Information and Educational Technology has assumed responsibility for the UC Davis Web content management system, or Web CMS, a service that helps the campus create and maintain websites with a consistent look and user experience. The service will continue much as before, offering the same features, training and support.

Strategic Communications (then called University Communications) and IET co-founded the Web CMS in 2009. Strategic Communications transferred its share of the managing tasks to IET in July, following a review of the service as Web CMS administrator Rick Hill prepared to retire.

The realignment lets each department play to its strengths.

“(The work) continues to be a partnership, which it’s always been,” said Zak Edson, director of web and interactive communications for Strategic Communications. “The change just shifts responsibilities to where they make the most sense.

“We’re still heavily involved in standards and branding, and how best to achieve user needs through the CMS,” he said.

The Web CMS supported 354 sites as of July 21. “We’ve grown from 318 sites in February 2014," said Jessica Hayes, analyst, whose job has moved from Strategic Communications to IET. “We average about two or three new sites a week.”

Read more in IET’s TechNews.

More in TechNews: Laser pointers requested by faculty are now available

Phishing email uses 'At Your Service' disguise

The campus blocked a website involved in an "At Your Service" phishing email sent to about 1,100 UC Davis accounts the morning of Aug. 4

The message — from "At Your Service" and carrying a the subject line "Security Alert !!!" — claimed the recipient's email account had been hacked. The message, with grammatical errors, ordered the recipient to follow a link and enter his or her credentials in a website that included copy from UC's At Your Service Online.
 
"The message's urgent tone and order to respond are typical of a phishing scam," said Cheryl Washington, the campus's schief information security officer. "But the use of the 'At Your Service' language might cause some recipients to wonder if the message is legitimate. It is not.
 
Anyone who ever doubts the validity of a message that purports to come from UC Davis should contact the IT Express Service Desk, (530) 754-HELP (4357). "Anyone tricked into disclosing their passphrase should immediately reset their passphrase," Washington said.
 
More information on phishing is available online, in the IT Express Knowledge Base.

TRAINING: ‘Stay Day’ and Management Skills Assessment Program

• Stay Day 2014: Passion for Life, Education and Service — Organized by Student Affairs for staff members who work directly with students. The program will feature presentations by other staff on best practices, strategies and research to spark dialogue and collaboration among staff, to help in their dealings with students. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, Conference Center and adjacent Welcome Center.

• Management Skills Assessment Program — A systemwide opportunity for high potential, early career supervisors, managers and professionals for future leadership opportunities. Scheduled Oct. 13-16, the program has room for seven people from UC Davis: four from the main campus and three from the health system. Applications must be submitted online by noon Wednesday (Aug. 6).

More information on both programs.

UC Ready tabletop exercise set for Aug. 15

Campus departments and units with UC Ready plans in progress or completed are encouraged to participate in a tabletop exercise on Friday, Aug. 15.

The annual exercise helps units assess their plans to quickly resume or continue essential operations in the context of an emergency scenario (it changes every year). The UC Office of the President’s goal is for every unit on all campuses to have UC Ready plans by December 2014.

Two tabletop sessions are being offered: 9 a.m. to noon, focusing on administrative units; and 1 to 4 p.m., focusing on research and academic units. Both will be held at the Conference Center.

To sign up, send an RSVP by email, providing department name and number of participants.

The UC Ready website includes an online planning tool that provides a framework, and prompts users to identify critical functions, key personnel, vital information, supplies and more.

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