.
Microsoft 365 Mailbox, Webmail and Calendar
Microsoft 365 is a suite of collaboration tools that includes Exchange-hosted email and calendar service. It offers a seamless workflow with Microsoft Office and other programs.
Microsoft 365 OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business provides a place in the cloud where you can store and sync your work files. Update and share your files from any device and work collaboratively with others on Office documents.
Microsoft 365 Stream
Microsoft 365 Stream is an internal portal where users can post and view videos. It's a great place to share videos of executive communications or recordings of classes, meetings, presentations, or training sessions.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a chat-centered workspace in Office 365. It brings people, conversations, files, and tools into one place, so everyone has instant access to everything they need.
Mobile Device Management
Mobile devices are a valuable tool in a wide variety of applications with convenient features typically found in a personal computer making them susceptible to theft, loss, and unauthorized use. To ensure your device is properly protected, please contact the University IT Help Desk to request MDM for Office 365 be activated on your account.
myIdentity
myIdentity is a password management portal for account owners (faculty, staff, students, guests and affiliates) to change passwords and designate security questions for identity verification.
Online Collaboration Tools for Teaching
The University offers a number of options for online collaboration between students. These tools offer different workspaces for different purposes, including documentation, bulletin board, and annotation and note-taking.
Paging
Pagers are available to faculty and staff who need to be reached quickly and reliably around the University and in the Rochester area. Paging is an inexpensive, reliable alternative to cellular telephones for short messages and alerts.
Piazza
Piazza is a free, online gathering place where students can ask, answer, and explore 24/7, under the guidance of their instructors. Students as well as instructors can answer questions, fueling a healthy, collaborative discussion.
Polling (Poll Everywhere)
Poll Everywhere is a polling system that allows you to capture audience feedback live, across remote meetings, and in hybrid workspaces through live online polling, surveys, Q&As, quizzes, word clouds, and more.
Project Portfolio Management
The Project and Portfolio Management Office oversees the overall IT portfolio functions that drive strategy, planning, delivery, and execution across departmental and enterprise impacting projects and programs. Provides oversight for several Service Centers, including the Project Management Office and multiple University help desks to ensure appropriate customer service levels
Reporting and Analytics (Institutional Data Warehouse)
University IT will consult with you on the use of reporting tools and resources, data gathering processes, proof-of-concept reporting, visualization creation, data analysis, and access to University data marts.
Rettner Technology Lending Library
The Rettner Technology Lending Library provides School of Arts & Sciences and Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences with access to an array of standard and experimental technologies, including GoPro action cameras, Google Glass, and Oculus Rift.
SharePoint
SharePoint is a web-based tool that enables teams to collaborate using team sites, document publishing, blogs, wikis, and forums. It provides a secure place to store, organize, share, and access information from almost any device and all major web browsers.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a cloud-based application offering lightweight project and task management features for individuals and small groups. Smartsheet uses a spreadsheet-based interface to capture and display action items, budgets, inventory, and more, with a variety of reporting and display features.
SSL Certificates
The University has an arrangement with InCommon for issuing digital certificates, which are used to confirm that a website is legitimate and that its online transactions are secured. Certificates are provided free of charge for all University websites and web applications, including in test environments.
Teleconferencing
Teleconferencing services are available for faculty and staff conducting University business. Conference calls can be initiated using the University's telephone system or arranged by University IT through GlobalMeet.
UR Faculty
UR Faculty is University of Rochester’s faculty information system. This tool was designed to streamline workflows, improve data quality, and ensure consistency across the schools and units. It is broken down into four modules:
• Faculty Search
• Appointment Management
• Review, Promotion & Tenure
• Faculty Activity Data
Virtual Desktop
Virtual desktop allows you to connect to software applications or a Windows desktop environment over the Internet, from anywhere and any device.
Voicethread (Discussion Board)
Voicethread is a tool that can allow you to have a conversation around media. It can be used to facilitate multimedia-based discussions and presentations. Linking Voicethread to your course will automatically create accounts for you (the instructor) and your students based on enrollment within the Blackboard course.
Web Content Management: Cascade
Cascade enables departments and programs to maintain their own web pages by using a browser-based application that requires no special software or knowledge of HTML. It provides an easy-to-use editing interface so that each page can be previewed before it is published.
Web Services
Web services include support for the University's central web server (WWW) and related sites. University IT will provide you with information on how to create and maintain your own site or consult on your site development.