IT Support for Continuity of Operations

Owned by Brendan Post (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Mar 15, 2020
3 min read

Earlham College Information Technology Services (ITS) provides support to College divisions and departments with their access to information systems and computing resources required to follow their Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). ITS support for COOPs is focused on the resources required for mission-critical functions and communication methods that are central to the College operations. Earlham College has established list number priorities for responding to emergency situations and maintaining continuity of operations:

  • Priority 1: Safety of students, faculty, staff, and affected community residents.

  • Priority 2: Mitigate damage.

  • Priority 3: Communication with College constituencies.

  • Priority 4: Recovery and restoration of residential, academic, and research operations and infrastructure.

Additional information about the College’s Emergency Preparedness is available at: https://earlham.edu/public-safety/emergency-preparedness/

The sections below outline College supported and approved tools and procedures for accessing information systems and computing resources to meet the requirements of Continuity of Operations Plans. Divisions or departments with specific questions or specialized use cases should contact ITS for additional assistance using the information at: Contact Us

Information Security Notes:

  • College-owned data that is classified as Restricted or Private should only be stored and transmitted in College-approved information systems.

    • Example data types: FERPA-protected student data, HIPAA-protected health data, Employee data, Financial Aid data, College Financial data

  • Google Apps, Dropbox, and other cloud storage tools are not College-approved for Restricted or Private data.

Internet Connectivity

Business Operations Continuity Tools

  • File Sharing and Collaboration: The preferred, College-approved tool for file storage, sharing, and collaboration is Box. The legacy tool for network file storage is the Groups G: Drive.

  • Electronic Forms and Data Collection: The College has a campus license for Qualtrics which can be used to support electronic forms and data collection.

  • Remote Access using VPN: The College requires the use of VPN for off-campus access to College-hosted information systems that contain Restricted and Private data including Banner, Argos, the G Drive, and additional resources.

  • Microsoft Office for Home Use: Earlham faculty and students can utilize Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint through Microsoft's Office 365 education program.

  • Equipment Inventory: The College has an inventory of instructional laptops that can be redeployed to support Course and Business Operations Continuity to support mission-critical functions in emergency situations. Deployment will be based on review/approval by ITS and the Crisis Management Team.

    • MacBook Laptops - Approx. 120

    • PC Laptops - Approx. 15

Communications Infrastructure

  • VOIP Phone System: The College’s VOIP phone system provides off-campus access to tools to manage voicemail and other calling features.

  • Zoom: Zoom is a web collaboration tool that the College currently has a managed set of licenses for. Zoom provides high-quality audio and video web conferencing.

  • Additional Communication Tools: For departments and teams that require real-time communication in a remote setting, there are a number of free platforms available.

    • Slack: https://slack.com/

      • Slack is a real-time communication tool for teams to collaborate using without the need for email.

    • Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/start

      • Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.

  • Emergency Notification System: The College uses Rave Alert for emergency notifications and all Earlham users should ensure their contact information is up-to-date.

Course Continuity

Earlham College courses are based on face-to-face learning, but core elements can largely transition online using the College’s Learning Management System Moodle (Moodle) . The Library team has created a guide that outlines ways for faculty to teach online when exceptional circumstances arise. Please refer to the following pages for information, resources, and support contacts:

 

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