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Tech Boost: Major AV Upgrades Enhance Teaching & Learning
We are improving accessibility and the learning experience
This past summer and early fall, the DoIT Infrastructure teams rolled out significant technology upgrades across campus, directly impacting the quality and consistency of your classroom experience. These projects ensure our most-used spaces are equipped with modern, reliable, and accessible tools for everyone.
Classroom Technology Refreshed
DoIT's Audiovisual Services and Desktop Support teams have successfully completed a comprehensive technology refresh in several high-traffic, Registrar-controlled classrooms. These include:
Information Technology and Engineering (ITE) 241
Engineering (ENGR) 022, 104/104A, GAIM Lab 005
Physics (PHYS) 201
Math and Psychology (MP) 008, 012, 102, and 105
Engineering 027 Lecture Hall
In the DoIT Computer Lab 104/104A, the Desktop Support team installed 49 new Dell All-in-One computers with the latest instructional software. In the CoEIT GAIM Lab, ENGR 005, the Desktop Support team worked with Computer Science faculty to redesign the lab to provide both BYOD (bring your own device) and new Dell workstations to enhance the student instructional experience.
Explore Engineering 027 Lecture Hall in the video below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c_I73-4JaM
These upgrades do more than just replace aging equipment. The new systems immediately support lecture capture technology and significantly improve accessibility, ensuring that classroom content is easier for every student to access.
Best of all, every room now features the familiar campus standard AV control interface. This means whether you're a professor teaching in PHYS 201 or a student presenting in MP 105, the technology will be reliable, intuitive, and consistent.
Beyond these central spaces, AV Services also worked with departments across CAHSS, CNMS, COEIT, and several administrative units to refresh their departmental classroom and conference room systems.
Several departments and offices relocated to the renovated Sherman Hall in the early Fall with the support of DoIT's AV Services, Desktop Support, and Network Engineering Teams. They assisted Academic Engagement and Transition Programs, Individualized Study Program, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Department of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, Language Literacy and Culture Doctoral Program, Naval Science Lab, Sherman Scholars, and the Education Department with their office moves. In addition, the Desktop Support and Network Engineering teams moved eight other departments in late summer in order to support the second phase of the Sherman Hall renewal.
Collaborative efforts were made to ensure new technology was documented in our inventory process, and old equipment was properly disposed of and documented.
Sherman Hall Renovation: Building a Modern Hub
DoIT is a critical partner in Phase I of the multi-year Sherman Hall renovation, a project led by Facilities Management that will transform one of UMBC's core academic buildings. This renovation is creating a modern, technology-enabled learning hub at the center of campus.
Our teams defined the necessary technology standards, coordinated infrastructure, and oversaw the installation of new network, audiovisual, and other essential systems. Throughout departmental moves to temporary spaces, teams from Audiovisual Services, Client Services, Network Engineering, and Telecommunications ensured that technology remained fully operational.
Working closely with the Classroom Committee, CAHSS, and other colleges, the AV team designed classrooms, conference rooms, and specialized spaces to meet the current and future instructional needs of our faculty and students.
Phase I will conclude in fall 2025, with Phase II following. Once complete, Sherman Hall will feature new, cutting-edge classrooms, offices, and student gathering areas that will significantly enhance the academic experience at UMBC.
Learn more about the Sherman Hall Phase 1 completion on the "Sherman Hall's Phase 1 renovation is complete, creating space for creative collaboration" post.
Full Evaluation for All Classrooms
A complete campus classroom and lecture hall evaluation has been completed to maintain and care for existing campus instructional systems. This evaluation included:
Full system operation check
Firmware and software updates
Projector maintenance and lamp changes
Replacement of failed components
Full inventory check
Verify remote system status monitoring
This process allows our team to detect issues early and maximize the system process. By catching issues early and often, the campus can ensure the classroom and lecture halls are ready for use when faculty and students arrive, avoiding delays and frustrations. A thorough review of the systems also reduces the response times of technicians because the systems are up-to-date, making the diagnostic process quicker.
Great job to our DoIT Infrastructure teams!
Posted: November 6, 2025, 9:19 AM
Major Cloud Service Outage Impacting Campus Applications
Date: June 12, 2025
Time: 3:45 PM
The Division of Information Technology is aware of a widespread outage with a major cloud service provider that is currently impacting access to a number of online services used by the campus community.
This is a global issue affecting many organizations and is not the result of an outage or issue with the university's internal IT systems.
Impacted services may include, but are not limited to:
- Google (including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and other G Suite applications)
- Box
- VitalSource
- Poll Everywhere
Users may experience slow loading times, errors, or be unable to access these services altogether. We understand the critical nature of these tools for teaching, learning, and administrative work and apologize for the disruption this external issue is causing.
Our team is closely monitoring the situation with the cloud provider.
We appreciate your patience as the external provider works to resolve this major incident.
Posted: June 12, 2025, 3:47 PM
Cybersecurity Awareness: Install Updates
Keep your system up-to-date by installing updates
Update the Operating System (OS)
Install operating system updates on all of your devices as soon as possible. Attackers won’t wait so neither should you!
Update Anti-Virus (AV)
Keep your anti-virus up-to-date so it can help keep you safe.
Update Software
Make sure all applications and software are updated and patched against known vulnerabilities. **Patches are pushed automatically to DoIT-Managed devices.**
Keep Software Up to Date with 3 Simple Steps
1. Watch for notifications
Our devices will usually notify us that we need to run updates. This includes our devices’ operating systems, programs, and apps. It’s important to install ALL updates, especially for our web browsers and antivirus software.
2. Install updates as soon as possible
When notified about software updates, especially critical updates, we should be sure to install them as soon as possible. Malicious online criminals won’t wait, so we shouldn’t either!
3. Turn on automatic updates
With automatic updates, our devices will install updates without any input from us as soon as the update is available—Easy!
To turn on the automatic updates feature, look in the device’s settings, possibly under Software or Security. Search settings for “automatic updates” if needed.
Source: https://www.cisa.gov/secure-our-world/update-software
For more information about UMBC’s cybersecurity initiatives, go to doit.umbc.edu/security.
Posted: October 31, 2024, 8:47 AM