creative commissioning

A new server for the use of new media staff and students has finally been commissioned.

creative, the server that was purchased among other things for staff and students in the School of Creative Communication to store their media files and develop static and interactive websites, has now been commissioned to use the University's Active Directory authentication system. Apple Professional Services undertook the work, which was paid for from a research fund. Spending a small amount of money in this way has allowed us to bring a service online that we would otherwise not have had the time or resources to complete this semester.

The contractor has provided us with the means to relatively simply give users (for example students in nominated subjects) access to server space and website development space (including the ability to create dynamic websites with PHP and mySQL) when these resources are required for assessment. Users can access their space from PCs or Macintosh computers on campus via the network, and remotely via ftp.

Access to the Microteaching Rooms

Changes to the way the Micoteaching rooms are locked is causing some problems for staff and students.

Last year Security advised us on a number of occasions that the Microteaching Rooms in Building 5 were found unlocked. Since these rooms contain videorecording facilities, there is some risk of theft, so closers were installed on the doors and the locks modified so the doors always locked when closed.

Now the doors are often found propped open (with no-one in the vicinity), or there are complaints that the rooms are locked and Security won’t open them because they are not Category A rooms. All Building 5 staff keys open the doors, but out of normal business hours it is sometimes difficult for staff and students with legitimate requirements to access the rooms to find someone with an appropriate key.

Where the booking is in the timetable (and the incident that led to this report is in the timetable), Security should open the room. It becomes a little more problematic when students are making out-of-hours bookings for the rooms to record their own presentations (as happens in a number of subjects). Subject convenors may need to give Security a list of students who might reasonably be expected to be given access to the rooms, and Security can then open the rooms if required for students whose names appear on the lists.

Video Projection in 9C25

Work has been completed on the installation of video and data projection facilities in the Division's Conference Room.

With the completion of the work from Millennium Audiovisual, the Division's Conference Room is now set up for video and data projection.

In the past, the TSU has accepted bookings through the helpdesk for this service, with a member of staff setting up and taking down the equipment as required.

Staff (and postgraduate students) requiring the facility will now be required to bring or book through the CRC any additional equipment they need for presentations in this room. Instructions for operating the equipment are supplied, and helpdesk will show members of staff how to connect the equipment and operate the system if required.

Courses and Subject database

The new UC Courses and Subjects database will go live on 31 October 2003 as the new UC Handbook.

The new UC Courses and Subjects database will go live on 31 October 2003 as the new UC Handbook. You can preview the database at http://www.canberra.edu.au/courses/ and any feedback should be provided to the technical or content contacts listed at the bottom of each page.

For a number of years the Division has had its own version of courses information which to a large extent mirrors the handbook information: we have been told on a number of occasions that our duplication of the handbook data is not appropriate and it should be removed, pointing at the official information instead. Now that the new database is in place, we should remove all the duplicate information in our own web pages and point at the “official” information instead.

We will lose the graduate profile links we have used in the past, but these may be out of date anyway.

Callista on Macintosh Computers

A recent presentation to Executive from the Callista implementation team revealed that it will not be possible, at least initially, to access the student management system from Macintosh computers.

Following the presentation from the Phoenix team at Executive on 17 October 2003, the Manager, TSU, contacted Apple Computer Australia in relation to the lack of Macintosh support for the Callista client application.

Callista Software Services (CSS: developers of the Callista Student Management System) is working towards a release in the first half of 2004 of a Callista client that will work on Macintosh. It is unclear whether the Phoenix team intend to take advantage of this version of the Callista software: from the comments at Executive they may be intending to roll out this update in July 2004.

The Callista client is a Java application that if developed in accordance with the Java standard should be able to run on either Macintosh or Windows. Java is a platform-independent programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Java programs, or applets, can be launched from a Web browser, or run on a Web server, or may operate independently from the Web. Java is also increasingly being used for application programs like word processors, spreadsheets, and database front-ends.

While the current version of the Callista client should work on the Macintosh, there may be problems with the display of some of the reports that make the reports difficult to use.

At the University of Western Australia, a web browser will provide access to the Callista software to deliver services. It will run on Macintosh computers, although there will be some slight differences between the way it operates on Macintoshes and PCs. Web access to the system at the University of Canberra is being provided for students through Callista Web Connect (software developed by Callista): the Phoenix team sought clarification on whether an OPUS-like interface to Callista was to be included in the project, but it appears the web-access functionality for staff will not be available, at least not in the first release.