How to Track Down Missing Emails?

As communication technology has evolved over the years, email has rapidly grown in popularity and is now undoubtedly one of the most widely used methods of online communication. Although most people have a general understanding of how email services work and can perform the basics such as sending, forwarding, and replying with relative ease, there are still many features of email services that cause confusion. Today we will delve into some of these features, explaining how some of the different types of mailboxes work and where to look when you’re expecting an email but haven't received it.

Inbox

This is the main mailbox where all of your emails that haven’t been flagged as spam or junk end up. This mailbox primarily contains all of your important emails and should be the first place to look when checking your email. Unfortunately, some legitimate emails are accidentally marked as spam or junk by accident so they may not always end up in your inbox.

Junk/Spam

The junk mail folder or spam folder is used to store unwanted emails, preventing them from making it to the user’s main inbox. This helps decrease the volume of emails that a user has to look through, since some users may receive hundreds of emails on a daily basis with only a handful being legitimate. As previously mentioned, the systems used to detect junk mail are not always perfect so some legitimate emails may be marked as spam and on the other hand, some unwanted emails can slip through the cracks and enter your main inbox. Because of this, it is important to check your junk or spam folders on a regular basis, especially when you are expecting an email but can not find it in your inbox.

Clutter

Clutter is an email sorting system used by Microsoft Outlook. The main purpose of clutter is to distinguish between high and low priority emails so you can better identify important messages and reply to them sooner. Clutter uses an artificial intelligence system that analyzes your habits and behavior when using Outlook to get a better understanding of the types of emails you like to see and the ones you tend to ignore.

Unfortunately, the clutter feature has been discontinued by Outlook although some users may still have this feature. If you do have this feature, clutter is another place to check on a regular basis since important emails can also end up here by accident.

To enable the clutter folder within Outlook check "Separate items identified as clutter" and click “Save”.

Antispam

Antispam is a service similar to junk/spam and can be seen as another layer of defense, filtering out unwanted emails. Also similar to junk/spam, antispam is not always perfect and can filter out important emails by accident stopping them from reaching your main inbox. Because of this, it is very important to check your antispam on a regular basis to make sure you’re not missing any legitimate emails.

To access antispam head to antispam.emporia.edu and login with your ESU username and password.

Taylor Nelson
Student Media Producer
Web and Digital Strategies

Outlook: Focused Inbox vs. Normal Inbox

Do you like having your inbox organized, clean, and know exactly where to find them?

Using your Outlook email is something that is an everyday task for employees and faculty of our university. Gmail and Outlook are both of the email providers that Emporia State uses, but the difference between the two stands out with Outlook.

Outlook has a bit different view when you get to your home screen on your email. Outlook offers different locations for your emails to go without having to leave your Inbox tab. While some users have "Clutter" as a folder choice instead of the normal options being "Focused" and "Other". Focused and Other are the two tabs that are going to be within your inbox tab when using Microsoft365, Exchange, and Outlook.com. The Focused tab is where your more important emails will be located, giving you fast access to your everyday interactions. The Other tab is where you can place your less necessary emails like subscriptions, shopping ads, donation banks, etc. This gives the user a more clean and organized user face for them to utilize. Leaving all of your emails organized but still keeping all of them easily accessible.

When using Outlook on a Windows device, you will need to select that you want your Focused inbox visible. From there you will be able to go through your emails and either move them to the Focused inbox or the Other inbox. 

Using Outlook.com on a device, you will need to go to settings and turn on the "Focused Inbox". This will refresh and you will be able to organize your emails into which category you want them to be in.

If you are using Outlook, Microsoft365, or Exchange, there are step-by-step instructions on how to get your email inbox looking clean and organized while still being user friendly found here.

Questions and concerns can also be answered by contacting the IT Help Desk.

Stay healthy Hornets!

Dakota Taylor
Social Media Student Assistant
Web & Digital Strategies

Staying Motivated

During these difficult times when you have to stay inside for most of the day or don’t have a job to go to, it may be hard to stay focused on what is important for your future. In my opinion, experience is what brings you to the highs in your industry. Getting there is very hard, but it is always doable when you make a great use of your free time. During this pandemic, most people have more than plenty of time to do useful things for improving or getting new knowledge about something within the industry they are already in or going to be in in the near future. Here are some useful tips on how to stay motivated and get or improve knowledge you need:

Motivational tips:

• Doing extra work on top of what you get assigned to at work, school or college is not always easy, but your priority is what you should strive to achieve in your life. When you have a hard time motivating yourself to increase your knowledge or learn something new instead of, for example, watching your favorite show, just think about your future and how good it would be if you had a job you always dreamed of. Think of things you wouldn’t get if you didn’t stay motivated. That would be a great start on the way to success.

• Try to manage your time well. Not only does it help getting a great position after college, but also keeps you organized. Set aside an hour of your day for "extra" work. You will soon realize how helpful it is for your future. At first, it might be a little frustrating or boring, but once you start seeing the result, the motivation will come right away. It will soon become your habit and you won’t want to stop.

• When it comes to becoming successful at something, be the first in line. Take every opportunity you get, especially when you have free time. Don’t be scared to try new things. Eventually, you will look at yourself as a completely different person, because you will be proud for what you achieved.

We have all been through hard times and this pandemic is definitely not the easiest time to get through.  It is up to you to decide how you want to use your free time. From my experience, extra practice helps in any industry and any situation. Don’t wait until last minute to prepare for your future, start now and you will achieve great things.

Anton Levanovich
Student Web Developer

Web & Digital Strategies

Asking Questions/Finding Answers

Are you seeking help?

Can’t meet up with anyone to resolve your issue?

Is your professor or manager not providing you with enough information to succeed?

Fret not Hornets! Where there's a will, there's always a way! We're going to help you find the solutions and online platforms, where you can find all the answers to your important questions.

Schoolwork:

• Many courses have discussion boards on Canvas! This is available for you to ask and answer course related material. If you don’t understand something, ask for help.
   
• Schedule a Zoom meeting with your classmates! Zoom is probably your best option, because you can share your screen and showcase what you are trying to figure out. Zoom also has the functionality for remote control access. This allows the person who is trying to help, control your machine until the issue is resolved.
   
• If you're still having trouble understanding the material, don’t forget that you can email / virtually meet with your professor on Zoom, to clarify your questions and get a better understanding on the material. Professors are here to help you succeed!

• You can always check the ESU Learn Anywhere site for campus resources or reach out to us and we'll help direct you to the person who can answer your question.

Job tasks:

• The best option when it comes to finding a solution to your work related question, is to communicate with your team on the established communication channels.  Is that email?  Teams? SharePoint? Perhaps now is the ideal time to establish that channel!
   
• Schedule a meeting with a manager or coworker(s). This will give you an opportunity to ask all your questions and get the answers. Make a list of questions before the meeting so you don't miss anything.
   
• If no one is available--that's not a problem! You have the greatest invention known to us, GOOGLE.  Ask Google any question you have, and you are most likely to get an answer. Use it with caution!

It's important to realize that these are unprecedented times for all of us! So, don’t be scared to ask for help!

Anton Levanovich
Student Web Developer

Web & Digital Strategies

Printing Alternatives When Working or Learning Remotely

Students may be missing one common function that was always at the ready--printing.  Now that we are all working and learning remotely, there are a few things that can bring up moments of worry including 1) Not being able to submit the assignment in the preferred format, 2) not being able to collaborate or proof a hardcopy of a document or 3) the document vanishing from digital existence on your computer before you can print a backup copy. (that never happens!)

Here are a few tips that you can do as printing alternatives when you may not be able to have a physical copy. With ESU already providing Google services to students as well as Office 365 for all ESU students and employees to download, there are multiple options available.

The Universality of the PDF

Documents can be sent as PDF files--PDF standing for portable document format. So just as it says, the document can be on different platforms while staying the same for each user receiving the document. To save as a PDF in Google Docs, you would go to File>Download>Download as PDF.  In other applications, you can simply choose to print the document as you would to a physical printer, but instead of choosing your printer you should have an option for "Print to PDF" or something similar.  In MacOS, there is a "PDF" button on the print dialogue.

Google

PDF's are also very good when it comes to storing the documents, especially for archival purposes. ESU students can store your documents in Google Drive, which means you won't have to worry if your documents are safe and secure.  Google Drive is available from Windows, Mac, web browsers and mobile devices, giving you quick access wherever and whenever you need it.  The ability to share from Google Drive also means you don't have to print out and distribute copies of documents--the most current version is always available to you and those you are collaborating with.



Google has an online saving that makes your documents easy to keep track of. Google Drive saves your work as you continue to make progress on it, guaranteeing that your documents will be as up to speed as possible. Google also offers Offline Editing which allows you to work without wifi or internet access, this is very helpful for those who might not have home internet! This is also beneficial because it gives you access wherever you go by being able to login to your account wherever there is a computer or mobile device.

Office 365

Office 365 offers many of the same features provided by Google services, but also has the added value of desktop and mobile versions of software. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the other long-trusted suite for software integrates with your OneDrive personal storage (offered to all ESU students and employees), as well as employee's departmental SharePoint Drives.  With the current realities of working remotely, having a secure "cloud" environment to share, work, and collaborate has greatly improved the productivity and capabilities of our Office 365 users.

Do it LIVE!

We previously mentioned the sharing capabilities of Google, which is also true for Offie 365.  Along with that feature is the ability to edit a document right alongside your group members.  Using Google Docs or Microsoft Word you can each be making and discussing changes live--and seeing them as they happen.  There is no special setup--these are built-in features and they extend to spreadsheets, presentations and other document formats.  If you can create, proof and finalize a document live, there's no need to print it out and markup multiple versions!

Digital Ink

While these apps are great to use, you may choose a hardware solution that can make it seem like you're righting with a pen on paper, too.  Having an Apple Pencil with your iPad or Surface Pen with your Microsoft Surface makes taking notes and editing a document much easier--and completely natural if you're used to doing it on a printed copy. Using Microsoft Office's digital inking capabilities or any variety of mobile apps that support inking, allows you to write on the screen as if the document were actually in front of you as a printed piece of paper.

E-Fax

For ESU departments, E-Fax is a service that allows you to send and receive the document as if they were on an actual fax machine, but on your device. Users can fax from anywhere using your smart device or computer. This makes it a lot easier when sending documents that require printing (when you get back to the office) or are of a nature that require enhanced security.

These are just a few of the awesome applications that are available to use for your benefit! Hopefully, this gave you some knowledge that you can apply when learning or working remotely. Questions and concerns can be answered by contacting the IT Help Desk.
Stay Healthy Hornets!


Dakota Taylor
Social Media Student Assistant
Web & Digital Strategies

Group Collaboration

Is it your first time taking an online class? Are you stressed about not being able to communicate with your group mates? Don't worry, we've got your back. In this post, we'll cover what you need to know about virtually collaborating with your groups.

Sometimes collaborating with your group gets complicated; and bad communication can result in bad grades (and a bad mood.)    

We are here to help make collaborating online simple. All you need is a good internet connection and a reliable device. (A Windows laptop, a MacBook, an iPad, or even a smartphone.)

Need a new way to collaborate with your group on projects, assignments, and studying? 
Zoom is a great video chat software that allows you to not only chat, but also share your screen and give your group-mates control of your computer. Zoom is free and unlimited to all ESU students and employees.

Looking for a software that allows you and your groupmates to share and edit documents?
Google products such as Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides. They are simple to use and convenient when everyone in the group must work on the same file. 

Do you not like video or audio chatting?
Text-based chat using messengers like Apple Messages, GroupMe, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, may be more to your liking. You can also chat on Canvas under the “chat” tab. If none of those sound good to you, then emailing your groupmates is the always an option. 
(Just remember that all group members need to be diligent in checking and responding to messages!)

Are you trying to find a safe place for storing your files online where your group-mates can also access them?
OneDrive and Google Drive are your best options in this situation. Upload your document and share it with people you want to have access to the document. You can allow them to only view the document or both view and edit it; it’s totally up to you.  

Working on an individual project?

Emporia State University offers free access to all the Office365 products. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and more. All ready for you to use free of charge as a student. You can download them at hornet365.com. 

Having online classes might be stressful at first, but services we all have access to make our lives much easier. Check back weekly for more useful tips, and more! Stay safe, stay healthy and stay inside.

Tyler Parker
Social Media & Marketing Student Assistant

Web & Digital Strategies

Work Anywhere - Employee Guide

Are you ready to work from home? We sure hope so. If not, we look to prep you with everything you'll need to know about the near future of ESU classes.

As an ESU employee, there are a number of things that you need to take in to account to become a secure and productive remote worker.

Let's begin with the basics.
You're going to need a computer or compatible device - If you already have an ESU laptop with Windows or MacOS, then you're set.
If you have an iPad, you should be able to do most tasks as well. (But if you mostly work with Microsoft Office, you're going to want a keyboard.)

If you don't have an ESU laptop and you're familiar with cloud services - You can use your home computer.
However, if you're using secure services that need a VPN, (Banner Admin pages, Jabber, and the W: drive,) you'll need to use an ESU laptop.

If you need to check out an ESU laptop, visit the Teach and Work Anywhere site on emporia.edu/covid19 and fill out the form under "Recommended Equipment."

Next,
You'll need communicate with your colleagues or students - Starting with your ESU office phone.
Unfortunately, you won't be able to forward it to your home phone or cell phone due to technical limitations.

This leaves you with two alternatives:

1. Change your voicemail - Inform callers that you will return their call via phone or email. Instructions and more information located on the Work Anywhere site.
2. Jabber Software Client - This is for lines with a larger call volume, (Admissions, Registration, or any department's main line.) Using the Jabber software client installed on your laptop, you'll be able to make and receive calls using the speaker and microphone on your computer. (Note: you must be connected to the ESU VPN.)

ESU offers two types of applications and services: 

1. Cloud based - You can use it anywhere on any device (Office 365, Teams, Canvas, Microsoft Teams and Zoom.)
2. Secure (Requires VPN connection to use.) - A VPN consists of software that runs on your computer and connects back to the ESU network, providing a secure tunnel. Essentially, you're on the ESU network from home. (Banner Admin pages, Jabber, and the W: drive.)

An alternative to using the VPN is ESU's online virtual computer lab, SkyLab, ESU's virtual computer lab

Have you moved to SharePoint Drive or your personal OneDrive? - You can access those from anywhere.
If you still have files on the W: or X: drives, you will need VPN or SkyLab to access those files.

Web Conferencing Software

There are 2 Options for Employees

1. Zoom - ESU's primary platform for hosting a video conference. Instructors can use it to have virtual classes and departments can use it to host meetings. (All employees have access to Zoom via Hornet 365)
2. Microsoft Teams - ESU's primary platform for instant messaging. You can access it from anywhere and on any device. Virtual meetings can be hosted on Teams as well. (All employees have access to Microsoft Teams via Hornet 365)

Now that you're informed on ESU's online capabilities, you have the ability to work from anywhere.

For more information, visit our Teach + Work Anywhere website.

Tyler Parker
Social Media & Marketing Student Assistant

Web & Digital Strategies

Two-Factor Authentication

Welcome back to campus, Hornets!

Today's topic will be about two-factor authentication, an amazing security feature that is becoming more prevalent in everyday life. Did you know that, according to this this linked article, 87% of those classified as 'Gen Z' reuse the same password? That means that well over half of the campus, more than likely, uses the same password for their school/work email account and their personal email account. Tisk tisk tisk. We always recommend altering your passwords for each account to decrease the likelihood of a breach, but this is where two-factor authentication comes into play to greatly increases your online security.

For example, I have set up two-factor authentication for my student email account with my mobile phone. Anytime I sign into my student email address from an unrecognized computer or device, I receive a prompt on my phone asking if that was truly me. I cannot access any emails, files, etc. if I do not tell my phone 'yes, that was me'. This means that even in the chance of an account breach, I would have an extra layer of protection. More importantly, this extra layer of protection is physically on me almost 24/7. This greatly decreases the chances of a breach, and increases the chances that my private emails and files are protected. This is extremely important for you if you take advantage of your G Suite account's unlimited Google Drive. Don't know how to set up two-factor authentication with your student email account? Follow this link to learn how to set up two-factor authentication and find more information.

Stay safe and good luck this semester!

Sam Derksen
Web Developer
Web and Digital Strategies

Protect The Nest: Cyber Security Ambassadors

ESU IT needs your help promoting safe practices on the web!

We are launching a new program called Cyber Security Ambassadors. ESU students and employees will have the opportunity to gain valuable experiences and knowledge of cyber security threats, and how they can help protect their department.

Did You Know? A study at the University of Maryland concluded that on average, there are hacker attacks on computers with Internet access every 39 seconds - affecting one in three Americans every year.

Cyber Security Ambassadors will learn cyber-safe practices, tips and techniques that relate directly to their field of study. They will be empowered to take lessons learned and share their knowledge with others to promote safe IT practices at ESU and abroad.

Ambassadors will receive a FREE T-shirt, ESU koozie, cup and will be eligible for more swag throughout their participation. Ambassadors that complete presentations and participate actively in the program will also be eligible to receive a letter of participation detailing areas of technical competency signed by the Information Security Officer.

Program orientation and welcome session will begin shortly after Spring Semester begins. At the orientation Ambassadors will be given an overview of the program and ways they can engage with their fellow classmates and other peers. During this time members of the Information Security office will take suggestions and comments about topics that the Ambassadors would like further information on.

Interested in becoming a Cyber Security Ambassador?
Click here to fill out the application and PROTECT THE NEST.

Email ITSecurity@emporia.edu with any questions or concerns you might have.

Tyler Parker

Social Media & Marketing Student Assistant
Web & Digital Strategies

IT Only Takes a Minute - Welcome Back Fall 2019

This week, Emporia State welcomed new and returning students to the start of the Fall 2019 semester.  Each year, we share all of the great new and updated services available to ESU students.  The following highlights are only a few of these new things!

SkyPrint PLUS + Credit.   You'll notice some of the SkyPrint release stations have a new look this year.  These new multi-function units, called SkyPrint PLUS, now include the ability to scan and copy, as well as print.  Also, you can set up fast login using your Hornet Card.  This means you only need to tap your card in order to release your jobs.  Find more info, including all of our SkyPrint locations from Hornet 365's TechSite.  All ESU students get $8 worth of free prints, which you'll find freshly loaded to your account!  Learn More
 

Hornet TV.  Look for a newly redesigned 24 x 7 livestream with even more new content from across campus, plus check out the interactive digital signs!  We've been busy mapping out floors, finding rooms and building staff directories for every building with an interactive sign.  And the best feature, scan the QR code on the sign to download a copy of the sign's content to your smartphone! Watch Now
 

Office + Symantec.  All ESU students and employees get Microsoft Office and Symantec Anti-Virus free to install on your personal devices!  Students, make sure to log in with username@emporia.edu, DON'T use "g.emporia.edu".  Click the Downloads tile from Hornet365!
 

Hornet 365.  The new portal is live!  With the help of users all across campus, we built a next generation portal to bring the ESU experience to one central location!  And now it's even easier to get to--just go to HORNET365.COM!  Dont' forget to send us your feedback and look for more enhancements in the days ahead!
 

Virtual Campus Explorer.  Are you new to campus?  Or maybe you're just an explorer at heart!  Now, you can explore the ESU campus with our new Virtual Campus Explorer.  In addition to campus maps and building info, we've also started creating 360 degree experiences of interesting spaces across campus, Check back as we add even more as the semester progresses!   View Virtual Campus Explorer

A Strange Thing happened on the way to class...  Not really, but you might discover something both interesting and informative as we launch the IT + Information Security fall campaign with this year's "Stranger Things"-inspired theme.  Debuting at tonight's block party, we'll have a digital guidebook, free giveaways and the chance to win a bluetooth speaker!  Start exploring now by visiting emporia.edu/strange!

Good luck from ESU Information Technology!

Posted by Brian Osbourn, Director, Web + Digital

Website Blockers for Studying

The 2019 Fall Semester has begun so here at the ESU IT department we thought it might be a good time to share some handy tips on better ways to stay focused and tackle your assignments this semester!

We all know how easy it can be to get distracted while studying or working on assignments, especially with websites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter being only a couple clicks away. Good news is that there are plenty of website blockers out there that allow you to block certain distracting websites while you work, meaning no more ‘quick breaks’ until your work is done.

SelfControl is a great free website blocker that allows you to choose the websites that you find the most distracting and set them to a blacklist that will block them for a select period of time. Unfortunately SelfControl is only available on Mac, luckily there are many great Windows alternatives out there. Focus 45 is a free Chrome extension that can be used on both Mac and Windows.

From me and the rest of the team at ESU IT, we hope you all have a great semester. Stingers up!

Taylor Nelson

Student Web Developer

Web and Digital Strategies