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Tuesday News and Notes

by Betsy Chapman

In this Issue:

  • Emergency testing and Alertus desktop notification
  • IS launches Deacbot, an after hours IT support chatbot
  • Message from the Office of Residence Life and Housing
  • Reminder of student event with David Brooks for Face to Face on Thursday

We are in one of those stretches where I absolutely love living in NC (and can almost forgive the most brutally hot parts of July). Even though it is February, today and tomorrow are going to be in the low 70s, and from the students I saw yesterday, they seemed like they were INTO it.

The student mood, as best I am able to sense it, is a combination of resignation that there will be tests/papers/projects between now and Spring Break, and a lot of Spring Fever waiting for said break to arrive. I can’t blame them. When the weather gets really nice, it’s hard to think about work.

Now to today’s bits and bobs.

Emergency testing and Alertus desktop notification

This morning we had our planned emergency test of our alert systems. I got my email, text, and phone call from Wake Alert, and I also got the ‘desktop takeover’ via Alertus, a software that you have to install.

Alertus is a great thing in case there is an emergency when your student is in class (and their phones are off or on silent), as it takes over their laptop screen to share an emergency message. I forgot to get a screen grab of today’s alert, but this is from a previous alert so you can see what it looks like.

Alertus - emergency notification alert popul

If you are a student reading this and you did not get the desktop takeover, please do install Alertus. Heaven forbid there is something like a tornado warning while you are in class, you don’t want to miss that alert. Parents and families, please encourage your Deacs to get Alertus if they don’t have it.

IS launches Deacbot, an after hours IT support chatbot

There is nothing worse than being a college student and working on an important assignment after hours and you run into tech issues. Happily, there is a new solution: IS Deacbot.

“Information Systems is pleased to introduce IS Deacbot, an after-hours technology support chatbot. IS Deacbot provides conversational, AI-aided chat support outside of The Bridge IT service desk operating hours, on both the IS website, is.wfu.edu, and AskDeac, help.wfu.edu….

During live chat support hours, find Deacbot on its designated page on our website, is.wfu.edu/deacbot. At all other times, find Deacbot on the IS website and AskDeac (help.wfu.edu), weekdays after 9pm, and all day Saturday and Sunday.”

Message from the Office of Residence Life and Housing

Yesterday the Office of Residence Life and Housing sent a message to resident students about upcoming deadlines, inspections, and Spring Break.

Reminder of student event with David Brooks for Face to Face on Thursday

Just a reminder to encourage your Deacs to come out and hear author David Brooks at the Face to Face student-only event. This will take place in Wait Chapel at 5 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 27.

He is an incredibly thoughtful observer of American life and issues of culture and character – a very Wake Forest kind of guy, I daresay. So I hope your Deacs will come out to hear him.

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