What's New in PAWS

Registering for sessions at the University Learning Centre and Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness has never been easier -- you can now do it with one click in PAWS. Simply click the icon beside the event for which you wish to register in the applicable channel on your Academics tab.

So go ahead... take that study skills session, or do a team teaching workshop. It's easy to keep track of your registrations since they're all listed under "My Events" near the top of these channels.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ICT Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 08:33 AM | Permalink

All university employees have access to the U of S Employee Assistance Program—a confidential, counseling and referral service for employees and their family members. You can now access the university’s EAP site by logging in to PAWS. The My Employee Assistance Program channel (located on your Admin Services tab) will link you directly to the site without a separate login.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ICT Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:25 PM | Permalink

A new tool, USearch, can be found on the recently updated Find Library Resources channel in PAWS. USearch is a new Library search tool that provides a simple search box that searches across a wide variety of information resources, including books, journal articles, and digital materials. It contains everything in the traditional Catalogue as well as much more content from the University Library's online collections. The big difference between USearch and the Catalogue is that USearch can search at the article level, bringing back results that contain journal articles as well as books and other items. To check out USearch in PAWS, click on the Library tab.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 09:28 PM | Permalink

A new channel in PAWS gives students information about and access to two kinds of appeals: academic appeals and financial appeals. Located on students' Academics tabs at the bottom of the left-hand column, the Appeals channel helps to define these two types of appeals and describe when they might apply to a student, and contains links to further information and the required contacts and forms.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 11:38 AM | Permalink

The My Grades and Transcripts channel has been replaced by two new channels with more comprehensive information. Students will find the new Final Grades channel and Transcripts and Degree Confirmation channel on their Academics tab.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 03:13 PM | Permalink

The next time you log into PAWS, you'll see a new version of the Campus Safety channel located on your Home tab. The new channel offers a quick and convenient way to report a crime, displays photos of individuals who may have been involved in on-campus incidents, keeps you up to date with On Patrol news items and shows a current listing of training offered by Campus Safety.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 09:55 AM | Permalink

PAWS is excited to announce a new channel that lists the daily specials or weekly menus from the major food outlets on campus: Culinary Services, the Faculty Club, Choices at St. Thomas More College, and Louis. The next time you are wondering what to eat on campus, log into PAWS, and check out the Where to Eat channel, now located on your home tab.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 04:25 PM | Permalink

UCommute is an exciting new program to help you conveniently and securely find commuting partners for carpooling, walking, biking or riding the bus. This program is available in PAWS to all University of Saskatchewan faculty, staff, and students.

Continue reading "UCommute: An Exciting New Service in PAWS" »

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 03:36 PM | Permalink

Students wanting to access online academic services, including registration, will notice that managing their academic career in PAWS has been greatly enhanced with a new link system and many visual improvements. Beyond this new look and feel the key content has also been reorganized to create a more fluid user experience.

Access to registration, for example, is still found within the Registration channel of the Academics tab in PAWS. Once you click on the registration link, however, you will notice the improvements. All of the registration tasks, and other academic services related links, now appear in a new multi-function student services page under PAWS.

Similarly, clicking any of the student service links in the Academics tab will send you to this new multi-function student services web page (see above). The four easy access drop-down menus allow students to take care of traditional registration activities, review student records, check admission status, or find tax information. Beneath each of these higher order categories students will find quick access to other important student services functions and related information.

Help with anything PAWS related is offered through the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 12:58 PM | Permalink

The Aboriginal Self-Identification channel is a new way for students to tell the university more about themselves. One of the university's many student experience initiatives is to better understand the needs of our Aboriginal students. The university uses two sources for self-identification. The first is during the admissions process and the second is through the Education Equity Form available in PAWS. (If you declared your Aboriginal status to your college, Aboriginal Students Centre or for scholarships, that information is not used in institutional statistics.)

Self-identification is completely voluntary but helps the university determine what programs and services are important to you. Self-identification also guides decisions about academic programs and student supports such as scholarships and co-curricular programming that meet your needs and expectations.

If you haven't yet self-identified, we encourage you to log into PAWS and click on the Academics tab. There, you'll find the Aboriginal Self-Identification channel in the right-hand column, with a link to the form where you can self identify as well as a link to a fact sheet with more information about this initiative.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 04:30 PM | Permalink

The University of Saskatchewan Bookstore has set up shop in PAWS -- with a handy link in students' and instructors' class homepages, and through a new channel on the Academics tab.

In the left-hand Course Tools menu within your individual class homepages, you'll see a "Buy Books" link. Clicking this link will take you directly to the list of texts for that particular class on the Bookstore’s Online Text Sales web page, where you can see full details about the texts or purchase them online.

A new channel on the Academics tab, "My Textbooks" shows students and instructors a personalized list of classes for which they are registered or are teaching. By clicking the class links, you can expand the channel to show the textbooks assigned for each class. A button at the top of the channel takes you to the Bookstore's Online Text Sales web page with customized information about the texts assigned for all of your classes. The page even lists how many copies of each text are currently available so you don't need to make a trip to find out whether your texts are in the store.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 05:05 PM | Permalink

Do you wiki? Wikis are quickly becoming a popular way to share content and collaborate. The U of S wiki service has some new features that make it easier for instructors and students to use as a tool for their classes -- whether for formal course work or loosely structured group projects. Instructors can create a wiki or link an existing wiki to their course, assigning the appropriate permissions to their students and teaching assistants. Once a wiki is linked to a course, it will now be accessible via a link in the Wiki Dashboard channel in PAWS, under "My Course Wiki Spaces." A link to the course wiki will also appear in the PAWS course homepage under the left-menu Course Tools section.

If you already use the wiki service but haven't yet added the Wiki Dashboard channel to your PAWS layout, it's easy; simply click the "Add Stuff" link at the top left of PAWS, type "wiki" into the search box. and click and drag the channel on to the tab of your choice. You won't need to log in to the wiki service again once you've logged into PAWS.

For more information about the Wiki service, visit the ITS website. As always, we welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 04:16 PM | Permalink

Over the past weekend, the university upgraded the Cabinet file storage system used by faculty and staff to a new, easier-to-use service. At the same time, we discontinued the Folder file storage service previously used by students and merged that service with Cabinet. Everyone on campus will now have access to the same personal file storage service, accessible through the My Files channel in PAWS.

What's changed?

- One personal file storage system for everyone at the U of S
- Aging hardware replaced with newer, faster equipment
- Disk quotas now start at 2GB and larger quotas can be requested by contacting your local IT support staff or the ITS Help Desk
- New, easier-to-use My Files interface in PAWS
- Microsoft Windows users can restore deleted files or folders using the ‘Previous Versions’ tab built into the Windows Explorer on their desktop (non-Windows users will be provided with a restore console that they can connect to remotely to restore files and folders)
- Service available from off campus, using software that is built into Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh desktops

Students will now see a Cabinet link in the My Files channel (still located on their Home tabs). Faculty and staff will also find the new link on their existing My Files channel located on their Admin Services tabs. You can read more about the new, improved Cabinet file storage service on the ITS website, or, if you need more help, can contact the ITS Help Desk.

As always, we welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:15 PM | Permalink

You may not recognize your Announcements channel when you next log in to PAWS. Or, if you use the PAWS Bulletin Board channel (below your Announcements channel by default), the new Announcements channel may look somewhat familiar.

We’ve redesigned the Announcements channel to make it easier to use. Like the Bulletin Board, the new Announcements channel allows you to expand your announcements within the channel itself. (No more waiting once you’ve clicked an announcements subject to go to a separate screen, taking you away from your Home tab!) The arrow to the left of each announcement subject now simply expands the message body, where you can read it and delete the announcement if you no longer need it. Clicking the arrow again retracts the message body if you’ve read an announcement but would like to keep it in your Announcements channel until expiry.

Your announcements will now also be categorized; you’ll see the announcement category below the subject and can quickly tell whether it’s college or departmental information; indicates a date or deadline; warns you of an upcoming road closure, etc. If the announcement informs of an emergency situation, the subject and category will appear bright red to draw your attention. (Announcements currently in your channel will be categorized as “General Announcements” if they were sent before the new channel went live, however.)

We hope that you like what we’ve done to this important feature of PAWS. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions. As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 05:03 PM | Permalink

If you use the My Calendar Events channel, you'll notice that it now looks and behaves a little different than it did previously. The My Calendar Events channel provides a quick view of your PAWS Calendar in channel format without opening the full Calendar application. Besides a nice new interface, the new channel has some added features that you may find helpful. Icons allow you to easily add a new event or task right from the channel itself, and you can view events for the entire month by simply hovering over calendar dates on the mini calendar. The new channel also allows you to view previous or future months without opening the full application.

Like the old channel, the new Calendar channel allows you to set your preferences (such as which calendar to display or how many future days’ events to show) by clicking a link at the bottom right of the channel.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:45 PM | Permalink

Do you remember where you filed your latest pension statement? A new channel on the Admin Services tab gives university employees quick access to their personal pension information. Similar to the My Pay Info channel, this new channel offers viewing security via a link that opens on a new page—in this case displaying personal pension plan details.

The first link in the channel, “View more info on your pension plan,” opens your personal pension info page. Alongside your plan summary are links to annual personal summary reports in PDF format, and a comprehensive list of links to information about university pension benefits. You’ll never have trouble tracking down those statements again. Now if only I could remember where I put my glasses...

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 04:28 PM | Permalink

My Grades & Transcripts is a new, more personalized channel that gives students access to their coursework grades (essays, quizzes, midterms, labs or other assignments) as well as final grades, transcript requests, confirmation of degree and confirmation of enrolment. The new channel replaces the Grades and Transcripts channel.

All grades displayed in the My Grades & Transcripts channel are unofficial and for students' information only. Final grades for the current year will appear at the top of the channel under "Current Grades" once they have been posted. Additionally, students whose instructors choose to post coursework marks to a new application in PAWS will see these grades as they are posted throughout the current academic year. Instructors are not required to post coursework marks; however, students whose instructors do choose to post interim marks will have the benefit of seeing marks for a class in one place in PAWS. Coursework grades from instructors using Blackboard will also be automatically fed to the channel.

Instructors will have access to the application via a "Post Marks" link on their course homepages in PAWS (regardless of whether they use their course homepages for other class business). Instructions for using the new tool can be found on the PAWS Training page.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 09:44 PM | Permalink

The university's Student Employment & Career Centre (SECC) offers much more than just job postings. Students and alumni can now browse the many services and events offered by this valuable campus resource through a new channel in PAWS.

The "Employment & Career Events at the SECC" channel lists current offerings -- from career counselling and assessment workshops to employer information sessions and assistance with interview skills. Check out this dynamic resource to find out what's happening at the SECC each week! Students and alumni will find the channel on the PD & Training tab.

As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 03:27 PM | Permalink

The Sheaf channel is back, bringing a virtual view of the ubiquitous student newspaper to your News tab in PAWS. Incorporating a live feed of the latest headlines with links to full stories, the Sheaf joins other campus news vehicles On Campus News, The Update: News for Students, Research News, U of S Press Releases and What’s New in PAWS on the News tab, alongside channels with external feeds from Reuters and the CBC.

Hungry for more news? Other news-related channels can be found throughout PAWS (the Huskie Headlines channel on the Campus Life tab is an example). Some channels, such as CNN Top Stories, The Guardian Top News and Yahoo News Top Stories, don’t appear by default on your PAWS layout, but can be added by individual users. Click the “Add stuff” link at the top left of PAWS and enter “news” in the search field to see a full list of news channels.

In the meantime, enjoy regular updates from the Sheaf via PAWS, wherever you are.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 02:23 PM | Permalink

There's a new blog on campus with a subject that will interest students, faculty and staff alike. "Sustainability" is on the lips of progressive community members campus wide; it's even an area of focus in the most recent Integrated Plan. "Sustainability On Campus" is the brainchild of the Office of Sustainability (Facilities Management Division). The blog brings together issues and events from a diverse range of groups and units on campus who do work related to sustainability -- from student groups such as Footprint Design and Engineers Without Borders to campus clubs such as the Biology Club to Academic units such as the School for Environment and Sustainability.

Check out the Sustainability On Campus channel in PAWS on your Campus Life tab, or add it to your layout wherever you want to see it. (Like most PAWS channels, you can move the Campus Safety channel to where you'd most like to see it. Click and drag it on the Campus Life tab, or use the "Add Stuff" link at the top left corner of PAWS to add it to another tab.)

Do you have comments about anything PAWS related? We're always open to feedback.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 02:52 PM | Permalink

Want to learn the latest tools and techniques in digital media, design and development? Need to use the ribbon in MS Office 2007? Want to learn how to work more efficiently with your Mac? Log into PAWS and get started!

Back in September, students at the U of S began using an Online Training Library from lynda.com, consisting of over 460 software courses and more than 30,900 videos, free of charge. Student Computing and ITS Training Services is now pleased to open the Online Training Library to all faculty.

The Online Training Library is available via a channel in PAWS on the PD & Training tab. Simply click the "request an account," button, which gives you access to the online library for up to four hours. The library houses a wealth of training material on a wide range of software.

For more information, visit Training Services. Do you have comments about anything PAWS related? We're always open to feedback.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 02:37 PM | Permalink

Campus Safety has a new channel in PAWS, replacing a more static version developed back in PAWS' infancy nearly five years ago. The new channel delivers Campus Safety's "On Patrol" blog in an at-your-fingertips format on the Campus Life tab. (Like most PAWS channels, you can move the Campus Safety channel to where you'd most like to see it. Click and drag it on the Campus Life tab, or use the "Add Stuff" link at the top left corner of PAWS to add it to another tab.)

"On Patrol" is Campus Safety's web log -- an online newsletter of reported incidents, Crime Stoppers photos and informative articles about safety issues ranging from identity theft and computer security to building precautions and traffic incidents. The "On Patrol" blog is part of Campus Safety's comprehensive new website, launched in October. Check it out, and stay informed about University safety with the Campus Safety channel in PAWS.

Do you have comments about anything PAWS related? We're always open to feedback.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:40 PM | Permalink

You can now access the new U of S Wiki Service in PAWS via the Wiki Dashboard channel. If you're logged in to PAWS, the Wiki Dashboard channel is your one-click link to this application -- there's no need to log in separately to gain access to the service.

This new PAWS channel lists your first 10 favourite Wiki Spaces, has a quick link to the Wiki Dashboard, and allows you to create a new space or build an RSS feed. A Wiki User Guide and FAQs at the bottom of the channel will help those new to Wikis get started.

Like all channels, the Wiki Dashboard channel can easily be added to your PAWS layout by clicking the "Add Stuff" channel browser at the top left of PAWS.

Do you have comments about anything PAWS related? We're always open to feedback.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:33 PM | Permalink

Spin! Pump! Sculpt! Breathe... A new channel on the Campus Life tab lets you check the PAC's weekly FIT Centre class schedule right in PAWS. The channel includes expandable and collapsible days so that you can see or hide each day's class offerings for the current week. FIT Centre regulars will be pleased to have this quick, up-to-date reference at their fingertips. As always, sign-up for classes can be done by phone or in person at the FIT Centre's main desk.

Remember... with the new PAWS user interface, you can easily move or delete the FIT Centre Class Schedule channel, or can quickly add it to another tab in PAWS where you'd prefer to see it.

We welcome feedback about anything PAWS related!

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:45 PM | Permalink

Back in September, 2007, all University employees gained access to a new online tool through PAWS. The My Pay Info channel (located on the Admin Services tab) gives you quick access to your personal pay information anytime, anywhere you have access to an internet connection.

As of October, 2008, the Payroll department will no longer automatically print Direct Desposit Advices -- the paper copy you currently receive -- so now is a good time to get acquainted with the channel in PAWS. We've already had lots of positive feedback from employees pleased to have access to their personal pay information online. If you haven't yet checked out the channel yourself, you may be wondering why online beats paper where pay information is concerned. Other than the obvious cost saving to the University, consider that

- you can view your current month's pay information earlier (on the third last working day of the month) ;
- you can easily review your salary history; and
- unlike many a filing cabinet, My Pay Info stores your paystubs going back as far as the beginning of the decade (even if you threw one out once in a while or filed it in your telephone bill folder by accident).

The Financial Services Division has taken care to ensure that your online pay info is secure using encryption, security software and regular upgrades. Additionally, the contents of the channel in PAWS are not displayed automatically, so your pay information isn't visible while you are using other channels on your Admin Services tab.

So, say goodbye to those perforated green "Personal & Confidential" stubs (only two left to go) and say hello to My Pay Info. As always, we welcome feedback about anything PAWS related. Send us your comments by clicking on the Feedback link at the bottom of the PAWS login page.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 10:00 AM | Permalink

PAWS recently added a new category, "Research Studies," to its Bulletin Board channel. Research Studies bulletins keep you informed about opportunities to participate in various research initiatives on campus. Learn more about yourself while assisting campus colleagues -- students, clinicians and other faculty or staff -- with their research by volunteering as a study subject, or try posting a bulletin to find research participants.

Also new to Bulletin Board, you may now set your category subscriptions so that the channel only displays the bulletin categories you choose. Click the "Preferences" link at the bottom right of the channel to see a list of bulletin categories and "show/hide" selections for each. If you remove a category from your Bulletin Board channel, you will still be able to view bulletins in that category by selecting the "All Bulletins" link at the bottom center of the channel.

New to PAWS? The Bulletin Board channel is found below the Announcements channel on the Home tab, and brings the campus community "nice to know" information about University-related events, opportunities and more. (Most people will see Bulletin Board directly below the Announcements channel. If you have customized the first column of your Home tab, the channel will currently appear at the bottom of the column.) Everyone with an account in PAWS is welcome to post bulletins by clicking on the "Post a Bulletin" link at the bottom left of the channel.

PAWS welcomes your feedback. Send us your comments about Bulletin Board or anything else in PAWS by clicking on the Feedback link at the bottom of the PAWS login page.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 11:55 AM | Permalink

PAWS has made it easier for students to look up their weekly course schedules and to find their class locations. We've added handy links so that students can now access this information from within PAWS Course Tools. What's more, we've also made it possible to go to this information directly from the My Courses channel which appears for students and instructors on the Academics tab.

The My Courses channel now contains a link to "Class Locations." Clicking on that leads you to a "Course Offerings Search" page. From there, after selecting the term you wish to check, it's simply a matter of selecting the class or classes you're interested in to find the appropriate class locations.

In addition, the My Courses channel also now offers a direct link to "Class Schedule" information. This takes students to a view of the current week's Student Schedule by Day and Time. From there, students can also choose to view the previous week, the next week, or to enter any other date they'd like to view.

Both these links, "Class Schedule" and "Class Locations" are also available from within PAWS Course Tools. To get there, go to the Academics tab and click on "Course Tools" in the My Courses channel. Then, on the My Courses page, you'll find links to "Class Schedule" and "Class Locations" in the left column under "Personal Course Info."

We hope you'll find these additional links helpful. And, if you don't see the My Courses channel and wish to, just click on the "Customize Content/Layout" in the top left of PAWS and follow the instructions for adding a new channel. (You'll find the My Courses channel under Tools in the Channel Category menu.)

PAWS wishes you all the best during this final exam period -- and on into the spring and summer term!

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 09:10 AM | Permalink

PAWS has just added a channel designed to keep you informed about upcoming workshops at the University Learning Centre. This new channel now appears by default for all students in the Academics tab -- and for U of S staff and faculty in the PD & Training tab.

The channel presents brief descriptions of the next workshops in each of the following University Learning Centre series: Study Skills Clinics; Writing Clinics; Math & Stats Help Sessions; and Writing Clinics for Grad Students.

By clicking "More" on any entry, you can learn more about a session, including its location and the name of the instructor who will present the workshop.

For further information or to register for a particular workshop, simply click on the title of the workshop you're interested in -- or on the link to the ULC web site at the top of the channel. Clicking on a section heading (such as Study Skills Clinics) will take you to more information about all the workshops in that series.

Check out the new University Learning Centre Channel today to see the wide range of upcoming ULC workshops!

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 03:57 PM | Permalink

PAWS recently added two new channels: Clicker Management and My Class Podcasts.

The Clicker Management channel is designed to support the use of clickers -- which are an instant feedback tool now being used in many classrooms at the U of S. Available in the Academics tab, the Clicker Management channel offers you direct access to the ITS clicker management tool where you can register your clicker. The channel also contains links to important information about student responsibilities when it comes to clickers, including those regarding privacy and academic honesty.

The My Class Podcasts channel appears only for those students and faculty involved in a podcasting pilot project here at the U of S. In this new venture, twelve professors in Arts & Science and Medicine are piloting the use of digital recorders in the classroom which allow them to post lectures as podcasts for their students. Beyond recorded lectures, podcasts could also include other supplementary material such as music or other audio files. To date, more than 57 hours of podcast audio content have been posted online for those twelve courses.

PAWS allows these students and professors to access all their podcasts from the My Class Podcasts channel – while an individual Course Homepage, accessed through the My Courses channel, will offer access to the specific podcasts associated with that particular class.

For technical assistance with podcasts, clickers, or PAWS itself, please contact the ITS Help Desk by e-mail at help.desk@usask.ca or by phone at 306-966-4817 or 1-800-966-4817 (Toll Free in Canada).

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 02:49 PM | Permalink

PAWS has just launched a new channel for U of S faculty and staff called Wireless Guest Access. Available on your Admin Services tab, this new channel provides U of S employees with everything they need to offer visiting colleagues guest access to the U of S wireless network.

Although the public can now freely access the Internet using the U of S wireless network, requesting Guest IDs through this channel will provide your visitors with a faster connection to the Internet.

So, whether you're interested in granting network access to a large number of conference attendees or simply wish to give a single individual temporary guest access to the U of S wireless network, this channel is the perfect place to start.

It offers you a direct link to the online Individual Guest ID request page. From there, you can immediately grant wireless access to an individual guest -- or simply click on the heading, Conference Guest IDs, if you wish to request access for multiple people.

The channel on PAWS also links to a list of all campus locations that offer wireless guest access.

Please visit the ITS website for more information on U of S wireless access.

For PAWS technical assistance, please contact the ITS Help Desk by e-mail at help.desk@usask.ca or by phone at 306-966-4817 or 1-800-966-4817 (Toll Free in Canada).

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 03:16 PM | Permalink

Art exhibitions, concerts, theatre, and more -- the campus arts scene is an important part of campus life. And that's why the Campus Arts Scene channel now appears for all PAWS users.

While some of you already have subscribed to the Campus Arts Scene channel, not everyone has discovered this colourful, regularly updated channel featuring campus arts events. Because of that, the channel now appears for everyone, by default, in the Campus Life tab.

The Campus Arts Scene channel gives you a quick round-up of arts and cultural events happening across campus. Whether it's a student art exhibition at the Snelgrove Gallery, a play opening at Greystone Theatre, a musical première, or a touring exhibition at the Kenderdine Gallery, the Campus Arts Scene channel is on top of it.

The channel shows you what’s on where, gives you the dates for the event and links to the venue's website. The images also give you a sneak preview of the event -- while adding some colour and life to your overall PAWS layout.

So, check it out. And, if you like what you see and and would also like the channel to appear on your Home tab, here’s what to do:

Click on Content/Layout in the upper left of your PAWS layout, select the tab where you'd like the channel to appear (e.g. Home), and click on Add Channel. At the Select Category prompt, choose Entertainment, click Go, and a list of channels will appear in the box to the right. Simply select Campus Arts Scene and click on Add Channel.

Finally, the Campus Arts Scene channel always welcomes news of campus arts and cultural events. Send your arts news (with small photo -- 125 pixels wide preferred) to arts.scene@usask.ca and we’ll do our best to get the event up on the channel.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 03:23 PM | Permalink

My Calendar Events is an all new channel in your Home tab that offers a mini view of the current month, all your day's appointments, and direct links to the full functionality of the PAWS Calendar tool -- right where you need it most.

The current day's appointments automatically appear in the channel -- but the channel also offers direct links to month, week, and day views. If you click on any single day in the calendar, you'll open a separate browser window that takes you directly into the Calendar tool for a detailed view of that day's events.

Similarly, clicking on the arrows preceding each week will take you to a detailed view of that week's events -- while a single click of the month title takes you to a detailed month view.

The My Calendar Events channel also contains a "Preferences" link that you can use to alter the channel's settings. For example, if you subscribe to more than one calendar, you can choose to display which calendar you'd prefer to see in the channel. You can also choose how many days in the future you'd like to display events for and whether you want the channel to display current tasks.

To add or modify calendar events, click a day, week or the month title to enter one of the detailed calendar views, then add the event as you normally would -- by clicking "New Event" in the top left menu.

And, if you subscribe to more than one calendar, consider adding the My Calendar Events channel several times over. That way your PAWS layout will greet you with more than one calendar.

Remember, too, that you can always use the channel to display your very own customized calendar set -- one that provides you with a "blended" view of multiple calendars.

To set up a blended calendar set, go into a detailed view of the PAWS Calendar tool and click on the "Calendar Sets" tab on the top menu to create your very own personalized calendar set that shows you events from multiple calendars.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 10:26 AM | Permalink

With the new "Post a Bulletin" link at the bottom of the PAWS Bulletin Board channel in the Home tab, you now have the ability to post your University-related news and upcoming events where the whole campus community can see them.

That's because the Bulletin Board channel now not only allows you to scan through the list of all current bulletins, it offers you the chance to add one of your own -- no thumbtacks required!

To get started, just click on the handy "Post a Bulletin" link below the list of current bulletins.

If you haven't posted a PAWS bulletin before, you’ll have to fill out a brief one-time-only request to post bulletins and read through the Bulletin board Terms of Use.

You'll then receive an e-mail confirming you’ve been approved to post bulletins. That e-mail will also include a link back to the Bulletin Board where you can compose your bulletin, set the start and expiry dates, and add helpful contact information.

All bulletins are reviewed before they go "live" to ensure they are University-related and meet with the general terms of use.

When your bulletin has been reviewed, you'll receive an e-mail with the subject line: "Bulletin Updated." If your bulletin has been approved, the e-mail will show you that the "Waiting for Approval" status has been changed to "Approved." The bulletin may be "Rejected with Comments" if the administrators request further information or edits. It may also be denied with an explanation if the bulletin does not meet the terms of use.

Once it's up, you'll see your bulletin in a list of up to eight bulletins that appear in the channel at any one time. Clicking on a Bulletin's title will open the bulletin -- clicking on the title again will close it. By clicking "All Bulletins," you'll open a separate browser window where you can see the complete list of bulletins.

So, you're invited. Officially. Post a bulletin and let the whole campus community know all about your University-related arts or sports event, fundraiser, upcoming guest speaker, call for volunteers, or other news.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 11:02 AM | Permalink

PAWS is excited to announce a new channel that now appears in all user layouts. The Bulletin Board channel is found below the Announcements channel on the Home tab, and brings the campus community "nice to know" information about University-related events, opportunities and more. (Most people will see Bulletin Board directly below the Announcements channel. If you have customized the first column of your Home tab, the channel will currently appear at the bottom of the column.)

The Announcements channel is still where you'll find targeted information -- the "need to know" items posted to your role or roles specifically (whether you're a student, instructor, staff member or alumni) by University administrators and service providers, your college, your instructors or your group leaders.

Bulletin Board will help to keep you informed about upcoming general-interest events, Huskies sports information, arts events, campus fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, notices of speakers and lecture series -- the same things you'll see posted on physical bulletin boards around campus. You'll see up to eight bulletins at a time in the Bulletin Board channel in PAWS; by clicking "All Bulletins," you'll open a separate browser window where you can see a complete list of bulletins. You can even search for and display bulletins by category!

We welcome your feedback about this new channel, and anything PAWS-related. Click the link in the Comments & Suggestions channel on the About PAWS tab to contact us.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 06:00 AM | Permalink

In a recent entry, we announced a new PD & Training tab for faculty and staff, promising that, "Students and alumni can look forward to seeing a similar PD & Training tab listing opportunites specific to their roles sometime in the next few months." Although that tab is not yet ready, several PD & Training channels are now available for students to add to their own layout in PAWS:

- IT Training Courses (this channel lists computer courses offered on campus, most of which are free for students, including the Teach US-IT program)

- Commerce BAS Offerings (this channel lists program offerings from the Business Advisory Services program through the College of Commerce, some of which are free to U of S students)

- Safety Training Courses (this channel lists courses offered through the Division of Health, Safety & Environment, some of which are available to and free for students)

To add a channel to your layout, click on the Content/Layout link in the upper left corner of PAWS and follow the instructions for adding a new channel. (You'll find the PD & Training channels listed above under Information in the Channel Catergory menu.)

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 10:19 AM | Permalink

Many of you, particularly those in Arts & Science, will be familiar with "my.usask.ca" -- an A&S portal created prior to the University's development of PAWS. "My.usask.ca" has recently ceased operation, but don't fret... there's good news for former "my" devotees and PAWS converts alike. PAWS and Arts & Science have worked together to migrate frequently used features of "my" that weren't already duplicated by applications in PAWS. No more having to visit two portals to use the tools you know and love!

PAWS now includes an Arts & Science Computer Labs file storage feature in the My Files channel, and it's available to all students -- not just those in Arts & Science. Also thanks to "my.usask.ca" is a new Hand In feature, which allows students to hand in files to instructors through PAWS Course Homepages.

Check out these new applications in PAWS and raise a glass to the Arts & Science staff who helped make them possible!

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 01:55 PM | Permalink

A temporary Parking Sale channel now appears on the Home tab in all student layouts. This channel allows students to request a parking spot at the University for fall 2006. Students can indicate for which lot or lots they would like to be considered in order of preference. Students are eligible for parking spots in lots E, P and Y, as well as the Stadium Parkade and the U-lot at McEown Park. The Parking Sale channel contains cost and time-availability information as well as a link to a location map. Students may revise their ballot at any time until the draw for parking spaces is held and will be notified via their PAWS e-mail account when the draw has been made. The parking sale will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 31.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 10:40 AM | Permalink

Students, faculty, staff and alumni across the University of Saskatchewan community have made the Classified Ads channel one of the most popular subscribable channels in PAWS since it was developed in the fall of 2005. The channel allows you to post ads in a variety of categories, including textbooks, vehicles, housing, lost and found, wanted to buy and more. New categories include tutors and volunteers—opening the door for non-financial transactions (need research subjects? event volunteers? a survey group?).

The Classified Ads channel is subscribable by anyone with access to PAWS. Click on the Content/Layout link at the top left of PAWS and follow the instructions for adding a new channel. (You'll find it under Tools in the Channel Catergory menu.)

All members of the campus community must agree to the Classified Ads Terms of Service before using the channel.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 02:31 PM | Permalink

Need to find your way on campus or give detailed directions to someone else? The Campus Map channel in PAWS is a quick and interactive way to see campus from a birds eye view. This subscribable channel allows you to scroll using your mouse, enabling you to view the entire campus in one small channel. Links to Google Maps and the U of S Maps webpage give you more options if you can't find what you're looking for in the channel itself.

To subscribe to the Campus Map channel, click on the Content/Layout link in the upper left corner of PAWS and follow the instructions for adding a new channel. (You'll find Campus Map under Information in the Channel Catergory menu.)

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 02:22 PM | Permalink