Welcome to the start of Winter Session 2024! Prepare yourself for the new semester with UBC IT’s resources and services. UBC IT supports the day-to-day needs of the community including wi-fi access, email services, and cybersecurity to stay safe online. Discover our top IT services so you can stay productive and secure in your work and studies this Fall:
Visit our service page for faculty & staff
Visit our service page for students
During their short time at UBC IT, our Co-op student employees inject fresh perspectives and energy into our teams while supporting our projects and daily operations. This week we are saying goodbye to Emilyn Sim, our UBC IT Communications Web Specialist Co-op student. Over the past 8 months, Emilyn has supported our UBC IT Communications and Change Management teams with her web expertise, content contributions, and overall cheery demeanor.
The Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing (PEARC) Conference 2024 is fast approaching, and we're thrilled to announce that Matt Smith, Manager of Research Systems for Advanced Research Computing (ARC), will be a plenary speaker at this annual event. In an interview with Matt, we had the opportunity to chat about his enthusiasm for participating as a keynote; the details about his presentation on building a successful research computing workforce; and what makes PEARC such an exceptional
Celebrated every July, Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of those with disabilities. This month promotes visibility and awareness of the issues affecting persons with disabilities, advocating for equal rights and opportunities. Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to challenge stigma, encourage inclusion, and embrace diversity. This month, join UBC IT and
Starting August 5, UBCO IT will enable an automated update from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on targeted IT managed devices. Impacted users in the Okanagan will receive an email with further details prior to the upgrade.
The upgrade will happen automatically, and you can continue working on your device as normal while the initial software installation begins. You do not need to take any action to initiate the upgrade.
After the software is installed, a notification window will open, instructing you to restart your device to complete the upgrade. The restart process will take an additional 10 to 15 minutes, and you have up to two weeks to restart. If you have not restarted within two weeks, your computer will undergo an automatic reboot to finalize the installation.
This upgrade is required to enhance the security and overall user experience of your computer. Upgrades are being completed in a phased schedule to ensure all devices comply with UBC’s Information Security Standard U7, ensuring devices are running a supported version of an operating system which continues to receive security patches and updates.
If you wish to upgrade your device manually before this time, please follow the in-place upgrade instructions available here.
If your device has any technical restrictions preventing the upgrade to Windows 11 or if you encounter any issues during the upgrade, please enter a support ticket and our IT representatives will review your options.
Microsoft has announced the end-of-life date for Windows 10 as of October 2025. After this date, no further feature updates or security patches will be available for Windows 10. Moving to Windows 11 will ensure that all devices comply with UBC’s Information Security Standard U7, ensuring devices are running a supported version of an operating system which continues to receive security updates.
The upgrade will happen automatically, and you can continue working on your device as normal while the initial software installation begins. You do not need to take any action to initiate the upgrade.
After the software is installed, a notification window will open, instructing you to restart your device to complete the upgrade. The restart process will take an additional 10 to 15 minutes, and you have up to two weeks to restart. If you have not restarted within two weeks, your computer will undergo an automatic reboot to finalize the installation.
You can manually upgrade to Windows 11 by using the self-service option in the Software Center application available in the Start menu of your UBC-managed PC. When opening your Software Center application, you will be able to select the Windows 11 upgrade under the Updates tab.
The upgrade process will take approximately 2-3 hours and can be downloaded and installed in the background while you work. For the upgrade to be applied to your PC, you will need to restart your computer. The restart process will take an additional 10-15 minutes.
For more details, please follow the in-place upgrade instructions available here: it.ok.ubc.ca/windows-11
Yes, a minimum of 25GB of free disk space is required for the upgrade to install.
To determine if you have enough disk space:
If you require assistance freeing up space, please contact the IT Service Centre
Upgrading to Windows 11 will be mandatory for all UBC-managed PCs. If there is a reason that you cannot upgrade to Windows 11, please contact IT Service Centre or open a Self-Service ticket
Windows 11 has an improved interface, better security, updated built-in apps, improved collaboration features, improved accessibility features, and better performance than Windows 10.
In the search bar, type “winver” and run the command. A window will appear that will tell you if you are on Windows 10 or Windows 11.
The annual CANHEIT conference brings together the community of IT professionals in higher education to promote best practices, innovation, and collaboration. This year, Daniel Lindenberger, Frederik Svendsen, and Saeed Dyanatkar from UBC’s Emerging Media Lab (EML) presented on the steps being taken by their team to make the integration of generative AI in interactive immersive teaching tools more accessible.
We are excited to announce the launch of the new Mail Sentry service, designed to enhance visibility into emails filtered and quarantined by UBC’s mail-relays. This tool allows UBC faculty and staff to effectively monitor and manage emails caught in spam and policy filters, ensuring improved email security and communication efficiency.
As we strive for excellence in our day-to-day operations at UBC IT and Privacy and Information Security Management (PrISM), there are moments when the value of our work extends beyond the campus, advancing the standards and practices in higher education. Recently, UBC IT's Laleh Mosadegh was recognized with an award for her work in IT as an emerging leader, along with the PrISM Compliance Support Program (CSP) team for quality and productivity.
To further strengthen your online protection, we are extending UBC’s Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to our campus VPN, starting the week of July 22, 2024.
MFA is already used at UBC for several services. It adds an extra layer of security, making it even harder for unauthorized individuals to access your account. You can find detailed instructions on how to set up MFA for VPN access here. The website provides step-by-step guidance to make this transition as seamless as possible. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the IT Service Centre or your local IT Help Desk.
Your safety is our priority, and MFA is a vital step in safeguarding your online presence. We appreciate your cooperation as we work together to ensure a secure campus network.
What to expect:
For more details: