Tag: University of Victoria

On Campus Photo Shoot Redux

ON CAMPUS
PHOTO SHOOT!

(mostly!)

It has been awhile since I posted a few on-campus photos. And since I am biking to work every day (well, not necessarily on rainy or snow days) I thought I would put a few more photos up. I will keep the old ones there too and add to the photos I take.

Other OAC photosI have posted are below:
Photography Gallery II
On Campus Photo Shoot
Photography Gallery
Photography

One of the best parts of working at UVic is biking up to work. I have been biking every day, for 24 years! Well, not 2020/2021 due to Covid, and not most of 2018 (knee replacement) but I was fully back in the saddle by 2019! And the best part of biking … SUNRISE! Many of the photos below are taken while biking to work and/or driving to work. I have even had a few published in the Oak Bay newspaper too! That is always fun!

Oak Bay Sunrise
        Oak Bay Sunrise
Oak Bay Sunrise II
                        Oak Bay Sunrise II
Click on the title below the photo for a much larger image.

And I really like using a Gallery too! And I will include some video for some soothing UVic fountain moments for everyone too! Okay,  some aren’t QUITE from campus, but they were taken on the WAY to campus!

Mystic Vale Sunrise Bike Ride to CHD
Who doesn’t miss the fountain and the sound of water?
Just sit back and enjoy the sound of moving water!

UVic Cool Sites … Just for fun … when you need them!

  1. Campus Virtual Tour (Until we can go back!)
  2. Finnerty Gardens (Ducks and Flowers!)
  3. Munchie Bar(Great coffee!)
  4. Cinecenta (Best popcorn in town!)
  5. Mystic Market (Food galore!)
  6. David Petch Fountain (WordPress site)
  7. Mystic Vale (OAC WordPress site!)
  8. Legend Pole 
  9. Cadboro Bay & Gyro Park (10 minute walk from Campus … TO THE OCEAN!)
  10. TOFINO & Pacific Rim National Park! (Technically … not UVic, but a favourite place of mine!)
  11. Restored Legend Pole in centre of campus rededicated and blessed
  12. Indigenous Art on Campus Tour
  13. The Raven Soaring Pole (Replica of a Gitxsan Memorial Pole by Kweenu)
  14. S’YEWE Legend Pole rededicated(I actually helped out back then, but not in photo!)

ENJOY!

Territory Acknowledgement
University of Victoria

UVic Computer Help Desk
YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

I will bet you didn’t know that The Computer Help Desk had a YouTube channel with TONS of useful, timely and current hints and tips for using computers, phones, pads and even more! Subscribe for even more! The latest is ‘How to Setup Duo Mobile on your phone‘.  

WELCOME BACK TO UVIC September 2022!

! WELCOME BACK !
! to UVIC !
! September 2022 !
! … and The CALL Facility too !

A full week has  passed since classes started at UVIC! That would cover every day that has classes! It has been extremely busy on campus, especially outdoors with so many orientations, booths, tents and activities like Thunderfest for all students, especially new students! WELCOME TO UVIC!

The  Computer Help Desk had tents up at Thunderfest as well as the day before classes started last week. CHD had a brand new PRIZE WHEEL to give away prizes! YAY CHD!

A couple of photos of the tents for all the activities and staffed by ALL kinds of CHD staff from new Coops to Consultants to Supers to Full Time Staff to our Associate Director too! GREAT TEAM EFFORT FROM EVERYONE! Those tents DO require team effort to setup and take down! YAY CHD!

All sorts of exciting stuff will be happening throughout September
& all upcoming semesters!

Did you know you can reserve Student Study Spaces, including the desks at the back of The CALL Facility? There are Project Rooms in BEC, Group Study Tables in Clearihue (CALL), Virtual Reality (VR) Studio in BEC and a Digital Media Studio in HSD! ALL from THIS WEBSITE! Photos below!

A few more Dual Monitors

CALL now has DUAL MONITORS ON ALL COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS! And that is on all the Macs and WIN computers! I was able  to re-purpose a bunch of monitors heading towards recycling and they now have a new lease on life in CALL! And it did not cost a penny! I used all available cables,  monitors, dongles and power bars! BONUS FOR BEING A GREEN CALL FACILITY! Here are many UVIC Green Recycling Sites to check out too! These and the best of my Pages are always at the right hand side of each of my Bog Blog Posts. 

I am always tinkering with my CALL Facility orientation, starting as a PowerPoint and with the goal to be under 5 minutes TOTAL as a presentation! I have tweaked my BETA version  and now have what I think  I will use as my file! And as a YouTube video as well!

CHD Jeopardy Greg's Playlist II
                     CHD Jeopardy Greg’s Playlist II

AND I have the next CHD All Staff Training Jeopardy ready!  Greg’s Playlist II and all new questions, answers, prizes and lyrics and CHD questions to try and answer! I even have NEW TYPES OF QUESTIONS TOO! But you will have to wait and .. also be staff at CHD to get the invite to the training! Come for the training … but stay for the food … and CHD JEOPARDY!

And huge HUGE NEWS THAT … I can’t really tell you about …  but WILL! There are new computers coming! Wait, they are ALREADY HERE! But wait, they are not yet ready to deploy! YES NEW  COMPUTERS! CHD staff unpacked them and we have to store them for now, as classes have started, so maybe  by Reading Break I will  let everyone know where they will be deployed! YAY NEW COMPUTERS! Stay glued to my Bog Blog for that and any other breaking Computer Help Desk news!

And how about a new feature every so often – a Throwback Link to topics … somewhat close to this one! LOL! And even some parting advice at the end of this blog, if you read that far!  I sure hope you do!

The best feature of the CALL layout (thanks to rolling desks!) is distancing to make sure everyone has enough room, should they want it. There are lots of open workstations for students and of course, all new computers from last August 2021 too.

CALL has  hosted many mid-terms, Finals and special workshops including a Chat Café with Korea! Really! So come on down and see what you  have been missing out on as a study space for yourself and fellow students!

Thanks to EVERYONE for all your help and support over the past 2+ Covid years. Without my colleagues support and friendship, I have no idea how I would have fared! THANK YOU ALL! And hey, to quote one of my favourite  TV shows of all time …. Hill Street Blues ….. and I have to mention St. Elsewhere too. AWESOME SHOWS! ENJOY!

CALL Towering Tech Arrivals

CALL Computer Refresh Deja Vu .. All Over Again

The Recycling of CALL … and HSD!

Early Computer Help Desks!

TTFN!

March 3rd 2022 – Back to The Future II

Back to the Future ………… II
March 3rd 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are some more changes coming to Health and Safety Meausures at UVic, announced yesterday.

A few important measures that ARE changing:

Masks will continue to be required to be worn by students at all times in study spaces, including library study spaces …..   

In-person indoor social events for employees and students can resume in alignment with our updated health and safety guidelines for gatherings and events…

Measures that are NOT CHANGING:

Proof of vaccination continues to be required to access a number of campus-based services and activities, including student housing …..

Masks must be worn in common areas of buildings, including in on-campus housing and office buildings (e.g., lobbies, hallways, bathrooms).

Masks must be worn by students at all times in classrooms except where exempt for a medical reason. Consuming food and beverages will not be permitted in classrooms until at least the end of winter term classes.

No food or beverages have been a policy in our computing facilities in CLE, BEC and HSD for literally years, so that will not be going away. And until someone can show me how they can eat or drink WITH THEIR MASK ON, it is a great policy. I have seen too many computers, desks, keyboards, mice, monitors and carpets ruined from spills. Not to  mention textbooks, mousepads, peripherals and .. guess who gets to clean the mess up! 

It makes even MORE sense during Covid too. Let’s be safe and sound. I even go outside, OUTDOORS, to have even a jelly bean, granola bar or a sip of tea. Hey, it’s Victoria, not Northern Alberta – you are not going to suffer frostbite anytime soon!

And UVic is offering free Covid-19 Rapid Test kits. You can GET YOUR COVID TEST KIT! through thrive.uvic.ca, and I did, but you can just as easily just head over to the concessions booth area at the stadium, present your OneCard and get a free kit – SUPER FAST AND SUPER EASY! And I think  this Friday, March 4th  is the last day, so get going!!

No doubt, there will be more updates, changes and continuation  of Covid-19 updates. I will post them as they change for using our computing facilities and how life will slowly return to a ‘new normal’ at UVic. Stay safe. Stay healthy. EVERYONE!

Clicking on the menu to the side and you will get to their most recent Covid-19 information.

 

GET YOUR BOOSTER DOSE!
GET YOUR COVID TEST KIT!

Everyone stay safe and healthy!

Who ya gonna CALL?
THE COMPUTER HELP DESK!Stay safe everyone! 

For now, the best resource to find current information is at UVic’s COVID information site, UVic response to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The official BC site is COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus), with multiple links throughout including the most important one on ‘Orders and notices‘.

The map I go to frequently is the ‘British Columbia COVID-19 Dashboard‘.

As always, information changes, so you can keep up to date with the BC Covid App.

And a chance to see all the Emergency Planning links from an earlier Post (and Page) below too.

  1. Emergency Planning (Take a few minutes for this site please)
  2. Emergency Procedures (And what to do … if ….)
  3. Earthquake and Tsunami (How many in the last 30 days … SEE THEM!!)
  4. An earthquake happened in Oak Bay, WHILE I WAS UPDATING THIS POST! 🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESS WINNER 🔥
  5. Snow or Extreme Weather (Yes, it snows in Victoria .. LOTS!)
  6. Specific Hazards (Nitty gritty specifics of what could happen)
  7. Campus Evacuation Procedures (Where to go ….)
  8. Emergency Planning – Events & Upcoming Training (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)
  9. UVic Alerts (Register today, right now!)
  10. Safety Committees at UVic(Join a great committee! I did!)
  11. And .. UVic Covid Information too
  12. Province-wide restriction  🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESS WINNER 🔥
  13. BC Covid Dashboard (Added April 9, 2021)

BE SAFE EVERYONE!

Pandemic

January 24th 2022 – Back to The Future!

Back to the Future …………
Back to Campus
January 24th 2022
Our return to
in-person education this term

UVic is returning to in-person classroom education starting Monday, January 24th.  A message from the Provost is here. (January 20/2022)

Just click on the menu to the side and you will get to their most recent Covid-19 information [Return to Campus].

Specifically for all of January 2022 is here.

Health and Safety at UVic is here.

Most important, at least to me, is that masks must be worn at all times and no food or beverages are permitted in classrooms, labs, study spaces or libraries as below:

  • Masks will be required to be worn by students at all times in classrooms and study spaces except where exempt for a medical reason.  Consuming food and beverages will not be permitted in classrooms, labs, study spaces or libraries.
  • Masks must be worn in common areas of buildings, including in on-campus housing and office buildings (e.g., lobbies, hallways, bathrooms).

The full ‘Planning for next term‘ on December 23, 2021 press release is here.

And all the Return to Campus Updates are here.

The CALL Facility (CLE A025) is currently closed. As far as I know, The CALL Facility AND all other CHD Computing Facilities and Classrooms will re-open on Monday, January 24th. And I will be back in CALL.

GET YOUR BOOSTER DOSE!

Everyone stay safe and healthy!

Who ya gonna CALL?
THE COMPUTER HELP DESK!Stay safe everyone! 

For now, the best resource to find current information is at UVic’s COVID information site, UVic response to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The official BC site is COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus), with multiple links throughout including the most important one on ‘Orders and notices‘.

The map I go to frequently is the ‘British Columbia COVID-19 Dashboard‘.

As always, information changes, so you can keep up to date with the BC Covid App.

And a chance to see all the Emergency Planning links from an earlier Post (and Page) below too.

  1. Emergency Planning (Take a few minutes for this site please)
  2. Emergency Procedures (And what to do … if ….)
  3. Earthquake and Tsunami (How many in the last 30 days … SEE THEM!!)
  4. An earthquake happened in Oak Bay, WHILE I WAS UPDATING THIS POST! 🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESS WINNER 🔥
  5. Snow or Extreme Weather (Yes, it snows in Victoria .. LOTS!)
  6. Specific Hazards (Nitty gritty specifics of what could happen)
  7. Campus Evacuation Procedures (Where to go ….)
  8. Emergency Planning – Events & Upcoming Training (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)
  9. UVic Alerts (Register today, right now!)
  10. Safety Committees at UVic(Join a great committee! I did!)
  11. And .. UVic Covid Information too
  12. Province-wide restriction  🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESS WINNER 🔥
  13. BC Covid Dashboard (Added April 9, 2021)

BE SAFE EVERYONE!

Pandemic

On Campus Photo Shoot

ON CAMPUS
PHOTO SHOOT!

(mostly!)

I have actually been working on campus, every Tuesday, since September. I alternate sharing an office with three incredible colleagues, strictly following our Safe Return to Work plans, set out specifically for our return to work.

My anxiety level has lessened but is still there, even though I take ALL the precautions necessary. But it was nice to be back ON CAMPUS for the first time since late last March. And with the Fall session, it looks like we might all be back on campus, Full Time. So, why not celebrate a bit with some great spots ON CAMPUS to check out .. and a few … slightly OFF campus!

One of the best parts of working at UVic is biking up to work. I have been biking every day, for 22 years! Well, not 2020/2021 due to Covid, and not most of 2018 (knee replacement) but I was fully back in the saddle by 2019! And the best part of biking … SUNRISE! SPOILER – I actually took this last week, while … GASP … driving to UVic, but I did bike last Tuesday to campus and will each day from now on … barring horrible weather! Mea culpa!

Oak Bay Sunrise
        Oak Bay Sunrise
Oak Bay Sunrise II
                        Oak Bay Sunrise II
Click on the title below the photo for a much larger image.

And I really like using a Gallery too! And I will include some video for some soothing UVic fountain moments for everyone too! Okay,  some aren’t QUITE from campus, but they were taken on the WAY to campus!

Mystic Vale Sunrise Bike Ride to CHD
Who doesn’t miss the fountain and the sound of water?
Just sit back and enjoy the sound of moving water!

UVic Cool Sites … Just for fun … when you need them!

  1. Campus Virtual Tour (Until we can go back!)
  2. Finnerty Gardens (Ducks and Flowers!)
  3. Munchie Bar(Great coffee!)
  4. Cinecenta (Best popcorn in town!)
  5. Mystic Market (Food galore!)
  6. David Petch Fountain (WordPress site)
  7. Mystic Vale (OAC WordPress site!)
  8. Legend Pole 
  9. Cadboro Bay & Gyro Park (10 minute walk from Campus … TO THE OCEAN!)
  10. TOFINO & Pacific Rim National Park! (Technically … not UVic, but a favourite place of mine!)
  11. Restored Legend Pole in centre of campus rededicated and blessed
  12. Indigenous Art on Campus Tour
  13. The Raven Soaring Pole (Replica of a Gitxsan Memorial Pole by Kweenu)
  14. S’YEWE Legend Pole rededicated(I actually helped out back then, but not in photo!)

ENJOY!

Territory Acknowledgement
University of Victoria

UVic Impact Day

UVic United Way Campaign

BE SAFE EVERYONE!

Pandemic

 

WELCOME BACK TO UVIC!

WELCOME BACK TO UVIC!

UPDATE: This Post will be updated regularly now as a Page “Favourite and Useful Links” with 🔥 NEW 🔥 links in the future!

Every student will have now had a chance to join at least one of their classes via ZOOM, join some Teams, discover Microsoft Office 365, and adjust their schedules and come to the same conclusion that this will be a very, VERY interesting semester!

Full Disclosure: I too am feeling overwhelmed at times! There is strength in numbers, so how about some of my favourite numbers … 99, Pi and Googol (no, not that … Google!) … and have you heard of a … Googolplex?

Not to worry . . .

I am not going to overwhelm you with this first OAC post. I will be updating many of the links below with additional new ones that I hope will be useful. Yes, you can find them at uvic.ca but, this also helps ME with MY favourites too! 

So, just a few to begin with and I will randomly and intermittently add more favourites, so check back in here occasionally!

  1. The Computer Help Desk (How could this be anywhere but #1 on my list!)
  2. Microsoft Office 365 at UVic OAC (Basically 1A on this list for good stuff!)
  3. Online Services at UVic (kinda need this to start Office 365)
  4. Office 365 (Where the magic happens!)
  5. Zoom Resources (really good stuff here)

Pandemic

 

The CALL Facility – 30th Anniversary!

🎇 1989 to 2019 🎇
30th Anniversary of
The CALL Facility!

The CALL Facility was ….. UNLEASHED ….. upon an unsuspecting University of  Victoria audience in September of 1989!

And the rest ….. is history! Having survived multiple renovations, multiple floods (The Great Flood of 2015 was the worst!) and multiple MEGA-technological advances ….. The CALL Facility is still here!

Throughout 2019 I will have ‘Retro‘ posts, showing how much has changed in The CALL Facility! And starting with the original ‘newspaper’ announcement of the opening of ‘The Language Centre’ complete with memorable quotes such as:

” ….. one is reminded of a scene from Star Trek.”

“….. a screen is lowered from the ceiling.”

“….. combination of networked audio, video and computer equipment.”

“….. and eventually CD-ROM, an emerging technology which allows huge quantities of computer information to be stored on a single compact disc,”

and my favourite …..

“….. there may be a temptation to use a starship transporter system to get there …..”

Enjoy reading the first ever article about The CALL Facility, and more classic ‘technology’ quotes below, as we were just a part of, at the time, “The Language Centre“!

WOW! This was ‘State of the Art’ in 1989!