IT Services
Training Tips
Training tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the wide array of useful technologies and services available at the University of Chicago. Check out IT Services on Twitter every Tuesday for the latest #TrainingTipTuesday.
Training Tip: Become a Microsoft Teams Master
If you’re new to using Teams, Microsoft shared a series of tips and tricks to help you increase your focus time, collaborate better with others, and stay organized.
View the blog to learn how to turn on the Do Not Disturb setting, use rich text editing to customize your posts, search within your team, and more helpful features and functions.
Training Tip: Start the New Year with a New Skill
Happy New Year! If you set a resolution to learn a new skill, Lynda.com is here to help you achieve your goal. Courses on Lynda.com offer the chance to learn a new computer programming language, enhance your proficiency with a software available at UChicago, or even study for the GRE.
Log in to Lynda at UChicago with your CNetID and password, and search for courses to get started.
Training Tip: Share Your Schedule with Outlook
As University staff and instructors, you may be working through these last few weeks of the year. Let your colleagues know when you’re available by sharing your Outlook calendar.
There are several ways to share your Outlook calendar, and you can customize your permissions to share your free/busy status or provide more details on appointments in your calendar. Find instructions for the Outlook (Windows), Outlook on the Web, and Outlook for Mac.
Training Tip: Check Your Voicemail Off Campus
With the Autumn Quarter coming to an end, you may be planning to head off campus. With the University’s voicemail system, you can keep up with your messages from any phone or online.
When you’re away from your desk phone, you can access your voicemail from any campus or non-University phone. View the instructions in the article Access and Manage Your Voicemail.
From your computer, you can also log in to the IP Phone Call Manager to set your voicemail greetings, your PIN, and to retrieve messages. If you do not have access to the online call manager, please contact IT Services at 773.702.5800 to set it up.
For more information on voicemail settings and features for your University phone number, view Voicemail Quick Tips.
Training Tip: Get Special Offers on Devices through UChicago
If you’re looking to upgrade your computer or give one as a gift this holiday season, you can access special offers available to University of Chicago faculty, staff, and students. When you purchase PC and Mac devices for personal use, you can access these discounts under an agreement between the University and several vendors. Get the details by viewing Special Offers On Hardware Purchases.
Training Tip: Access Your Phone with Single Number Reach
Winter has arrived to the University of Chicago campus, and you may find yourself working from home due to inclement weather. In addition to connecting to campus online, you can also stay connected to your UChicago phone.
With most University phones, you can use the single number reach feature to answer incoming calls to your UChicago extension simultaneously on your desk phone and a remote destination, such as a mobile phone. To learn more about this feature, view the Mobility Service Description FAQ.
To set up and manage your phone settings, view the single number reach instructions.
Training Tip: Set Your Out of Office Reply
With Thanksgiving on its way and more holidays around the corner, you may be planning to take some time off. Setting up an automated out of office message is an easy way to share your schedule, alternate contacts who are available to respond to requests, or a different method to get in touch with you while you’re off-campus. Learn how to set up your automatic replies in Outlook or your vacation responder in Gmail.
Training Tip: Hang Up on Phone Scams
Phone scams are on the rise, especially during this time of year as many are renewing benefits and preparing for the next tax season. Many members of the UChicago community have received phone calls where the caller claims to be from the IRS, Social Security Administration, or Chinese Consulate.
These calls sometimes appear to be a local phone number or even an extension associated with the University of Chicago. Scammers know that in order to trick you into answering the phone, the call must appear familiar. These calls can actually be coming from anywhere in the country or in the world.
If you weren’t expecting a call and it sounds suspicious, hang up. Then check out this IT Security blog post with resources on current phone scams and how to report them.
Training Tip: Stay Connected with Mobile Apps
While you’re waiting in line to vote this Election Day, use mobile apps to stay connected with your colleagues or classmates at the University. To check your UChicago email, download the Microsoft Outlook app for your Apple or Android device. You can also attend meetings remotely with the Cisco Webex Meetings mobile app. To learn how to set up your account, view the Webex Conferencing Overview.
Many other collaboration tools offer mobile apps, including Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Box, and Google Drive. Visit the Google Play or App Store on your device to search for the apps and download for the next time you’re off campus.
Training Tip: Don’t Get Scared by Email Scams
This Halloween, don’t get scared by phishing emails using trickery to try to get your information. Simply ignore and delete these messages. If you’re unsure, forward the message as an attachment to security@uchicago.edu.
One example of this is an email scam that has been making its way into University community inboxes since July. The email claims to have your password and threatens to reveal personal information if you don’t comply. Although this message may seem targeted, it doesn’t pose a real threat. View the blog post for more information.