Spartans,

Late for a Zoom and want to get caught up quickly without interrupting? Try asking the Zoom AI Companion to catch you up and let you know if your name was mentioned.

Zoom recently released their new AI tool and it is now available for all SJSU zoom users. Zoom AI Companion is an AI assistant that helps you summarize meetings, take notes, catch you up if you joined late, and collaborate with your team, among other features.

Zoom AI Companion only activates if you choose to start it. If you are the meeting host, you will get a pop up box asking if you want AI Companion to assist with your meeting. If you click the blue “Turn on” button, meeting attendees will be informed that the AI Companion is enabled.

A pop up with bolded title “Start AI Companion to assist with your meeting” and normal text stating “Start meeting questions and meeting summary for everyone in this meeting.” There is a check box labeled “Don’t remind me again,” blue text saying “Close” and a blue button labeled “Turn on”.

You can choose which Zoom AI Companion features are enabled in the AI Companion tab of your Zoom account settings. Zoom has provided a helpful guide for enabling “Meeting Summary,” one of AI Companion’s more popular features.

According to Zoom’s stated policy, “Zoom does not use any of your audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments or other communications-like customer content (such as poll results, whiteboard and reactions) to train Zoom’s or its third-party artificial intelligence models.” The CSU Chancellor’s Office recommends that Zoom AI Companion should not be used for confidential or sensitive discussions, conferring with attorneys, or HR actions.

Thank you, Amy Segeren from our Program Management & Operational Excellence team, for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Accessibility is a key component in the success of students, faculty, and staff at SJSU. I want to share some resources that are available through San José State, if you could use assistance with your work or studies.

If you are a student requiring special support, the Accessible Education Center (AEC) is an invaluable source of assistance. The AEC provides a wealth of resources, including assistive technology and training. Some examples of assistive technologies that are available are text-to-speech software, note-taking software, and information on device settings that can aid in accessibility.

Another great place for support is the Accessibility at SJSU webpage. In addition to providing information for students, there are links to resources specific to SJSU faculty and staff requiring assistance or accommodation. There are also guidelines for creating accessible content and a list of tools to help you to create accessible content.

Thank you Andrew Weiglein from our Project Management Office for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Did you know that as part of SJSU, you have access to the Research Electronic Data Capture tool (REDCap) at no cost to you? REDCap is a secure data collection tool that is widely used for research, quality improvement, clinical applications, health services management, and training/education.

REDCap allows you to quickly and securely build online surveys and databases in your browser without the need for extra software. You can access your project from any device with a secure login. The tool enables fast and flexible project creation, with the ability to start data collection in less than one day and make customizations anytime, even after data collection begins. Advanced design features include auto-validation, calculated fields, and branching/skip logic. You can choose from diverse survey distribution options, including personalized messages for email or phone contacts, or simple links for anonymous surveys. Lastly, you can ensure data quality with field validation, branching/skip logic, and Missing Data Codes, and resolve issues in real-time with open data queries.

To find out more about this tool, check out Project REDCap, or reach out to harish.chander@sjsu.edu, SJSU’s REDCap Administrator.

Thank you Harish Chander from Enterprise Systems for providing this tip. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

Spartans,

Here’s a tip for Duo Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): SJSU IT provides hardware tokens (key fobs) as an alternative to authenticating with your phone. The hardware token is a good option for folks without a mobile device, with an older mobile device, or who need to minimize device usage. It generates a random six digit code used for verification. A different code is generated for each login attempt.

To request a hardware token, contact the SJSU IT Service Desk by phone at 408-924-1530, in person, or online. Once you’ve put in a request, the SJSU IT Service Desk will let you know when your hardware token is ready to be picked up. After your hardware token has been activated and issued to you, you will be prompted at each login to enter the special security code provided by your hardware token.

Thank you Celine Mingfield, Customer Service Specialist, and Sharon Watkins, Lead Service Desk Support Specialist, for providing this tip to campus. As always, the SJSU IT Service Desk is here to help by phone at (408) 924-1530 or online.

Thanks,
Bob Lim
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University