Welcome back
bobcats!
Find information here that will help you navigate new and changing services for the start of fall instruction.
a note from Vice chancellor Nick Dugan
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
It is my privilege to welcome you back to campus for the 2025-2026 academic year. I hope the summer was restful and you are returning to campus reinvigorated for the work of the fall semester and beyond.
Over the past year, OIT has been working hard to respond to the University of California Office of the President’s cybersecurity investment mandate (locally branded ProtectUs: Systemwide Cybersecurity Initiative). Though OIT has done our very best to soften the impacts of this effort for the campus community, this work has and will continue to necessarily change the way you interact with some campus services.
Even in an environment of challenging and changing budgetary conditions, OIT has made several positive strides this year to enhance and maintain our core learning technology systems and services, including a new addition to our Instructional Video Studios to help you kick off the semester with a strong first impression (see more info below on this page). I’m also working hard with campus leadership to define and implement a funding strategy that addresses some of the campus’s historical challenges with classroom and computer lab technology refresh. As a first step, we will begin modernizing our instructional computer labs with new systems this fall, and we are steadily replacing and upgrading the technology in our oldest learning spaces as funding becomes available.
Finally, I know you are deeply aware of how artificial intelligence has rapidly become ingrained in the way we all approach and complete our work - new platforms and tools are crowding the space every day. While the current moment is undoubtedly disruptive to the status-quo, I also see boundless opportunity for IT to partner with faculty to embrace change and re-think the way we approach our teaching, learning, and research. OIT has crafted a dedicated space to capture the tools that are currently available to you and will continue to build out resources, content, and engagement opportunities over the coming year.
Here in OIT, we’re looking forward to a great semester and stand ready to support your teaching and research needs. We hope you have a great year!
Sincerely, Nick Dugan Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer
At the start of the Fall 2024 term, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) announced the ProtectUs: System-wide Cybersecurity Initiative as our campus’s response to the UC Office of the President’s cybersecurity investment mandate. Since then, we have made a number of changes that have and will change the way campus interacts with our core services, including:
- A Single-Sign On (SSO) Interrupt for cybersecurity training
- A Device Management Program for university-owned devices
- Virtual Private Network (VPN) Enhancements
- Network Access Levels
- Device Verification for new systems detected on the campus network
We've provided an at a glance summary of the changes below. Watch your UC Merced email inbox for more information in the coming weeks to stay up to date on the latest information related to these changes.
The ProtectUs Pledge
"As a member of the UC Merced community, I understand that cybersecurity at UC Merced is a shared responsibility. I pledge to use university systems responsibly, complete required trainings, and support the use of security tools that help protect our community. In return, OIT pledges to use data transparently, minimally, and only to protect the safety and security of UC Merced's technology infrastructure."
SSO Interrupt
OIT updated the UC Merced Single-Sign On (SSO) system to include a reminder for those with upcoming due dates for the yearly cybersecurity training requirement.
With the update in place, you’ll be regularly reminded at log-in that you have an upcoming due date for cybersecurity training. Be aware that if you don’t complete the training by the due date, you will be locked out from most campus systems until it is completed, so please plan accordingly!
Network Access Levels
UC Merced's network has been broken out into three access levels:
- Slate for guests and visitors of UC Merced
- Blue for UC Merced Faculty, Staff, Students, & Affiliates
- Gold for those accessing Protected Data (P3/P4)
The Office of Information Technology recommends that Faculty connect to our Blue networks, eduroam & CatNet, using your UCMNetID and password. This network level provides access to everything available on our Slate network, as well as campus services that do not manage protected data (P3/P4).
If you require access to protected data (P3/P4), you must connect to the Gold level network by using the UC Merced VPN on a device enrolled in the Device Managed Program.
Device Management Program
All UC campuses are required to deploy and manage Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) software on 100% of university-owned computing devices (laptops & desktops). The Office of Information Technology has developed a Device Management Program (DMP) to support this requirement.
Enrollment into the Device Management Program (DMP) can be done in a number of ways, depending on your device's operating system.
If you have not already enrolled, please do so as soon as possible.
Device Verification
This fall, graduate students, faculty, and staff who authenticate to the network on devices that are not enrolled in the Device Management Program (DMP) will begin to receive email notifications asking them to verify their device as either personal or University-owned.
Prefer not to receive extra emails? No problem! Enroll your device(s) now and you’ll avoid all those extra emails when we launch Device Verification later this fall.
WHat is Protected Data?
Many of the changes associated with ProtectUs mention “protected data” or “P3”/“P4.” Simply put, protected data is information the University of California is obligated to protected via statute, contract, or policy.
The Protected Data classification scale ranges from P1 - P4:
- P1 (Minimal protection): Public data, like what’s on UC Merced’s website.
- P2 (Low protection): Internal/Private data, like emails, course materials, and business records.
- P3 (Moderate protection): Data that could cause moderate harm if leaked, like student records (FERPA), personnel files, or certain research data.
- P4 (High protection): Very sensitive data that must not be shared, like social security numbers, passwords, or research data with personal details or export restrictions.
VPN Enhancements
The UC Merced VPN, Global Protect, has been enhanced to support the campus's new network access levels. Now, when you log into the VPN, you will receive a connection confirmation that details what network access level you are connected at and the policies enforced while connected to the VPN.
The VPN provides access to the network at one of two levels: Blue and Gold. Blue provides general access to campus systems, while Gold is required to access systems with P3/P4 data security. The only way to achieve Gold level access is to be enrolled in our Device Management Program (DMP).
Software Ordering
In response to changes in policy and federal law, the Office of Information Technology is partnering with Procurement to ensure all new and renewal software purchases meet specific requirements. We assist in reviewing vendor risk, ensuring data security and privacy, and most importantly, accessibility.
IT Recommends Planning AHead
As you would expect, reviewing all the documentation and getting all the appropriate signatures on these documents takes time; some orders take as little as a week, and others can take months. Please submit your software purchasing requests as soon as you can. This gives OIT and Procurement ample time for review before your renewals or first-time purchases are needed. This ensures a successful review process and that your purchase is available on time.
What We Review
Accessibility: To ensure that any Bobcat, regardless of disability, can use campus software in alignment with Federal Title II requirements.
Data Privacy & Security: To ensure all UC Merced data shared with our vendors and partners is protected and secured in alignment with UCOP Data Security levels (IS-3 & IS-12).
Vendor Risk: To ensure we're aware and understand the risks involving goods and services provided by our vendors and partners to mitigate or manage them where possible.
Instructor Self Intro Videos
Whether your classroom is in COB1 or hosted entirely through CatCourses, there is no better way to kick off the semester than with a strong first impression.
To help make an impactful introduction, OIT is excited to announce our Instructor Self-Intro Video service. You'll meet with our expert team to discuss your wants and needs to create a tailor-made intro video that tells your students what they need to know about you and your course/s.
New CatCourses Features
GRadeScope
GradeScope by Turnitin is an online grading platform that helps streamline the grading process for educators. It enables instructors to create and distribute assignments, quizzes, and exams digitally, allowing students to submit their work online directly through Canvas. GradeScope supports various assessment types, including handwritten, typed, and programming assignments. With detailed analytics and insights into student performance, instructors can make data-driven decisions to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. Overall, GradeScope simplifies grading workflows, saves time for educators, and provides valuable feedback to students, all within the familiar Canvas environment.
