Tech Trends on Campus

Faculty & Staff - Spring 2025

The Latest With AI

The Office of Information Technology is excited to offer all students, faculty, and staff access to Microsoft Copilot, a cutting-edge generative AI tool integrated within Microsoft 365. Built with enterprise-grade data protection, Microsoft Copilot ensures your work is secure while helping you accomplish tasks faster, generate insights, and enhance creativity. Whether you’re drafting documents, analyzing data, or collaborating in Teams, Copilot is here to streamline your workflow—all while safeguarding university information. Explore the secure, innovative possibilities today!

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‌All you need to do is log in using your myBama credentials. If you have a green shield in the top right of your screen, you are good to go! You can also find it in your Microsoft 365 online portal. 

Follow Us on Social

Our social media pages post updates about outages, useful tips and tech news. Follow us on X, Instagram and YouTube!

Tech Policies?

Need to learn more about our tech policies on campus? You can dive deep into our dos and don'ts on our website.

Award Winning: Catch The Phish Competition

Congratulations to the OIT Security team on their award winning competition.

Windows 10 End of Life Upcoming

Windows 10 will be restricted from the UA network this October. Click the link to learn more about the upcoming change.

Blackboard Ultra

The Center for Instructional Technology and Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education have established a goal of having all courses designed and delivered in Blackboard Ultra Course View by Spring 2026.

New Project Request Process

OIT project requests will soon be easier than ever. Be on the lookout for an announcement about our new project request process from our project management team.

Join these two-hour interactive workshops to learn about AI use cases that are transforming teaching and learning, from curriculum development to customized tutoring. The first afternoon will feature an in-depth look at Microsoft Copilot and demonstrate how the tool can be used as your AI teaching assistant.

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‌The second AI Afternoon will look specifically at AI functionality in Blackboard with an introduction to the AI Course Design Assistant in Blackboard Ultra. 

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Sign up below for the sessions you are interested in!

See Something? Say Something!

Do you think something is broken, or offline? Let us know! We monitor our technology around the clock, but sometimes you catch it before we do. You can always report outages to the IT Service Desk at 205-348-5555 or ITSD@ua.edu. Save the Service Status page below so you can monitor the status of your favorite apps.

Positioning UA for an AI Future

Construction on The University of Alabama's High Performance Computing (HPC) facility has begun! The groundbreaking ceremony will take place during Spring semester. This transformative facility will empower cutting-edge research, foster innovation, and bolster UA’s position as a leader in advanced computational technologies. Designed to support a wide range of disciplines, the HPC facility will provide UA researchers, faculty, and students with unparalleled computational power to solve complex problems and drive discovery. Our friends at the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) wrote an article about how the HPC facility will help position UA for an AI Future.

The Office of Information Technology's inaugural Microsoft Week ended with 20 sessions on 17 topics and over 1,100 attendees! With great attendance and engaging sessions, we explored a variety of tools and technologies within the Microsoft 365 universe. Thank you to everyone who joined us to make this event a success!

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If you missed a session or want to revisit one, recordings are now available on our Microsoft Week webpage. Check them out and keep exploring the possibilities with Microsoft 365!

Try Out OIT's BAMABot

Need quick answers? Meet BAMABot, the Office of Information Technology’s chatbot, ready to assist you directly on our website! BAMABot is here 24/7 to help you find the information you need—whether it’s resetting your myBama password, troubleshooting Eduroam, or exploring OIT services.

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Give BAMABot a try today by visiting oit.ua.edu and clicking the chatbot icon in the bottom-right corner. It’s fast, easy, and always available to help!

A Familiar Face in a New Role: Meet Mike Shelton

Mike Shelton has been appointed as the new vice provost and chief information officer, effective December 1, 2024. With over 25 years of experience in IT and a strong track record at UA since 2006, Shelton is set to lead the university's digital transformation and support its strategic goals.

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To learn more about Shelton's vision and plans for the future, click below.

OIT Organization-Wide Meeting

In December, the Office of Information Technology came together for our semi annual organization-wide meeting, marking a moment of reflection and inspiration. During the gathering, our new Chief Information Officer, Mike Shelton, shared his vision for the future of OIT, focusing on innovation, collaboration, and delivering exceptional service to the UA community. It was a valuable opportunity to align on our goals, celebrate our successes, and look ahead to an exciting new chapter for OIT. 

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