Return TO CAMPUS

Find information here that will help you navigate new and changing services for the start of in-person instruction.

Classroom Technology in the time of CoViD

As we return for the Fall 2022 semester, we are continuing to address concerns and impacts from COVID-19 on all our lives.

In alignment with university policy and campus needs, Academic and Emerging Technology (AET) continues to make adjustments to classroom technology to support teaching and learning while still taking precautions.

In Fall 2021, we created a web page to keep faculty and staff informed of current restrictions and changing precautions. We have updated the page for Fall 2022 and will keep it updated as guidance and policy changes.

All Things Zoom

OIT maintains a Zoom information page to keep users informed about key features and issues. There, you'll find a searchable, interactive database detailing the level of Zoom capability of campus classrooms and meeting spaces, documentation for commonly used features, best practices, and FAQs.

Zoom Minimum Requirements

Zoom will soon have minimum version requirements. Please keep your Zoom client updated to stay secure and maintain access to the latest features.

New Features

Zoom has added a number of features you may find useful:

  • Advanced polling offers more question types like matching and ranking
  • Dual screen sharing allows multiple people to share their screens at the same time
  • Non-verbal feedback and emoji reactions have merged into on place: Reactions
  • Spotlight allows you to set what videos participants see
  • Machine-generated automated real-time captions and transcriptions
  • Co-hosts can now perform most host actions like managing wait rooms and breakouts

The OIT System Status Page

In 2021, OIT released a new status page that tracks the functionality of all major campus IT systems, including a number of key vendor-hosted services such as Office 365, Zoom, and more.

The Status page provides campus users quicker and more accurate information during outages, as well as increased transparency into the significant amount of work we do maintaining our campus systems, platforms, and technologies.

Visit the page or subscribe to automatic alerts via the method of your choice: email, webhook, RSS, Teams, or Slack.

OIT Behind the Scenes

During the 2021-2022 academic year, OIT launched our OIT Behind the Scenes webinar series. During the year, we hosted 10 webinars about various OIT technologies and service groups....with more to come!

We also created a Behind the Scenes webinar page where you can browse session recordings, slides, resources, Q&A, and more.

We look forward to seeing you in the sessions that look most interesting to you!

We've linked directly to past webinar recordings and noted highlights from some of our favorite sessions below. We invite you to browse and take a quick peak...this is fun way to catch the highlights and get refreshed on key information!

Coming Soon

OIT Behind the Scenes: Microsoft O365 Tools Wednesday, September 21 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

OIT Behind the Scenes: Back to Basics

Learn about:

  • The new OIT Service Desk location
  • How to navigate the OIT Service Hub
  • How to engage OIT for help
  • Quick tips about some of our key services

OIT Behind the Scenes: How to (UC Merced) Connect

Learn about:

  • The history of UC Merced Connect
  • Key platform features
  • Use cases for faculty, students, and staff
  • What's new in the platform (& what's coming soon)

OIT Behind the Scenes: Cybersecurity Incidents

Learn about:

  • Types of cybersecurity incidents
  • What to do if you suspect a security incident
  • How cybersecurity incidents are handled at UC Merced
  • What resources exist for you

OIT Behind the Scenes: Incident Management

Learn about:

  • How we identify, diagnose, fix, monitor, and learn from individual problems
  • How to find out if a system on campus is "down"
  • How we communicate about problems
  • How awful we are at acting

OIT Behind the Scenes: Classroom Support

Learn about:

  • The spaces OIT supports
  • How support happens on campus
  • Why some rooms are configured the way they are
  • How much Ernie likes donuts

OIT Behind the Scenes: Cloud-y with a Chance of Infrastructure

Learn about:

  • How cloud might help you manage your next important project
  • UC Merced's "Journey to the Cloud"
  • How OIT helps bring cloud services to campus

OIT Behind the Scenes: Research Computing

Learn about:

  • Research computing importance at UC Merced
  • Campus computing resources
  • Services OIT & Library offer to help researchers get started and dive deeper with research computing

OIT Behind the Scenes: It's Complicated: Technology Procurement

Learn about:

  • How & why technology procurement differs from purchasing other types of things on campus
  • What you should know to get started
  • Current technology purchasing challenges our experts are seeing on campus

UC Merced CONNECT

UC Merced Connect is our campus app, desktop portal, communications platform, and one-stop-shop for access to key campus systems and information.

This year, you'll see more event-based content and more communication happening in the Connect platform. Join us as we build a more Connect-ed campus!

What You'll FIND in CONNECT

Tap MY MERCED to find:

  • Persistent log in - sign in once with your UCMNetID and move seamlessly between most platforms from Connect
  • Quick links to popular campus applications like email, Box, and Zoom
  • Employee resources like UCPATH, APO, TRS, and more
  • Faculty-specific resources like Digital Measures and Academic Case Management System (ACRS)

Tap TEACH to find:

  • Access to course & student management systems like CatCourses, GRIP, Banner SIS, and Slate

Tap CAMPUS RESOURCES to find:

  • Key campus resources all in one place: Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), Office of Information Technology (OIT), Campus Safety, Library, plus many more

Service Hub

OIT's Service Hub is a web interface with a responsive search feature that makes it easier than ever to report problems, find services we provide, support we offer, how-to documentation, plus much more!

Remote Lab

Created due to urgent need during remote instruction, RemoteLab is a service that allows faculty, staff, and students to connect remotely to computing environments and specialized instructional software. With one or two exceptions, the software available via RemoteLab is identical to the software installed in OIT's physical computer labs.

You don't have to download any special programs to access the RemoteLab environment - it's all available through your web browser!

OUR Spaces:

As you return to campus (or arrive for the first time!), we encourage you to take a look at Our Spaces, an interactive database that details room status, updates, and features of the over 350 campus classrooms and spaces that AET supports.

  • Click on a room to bring up more details about the space.
  • Click on the magnifying glass to use the Filter, Sort, and Search functions to find spaces with specific features or to get insight into your fall classrooms or conference spaces.
  • Find links to report technology or facility problems in your room, reserve the room, or even request event support.

Comprehensive Searchable Database