Page 29 - OIT Progress Report: 2025 Edition

Training Team
To facilitate the effective adoption and utilization of all
services, the IT Training team delivered comprehensive
training resources and workshops. These initiatives
encompassed thorough documentation, system testing,
and the delivery of more than a dozen training sessions
supporting the Microsoft Teams project. Additionally, a
new half-day workshop was introduced, blending vendor-
related materials with original course content to enhance
support for Salesforce Marketing Cloud users. The
team also developed documentation and instructional
resources for the my.SMU Grant Portal and FAFSA
projects. Furthermore, over 30 instructional videos were
produced, and updated documentation was created in
collaboration with the Registrar’s Office to guide academic
schedulers in making modifications within the Course
Catalog and Schedule of Classes.
The IT Training team partnered with the Altshuler
Learning Enhancement Center, the Deason Center,
and the Staff Association to fulfill requests for twenty
Excel sessions. The team facilitated other professional
development opportunities, including courses on AI with
Adobe Express, Adobe InDesign, Foundations of Video
Production, OneNote, SMU Student Services Orientations,
and Sitecore training for Content Editors.
To further encourage staff engagement in training, the
team piloted the IT Training Insider, a new newsletter
aimed at sharing productivity tips and highlighting
University-wide learning resources such as LinkedIn
Learning, Microsoft Certifications, and participation in
professional development workshops.
MOS CERTIFICATION
This year the IT Training
Team partnered with 21
faculty in 55 class sections
to administer over 2,800
Microsoft Office exams giving
students the opportunity to
gain foundational workplace
ready technology skills to
aid in academic success,
securing internships and
permanent employment.
SMU Alum Jacob Becker (‘17)
worked with IT Training this
year to discuss his
then-and-now
experience of
certification
and how it’s
helped him in
his career. One
of the program’s
highlights was having Jacob
share how certification still
helps him 8 years into his
career, and his advice to all
Cox first-year students.
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