ITS 202: Communication Tools and Services for Employees

Overview

This workshop provides an overview of several communication tools used at New River.

1. Communication Methods
2. Zoom
3. Outlook (and Outlook Web App)
   1. Contacts and Address Book
   2. Calendaring (Groups, Appointments, Meeting Requests, Busy Search, Online Meetings (with Zoom), Scheduling Assistant, Sharing Calendars, etc.)
   3. Email (Searching, Archiving, Deleting, Emptying Trash, and Changing Password)
4. Alpha Voice Phones
5. Mobile Devices (Configuring, Using, Losing, Mobile Apps)
6. Regroup (Messaging System)
7. Cybersecurity and Privacy Training with KnowBe4 (Professional Development)

1) Communication Methods

There are several communication tools that are provided by the College and this workshop will provide a brief introduction to them. We also offer a 60-minute exploration of collaborative communication methods for instructors in our IT 106 workshop. Two items covered in the IT 106 workshop are also relevant for this workshop are: (1) overview of communication tools and (2) communication diagram.

2) Zoom

Since the fall term of 2018, New River CTC has used Zoom as the official instant messaging application for the College. Zoom uses your New River email address for access (same password you use for email) and it provides another communication tool for all students and employees. If you haven't yet activated your Zoom account, please go to https://newriver.zoom.us and login with your New River email address and password. If you need assistance, please contact the Help Desk (304-929-6725). All students and employees can download the Zoom application for free. We install Zoom on all college-owned computers, but you must download it to your personal computer if you want to use it there. For detailed Zoom information and training, please view our ITS 107 workshop titled Teaching Using Videoconferencing. All employees receive a Basic license for Zoom and there is a 40-minute limit to meetings you initiate with that license. We can issue a PRO license for Zoom upon request to remove that 40-minute limit.

To use Zoom effectively, you should be able to do the following:

1. Login to Zoom (https://newriver.zoom.us).
2. Locate an online colleague and initiate a conversation using Chat.
3. Use the Mute/Unmute and Start/Stop Video buttons.
4. Use the Notify Me When Available option.
5. Use the Add a Star option to identify close contacts.
6. Use the Manage Participants button.
7. Locate Zoom training information.

Advanced or PRO users might also do these things:

1. Create a Zoom meeting invitation using Outlook.
2. Create an online Poll using Zoom (only PRO accounts).
3. Create a Channel and add department colleagues.
4. Record a meeting and access the recording.
5. Share an application window.
6. Add Zoom to your Brightspace D2L course.
7. Instructors should be adept at using Zoom for online office hours with students.

3) Outlook (and Outlook Web App)

Most employees use Microsoft Outlook when inside the New River network to send and receive emails. When outside the network, Outlook Web App (the web interface) is the most common way of accessing email. But we also provide access for mobile devices and computers outside our network using IMAP and SMTP protocols (see #5 below).

While most employees are proficient with using Outlook to send and receive email, Outlook is also capable of keeping track of your schedule and appointments using the calendar. Let's say that you need to schedule a meeting with 4-5 other folks at New River and you don't know when they are available. Rather than calling them or emailing them to find out, it is far more efficient to send them a Meeting Request. The benefits are (1) you can send one request and include all the recipients, (2) you can preview the calendars of your invited guests before sending the request to see if they are available, and (3) the recipients will be able to click one button to respond to your request and the appointment will then automatically appear on their calendar (if they accepted).

3.1) Contacts and Address Book

The Global Address Book is the directory information integrated within email and with People Search (how to search People Search). Every account holder is listed and you can find them if you know how to look. You can't change the information in People Search, but you can maintain your own personal address book using Contacts.

3.2) Calendaring (Groups, Appointments, Meeting Requests, Scheduling Assistant, Sharing Calendars, etc.)

You have a personal calendar as part of your email account. Using this calendar to invite others to meetings and to keep track of your own appointments makes daily scheduling much easier for everyone. You can check in advance (Scheduling Assistant) to see if resources and people are free for the day and time of your requested meeting. No more back-and-forth emails about when folks are available for the meeting if everyone keeps calendars up to date. You also have an option within Outlook to send Online Meeting invitations, which automatically embed a Zoom meeting link into your invitations.

The Communications department maintains a public calendar on WWW that includes important events. The Academic Calendars are also available to the public and managed by Academic Affairs.

3.3) Email (Searching, Archiving, Deleting, Emptying Trash, and Changing Password)

There are various ways to manage your email so that you can quickly locate something when you need it. Some folks like to create folders and possibly even rules so that emails from specific people or about specific subjects will be organized in the appropriate folder, making it easier to find later. But my personal preference is to not use too many folders, but instead rely on the built-in search features of Outlook, Outlook Web App, or even the interface on your cell phone email app. Knowing how to search can eliminate the need to do so much manual organization of your email.

4) Alpha Voice Phones

In January, 2010, New River first implemented our Cisco VoIP phone system and in November, 2024, we replaced it with Alpha Voice services.

Every user assigned a phone also has a soft phone assigned, which is called AV Webphone. The AV Webphone enables users to place and receive calls using a web browser on their computer. There is also a downloadable App that can be used to place and receive calls from your cell phone called Alpha Voice Mobile. Using either of these two approaches for placing calls means that your Caller ID is your office phone number.

5) Mobile Devices

The New River email server allows account holders to use mobile devices to check and send emails. We are often asked about the configuration settings to use for this and we sometimes get questions about how to use various mobile devices. Unfortunately, we are also sometimes asked about security of email and information when a mobile device is accidentally lost or stolen. If you do lose a mobile device, we recommend attempting to remotely wipe it if you can. Please contact us for assistance.

We recommend using freely available mobile apps that you can find in your app store. The Zoom mobile app and Brightspace D2L mobile app both work well, as does the Alpha Voice Mobile app.

6) Regroup Messaging System

Since January 2020, New River has used the Regroup messaging system for emergency alerts. The license for this product is not limited to emergency notifications though, so we hope that it will be used for non-emergency notifications as well. Each user must register his or her personal email address and cell number to receive the notifications. Otherwise, the notifications only go to your New River email (more information).

7) Cybersecurity Training (KnowBe4)

Since August 2019, New River has used the KnowBe4 cybersecurity training system to provide training for employees. New employees are automatically enrolled in this training and each month new training information is emailed to all employees. Supervisors should encourage employees to complete the KnowBe4 training by asking each employee to share copies of their certificates of completion.

Summary

New River has invested heavily in creating a state-of-the-art information infrastructure so that communication is simplified for employees and students across multiple locations. Hopefully, the information provided in this workshop has informed you of these options and provided some ideas about how best to use them. Regardless of your responsibilities at the College, effective communication enables you to do that job a little better and it makes things easier for you and your colleagues.

With the coronavirus pandemic we are all learning more about working remotely. We have created a Learning Path in Linkedin Learning that foc uses on Remote Work. It contains 13 hours of information, so be selective about the courses and videos you choose to watch. And from the Tambellini Group, here are some tips for remote working.