In This Issue

• WVSTC
• Executive Director’s Note
• New Employees
• Career Opportunities
• Department Updates

WVSTC Wrap-Up and Thank You

The West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference Committee would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to our sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees for making the event a resounding success.

With your help, we brought together technology enthusiasts, professionals, and educators from all corners of West Virginia to foster knowledge, collaboration, and the exploration of cutting-edge technological innovations.

 Without your invaluable support and active participation, this event would not have been possible.

To our sponsors, we extend our sincerest thanks for your generous contributions. Your support helped us cover essential costs, enhance the conference experience, and provide attendees with valuable resources and networking opportunities. Your commitment to advancing technology in our state is commendable and has a lasting impact on our community.

To the exhibitors, thank you for showcasing your products, services, and solutions during the conference. Your presence added immense value to the event, and attendees benefited from hands-on experiences and insights into the latest developments in the tech industry. Your engagement and willingness to share knowledge have left a positive impression on all who attended.

To our attendees, we extend our thanks. Your active participation, thought-provoking discussions, and eagerness to learn contributed significantly to the conference’s overall success. We hope that the knowledge gained and connections made during the event will inspire continued growth and development in the field of technology.

Welcome New Employees!

Eduardo Del Toro joined the DBA Group as the new Oracle DBA Senior on July 5, 2023.  

Eduardo is a Senior Oracle Database Administrator (DBA) with more than 15 years of experience working with many Fortune 500 companies in sectors like health care, manufacturing, education, county/state/federal government, agrochemical biotechnology, shipping/logistics, banking, telecommunications, utilities, Federal Reserve Bank, and the Department of Defense, to name a few.  After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez campus with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Eduardo started as a COBOL programmer, and then became Oracle DBA supporting the AT&T Universal Card product.  He finds pleasure and excels in work environments that are open and collaborative. He also demonstrates strong communication skills, including the ability to create documentation and job aids. This is particularly valuable, as many business challenges arise from inadequate communication and a lack of information and procedural sharing.

Promotions 

Steven White – Executive Director    

Jason Chastain – Manager of Telecommunications

Kyle Atkins – Telecommunications Network Specialist I

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Visit https://events.govtech.com/West-Virginia-Digital-Government-Summit.html for more information.

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New Schedule of Rates

Effective July 2023, WVNET has a new schedule of rates.
Visit https://wvnet.edu/resources/schedule-of-rates/ to find out more.

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Join Our Team!

WVNET offers an excellent State of WV Employee benefits package of health insurance, dental, vision, hearing, Health Savings Accounts / Flexible Spending Accounts, retirement investing, life insurance plans, short-term/long-term disability insurance, as well as generous amounts of vacation, sick, state & federal holidays, and professional development opportunities. To view full job details, check our website: https://wvnet.edu/about/careers/ and submit your resume to careers@staff.wvnet.edu. EOE/AA/ADA Employer 

DATA CENTER MANAGER to maintain the smooth operation of our data center infrastructure and physical facility. Responsibilities will include ensuring the data center’s optimal performance, leading technical staff, maintaining service availability, managing environmental controls, and overseeing facility maintenance and security. Salary range: $75,000 – $85,000. 

NETWORK OPERATOR to provide basic (Tier I) assistance and consulting to WVNET customers, including K-12 schools, higher educational institutions, libraries, state and county government, and various not-for-profit organizations.  Network Operators are categorized as essential personnel as defined by WVNET policy, and the incumbent is required to work during declared emergencies. 
This position provides customer support, system monitoring, and problem escalation to advanced (Tier II) support on a 24-hour non-standard work hours basis.  The position is required to work a 12.5-hour rotating shift to accommodate 24/7 services.

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Department Updates

SYSTEMS UPDATE

Jobsub Update 

WVNET has recently implemented important updates to the Jobsub web interface. These updates have two main objectives: enhancing security measures and improving the user experience for both individuals and school administrators. The primary focus is to provide better control over accounts and ensure the safety of personal information. 

In response to the escalating frequency of malicious cyber-attacks on various systems, strengthening the security measures of our applications has become imperative. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a widely respected authority that establishes guidelines for password security. According to NIST recommendations, password changes are advised at least once a year, preferably every 180 days. In alignment with these guidelines, Jobsub account passwords will now expire 180 days after their creation. However, users will now have the convenience of easily resetting their passwords using the new ‘Forgot Password’ feature, which grants them increased control over their accounts. 

To provide an additional layer of security, Jobsub will now require users to verify their email addresses before gaining full account access. This verification process empowers users to independently utilize account recovery options. In the event of password reset needs, the Help Desk will remain available for assistance. 

Furthermore, the updated web interface enables accounts to directly view a broader range of file types without the need for downloading. Previously, users were required to download specific file types to verify their contents. However, now you can instantly access the contents of SQL files and numerous other types without the need to download them. 

Considering the new requirement for users to verify their email addresses, we are introducing mass email notifications for specific announcements sent to all registered email addresses. This initiative aims to minimize confusion following significant updates to Jobsub. These email notifications will inform users about upcoming major updates that might impact their login process in the future. Since these announcements are accessible only after logging into the interface, receiving email notifications about such updates is expected to provide valuable assistance. 

TELECOMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

During the summer, the Telecommunications Group at WVNET has undertaken a few projects to ensure the reliability of the network used by its customers. One example of this is the deployment of a Cisco 8200 series router for the Wood County Courthouse. This device replaced the aging Cisco 3945 router, which had served as the core network router for the Courthouse since September 2012.

It’s worth noting that the initial deployment of Cisco 3945 routers to all 55 County Courthouses was made possible through a BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) Grant back in 2012.

As these routers are gradually phased out and replaced by the individual Courthouses, WVNET verifies that all information is cleared before sending them to surplus.

Responding to the growing demand for increased bandwidth in the southern half of West Virginia, WVNET took additional measures to enhance both Internet and Internet2 capacities at OARnet in Columbus, Ohio. An upgrade saw these capacities escalate from 30 to 40 Gbps. Notably, OARnet stands as one of the two upstream ISPs with which WVNET collaborates, ensuring resilient and redundant Internet/I2 connectivity.

The team has also started initiating a reconfiguration of parts of our network in preparation for the migration of the high-speed transit ring to Cisco NCS 5500 series routers. This advancement in technology will allow WVNET to incorporate 100Gbps WAVES, supplanting the current 10Gbps connections. Noteworthy is the fact that the existing transit ring was initially installed in 2012, underlining the transformative strides being made.

Highlighting their commitment to knowledge dissemination, the WVNET Telecommunications Group took center stage at this year’s West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference. Their insightful presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the current state of our network architecture, along with insightful previews of impending upgrades. These include the high-speed transit ring migration, advancements in the VPN server, fortifications in firewall capabilities, and the pivotal upgrade of backbone routers.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM UPDATE

This issue, we’re diving into the world of web typography. We all know how essential it is to make our content readable and visually appealing for our online audiences. To help you enhance the legibility of your content, we’ve gathered some insightful tips from Oliver Schöndorfer’s article on font size, line height, and line length. Let’s explore the key takeaways! 

Font Size, Line Height, and Line Length: The Perfect Trio 

When it comes to web typography, three crucial factors are closely intertwined: font size, line height, and line length. Remember these core principles: 

• Font size and line height go hand in hand. They impact the overall readability of your content. 
• Adjust line height according to line length. Longer lines require more line height, while shorter lines can do with less. 
• Utilize a type scale to establish a typographic hierarchy, ensuring a visually pleasing layout. 
• Optimal results are achieved by creating fluid line heights that adapt to column widths. 
• For a consistent experience between desktop and mobile, a line-height value of 1.5 is recommended. 

Crafting Effective Display Text 

Display text, particularly headings, plays a pivotal role in catching your readers’ attention. Here’s how to make them stand out: 

• For <h1> tags, the default choice is 40px/2.5em. 
• On desktop, consider increasing font size to a maximum of 64px/4em. 
• On mobile, opt for 32px/2em or smaller to avoid excessive space consumption. 
• Experiment with smaller line heights, like 1.1, for larger headings. 
• Sometimes, a line height smaller than the type size can enhance readability. 

Mastering Body Text 

The body text is where your content truly comes to life. Follow these recommendations for optimal results: 

• Default choice: 16px/1em (browser’s default). 
• On desktop, increase font size up to 24px/1.5em at most. 
• On mobile, stick to the defaults or occasionally go 10% smaller (min 14–15px). 
• Aim for 50–75 characters per line (25–37.5rem) with a line height of 1.5–1.6 on desktop. 
• Mobile-friendly text usually features 40–50 characters per line (20–25rem) and a line height of 1.3–1.45. 

Fine-tuning Functional Text 

Even functional text, such as captions and navigation elements, requires careful attention: 

• Default choice: 12px/0.75em – 14px/0.875em. 
• Feel free to increase font size up to 16px/1em on desktop. 
• Be cautious not to make text too small on mobile, as it’s already compact. 

Harmonizing Typeface Attributes 

Typeface attributes – font size, line length, and line height – interact harmoniously to create readable and engaging content. Start by selecting suitable typefaces and establishing a type scale for different text elements. 

Achieving Fluid Typography with CSS Clamp() 

Modern web design enables fluid typography using CSS clamp(). This technique interpolates between minimum and maximum values for font size and line height, adapting to container width and line length. While there’s no magic number for perfect typography, the guidelines mentioned above, along with the tools available, will undoubtedly steer you in the right direction. 

Remember, when in doubt, err on the side of larger font sizes. After all, readability is key to a successful online presence. 

For further insights, we recommend reading Oliver Schöndorfer’s comprehensive article “What’s The Right Font Size For the Web?”. Happy reading and happy typography tweaking! 

To discuss web development projects or if you are looking for support for your current website, send an email to wvnet-support@staff.wvnet.edu to schedule a meeting and review your project requirements.

WVNET FINANCE UPDATE

The FY 23 audit has a new GASB requirement:   
GASB 96 – “Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements” (“GASB 96”)    

In May 2020, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued GASB 96 – Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements with the objective of enhancing transparency through the recognition of SBITA-related assets and liabilities on the balance sheet.  The requirements of GASB 96 were effective for reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2022 (for many governmental organizations with a June 30^th fiscal year-end, the adoption date would have been July 1, 2022, for the year ending June 30, 2023).     GASB 96 requires a “full retrospective” adoption in which the standard is applied to all the periods presented in accordance with the guidance with the impact of adoption reported as a restatement of the beginning net position (or fund balance or fund net position, as applicable) for the earliest period restated.  Accordingly, West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (“WVNET”) is adopting GASB 96 effective July 1, 2022, for the year ending June 30, 2023.  As a result of the adoption of the new standard, WVNET is recording the impact as of the July 1, 2021, adoption date.       

Please contact the Finance and Business Office staff with any questions you may have:  

• Accounts Receivable – Libby Cress (lcress@staff.wvnet.edu or 304-293-5192 x 50451) 
• Accounts Payable – Buffy Vehse (evehse@staff.wvnet.edu or 304-293-5192 x 50487) 
• Billing and Procurement – Phil Snitz (psnitz@staff.wvnet.edu or 304-293-5192 x 50483) 
• CFO – Donna Meadowcroft (dmeadowcroft@staff.wvnet.edu or 304-293-5192 x 50472)

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In This Issue

• WVSTC
• Interim Director’s Note
• New Employees
• Career Opportunities
• Years of Service
• Department Updates

West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference Update

We have been busy planning and this year’s West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference which promises to be incredibly engaging and informative.

This year’s event will feature keynote speakers Dr. Leanna Prater and Derek Bruff, interactive panel discussions, and over 100 concurrent sessions that will offer practical insights and real-world examples of successful technology implementation.

We are also offering add-on pre-conference sessions on WVEIS (free for K-12 educators), Office 365, Brightspace, and Degree Works. K-12 educators will also have an opportunity to earn CEU’s (continuing education unit) from Marshall and WVU for an additional fee.

We will be hosting an Exhibitor Reception in the Expo Hall with refreshments Wednesday from 4-6 pm and each evening we’ll continue the fun with breakout social events in town and near the conference center: Team Trivia, Wednesday at the Morgantown Brewing Company, eSports Exhibition, Thursday at conference center, or meet up and play board games or just socialize at the Rooftop Bar.

Panel Discussions

We are featuring panel discussions on The Future of Technology in Higher Ed, ChatGPT and AI, and Esports. Panel sessions are a great way to learn from the experts in the field, as well as to network and engage with other professionals on the topics we are all talking about.

Concurrent Sessions

Our concurrent sessions include topics for K-12 Educators, Higher Ed, and general technology throughout the state of West Virginia. Attendees can expect to come away with a deeper understanding of the latest trends and innovations in educational technology. For a complete list of sessions, visit the conference website at https://wvstc.com.

Conference Mobile App

With over 100 sessions, we know it will be difficult to choose what to attend. This year we are offering a handy mobile app that will allow you to plan your conference experience and connect with other attendees and exhibitors. If you have already registered, be on the lookout for an email invite to log in and install the app on your device.

Register Early and Save

Registration for the conference is underway. We encourage you to sign up as soon as possible to take advantage of early bird and group registration rates. Act soon, as these rates end May 31. For more information about the conference, including the program schedule and registration details, please visit the website or contact us.

WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES!

Brad Benkart joined the Network Operations Center as a new Network Operator on March 27, 2023.

William “Zach” Carpenter joined the Systems Administrator Group as the new Information Systems Specialist on April 10, 2023.

William grew up in Marion County and after high school he moved to Morgantown and attended WVU to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He was a member of the Game Developers Club and an Undergraduate Researcher at WVU. William was also a Development Support Intern at Nextgen Federal Systems near the end of his time at WVU. He focused on working towards various certifications after graduating with his BSCS and also dabbled on software pet projects. When he isn’t focusing on technology, his interests include graphic design, golf, bowling, hiking, fishing, and reading. William is excited about getting to know the team at WVNET and is keen on the opportunities to come.

SERVICE MILESTONES

State of West Virginia Public Service Recognition Week (May 7-13, 2023)

Since 1985, the United States has designated the first full week of May as Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) to honor the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees.

The State of West Virginia Public Service Recognition Week is a time to honor and thank WV public employees for their service, beginning with 20 years of service (and proceeding in increments of five years). For 2023, WVNET will have 2 employees reaching their years of service milestones for the State of West Virginia:

Dianne Sisler is a hardworking and dedicated employee. She is a pleasure to work with and always has a pleasant disposition. She is extremely knowledgeable and is always available when she is needed. Dianne often works with WVNET customers to share her financial aid insight and even shares her time by assisting schools with management of their financial aid departments when they are short-handed.

Libby Cress is a dedicated and hardworking professional who has spent most of her career at WVNET. She started her journey in 1999 after gaining valuable experience in Travel and Asset Management at WVU. Since then, she has been an integral part of the WVNET team, serving in various roles such as purchasing, customer service, and accounts receivable. Libby is a people person, and she loves working with customers from all over the state. Libby has also contributed to the healthcare sector by working as a Nurse’s Aide on Pediatrics and Orthopedics at WVU Hospital. Apart from her professional achievements, Libby is a proud grandmother to four beautiful granddaughters and two wonderful grand dogs. She is also blessed with a loving family, including her daughter, son-in-law, and supportive husband of 50 years. She is grateful for all the opportunities and experiences that have come her way and considers herself blessed. Outside of work, Libby enjoys spending time with her church and bowling group.

Department Updates

CLIENT SERVICES UPDATE

Brightspace APIs and Extensibility

WVNET’s Distance Learning team is always working to improve the user experience in Brightspace. Currently, the team is training to learn how to use Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) within Brightspace to improve reporting practices and external tool setup. Once the team completes the training session, they will be able to utilize these new skills in future projects and provide new custom development for all our customers.

TELECOM UPDATE

On March 8, WVNET added increased Internet bandwidth through OARnet, which mainly serves customers in the South. WVNET is always monitoring bandwidth utilization around the state in effort to have enough available where it is needed the most.

WVNET also recently updated our SolarWinds installation to the latest stable release. SolarWinds helps WVNET proactively respond to network issues, view historical data, and maintains a backup of customer equipment configuration files.

After expanding Eastern Community and Technical College’s (Eastern CTC) wireless network pool, WVNET’s Telecom Team is researching specifications for new Wireless Access Points for Eastern CTC. WVNET uses the ExtremeIQ Cloud to control, monitor, and update wireless devices. If you are interested in doing the same at your organization, please feel free to contact us for more information.

A new vendor has been chosen to assist with engineering WVNET’s new high speed Transit Ring network. This work is tentatively scheduled to start in late June or early July. Once the new routers are installed, we will be able to support; up to 100Gbps links, an exciting upgrade from the current maximum per line capacity of 10Gbps.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM UPDATE

Accessibility Tips

Making your website or web application accessible to all users is not only important for ethical and legal reasons, but it also benefits your organization by making your site easier to use. However, ensuring accessibility can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not familiar with the guidelines and best practices. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Use meaningful and descriptive text for links and buttons.Instead of using generic labels like “click here” or “read more,” use text that accurately describes the destination or action, such as “view the meeting agenda” or “learn more about our program.”  
• Provide alternative text descriptions for images. This allows users who use screen readers or have visual impairments to understand the content of the images. Make sure your descriptions are accurate and descriptive.  
• Use color contrast to make text and images easy to read. Ensure there is enough contrast between the text and background color so that it is readable for users with visual impairments or color blindness. Tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker can help you determine if your color combinations are accessible.  
• Make sure your website is navigable by keyboard. This is essential for users who can’t use a mouse or other pointing device. Use the tab key to navigate through links and buttons, and make sure that the focus indicator is visible.  
• Provide captions and transcripts for audio and video content.This is especially important for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Ensure your captions are accurate and synchronized with the audio, and provide transcripts for users who may prefer to read the content instead.  
• Ensure your website is compatible with assistive technologies. This includes screen readers, speech recognition software, and other tools that help users with disabilities navigate and access content. Test your website with different assistive technologies to ensure compatibility.  

To discuss web development projects or if you are looking for support for your current website, send an email to wvnet-support@staff.wvnet.edu to schedule a meeting and review your project requirements.

WVNET FINANCE UPDATE

WVNET is working with CliftonLarsonAllen’s Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 96 team and will relay information to WVNET’s Higher Ed and/or Community and Technical College customers as it pertains to them: GASB 96, it is effective for fiscal years beginning after 6/15/22.

Statement No. 96 of the Government Accounting Standards Board provides guidance on the accounting and financial reporting for subscription-based information technology arrangements (SBITAs) for government end users (governments). This Statement (1) defines a SBITA; (2) establishes that a SBITA results in a right-to-use subscription asset—an intangible asset—and a corresponding subscription liability; (3) provides the capitalization criteria for outlays other than subscription payments, including implementation costs of a SBITA; and (4) requires note disclosures regarding a SBITA.

SYSTEMS UPDATE

Ransomware Threats are on the Rise

Ransomware attacks are up significantly in the first quarter of 2023, up 91% in March alone. With this in mind, everyone is highly encouraged to have this threat on the top of their list of things to be proactive and prepared for. A few WVNET customers are installing next generation firewalls on the edge of their network, which will provide them better visibility and threat detection on their networks. Please contact WVNET if you’re interested in more information on the devices our customers have installed.

The following are some basic recommendations on how you can help prevent ransomware at your organization:

• Regularly backup important data. One of the best defenses against a ransomware attack is to ensure that important data is regularly backed up. This way, even if the attackers manage to encrypt or delete the data, it can be restored from the backup.  
• Install and update anti-virus software. Make sure that anti-virus software is installed and kept up to date on all devices in your network. This can help detect and prevent malware infections that can lead to ransomware attacks.  
• Use strong passwords. Ensure that all users have strong, unique passwords and consider using multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.
• Implement network segmentation. Network segmentation can help limit the impact of a ransomware attack by containing it to a smaller portion of the network.
• Conduct regular security awareness training. Regular security awareness training can help employees recognize phishing emails and other social engineering tactics that are commonly used in ransomware attacks.
• Use simulated phishing attacks. Tools like KnowBe4 can help organizations simulate phishing attacks and test their employees’ responses. This can help identify vulnerabilities and improve security awareness training.

Remember, no single solution can completely protect against ransomware attacks, so it’s important to use a combination of different defenses to minimize the risk of an attack.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – Ransomware Guide

On September 30, 2020, a joint Ransomware Guide was released, which is a customer centered, one-stop resource with best practices and ways to prevent, protect and/or respond to a ransomware attack. CISA and Multi-State Information Sharing and Anaylsis Center (MS-ISAC) are distributing this guide to inform and enhance network defense and reduce exposure to a ransomware attack. The guide can be found at the link provided below along with other resources that can be found on the site.

https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware/ransomware-guide

Find out more about what is happening at WVNET.
Events, career opportunities and department updates.

West Virginia University’s Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) provides teaching support and resources for faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Their team uses an evidence-based approach that emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

WVU’s TLC works with campus partners to assist instructors in enhancing their teaching, both on campus and online, to deepen student learning. 

Since 2013, the WVU TLC has increased its spectrum of services to include consultations, workshops, on-demand resources, and annual events on a variety of topics aimed at empowering instructors.  Specifically, the WVU TLC offers course design/delivery services, classroom technology support, video/infographic assistance, and teaching practices peer support and learning communities.  The TLC Sandbox is a research and development initiative for faculty, GTAs, and staff to evaluate emerging technologies.  Showcase examples include experimental classroom space and the light board studio to develop instructional videos.

The WVU TLC invites you to come Celebrate with them (annually) with sessions designed to:

• Enhance your teaching;
• Showcase the latest instructional approaches and technologies;
• Promote networking for research collaboration (especially as it relates to the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning);
• Share examples of academic excellence (e.g., assessment, student success);
• Encourage fun and energizing wellness activities.

2020 was a year unlike any other before, with the COVID-19 pandemic presenting many new challenges for WVNET and our customers. WVNET management and staff expertly managed the challenges head on. The year consisted of some restructuring, staff retirements and some employees moving on to a new opportunity. But we still finished the year with six new employees joining the WVNET team, along with several employee promotions and advancements. On top of that, WVNET celebrated 45 years of service this year.

Kids Connect: With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing K-12 schools to immediately shift to remote learning, the absence of reliable, in-home broadband access was a major issue across the state. Partnering with the WV Department of Education and the WV Office of Technology, WVNET helped launch the Kids Connect Initiative, a statewide program to provide over 1,000 community hotspots for drive-up Internet access for K-12 students, including 670 K-12 schools 171 libraries, and 28 state parks. It also included hotspots at 38 colleges and universities, and provided drive-up Internet access for higher education students as well. From concept to power-up, the program took less than 60 days, thanks to the intra-departmental cooperation among these state agencies.

New Strategic Plan: A new five-year strategic plan was published, based on input from WVNET employees and customers, along with a review of the business trends and strategic technologies in education. This new plan included updates to WVNET’s mission, vision, and goals, and outlined operational initiatives for the next five years. It provides a roadmap to ensure WVNET is responsive to the needs of West Virginia’s higher education customers while maximizing the state’s investment in new technologies.

WV Statewide Technology Conference: After a brief hiatus, WVNET resumed the West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference (WVSTC) in 2020. What had been planned as an in-person event was reformatted to a virtual conference due to COVID-19 and was held from July 14 -16, 2020. WVNET worked with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the West Virginia Office of Technology (WVOT) to put together a diverse program for K-12, Higher Education and Government users.

Plans are well underway for the 2021 WVSTC virtual event which is scheduled for July 12-14, 2021. Additional details, including speakers, agenda, and registration, will be posted to the conference website (wvstc.com) in the coming months.

Marketing WVNET: The Marketing Committee has been working to update the professional brochure designed for State Delegates and Senators that details our vast list of customers by political district. Combined with the WVNET organizational information brochure, these documents convey the importance of WVNET to the growth and vitality of West Virginia. The Marketing Committee has also been working to increase employee engagement and recognition by establishing “Employee of the Month” and “Customer of the Month” initiatives. In 2020, the committee provided updates to the WVNET Webpage and renewed social medial accounts with regular posts to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. WVNET’s social media engagement increased by 300% in 2020!

Quality Matters (QM): WVNET assumed management of QM for the State of West Virginia and conducted six subscriber-managed course reviews in 2020. As a result of COVID-19, course offerings were adjusted to meet the needs of the state, including offering eight additional courses. WVNET added Designing Your Online Course (DYOC) to the state license, conducted the first QM Zoom face-to-face session in the state, and added an additional QM peer reviewer.

Financial Impact: WVNET continues to provide financial savings to all of its higher education customers through group purchasing agreements that provide large discounts on technology purchases. In 2020, this resulted in West Virginia colleges and universities savings over $5.2M in software purchases alone. Add to that the expert technical talent and 24/7 support provided by WVNET and you can easily see how WVNET is a critical success for the citizens of West Virginia.

The NEW Teaching and Learning Commons

In July, WVNET launched the Teaching and Learning Commons. This prompted a change in focus for the Software Development team from an exclusively software/ application development focus to a more comprehensive focus that includes applications, websites, and content development. This change allows the Development Team to operate in a more flexible manner to better support the activities of the Teaching and Learning Commons and the broader mission of WVNET.

The 2020 Professional Development Week was held with 34 presentations to 431 attendees and 1564 registrations. Additionally, monthly training sessions provide continuous educational opportunities. A new TLC website and registration site were launched, and a documentation portal and course catalog were established. The TLC Team joined several online Learning Consortium and Professional and Occupational Development Organizations and was invited to participate in Academic Affairs Meetings to discuss the program.

Banner ACT Reporting Upgrade: WVNET has been working with our college and university customers over the past year with testing the new Banner ACT College Score Reporting upgrade provided by ACT and Encoura Data Labs. This new application bridges the gap in uploading high school transcripts, resumes, letters of recommendation, high school profile, admission essays, cover letter, and personal statements in addition to the super-scoring where the higher test scores are reported.

Banner Financial Aid: WVNET has worked with our college and university Banner customers over the past year to monitor and disseminate information regarding the CARES Act, provide updates to federal systems (COD, EdConnect, SAIG, CPS, etc), and address Banner Financial Aid concerns. WVNET aided colleagues inside and outside of West Virginia with troubleshooting problems and facilitated setup of new Banner procedures. WVNET continues to encourage the adoption of new procedures to help staff keep up with increasingly complex and evolving regulations.

DegreeWorks: Go-live kicked off this year for Ellucian DegreeWorks, a comprehensive academic advising, transfer articulation, and degree audit solution. “Connect, Learn and Engage” was the goal of the DegreeWorks Team for 2020 as we presented several live webinars via the WVNET Teaching and Learning Commons. Topics focused on the latest release of DegreeWorks and its new applications: Controller, Responsive Dashboard, and Web Transit. With on-site visits cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team conducted more virtual conference calls to support our user community. The users will notice several changes, including a new user interface, as well as functional enhancements. The Degree Audit Worksheet displays more responsively in a mobile environment, the exception processing experience has been improved, and this upgrade is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

DegreeWorks team has begun the process of upgrading DegreeWorks from version 4.1.6 to the 5.x release.

Blackboard Learning System: WVNET administrators for Blackboard installed Medial Closed Captioning and adopted the ProctorTrack tool and SoftChalk. Additionally, WVNET provided training for Blackboard faculty users transitioning to virtual learning due to COVID-19.

Also, with recent changes made by Blackboard to sunset self-hosted software platforms, WVNET is developing a Request for Proposal to identify and select a new Learning Management System for the state. Plans are to implement a new system in the early summer of 2021 and assist customers with migrating their current Blackboard courses to the new platform before the start of Fall 2021.

Web Development

The WVNET Web Development Team is moving to better position itself to take on new projects and new partnerships by offering support and expertise for web-based projects. We worked extensively over the spring and summer to move Logan County Schools’ district website to our K-12 server and set up placeholder sites for each of its schools. More recently, projects have included launching the WV Kids Connect initiative and an accessibility audit and overhaul of the Higher Education Policy Commission’s website. The web team is also in the planning phase of working with Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College to assist with a site redesign and moving their website to WordPress.

Most notably, in 2020 the team worked with the First2 Network to convert their site from HubZero to WordPress, customized child theme development, and implemented social network functionality. This was an eight-month project that involved a good deal of project coordination between the customer, the WVNET Development Team, and the WVNET Systems and Operations staff.

Other Software Applications

The WVNET Software Development Team underwent a significant transition this past year with the retirement of longtime Software Developer and Team Lead, Mike Karolchik. Mike’s work spanned nearly 40 years and countless projects, including creation of the WVNET problem management and support system, OZ.

OZ Problem Tracking System: In 2020, we released the latest version of WVNET’s problem tracking system. We transitioned 13 customers to the OZ 5.0 and WVROCKS was added as a new customer. Additionally, custom code was replaced with reCAPTCHA for improved security and authentication rules were re-worked to help prevent unauthorized access.

PSTachio: WVNET’s Public Service Training application is used by public service providers throughout West Virginia. In 2020, PSTachio was moved to a single site so users can easily switch between regions when logged in and run reports across all regions. Various other enhancements were made to this application to allow for an improved overall user experience, including the addition of a new alert system to inform WVNET when users run into errors. Additionally, new announcements have been added to the home page to keep users informed on new features and other important information.

Systems and Operations

• Deployed Banner Access Management and educated our user community on its use.
• Maintained and updated customers’ Banner databases with regular patches and upgrades, ensuring enhanced security.
• Implemented reCaptcha for Banner access to prevent false applications from being submitted.
• Continued rollout of SQLNet Encryption to require encrypted communication to the database. This is in addition to the security measures already in place to protect database access.
• Implemented Ellucian Mobile and CRM Recruit / BRIM application which required multiple component upgrades and coordination with Ellucian.
• Enabled integration of Ellucian Ethos Identity Services with Microsoft Azure for a single sign-on (SSO) implementation. Worked with multiple schools to implement additional SSO solutions.
• Began implementation of Oracle Data Rest Services to migrate existing applications to a new and more secure platform.
• Upgraded datacenter computing infrastructure to increase performance.
• Migrated to a new SAN environment utilizing an all-flash array.
  Upgraded computing hardware to increase resource availability to the virtual environment.
  Upgraded Infoblox DNS appliances.
• Utilized third-party security scanning services to determine and mitigate risks with public facing servers.

Network Operations Center

During the COVID-19 pandemic and stay at home orders issued by Governor Justice, the Network Operations Center (NOC) continued working on-site to ensure support services remained up and running for state employees and students working remotely. The NOC took responsibility of scheduling video conferences for the court systems in February 2020. The average OZ tickets, emails and calls per week were 293. NOC staff will has earned HDI team certification. As a reminder, WVNET’s NOC is staffed 24/7/365 to serve our customers.

Telecommunications

• Provided Softphones to NOC and other key staff to be able to answer calls and work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Built a support line for the Kids Connect initiative for our NOC to help support students and families learning remotely.
• Upgraded Blackboard Learning Management system to be compatible with shift in user work and learning environments.
• Utilized WVNET’s F5 load balancer to find a solution to the depreciation of TLS version by several browser developers for both our Blackboard and Banner customers.
• Increased utilization of our F5 load balancer to provide an additional security layer for many of our hosted websites.
• Implemented new security training and phishing simulations to ensure WVNET staff use safe computing practices.
• Provided VPN solutions for people transitioning to work-from-home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Provided additional co-location services in our data center to a variety of new telecom vendors.
• Increased bandwidth to the Internet from both POPs and between the POPs to provide additional bandwidth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Worked with WVNET carriers to increase redundancy to the Internet and Internet2 to handle additional network traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Enabled the Federal court districts in West Virginia to expand telepresence video sessions due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Continued to mitigate malicious traffic on the network on a daily basis.
• Continued to work in concert with West Virginia Office of Technology to provide greater services to the citizens of West Virginia.
• Continued to enhance Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation services with a fully automated solution coming in Q1 2021.
• Reduced down time by providing replacements for failed BTOP-funded routers out of WVNET stock at multiple locations free of charge.

New Employees in 2020

Stephen Doll (System Administrator): Before joining WVNET, Stephen worked at WVU for 12 years in various roles. Prior to WVU, he managed Windows servers and networks for an IT servicing company. Stephen is certified in the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Comptia A+, Certified Novell Administrator (CNA), and received a degree in Computer Systems Applications from ECPI College of Technology.

Benjamin Frame (Network Operator): Along with his technical expertise, Ben is an entrepreneur who has co-founded two small businesses in Morgantown: Concierge Digital (providing consulting services) and DubVMade (promoting local music artists and events in West Virginia). Ben received an Associate’s degree in Information Technology from West Virginia Junior College.

Tiffany Goff (Executive Administrative Assistant): Tiffany has over eight years of experience as an executive administrative assistant and providing paralegal support experience in the healthcare field at Mon Health Center. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and HR Management from Fairmont State University.

Gustavo Keener (Banner Systems Administrator): Originally from North Carolina, Gustavo started his IT career by laying Ethernet wiring for a small business in Utah. He has worked on several roles ever since and in the last few years has worked as a full- stack software developer at Mylan and as a Database Administrator for a local non- profit. Gustavo received a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Utah Valley University, and an Associate’s degree in General Science Studies from Brevard College. Gustavo is also fluent in Spanish (conversational and practical).

Annaliza Marks (Programmer Analyst for Banner Finance): Annaliza has over 25 years of experience in Information Technology and has worn many hats in the IT field, such as: Database Administrator, Web Page Administrator, Software Specialist, Programmer, Graphic Artist, Report Writer, and Blackboard Administrator. She has also taught Information Technology and Robotics to high school students. Annaliza received a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and an Associate’s degree in Technical Studies – Cisco Networking, both from Glenville State College. Additionally, she is certified as a Wimba Product Specialist, as well as Comptia A+ and Network+.

Kathy Stucklen (Network Operator): Kathy is an experienced Tier 1 Helpdesk customer support representative and administrative specialist, with several years in a fast-paced pharmaceutical environment. Kathy received an Associate’s degree in Computer Information Systems and an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice, both from Kaplan University.

Employee Promotions and Advancements in 2020

Sarah Barnes to Supervisor of Development Team (previously Web Developer): In her new role as Supervisor of Development Team, Sarah will lead the Software Development and Web Development teams on current projects and plan for future projects in consultation with the Teaching & Learning Commons (TLC).

Jason Chastain to Telecommunications Supervisor (previously Telecom Specialist): Jason has taken on additional responsibilities of supervising the operations of the Morgantown telecommunications staff and for all WVNET telecommunication and networking systems, under the direction of the Manager of Telecommunications.

James (J.R.) Farley to Database Administrator Team Lead (previously Senior DBA): His team says, “J.R. is a great presenter and helps us understand complex systems by breaking them down into digestible chunks. He is the glue that holds the Banner DBA team together. His insight has helped us solve complex issues in a timely manner more times than one can count.”

Alexander Keefover to Instructional Designer, WVROCKS (previously Program Assistant II): Throughout the state of West Virginia, Alex leads WVROCKS instructors in designing and building online courses in accordance with current learning theories, design models, and compliance with intellectual property, privacy, and accessibility laws. Additionally, he assists with administrating Blackboard LMS and integrating new, external tools using LTI.

Phil Snitz to Manager of Business Operations (previously Business Manager II): Phil has taken on additional responsibilities of procurement and purchasing agent tasks while continuing to manage payroll and overseeing the accounts payable and accounts receivable functions.

In Memoriam

In March 2020, we lost a long-time employee and a well-loved colleague, Randy Long. His sudden passing was an emotional blow to his friends and colleagues at WVNET. In his honor, we have named one of the WVNET conference rooms after Randy so that he is always with us.

Similarly, another conference room was renamed after long-term WVNET employee, Allen Daugherty, who passed away in 2018.

New River’s IT Response to the Pandemic

Like many colleges and universities, since March 2020, New River Community and Technical College has been working and delivering services remotely.  This sudden change required us to quickly identify services not yet available to students and remote workers so we could modify these services to make them available for remote users.  While this sounds simple enough, it required a good deal of effort to modify several services while we were also working remotely and continuing to meet the daily demands of IT support.  When in-house modifications weren’t possible, we had to quickly purchase new service delivery solutions for several areas to fill these gaps. 

A summary of these changes provides an overview of this activity and progress. 

1. We changed the modality of nearly all courses to use Blackboard Learn and Zoom.  While the infrastructure for this was mostly in place, we did have to significantly expand our licensing for Zoom by purchasing an additional 40 Zoom Pro licenses.  With so many courses now using Zoom, we also had to increase our online storage space from 500MB to 3TB so we could keep at least one term of class recordings in the Cloud. 
2. Many of our faculty needed training to deliver course information using Blackboard and Zoom.  We relied heavily on WVNET for formal workshops and we greatly expanded our use of Quality Matters training to address this need.  We also improved our own IT knowledgebase and online support resources to answer common “how to” questions and provide step-by-step directions to users, but this effort was only able to occur after we replaced our Spiceworks ticketing system with Zendesk (April 2020).  Our Help Desk Manager was able to quickly make this transition and the change has clearly been an overall improvement for us, even though Spiceworks was free and Zendesk has an annual license we must purchase. 
3. Initially, our remote-working employees used home phones and cell phones to receive and place calls on behalf of the College.  With some effort, we were able to quickly forward calls from office phone numbers to personal phone numbers so that calls were not missed, but this was only a temporary and partial solution to the problem.  While calls were received through this effort, when employees returned calls from personal phones the Caller ID didn’t identify them as New River employees, so some employees expressed concern about making their private numbers available and some calls went unanswered because students didn’t recognize the caller’s number.  We began evaluating options to allow us to not use these personal phone numbers to make and receive calls and we started with Google Voice.  While this solution was an improvement, it created an entirely different phone number that still was not associated with the College, but that only solved half of the problem.  We then worked with one of our vendors, Alpha Technologies, to implement the Cisco IP Communicator softphones for employees to use at home which allows them to make and receive calls using their assigned office phone numbers.  We’ve implemented more than 60 of these so far and since they require a secure connection to our New River network, we’ve also expanded employee access to our VPN server to make this work. 
4. When we replaced our Spiceworks ticketing system with Zendesk, we added a virtual chatbot to our web site which provides better 24×7 support (and an easier to manage knowledgebase) to improve real-time support for remote students and employees. 
5. We purchased a web-based scheduling solution (AppointmentPlus) that integrates with Microsoft Outlook to enable students to schedule appointments more easily with faculty advisors and student support staff.  This effort has allowed remote students to schedule meetings with employees for assistance, since walk-ins were no longer possible. 
6. With employees working remotely, our on-site fax machines were no longer accessible.  We purchased a solution from XMedius for online faxing and secure file exchange so that prospective students can securely share information needed for admissions and to enable remote employees to continue receiving and sending faxes using their assigned fax numbers.  We ported three of our primary fax numbers to XMedius for this and we may end up porting more soon.  Now, employees can simply login using a web browser (from any location) to send and receive faxes and secure files. 
7. Our online admissions and course registration services were nearly ready for all users, but we had been limiting access to these resources to ensure that new students were receiving assistance with these tasks.  With significant effort and some minor changes to these processes that use Ellucian Banner, these services are now available to all students. 
8. One requirement for all newly admitted students is to complete our online orientation.  This information had not been updated for a few years, but we were able to update it using the online interface provided to us by the vendor, Comevo.  While additional improvements are still needed, it is much improved and working for now. 
9. Prior to the pandemic, many of our employees had been issued desktop computers instead of laptops.  As a result of the pandemic, all new and replacement computer orders were for laptops.  We also pulled laptops from mobile carts and other areas so we could issue these to employees.  We’ve never loaned or issued computers to students, but because of the pandemic, we’ve loaned a few older laptops to students for exceptional situations. 
10. Since 2009, we’ve hosted our own Microsoft Exchange email services and because storage needs have continued to increase, we’ve grown increasingly concerned about our ability to restore email from backups—which have grown so large that it may take days (if not weeks) to do a restore.  Ironically, despite all the other activity created by the pandemic, we’ve chosen to push forward with our migration to Office 365 in the Cloud and this will be completed in November 2020.  Email quotas will increase from 2GB to 10GB per user and we’re hoping for increased reliability and fewer concerns about backups and security. 

It is important to realize that all this effort has occurred while we continued to meet daily demands as well as continuing to work on previously planned initiatives.  Although progress was slowed, we have continued to make progress on our Data Governance initiative which includes creating policies and procedures where none yet existed for information security.  This initiative is not yet complete, but major milestones have been completed that we hope will satisfy auditors while also improving our own cybersecurity preparedness.  We’ve implemented KnowBe4 as a cybersecurity training solution for all employees and we use Linkedin Learning for privacy awareness training.  We’ve worked toward compliance for GLBA, GDPR, and PCI as part of this initiative.  Creating a framework of accountability for information security, has certainly been timely since the pandemic has resulted in increased threats to the personal information of our users as well as our College-owned data. 

In many ways, I feel New River was better prepared for this unexpected need to provide all services to remote users because of a few recently completed projects in some key areas.  In January 2020, we implemented a new single sign-on portal with PortalGuard (now BIO-key).  This solution replaced our portal that had been previously hosted by Unifyed and is now much easier for us to manage and far less expensive while also being simpler and easier for our users.  As part of this portal replacement project, our emergency alert system was much improved.  The alert system included with the Unifyed portal was never really an “emergency” alert system.  Instead, it relied on our own email server to deliver SMS messages and they were never prioritized.  As a result, an “emergency alert” could take hours to be delivered.  So, in January 2020 as we replaced the portal, we purchased a true emergency alert messaging system from Regroup.  This solution delivers messages within minutes since they are prioritized and do not use our own email system for delivery. 

One very good thing we’ve experienced from this pandemic has been the overwhelming support and unity we’ve seen from our vendors and partners.  Some have offered free or enhanced services, and all have been quick to respond to our needs by helping us to pilot and then implement new services. 

One “next step” for us is to join the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) to gain access to resources and information to support remote teaching and learning.  While we struggle with limited in-house resources for faculty development, we feel fortunate to gain so much in resources and information from WVNET, Quality Matters, and hopefully soon, the OLC membership and participation. 

Overall, our response to the pandemic has resulted in improved services in some areas and entirely new online services in others.  We feel this extraordinary effort to get courses and services quickly ready for remote users will be time well spent and a great investment for the College well into the future.  One of our strategic goals is to be more accessible to our students and nearly all the efforts I’ve described have moved us closer to achieving this goal.