The IT In
University
Keeping Things Secure
Security Changes
Staying at the forefront of cybersecurity policy and procedure is a top priority for OIT, and we made some major changes to our systems in 2023/2024.
These changes ranged from minor service improvements, to major software redesigns, to complete hardware overhauls.
March 2023
MercedID & Duo Universal Prompt
A major revamp to the campus identity management (IDM) system included updated branding and new security features for our single sign-on (SSO) page. Changes to our two-factor authentication (Duo 2FA) system reduced the time necessary for our day-to-day login process.
December 2023
Firewall Upgrade
A complete overhaul of the campus firewall in late 2023 required months of planning, testing, and preparation. We installed this critical new hardware and configured the associated software over the winter curtailment period to ensure no disruption to day-to-day campus activities.
March 2024
Outlook Updates
We implemented changes to UC Merced's official email client to add a new alert for all emails that originate from outside of UC Merced to assist campus community members in spotting and removing potentially harmful emails and another to improve phish reporting.
April 2024
Duo Verified Push
We changed our 2FA push process to increase its security and effectiveness in response to new threats and tactics of threat actors. The new Verified Push process adds the step of entering a unique code on the device you are logging into to increase login security.
Laying A Strong Foundation
Infrastructure Upgrades
Though we're still a young campus, technology has changed significantly over the past 19 years. OIT has done our best to keep things functional while also implementing state of the art technologies and platforms.
During the 2023/2024 academic year, we managed a number of improvements to older campus technologies and spaces in an effort to improve functionality and reliability.
March 2023
IDEA Project
We began work on Phase Two of the Institutional Data and Enterprise Analytics (IDEA) project in collaboration with the Center for Institutional Effectiveness. This work included further integrations of our various data streams and the development of new data marts.
Fall 2023
Classroom & Audio Visual Upgrades
We upgraded multiple classrooms and conference rooms in COB1, SSB, DCC, and SSM to maintain Zoom functionality and remove aging technology in some of the oldest campus spaces.
January 2024
Device Self-Registration
We developed a more user-friendly process to allow the campus community to connect devices such as game consoles and smart devices to the campus network more seamlessly.
Spring 2024
Lived Name & Pronouns
OIT's identity management team worked for months to create and update integrations between UCPath, MercedID, and other key campus systems to better manage lived names and pronouns throughout our infrastructure. More to come as we work on the platforms that connect to these services to display the correct information across multiple systems.
Spring 2024
Oracle Financials
Over the course of the spring semester and summer the Financial Management and Reporting Task Force, co-led by the Academic Senate and Administration, began to roll out the products of their collaborative work. This included enhancements to the campus procurement process and improvements in the timeliness and accuracy of summer pay for faculty.
Keeping Campus Connected
UC Merced Connect Enhancements
The award-winning UC Merced Connect app had an exciting 2023 - 2024 academic year, including new and updated event modules and a back-end redesign.
These efforts marked the beginning of new exciting developments and engagement with the platform the team is eager to bring to campus in 2025.
All Year 2023 & 2024
Event Modules
In collaboration with campus partners, the Connect platform hosted several event modules, including Bobcat Day 2023 & 2024, GROW 2023, Pride 2024, and SAW 2023, so event participants could easily access real-time interactive information from their mobile devices in English and Spanish.
April 2023
Ideathon
OIT hosted the first-ever Connect Ideathon, a hackathon-style competition which allowed students from all majors and grade levels to develop creative features and functionalities within the Connect platform.
October 2023
Platform Upgrades
We upgraded to a new version of the software that runs the Connect Platform in October 2023 after months of planning and testing to ensure no loss of functionality.
This new version will allow for tons of new features in our platform (coming soon!)
April 2024
Module Redesigns
During 2024, the Connect team has begun to work on a series of enhancements to the app experience. The first of these enhancements launched in late spring. The new Eat Module elevated the ways to find food across campus.