Author Archives: Bob Lim

Examining Data Privacy

A hand holding a cell phone with a form open with fields for "Full name," "Date of birth," "Address," "City," and "Phone number."

Our personal privacy is essential to our sense of being and the formation of relationships – what we share and who we share it with helps define how we are perceived and how we perceive ourselves. So it’s no wonder that data privacy has become one of the most important concerns in higher education IT. 

Before we dive into a conversation about privacy, I want to let you know that SJSU IT doesn’t use your data to monitor you. We’re never checking in to see what you’re doing, but that doesn’t mean entities outside of SJSU aren’t. We’re doing everything possible to make your accounts and data safer and more secure. You can find our privacy notice here.

Data privacy is about more than just how and what kind of data gets collected. It’s also about protecting your data and earning your trust – privacy and security are inherently linked together. We highly value your trust and we work hard to protect your privacy and your data. 

When we talk about data privacy, it’s important to know how data about us is collected actively and passively. Active collection is when you share information explicitly, such as when you complete a transaction online, fill out a survey, make a new social media profile, or sign up for a new service. Passive collection is when your actions and choices are being monitored and mined for data, such as how cookies track which websites you visit, how long you visit them, and what you choose to click on. Another example of passive data collection is data that is collected through your everyday interactions: your gender, outward physical health, and shared experiences. In today’s world, your data is collected all the time, whether you know it or not.  

Aside from our own university privacy notice and the CSU’s privacy notice, San José State University follows an increasingly complex web of data privacy regulations and laws. Federal regulations such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are designed to protect student data. There are also special considerations for health and wellness data through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). On the state level, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was the first comprehensive data privacy legislation in the country and remains one of the strictest. There are many more regulations, rules, and best practices to be taken into consideration when thinking about data privacy. 

However, even this ever-growing list of regulations fails to keep pace with the rate of advancement in technology. Because of this rapidly shifting landscape, we cannot rely solely on regulations and policies to protect us. We have to be extra cautious about what we share, where we share, and with whom we choose to share. It’s up to each of us to be mindful. 

Data privacy is a deep topic that weaves through many areas of Information Technology, and I know it matters to so many of you, as it does to many of us in SJSU IT.

Best regards,
Bob Lim
Vice President of Information Technology
and CIO at San José State University

 

SJSU IT Tips – DocuSign UI Refresh

Campus colleagues,

DocuSign is gradually moving to a new design system and recently rolled out a new user interface. There are quite a few small changes, but I wanted to share some highlights with you.

  1.   The Manage tab has been renamed to Agreements, where you can  find envelope folders inbox, sent, completed,  etc.
  2. My Preferences has a refreshed interface.  No functionality changes are involved; only a change to the look and feel.
  3. The pages under the Agreements and the Templates tabs have a UI refresh.  As part of this update, the navigation for the envelopes lists and templates lists are paginated instead of having an infinite scroll pattern.
  4. For Power Users who use the Bulk Send feature, please note that the Bulk Send feature also has a refreshed interface. There are no changes to the bulk send functionality; only a change to the look and feel.

Thank you Jocelyn Tom, Application Business Analyst, for all your work on digitization and 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

SJSU IT Tips – Call Forwarding and Voicemail Anywhere

Campus colleagues,

Working hybrid or traveling this summer, but still need access to your office phone? Here’s a couple tips: you can forward your office calls to another number and access your voicemail from anywhere, anytime.

To forward calls from your office to another phone number:

  1. Press the Forward All softkey.
  2. Enter the number to which you want to forward your calls. Be sure to prepend the 10-digit phone number with a “71” (e.g., 714089241000).
  3. The Forward All icon will display on your phone screen indicating that call forwarding is active.
  4. To cancel call forwarding, press the Forward Off softkey on your phone’s touchscreen.

To check your voicemail remotely:

  1. Dial 408-924-6800 and press * when the greeting begins to play.
  2. Enter your 5-digit extension (e.g., 41000) followed by #.
  3. Enter your voicemail PIN followed by #.

NOTE: If this is your first time accessing your voicemail, you’ll need to complete the voicemail setup process, including creating a new voicemail PIN.

Thank you Aaron Langford, one of our Network Analysts, for helping maintain our phone system and 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 Jose State University

SJSU IT Budget Update 05/15/24

Dear Colleagues, 

A few weeks ago, I shared SJSU IT’s approach to helping reduce the university’s budget deficit, focusing on our team and expanding growth opportunities. There are many skills needed in our division where you might be able to contribute and expand your role.  

As I mentioned in that previous budget email, we’re expanding professional development opportunities to empower you with the skills you want to build and the skills our university needs. One of those opportunities is the SJSU IT Cross-Pollination Program, created in 2020 to foster collaboration and skill development across different departments within our division. Since then, we’ve had many success stories from colleagues participating in this program. Today, I want to highlight one colleague’s journey. 

Jane Wang’s interest in data science was sparked after engaging in several in-house training sessions. She enrolled in data science classes and dove into related topics and courses. However, she needed hands-on experience to make data science part of her career. With her supervisor’s guidance, support, and encouragement, Jane enrolled in the Cross-Pollination Program. In just a couple of months, she was already actively working and collaborating with the Data Warehouse team. She has now seamlessly transitioned to a full-time role within the Data Warehouse team, fulfilling a crucial need for our campus.

The Cross-Pollination Program remains one of the most effective ways for you to grow your skills with onsite job experience during your regular working hours. While SJSU IT reduced 25 vacant positions for this fiscal year, we remain committed to implementing new solutions and technology in support of our students, faculty, staff and university community. We can’t do this without the support from everyone in IT. We encourage everyone that is interested in learning and doing more to leverage the Cross-Pollination Program. Your professional development not only provides you with tools for your success, but also helps our division meet the university’s IT needs within our constraints.

You can contact Willie Simon for more information about the program and how it works. If you think the Cross-Pollination Program is a good fit for you, talk to your manager and senior manager to get started. 

I want to congratulate Jane Wang on taking her career with us to the next level. Thank you, Kara Li and James Anderson, for supporting Jane’s professional development and our upskilling strategy. I also want to acknowledge Willie Simon for her contributions in coordinating the Cross-Pollination Program.

Of course, you can always come speak with me about the program or about our budget situation during my weekly open office hours, every Thursday from 2pm–4pm. Please feel free to reach out to Lin Ru to schedule a time.  

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, we have to continue to support one another with human kindness and empathy as our division navigates these uncertain times. I know many of you are chipping in, collaborating, and helping colleagues every day – thank you.   

Sincerely,
Bob-

SJSU IT Tips – Updating Operating System and Software Applications

Colleagues,

Updating your operating system and applications is a critical practice in maintaining the security and functionality of your computers and devices. Today’s tip is just four words: “Don’t wait to update!” Here are the two main reason why:

  • Security Vulnerability: By fixing vulnerabilities, updates prevent cybercriminals from taking advantage of weaknesses in your software. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access, steal data, or disrupt services. With timely updating, your systems become less susceptible to attacks like ransomware, phishing, and malware infections.
  • Performance and Stability: Updates not only enhance security but also improve performance and stability. They fix bugs, optimize code, and ensure that your software runs smoothly. Outdated software can lead to crashes, slow performance, and unexpected behavior.

If you’re using an SJSU-owned laptop or desktop, it’s likely that most of your updates are being managed automatically while you’re connected to SJSU’s network, but remember to keep an eye out for reminders to reboot your computer so that pending updates can be fully completed. Many of us also use personal devices and computers to do work and access SJSU systems. Keeping those personal devices up-to-date also helps keep university and student data secure.

Thank you to Noel McCormick from our Information Security Team for providing this tip and helping protect our university. 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 Jose State University