Author: Randi Honkonen

It’s Promo Video Time!

For those who aren’t aware, there is this amazing app, simply called “Ohio State” in the app store and the Google Play Store. Using the Ohio State app, you can look up your class schedule, receive your Carmen grades, track the money your mom, I mean, you, puts on your BuckID, email your advisor or look up professors’ contact information, locate a parking garage that is nearby AND not yet at capacity, take a survey to rate a professor, know when buses will be arriving to take you to your destination and sooooooo much more! I am finding that it is quite hard to list out all the capabilities without getting winded or sounding like a marketing message. 😉

In order to show how folks use the app, I’ve been interviewing students and faculty and will compile their statements into a promotional video. The following ladies have graciously agreed to participate:

Mobile Interviews

I still have a few more interviews…with the Dean of Undergraduate Education, one of the head developers of the mobile app AND…..wait for it!

…I’m also interviewing Ohio State strength coach, Anthony Schlegel!

Stay tuned for the final video, scheduled to release in January 2015!

#WorkLife Projects Galore!

It’s been a busy few weeks in the Office of the Chief Information Officer! So many projects have been completed or are in progress, just in time for #new2osu students showing up this weekend!

  • Self Service Home Page NEWIn case you haven’t been blinded by the shiny new Service Catalog yet, be sure to check it out! The Self Service site and catalog of OCIO services has been totally revamped to better fit with OSU branding standards, and in the process, we’ve made it much more user-friendly…and frankly, prettier!
  • Ohio State AppThe official Ohio State app has been improving as well! The (formerly OSU Mobile) app has tons of new features, including Carmen grades, Student Evaluations of Instruction (SEIs), parking garage capacity information, advising notes and *gasp* your statement of account (AKA how much money you owe the university). You can even search the entire course catalog on the go! (We know you love looking for sweet classes!) As always, the app is free–download it from your app store today!
  • Bob Gribben Password Tips Video ScreenshotNext week, we’re also announcing a change to the password policy…drum roll please…you will be required to change your password every 180 days instead of every 90! Students will hopefully rejoice knowing they can keep their passwords twice as long. In case they don’t, Bob Gribben will be serving up some useful tips for creating unique passwords!

That’s everything for now! Stay tuned as the autumn semester gets rolling…

Leaving Harlan Alive

I haven’t blogged in a while, but I’ve also been recovering from my vacation to Kentucky! (The song above will give you an idea of where I was…)

I travelled to Harlan County with two dozen high school kids and other adult volunteers to complete service projects for the residents there. St Paul’s Church in Westerville hosts this trip called Gospel Road every year, and I’ve had the pleasure of attending twice now.

This year, the kids learned so much about what life is like in the holler, and I got to teach them how to roll paint like a pro! We worked for families suffering from the loss of loved ones, individuals who were too sick to do household chores and others whose hearts were full of pride in their home, but their pockets were too empty to keep up with maintenance.

My team of painters and the wonderfully welcoming family we worked for the first few days in Kentucky

My team of painters and the wonderfully welcoming family we worked for the first few days in Kentucky

It was truly a blessing to be able to visit with these people and learn their stories—you never know what you might learn about yourself in the process. Me, I have a much greater appreciation for the things I went without for a week…air conditioning, a comfortable bed, a clean house, cell phone service, the Internet, and showers. Oh how I love showers. (Part of the fun of this trip is bathing in the lake. “Bring shampoo that floats” is always on our packing list!)

Another wonderful blessing showed up at our second work site and literally jumped in my lap! Meet Rax, the Jack Russel/Yorkie/Other terrier mix that came home with me from Kentucky!

Rax the small terrier is enjoying sitting in my lap on the patio - yay for suburb life!

Rax, the small terrier, is enjoying sitting on my lap on the patio – yay for suburb life!

His owners were no longer able to take care of him. They let him roam the neighborhood, play in the streets and the woods, sleep on the neighbor’s porch, acquire food on his own… This poor guy was looking for someone to take him in, and his owners wanted a better home for him as well. They handed him over to my care and it is just fantastic how quickly he has grown to love me and my air-conditioned lifestyle! Such a happy pup! And I was happy to get him out of Harlan alive!

So I’m back from Kentucky, getting Rax adjusted to Ohio, finishing up the summer semester at Fisher AND my team is getting ready to release a brand new service catalog! Stay tuned for that, folks! It’s so shiny! 😀