Dear VUIT Team,

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Kirkland recently, the most time I’ve spent on campus in almost a year. This time last year, I had just emceed the VU Service Awards with hundreds of people in attendance, and we had just gathered as a team of over 200 at our VUIT All Hands meeting. (It’s certainly hard to comprehend gatherings that large these days!) In addition, we had recently completed Module 3 of VUIT Institute and were formulating Module 4, I was preparing to present our VUIT Strategic Plan to the other vice chancellors, and I was about to start teaching a class at Owen called IT for Business Leaders – which I taught in person for only one day before moving to remote teaching. And, ironically, we had recently increased flexibility in the Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) Policy. We had no idea how dramatically our lives and work would change in just one month.

That change has been hard in many ways and positive in many others, and I’m very proud of the incredible work we have accomplished remotely during the pandemic. Now that the vaccine is on the horizon for all of us, I hope you all continue to enjoy these last months working from home before we return to campus to work, even if we don’t yet know exactly what that will look like. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our VUIT staff members who worked tirelessly on campus throughout the pandemic to assure that VU systems and our services to the VU community continued to run smoothly. You are among the many unsung heroes of VUIT over the last 11 months.

This month, among a plethora of other initiatives in VUIT, we’re kicking off a massive cybersecurity program called Project Aegis, we’ll publicize the new VUIT systems status page and the new VUIT homepage (which includes texting for help), and we’ll continue our split from VUMC with the migration of every VU workstation to the VU-only directory. We’ll also meet virtually for the VUIT All Hands meeting on February 23, and I look forward to seeing you then. In the meantime, keep up the great work and stay safe and healthy.

Best,

John

P.S. Check out my trivia questions further down in the newsletter for a chance to win a dozen cookies from Tiff’s Treats. The first person to respond to Kelsey Anito with the correct answers to all three questions wins!

OUT AND ABOUT:
CUSTOMER-FACING UPDATES

VUIT Hyper-V Retirement

After a two-year effort, VUIT Hosting Services is excited to announce that they reached virtualization consolidation in December! VUIT has consolidated the server virtualization environment onto enterprise VMware vSphere 6.7

VMware is an established market leader hosting an estimated 60-75% of all virtual machines, according to Morningstar (https://www.morningstar.com/).  Their prevalence makes for a wide ecosystem of 3^rd party add-ons and service integrations.

Getting to this point consisted of a long, methodical process working with multiple groups and departments across campus, including The Collaboration Team’s Exchange email services and Directory Service’s Domain Controllers. Efforts with each group included rebuilding, migrating, or retiring 275 virtual machines running previously in the Microsoft Hyper-V platform. This process has been cautious and deliberate with extreme care not to disrupt business-critical systems like campus email servers.

In addition to reducing costs by repurposing seven servers into our VMWare environment, administrative support was reduced on duplicate services and independent security patching schedules. This consolidation also sees improved vendor technical support and broader availability of 3^rd party applications and integrations such as monitoring, backup, automation, and analytics applications.

Contacts:
Mike Harris
Patrick Hawkins

VUIT INSIDE SCOOP

New Systems Status Page: Sign Up to Receive Email Updates About Outages

VUIT now has a systems status page to communicate incidents, scheduled maintenances, and system downtimes to the Vanderbilt community. The status page integrates with supported third-party vendors such as Zoom, Microsoft Office 365, and Box to provide updates. Customers are able to proactively subscribe to alerts by email or text, making communication almost instantaneous. In addition, we use a third-party provider for the status page, so that even if there is a major outage across VU systems we will still be able to communicate and send updates. Sign up for email alerts today at https://status.vanderbilt.edu/.

Contacts:
Fran Spurrier
Whitney Harris
Kristine McClellan

IT Strategy, Enterprise Consulting, and Project Management Update

Although most of us consider the Internet to be safe and we have a proclivity to trust technology, we now live in a world where opportunistic cyber-attackers are everywhere. To assure that VUIT continues to focus on cyber security, we established a strategic goal to identify and reduce IT risk.

In January 2020, the VUIT Security Team partnered with the university IT Risk Committee and Gartner to conduct a Risk Maturity Model (RMM) self-assessment. The self-assessment allowed us to benchmark our current risk management practices, identify and prioritize gaps, as well as develop an action plan to advance our risk management program.

Members of the Deliver Outstanding Technical Agenda Strategy Team, in collaboration with numerous VUIT teams, have been working on the RMM Action Plan – it has been a total team effort. The collective team is currently working on reducing public IP addresses, improving the email security posture, expanding MFA, and re-architecting Ping, and they will continue to focus on improving our RMM score.

Contacts:
Fran Spurrier
Whitney Harris
Kristine McClellan

VUIT Presents at the VU Diversity Liaison Committee

In 2019, Kim Mallory, Ed Wisdom, and Kelsey Anito were nominated to participate on the newly formed VU Diversity Liaison Committee. Led by Vice Chancellor André Churchwell, the committee was established to scale best practices across the university. They are charged with helping to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion within each functional area at Vanderbilt. Leveraging collaboration and diversity in thought, the committee meets monthly to share ideas, concepts, and resources that can be implemented within the various departments.

Last month, Kim, Ed, and Kelsey had the opportunity to report on VUIT’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Their presentation to the VU Diversity Liaison Committee highlighted the hard work VUIT and iDAB have been doing over the last couple of years to advance inclusive excellence, with a specific lens on culture, commitment, and education.

The major take-away is that the process is ongoing and requires continuous cycles of empowering your people, establishing group trust, and empathizing through stories. VUIT and iDAB continue to forge forward on the work that needs to be done to become a more diverse and inclusive community.

Contact:

iDAB@vanderbilt.edu

COVID-19 Leave Bank and COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Vanderbilt University has expanded the COVID-19 Leave Bank Policy to include guidelines for using leave to obtain a COVID vaccination. Please read the policy carefully for additional information and pay particular attention to the “Eligibility” and “Process” sections.

Contacts:
Alex Wilson

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Whitney Harris, Principal IT Consultant

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

How long have you been with Vanderbilt and what roles/positions have you held?
“I have been at Vanderbilt and with VUIT for almost 5 years. I started as an IT Business Analyst in the Project Management Office before moving to the IT Strategy, Enterprise Consulting and Project Management team as a Principal IT Consultant.”

What is your current project?
“A large part of my day is spent supporting the Genesis Program (Directory Services Separation), focusing on the migration of Vanderbilt managed workstations. I also work on helping move VUIT strategic priorities forward in my role with IT Strategy.”

What are a few fun facts about you?
“I am a self-proclaimed foodie and cocktail enthusiast – no matter what city I am in, I make it my mission to find the coolest spots to eat and drink. Driv has dubbed me ‘The Cultural Connoisseur’.”

What do you do for entertainment?
“Outside of work I spend my time watching lots of TV and movies and spending time with my friends and family when I can get back to Virginia. Before COVID, I enjoyed going to concerts, festivals, and traveling.”

Why VUIT?
“I enjoy working in VUIT because of our people! I have learned so much and been exposed to so much more. From receiving my first Indian saree from Vani Srikanta, hearing about Patrick Hawkins’ wood-working projects, Jennifer Mobley-Harris hosting a cookout for the Project Management Office in 1415, the infamous table tennis tournament of 2019, comparing rap albums with Dylan Platz, to winning the Vandy Pops submission with Fran Spurrier and Kristine McClellan. I could go on. Simply put, it’s not the work that keeps me here, it’s the culture.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

LinkedIn Learning February Learning Challenge

This month, Black History Month, celebrates the achievements and impact of African Americans in the United States and across the world.

During this time, we recognize and pay homage to the contributions, innovations, and trailblazers within the black community who have elevated the fields of business, technology, art, music, and science.

In celebration of Black History Month, we invite you to participate in LinkedIn Learning’s BHMChallenge, kicking off February 9, where we’ll be spotlighting some of the incredible courses taught by black authors.

Challenge yourself to complete each day’s short learning. Each can be completed in ~5 minutes. Use this calendar to keep yourself on track.

Happy New Year and happy learning!

Contact: Kelsey Anito

VUIT Lunch and Learn Series Website Page

The VUIT lunch and learn series began as an initiative to introduce technical topics to VUIT team members who wanted to grow their knowledge of IT. Over time, this series has expanded to cover both technical and non-technical topics. In an effort to compile all the information presented, we have created this webpage to host presentation documentation and some recordings of sessions. Additionally, if you have any feedback for the presenters, ideas for topics to include in future sessions, or general questions, please use the feedback form on the webpage.

Contact: Kelsey Anito

Subscribe to Rooted in Learning for Professional Development Opportunities

VU HR has a new newsletter dedicated to professional development. Rooted in Learning’s (RIL) purpose is to increase awareness of employee learning efforts offered by Human Resources, campus partners, and other subject matter experts. Each installment will include insightful news articles, engaging course work, virtual programs, interesting videos and podcasts, and more. View the most recent edition here.

To subscribe, email ele@vanderbilt.edu

Complimentary Gartner Webinars: February

Each month, Gartner offers free webinars that are open to everyone. Please visit the Gartner website to see all of the webinars available to you. Feel free to attend as many webinars as your time allows. If you have any questions or have trouble accessing the training session, please email gartnerwebinars@gartner.com.

UPDATE FROM VUIT HUMAN RESOURCES

VUIT New Hires:

Kevin Phillips – Application Development & Integration

Ann Woodward – Office of the CIO

Kate Ripley – Office of the CIO

William Posey – Project Management Office

Ian Rodriguez – Classroom Technology

VUIT Departures

Greg Stoermer – Network Services

Ankita Jadhav – Project Management Office

VUIT Job Postings

Sr. Security Engineer – #2001038

Network Specialist – #10000050

Technical Support Specialist – #10000152

Technical Support Specialist – #10000153

Contact:
Christine Maci

MIND, BODY, & SOUL

Healthy Recipe of the Month:

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Feta

Healthy Habits

How to be physically active while social distancing

Your body is about 70% water, and drinking enough of it is vital for optimal health: 12 simple ways to drink more water.

Mindful Break

9 Tips to prevent Zoom fatigue during the workday:
Vanderbilt Health and Wellness presents 9 tips for preventing ‘Zoom Fatigue’ during the workday.

“SkyVU in Review” Newsletter

The SkyVU in Review newsletter is released twice a month and provides a summary of new features, tips & tricks, updates, and announcements. Check out the most recent issue here.

*Please visit the SkyVU website and follow SkyVU on Instagram for additional information.

CUSTOMER KUDOS

Kudos to the NOC team

From Mondrivia James, Manager, Projects:

“A big shout out to the VUIT team in the NOC (aka the boots on the ground soldiers). The NOC is 24/7, and this team had no choice but to be on campus to oversee the operations of the NOC during the pandemic. The team is also very helpful in assisting and maintaining other areas of the Hill Center not necessarily in the scope of their jobs. I appreciate the NOC team and all their efforts!”

Kudos to Randall Holder, Technical Support Specialist in IT Service Management

From Dr. Amber Adams, Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

“I had the most informative, pleasant, beneficial hour-long phone call with Randall today & as such, have appropriately nicknamed him The Phone Jesus! He was so incredibly patient with me (I’m a newbie to Vandy & didn’t even know my office number, how to set up voicemail greeting, or know anything about Big IP?), very explanative, & just overall so very helpful.  He took his time & acted as if I was the only customer/employee he had to work, which I know is not the case.  Anyway, just wanted to give credit where credit was very much due.  Get this amazing employee some help & a raise! He literally MADE my work day. Consider yourself extremely lucky to have him!”

Kudos to Scott Rutledge, Jerry Weber, and Jarrod Gream  in IT Service Delivery

From Jeff Loudon, Relationship Manager in VUIT: 

“Scott Rutledge, Jerry Weber, and Jarrod Gream were all instrumental in getting 25 Android phones configured for the University’s COVID testing program. They had less than a day to get them all ready for use and still got it done!”

Kudos to VUIT Operator Services Team

From Melinda Phillips, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations:

“Good morning! Just FYI, the hotline for Return to Campus has officially been transitioned to VUIT Operator Services as of this morning. Ronnie’s team has been nothing short of amazing to work with, and Ronnie himself might be the nicest human I’ve encountered recently!  Thanks for getting us all connected!”

Kudos to Jeff Loudon, Principal Relationship Manager

From Erik Kopstain, Vice Chancellor for Administration:

“Jeff has been working tirelessly to support our COVID efforts. We switched testing vendors for the spring semester and I can assure you that switching vendors is no small endeavor. There are a plethora of operational and IT Details to take into account. We have two meetings a day, every day, starting in December and it’s been a pleasure to have Jeff be one of our VUIT conduits. I think his example of leadership has been absolutely extraordinary.”

Kudos to Alex Wilson, HR Manager in VUIT Business Operations

From Ronnie McDowell, Director of Operator Services:

“Over the past several months, Operator Services has been faced some unique and challenging circumstances, and required guidance and advice from Human Resources. Alex is always there and provides excellent support, no matter the situation. With Alex, no matter is too small or too large and there are no ‘stupid questions’. I’m very grateful for the support that Alex provides to me and my department, and am thankful that she’s part of the VUIT Team!”

Kudos to Clara Bennett, Ruby Dill, and Shirley Stewart in Operator Services:

From Ronnie McDowell, Director of Operator Services:

“I would like like to send well deserved Kudos, along with my gratitude, to Operator Services Team Members Clara Bennett, Ruby Dill, and Shirley Stewart. Due to the Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville, Operator Services became a very crucial part of the disaster recovery plan for Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. As a result, Operator Services served as the primary portal of critical communications for patients and their families. During this time Clara, Ruby, and Shirley stepped up and went above and beyond. All 3 worked several hours and numerous shifts and dealt with many unusual circumstances. I’m grateful to have them as team members and appreciative of everything they do!”

“Pets of VUIT”

Andrea Lawrence’s dog, Chewbacca (“Chewie”)

Breed: Pomeranian
Age: 11 weeks
Weight: 2.5 lbs
Tricks: He’s very talented at biting fingers, shoestrings, and pants

Favorite Things:

1. Fingers
2. Shoestrings
3. Pants

John Lutz’s Communication Corner:

Two Words to Up Your Game:

1. Gregarious (Adjective)
   Definition: (of a person) fond of company; sociable.
   “Driv is a gregarious, hilarious, and outgoing person.”
2. Synergistic (Adjective)
   Definition: relating to the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
   “The best kind of team is a synergistic one, in which every member does his best to help the other members succeed as well so they can all win together.”

Two rules to watch:

1. Fewer vs. Less: Fewer and Less are often confused. Remember to use “fewer” when the number of things you are talking about can be counted (e.g., fewer eggs in the carton), and use “less” when referring to a quantity or amount that is measured (e.g., less time or less effort). (However, there are exceptions to the rule.)
   Learn more about the differences between Fewer and Less here.
2. Me vs. I: The use of Me vs. I often confuses people. The main difference between “me” and “I” is very easy to remember, as it simply refers to the pronoun type. More exactly, “I” is always used as a subject, while “me” is used as an object. Learn more about when to use Me vs. I here.

Trivia questions to win Tiff’s Treats:

The first person to correctly answer the three trivia questions below will win a dozen cookies from Tiff’s Treats. Email your answers to Kelsey Anito. (Congratulations again to last month’s trivia winner, Craig Elliott.)

1. Who is attributed with creating what we know of today as Black History Month?
2. In what year did Vanderbilt enroll its first black student?
3. Who was the first black basketball player in the SEC and what school did he attend?

Newsletter Notes:

• Please send in pictures of your pets for the newsletter.
• If you have recommendations for ways to improve the VUIT newsletter, please email Kelsey Anito.