Tech Trends on Campus

Faculty & Staff - Summer 2025

The Latest With OIT

OIT is thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new website. Designed with you in mind, our new site features a modern design, improved navigation, and enhanced functionality to provide a better user experience. Whether you're looking for resources, support, or the latest updates, our new website makes it easier than ever to find what you need.

OIT WEBSITE

Phishing Scams

Today (May 6), many of our faculty & staff were texted by an individual pretending to be "Dr. Stuart R. Bell." This event serves as an excellent reminder to always be on the lookout for phishing attempts and guard yourself against potential scams. Follow the link above to refresh your knowledge on how to spot a phishing attempt.

Teams Dialing

If you use Microsoft Teams, you now have the opportunity to take calls from your office phone through Teams. Sign up for Teams Dialing at ITSD@ua.edu.

Software Upgrades

Did you know that you can upgrade many of your Microsoft apps including Copilot, Teams and Power BI. Review the list on the OIT website

New Strategic Plan

OIT will be launching our next 3-year strategic plan this summer. Check out our current plan on the OIT website.

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

Student Positions and Co-Ops

OIT offers a variety of student positions and select co-ops throughout the organization. Send your students our way!

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.

Info Classification Change

The Information Classification Policy is being renamed and the classifications are changing. Click the link to learn more about the upcoming change.

Blackboard Ultra

Get ready for a transformative learning experience with Blackboard Ultra, the latest version of UA’s learning management system! Designed by educators, Ultra enhances teaching and learning with its intuitive interface and powerful features.

By Spring 2026, all University of Alabama courses will transition to Blackboard Ultra, leaving behind Blackboard Original after Fall 2025. Instructors will still have access to their Original course contents as per UA's LMS Course Retention Policy.

Ultra prioritizes accessibility and offers advanced analytics and reporting to make life easier for faculty and instructors. Students can enjoy seamless access to course materials anytime, anywhere, thanks to its mobile-first design. Instructors can start fresh with an empty Ultra shell or refine their current content in a practice course before moving it to a live Ultra course. Ultra makes copying from Original (individual items or entire courses) a breeze! Visit cit.ua.edu/ultra for more information.

BLACKBOARD ULTRA

Copilot is Here to Stay

OIT has been hosting Copilot education sessions throughout the spring semester led by Microsoft educators. Every single student, faculty and staff member have access to Copilot's enterprise-grade data protection completely free. Microsoft Copilot is based on GPT-4 language models and is a safer, smarter alternative to ChatGPT. Keep an eye out on the UA calendar for our next session!

MICROSOFT COPILOT

New Teams Within OIT

OIT has two new dynamic teams that have recently been developed. These groups bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to enhance our services and support across campus. Learn more about how these new additions are driving forward our commitment to excellence in technology!

NEW TEAMS

High-Performance Computing

The University of Alabama is making remarkable progress on its High Performance Computing (HPC) Center and Data Center. From engaging with over 100 faculty members to hosting vendors, UA is on track to revolutionize its research infrastructure. Discover how OIT and ORED are shaping the future with strategic partnerships, a new Enterprise Data Center project, and more!

OIT is excited to share that Mike Tierney has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at OIT. Mike has been a dedicated member of the OIT team for 12 years, bringing a wealth of experience and leadership to his new role. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of IT Operations, where he played a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and innovation. Mike's promotion is a testament to his hard work, vision, and commitment to advancing OIT's technological capabilities. Congratulations, Mike!

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