Monthly maintenance updates will occur on Thursday, October 16th, 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. This includes our monthly mandatory security patches for all services. Users may experience intermittent downtime.
Fall Break Help Desk Hours
Sunday, October, 19th: Noon - 5:00 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday, October 20-21st: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, Information Technology Services is dedicated to helping you stay safe online, both at UTM and at home. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and even small actions can significantly protect our community and data.
Read on for this month's featured events, resources, and training opportunities that will help you do your part in keeping UTM secure.
Chancellor's Cybersecurity Challenge
Dr. Freeman has issued a challenge to the campus community to complete the annual Security Awareness Training before he does. Training will be available 10/1/2025-10/30/2025. The Chancellor is slated to complete his training by October 10th. If you're able to complete yours before then, not only will you have bragging rights for a full year, but you will also be entered into a drawing to win a Chic-Fil-A gift card. Please reach out to the Help Desk if you have any issues accessing your training.
Required Security Awareness Training
As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring a secure and safe digital environment, our Annual Security Awareness Training will be available October 1-30 to coincide with the 21st annual National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. An email will be sent Wednesday, October 1, with detailed instructions for accessing the training. This training is required for all members of our campus community because security is everyone's responsibility. By participating, we each play a role in protecting both institutional and personal data, while staying informed about the latest security practices. Please refer to our Security Awareness, Training, and Education Program policy for more information.
Cybersecurity Panel
UTM ITS will co-host a Cybersecurity Panel Discussion on Thursday, October 16th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the north window area of the Paul Meek Library. Participants will include experts from the FBI, TBI, UTM Public Safety, College of Business and Global Affairs, Department of Computer Science, and Information Technology Services. Topics will include:
practical ways users can protect themselves online;
the latest threats and digital safety trends; and
exciting career opportunities in cybersecurity.
"Muffin" to Worry About (Let's Talk Security)
Kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month with coffee, muffins, and conversation! Join ITS staff on Wednesday, October 1, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. in UC 206 for a relaxed session where our Security Administrator will answer your questions about staying safe online. Send in your questions ahead of time to security@utm.edu, or bring some with you! You'll also have a chance to test your skills in spotting common security vulnerabilities - and if you get them right, you could win some fun, cybersecurity-themed door prizes. Coffee, muffins, and good security habits - what's not to love?
Upcoming Windows Firewall Policy Update - October 3
On Friday, October 3, ITS will implement a new computer policy that enables the Windows Firewall on all user computers. This update will automatically re-enable the firewall on any device where it has been previously disabled. After the policy is applied, users will no longer be able to turn off the firewall.
However, users will still have the ability to allow specific programs through the firewall when prompted, ensuring continued flexibility for approved applications.
This change is being made in response to state security audit findings and is part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening cybersecurity across the organization.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ITS Help Desk.
Wireless Performance in Classrooms: Call for Faculty Volunteers
ITS is seeking faculty volunteers to allow networking staff to briefly visit classrooms and collect live wireless performance readings. This process will take only a few minutes at the beginning of a class period and will help us improve wireless coverage and reliability across campus. ITS plans to conduct these readings over the next two months. If you are interested in participating, please contact netops@utm.edu.
Peer Reviews for In-Person and Online Courses
Want to learn how to create and manage a peer review assignment? Join the ITC for an online presentation of available tools that can facilitate Peer Review assignments for in-person and online courses. The session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th, 2:00-3:00 p.m. via Zoom. Log in to Runway to register for the session.
Canvas Discussions: Helpful New Features
Discussion Summary: Canvas Discussions can provide an AI-generated summary of students' comments to assist instructors in providing meaningful feedback to the class regarding the discussion.
Checkpoints: In setting up a Canvas Discussions, professors can set "checkpoints" for students to post prior to the discussion end date. The purpose of the enhancement is to improve the quality of the online discussions by requiring students to post early in the availability of the discussion to facilitate ongoing interaction among students throughout the availability of the topic. To enable this feature, create your Discussion - when you click on "Graded," an additional option for "Checkpoints" will appear - follow the prompts. (See image below.) Contact the ITC with any questions.
ITC Training for October
Log in to Runway for a description of the content and to register for sessions. Contact the ITC if you have course-specific questions.
