Hi everyone, 

EASI has received some inquiries about how staff can access central administrative services such as HRIS and FIS when working remotely. In response, we have put together the following resources and recommendations. 

If you need to access AMS/SAP systems remotely, please contact your local System Administrator directly to determine the most appropriate solution for you. If your local IT has confirmed that Remote Desktop is safe and available to you, please remember the following when using it: 

• Ensure that your work computer is left on. You will not be able to access your workplace computer remotely if your work computer is off.   
• Bring your eToken home. It will need to be plugged into your home computer if you are using the remote desktop service to connect to AMS/SAP. 
• If you are unable to set up the recommended Remote Desktop option on your computer, the alternative option is to install SAP GUI on your local computer and then set up Cisco AnyConnect VPN. 

• The instructions for SAP GUI installation can be found here: https://easi.its.utoronto.ca/help/software-hardware/. 
• Once you install SAP GUI, you will have to set up Cisco AnyConnect VPN. View instructions.

For those of you supported by ITS’ managed desktop service (Digital Workplace), set-up instructions for DW RDP Service can be found here (check this list to see Division/Departments supported by ITS managed desktop services). 

For general telecommuting information, please refer to EASI’s remote work guide.  

For assistance, please contact your local IT System Administrator.  If you are unsure of your support options, please log a ticket in the IT Service Centre. 

Sincerely,  

EASI
Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration 

The Techknowfile (TKF) 2020 conference, which was scheduled to take place April 29 to 30, 2020, has been cancelled.

This decision was not taken lightly and falls under the advisement of the Provost Office and the COVID-19 committee, comprised of senior leadership at the University of Toronto (U of T).

The health and safety of the U of T community (staff, student and faculty), attendees and partners is the number one priority.

For more information on the changing landscape of COVID-19, review the University’s announcement and FAQs.

TKF will reconvene at a future date in 2021.

The University of Toronto has launched the first phase of Award Explorer – a public-facing, centralized awards repository that gives current and prospective students access to thousands of awards, prizes and medals.

Undergraduate and graduate students can easily look for, and apply to, awards in a single location using a combination of keyword searches and filters, including award type, campus, college, faculty, citizenship and more.

“The University of Toronto has a wide range of need- and merit-based financial supports for students,” says Richard Levin, U of T’s university registrar and executive director of enrolment services.

“Award Explorer is a one-stop shop that will make it much easier and faster for students to find the information they need. At the same time, it will streamline the back-end experience for staff.”

The new tool, the result of a partnership between Enrolment Services and Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI), centralizes the comprehensive annual support made available to U of T students. That includes nearly 4,500 admission scholarships, 6,000 in-course scholarships and close to 19,000 bursaries to undergraduate and second entry programs. That’s on top of 16,000 combined awards, fellowships and bursaries to graduate students.

“In the past, students searched for awards on multiple sites and they weren’t always sure what they might be eligible for,” says Donna Wall, the director of financial aid and awards at Enrolment Services. “With the launch of Award Explorer, we’re moving toward a consistent user experience for students and staff. It’s the beginning of building greater awareness of the wide range of need- and merit-based supports available.”

Awards continue to be added to the repository daily by department and faculty administrators. During this transition, current award information will continue to reside on divisional and departmental websites to ensure this information continues to be accessible to the public. Students can also access the tool through ACORN’s “Awards and Aid” page.

“Since 2016, we’ve been gathering input and feedback from the academic divisions and other stakeholders,” says Farah Ally, the Award Explorer project manager. “Engaging closely with our key users, such as Laura Stathopoulos, director of financial aid at the School of Graduate Studies, has contributed to the institutional success of this project.”

Award Explorer is now the primary source of award information at U of T and its functionality will continue to expand. Future phases are already in progress, which include automatically matching students to awards, allowing students to apply for awards online and notifying them about funding decisions and payment information. They will also be able to track the status of their applications, track award payment history and access their award letters.

Congratulations to Diana Augustin, who will be retiring on March 31 after 20 years of dedicated service to the university.

Learn more about Diana below, and please join me in wishing her all the best in the future!

Cathy Eberts
Executive Director, Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration

Diana (Dee) Augustin, Information Technology Specialist
Joined U of T: November 2, 1999
Retirement and last day in office: March 31, 2020

Describe your background and how you arrived at EASI
I started in IT in 1987 at a bank downtown. I went to work at Monsanto in Mississauga in 1990. In 1994, I started working as a sub-contractor for Quantum at Dofasco in Hamilton. By 1997, I began contracting on my own at Swiss Re Life Insurance. That is when I met some of the other Natural developers, Tricia Kay and Dharmesh Amalsadia. When that contract ended it was on to CIBC Mellon where I met Nicky Lai and Luzinda van Huyssteen also Natural developers. I also met Matt Hendrickson in passing at this time on one of our lunches. When 2000 was fast approaching, it seemed that the contract market was drying up somewhat, so most of us came to work at U of T as fulltime employees. Moving from contract to fulltime here was the best decision I ever made as I spent the next 20 years working with most of the same people and loving it.

What will you remember most about EASI?
I will remember that my colleagues became like a family to me. They were always willing to help and be supportive even when it was not always work related. I was lucky to be in a group of very intelligent people who were more than willing to teach and so I continued to learn and grow which meant I never got bored. I also was lucky enough to get the best managers ever!

What will you remember most about U of T?
U of T for me represents all the good things you would want an employer to be. Through the years, I had several personal challenges and found that they were always open and willing to help in any way possible. It was very special to me to have such an accommodating employer, as we are all such unique individuals with different things to contribute.

What do you plan to do in retirement?
I am hoping to get some of my bucket list items checked off, the first one being travel. After that, I would like to take some cooking classes and spend a lot more time with my granddaughter. Doing whatever I want, whenever I want sounds wonderful to me.

What words of wisdom would you pass along to others?
Enjoy every day as though it is your last. We are not promised tomorrow so try to live without regrets, as there are no do-overs. Be HAPPY!