STC 2025 Conference Schedule

Military Support Mission is a heartfelt activity that brings your team together to show appreciation for active-duty military members and veterans. Participants collaborate to assemble care packages filled with thoughtful items and messages of gratitude, creating a tangible way to give back to those who serve.

This activity encourages teamwork, communication, and a shared sense of purpose, as teams work together to ensure each package is filled with care and consideration. The event concludes with a meaningful moment of reflection as participants learn about the impact their efforts will have on the lives of service members.

Ideal for teams looking to strengthen connections while making a difference, Military Support Mission combines collaboration with a powerful cause for an experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Panelists: Ben Wanger (Balker Hostetler) and an Incident Response Technician from CrowdStrike

This presentation will feature a Mock Tabletop Exercise that explores the life-cycle of a ransomware incident, from initial discovery through negotiations with the threat actor and eventual recovery.

We will emphasize the critical role of IT in managing cyber incident response and highlight best practices for coordinating with various stakeholders: Campus Leadership, SUNY Leadership (SUNY System Administration, ITEC), Insurance, Legal, Forensics, Ransom Negotiator, Communications/Public Relations).

Key Takeaways for Attendees:

• Understanding the Ransomware Incident Life-Cycle: Gain insights into the stages of a ransomware incident, from detection to recovery.
• Effective Incident Response Coordination: Learn best practices for collaborating with internal and external stakeholders during a cyber incident.
• Role of IT in Incident Management: Discover the critical responsibilities of IT teams in navigating and mitigating ransomware attacks.
• Leveraging Insurance and Vendor Support: Understand how to effectively utilize insurance policies and vendor services for legal, forensic, and negotiation support.
• Communication Strategies: Explore strategies for managing communications and public relations during and after a ransomware incident.

Navigating travel approvals shouldn’t be a bureaucratic maze. At SUNY Cortland, we’ve transformed our Travel Authorization Request process using TDX iPaaS, streamlining approvals, reducing errors, and enhancing efficiency. This session explores our journey from a spreadsheet-and-PDF-based system—where approval requests were manually routed via email—to a fully automated workflow utilizing TDX’s ticket system and iPaaS. We’ll share key decisions, challenges, and lessons from implementing version 1.0, which has processed over 1,000 submissions since February 2024, as well as version 2.0, which is currently in final user testing. Learn how modular architecture, centralized data, and user-driven enhancements shaped version 2.0, enabling real-time edits and future-proofing our system. We’ll also highlight the collaboration between our UX and Automation experts, whose cooperative, iterative approach ensured both usability and scalability. Whether you’re digitizing approvals, refining workflows, or navigating iPaaS, this session offers practical insights to help you streamline processes and drive institutional change.

The Implementation Directors of key DTP projects will provide updates on the work the project teams have been doing to follow through on Chancellor King’s vision for technology. Hear how CrowdStrike has been completed for 40 campuses and has greatly improved their security. Learn about how the DTP is looking to leverage Artificial Intelligence. Find out more about the research and data projects to advance campus and SUNY ability to understand the environment and improve performance. See how these transformative technologies are being leveraged to take SUNY to the next level of digital support for our students, faculty, administration and support staff.

Join us for a panel discussion where we’ll look at 3 esports programs in different states of development. We will discuss technology in the arenas; what works, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently, given the chance.

We’ll also look at where programs are heading, and what we can do moving forward. Bring your questions and ideas, and join our conversation!

Beginning in the Fall 2024 semester, SUNY Oswego now offers long-term laptop loans in a collaboration between Penfield Library and Campus Technology Services. MacBooks and Dell Latitudes are available for students to borrow for a week or a full semester on a need-based basis.

Prior to this long-term loan program, students could borrow laptops for in-library use, but inventory management programs like Microsoft InTune and Jamf (for Macs) have allowed students to take the computers out of the library while remaining managed by CTS.

SUNY Oneonta’s Networking and Telecommunications team started tracking active network jacks back in the days of ServiceNow. We recreated the process in TeamDynamix and expanded our use of the Assets/CI app to include UPS, emergency phones, and card access door hardware. It’s not fancy but it has some distinct advantages over spreadsheets and other applications. Find out what we’re doing and why and share how you’re managing your Networking & Telecom assets and configuration items.

Join us at the conclusion of the technology exhibit for the Tuesday night dinner. Carving stations for surf and turf will complement a host of side dishes and cocktails as we continue our discussions of the day’s events.

We’re looking to continue the now annual tradition of an STC board game night! Come and relax, have fun, and get to know your fellow SUNY folks in one of the quieter settings of the week. No experience necessary – we will show attendees how to play any games. The host will provide games, but we will encourage attendees to bring some of their favorites if you’re willing to teach others how to play!

Many campuses have application developers on their staff, yet the subject of application development does not have a session category at STC to include developers and management in discussions around application security, source control, testing tools, and API development to allow data to be shared among campuses.

The purpose of this session is to identify whether there is interest in this subject as well as provide some guidance for future topics if there is interest.

SUNY Oneonta’s IT Organization recently assumed responsibility for the university’s card access / door access control system. We’d like to gather a group of individuals to learn more about what other campuses are doing in this space, best practices, integrations, and anything else folks might like to share.

The security update will review and explain how ITEC is meeting the requirements as a Service Provider for PCI and GLBA compliance. We will also review ITEC’s HECVAT and Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan, where to access it, and some of the outcomes from our BCDR tabletops.

We will also explore how ITEC’s Security Services can help your campus meet the evolving needs in SUNY Information Security. ITEC focuses on delivering services that accomplish needs in governance and regulation, as well as daily operational well-being. ITEC’s Security Posture Program can help meet common regulatory needs such as SUNY’s 6900 and GLBA. The Operational Security Center can give your campus extra personnel to focus on MDR, vulnerability testing, and security incident response.

In this talk, I will provide an overview of the CIS controls, review some of the resources CIS makes available, and delve into how they can be leveraged within a higher education context. I will dive into some of the specific controls as examples and speak to how SBU has implemented them.

In today’s higher education landscape, efficient and secure account provisioning is essential for supporting the dynamic needs of students, faculty, and staff. This presentation explores how TeamDynamix’s Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) can streamline and automate account creation processes across institutional systems. Attendees will gain insights into building scalable, low-code workflows that synchronize identity data, reduce manual intervention, and improve user onboarding experiences.

As a case study, SUNY Cobleskill will share how it is leveraging TeamDynamix iPaaS to automate the creation and management of faculty, staff, and student accounts—including provisioning, as well as real-time updates for Active Directory attributes such as chosen first name. This project was completed in close collaboration with TeamDynamix’s Matt Deakyne and SUNY ITEC, bringing together platform expertise and SUNY system-level support to ensure a successful implementation. By integrating systems such as Banner, Active Directory, and Microsoft 365, the institution has significantly reduced processing time, improved data accuracy, and enhanced the user experience across its digital ecosystem. This real-world example will illustrate the tangible benefits of adopting iPaaS for identity lifecycle management and demonstrate practical steps toward successful implementation.

Imagine if students had the freedom to create without material, test without location, and gather feedback before starting production. With Augmented Reality (AR) skills, students are ready to take creativity to the next level and add new innovations beyond our institutions. Market patterns are trending towards AR for online shopping and demonstration, and trained students have the experience and confidence to lead these projects.

AR Virtual Try-on with 3D fashion has revolutionized Genesee Community College’s (GCC) Fashion Business program. In 2024-25, GCC Fashion students designed original 3D garments for five Magic Mirrors, rolling out to key fashion courses, campus events, and the capstone fashion show. Using body-tracking camera filters, these interactive AR displays give everyone a chance to step into student-designed looks and “try on” digital fashion in real time, in person and online.

In our rural community college, this technology has enabled equitable access to advanced design tools for a wide range of students. Students can bridge creativity and technology to pitch their original AR and VR designs in the evolving consumer market.
Across many subjects, GCC can use AR to increase interaction between online and in-person students. As a cutting-edge interactive technology, Magic Mirrors boost engagement, enhancing teaching and learning. I will walk you through our successes and failures, giving you tools to add the Magic to your institution!

Just as filmmakers and artists are using AI to push creative boundaries, educators can now leverage these powerful tools to reimagine the visual landscape of learning. Our state-of-the-art image and video generation models empower teachers and students to effortlessly create visuals across diverse styles, from photorealism to science fiction. Easily generate images with Imagen 3, producing brighter, better composed visuals with richer detail and textures. Craft high-quality videos with Veo 2 simulating real-world physics with improved realism and fidelity, and offering advanced camera control options like specifying lens type and cinematic effects. Spend less time prompting and more time exploring personalized educational content, visualizing complex scientific concepts, bringing historical events to life, or illustrating abstract ideas in literature. Transform lessons with AI-powered visuals that engage learners in exciting new ways and cater to diverse learning styles.

We invite you to join us for an informative session on the innovative cybersecurity partnership between Forsyte IT Solutions, Semperis, and Microsoft, specifically developed for the SUNY System. The aim of this collaboration is to enable every SUNY campus to maximize the benefits of Microsoft’s advanced security platform without requiring extensive internal expertise or budget to deploy, maintain, and support the environment around the clock.

The reliance on traditional firewalls to prevent cyberattacks is outdated. With over 90% of all cyberattacks beginning with some form of identity compromise, the question is not if a breach will occur, but when. It is essential to have a fully integrated security platform designed to safeguard all your critical assets—users, workstations, servers. Equally important is having expert support available to assist you at every stage.

Attend this session to discover how Forsyte, Semperis, and Microsoft have collaborated to deliver a comprehensive, unified, end-to-end solution that protects both on-premises and cloud assets while significantly reducing the workload on your security team to manage and support the environment continuously.

This session delves into the transformative advantages of leveraging Extreme Capital Solutions (ECS) for funding projects in higher education. Attendees will explore how ECS offers flexible, innovative financing options tailored to the unique needs of colleges and universities, enabling them to address critical infrastructure, technology, and sustainability initiatives without straining budgets. The session highlights ECS’s ability to provide rapid access to capital, competitive terms, and customized repayment structures, which empower institutions to modernize facilities, enhance student experiences, and drive long-term growth. Through real-world case studies, participants will see how ECS bridges funding gaps, mitigates financial risks, and supports strategic goals, making it a game-changer for higher education institutions navigating today’s fiscal challenges.

Every Mac is designed with AI and Machine Learning in mind. Whether leveraging built-in features like Apple Intelligence or third-party services like ChatGPT, Copilot, and others, the Mac can help you do your best work today.

In this session, you’ll discover the hardware and software features that unlock these transformative capabilities— and you’ll learn how to integrate these features into your own workflows so that you can do complete tasks easier and faster while maintaining high-quality results.

Whether you’re a longtime Mac user or simply curious about what’s possible, you’ll leave this session with fresh ideas, practical tips, and tools you can start using right away.

Curious about the best desk phone options for Microsoft Teams? Or how to simplify your meeting spaces without complex AV systems?

In this session, AudioCodes will explore how SUNY and other institutions are modernizing their communications using Teams-certified phones and intelligent meeting room solutions. Discover how AI-powered features, modular room setups, and Android-based Teams devices are transforming hybrid learning environments.

Now is the time to reimagine how your campus connects, collaborates, and communicates.

Join this session for a special presentation by our STC Gold exhibitor, Veeam Software Corp.

Learn how Google AI is transforming prototyping for researchers, educators, and analysts. Explore:

• Deepen Research: Learn how AI can accelerate the research process by automating data cleanup, analysis, and investigation, while ensuring grounding — the ability to connect models output to verifiable and factual sources.
• Externalization: explores a structured API approach for educational LLMs, balancing the potential of AI with the need for quality, control, safety, high accuracy, and pedagogical value in educational applications.
• Extreme productivity: Discover how AI code generation and ideation tools can help developers or educators get started quickly and build prototypes with low-to-no code.
• Insight engine: Explore how AI enables analysts to extract deeper insights from data, automate repetitive tasks, and focus on more strategic, data-driven decision-making.

Discover how AI can help you prototype faster and smarter, regardless of your skill level.

AI’s transformative power in education is undeniable, with applications across the board. As this evolution accelerates, robust AI security, clear governance, and thoughtful policy frameworks become paramount, especially when AI is used by students, faculty, and staff. Join our panel discussion to delve into why these considerations are crucial and contribute your voice to the conversation about how SUNY can proactively address these challenges – ensuring privacy and data security while establishing ethical guardrails for responsible AI use.

Powered by the #1 AI CRM, Salesforce’s Education Cloud accelerates time to value and streamlines efficiencies for institutions of all sizes, making it easier to create personalized student experiences. Learn how to build a 360° view of every student, leverage AI powered Agents to improve the student/staff experience, and identify trends by leveraging MuleSoft’s reusable APIs and embedded analytics with Tableau, thereby driving student retention.

Discover how interactive flat panels can transform higher education learning spaces! This session will explore innovative features that empower professors to create dynamic, engaging classroom experiences. Join us to see how these cutting-edge tools can elevate teaching and enhance student participation.

What is the CISSP certification, what domains are covered in the exam, and what can we learn from the information even if you aren’t taking the exam?  Please attend to learn key information from the exam topics that can help improve the security posture of your campus. Topics to discuss include a vendor neutral approach to security’s role in the business, risk analysis, helpful frameworks, and a mindset shift for approaching security.

In today’s interconnected world, organizations of all types face an escalating barrage of sophisticated cyber threats. The sheer volume and diversity of connected devices, from traditional IT infrastructure to burgeoning IoT and OT environments, create sprawling attack surfaces that traditional security measures struggle to defend. This talk examines why comprehensive security visibility is no longer a luxury, but a foundational requirement for robust cybersecurity.

We’ll explore how a clear, continuous understanding of every asset—its configuration, behavior, and vulnerabilities—is crucial for effective risk management. This includes the ability to accurately prioritize vulnerabilities, enabling security teams to focus on critical threats and avoid being overwhelmed by data. We’ll discuss how unified visibility across diverse operating environments facilitates consistent security policies and safeguards against blind spots, particularly in complex or decentralized organizations.

This discussion will also demonstrate how enhanced visibility enables swift incident detection, containment, and remediation, minimizing the impact of breaches. We’ll emphasize the shift from reactive to proactive security postures, highlighting the importance of real-time monitoring and anomaly detection. Through practical examples and insights, this talk will illustrate how investing in robust security visibility is essential for building a resilient digital fortress in the face of persistent and evolving cyber threats.

Managing Macs at scale. In this session, we’ll explore the practical realities of using MDM platforms to wrangle fleets of macOS devices, with a particular focus on why Jamf remains our platform of choice over alternatives like Microsoft Intune. We’ll walk through key benefits of Jamf in real-world environments, including its automation capabilities, deployment workflows, and integrations within other ecosystems.

But this isn’t just a Jamf sales pitch. This is a community conversation. We’ll take time to highlight some of the common pain points Mac admins face—things like unreliable profiles, frustrating security baselines, and the constant push-and-pull between user freedom and organizational control. Whether you’re deep into Jamf, evaluating your MDM options, or just trying to keep your fleet from catching fire, this session is meant to offer both insight and solidarity.

Bring your experiences, your questions, and maybe even your horror stories. Let’s share what works, what doesn’t, and what we all wish Apple and the MDM providers would finally fix.

Update from System Administration leads on projects and initiatives across the System.

Open discussion on TeamDynamix topics

Digital access is foundational to the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals of any institution. If our digital content isn’t accessible, we are shutting out a significant portion of our audience. However, not everyone within our organization may know what digital accessibility is or how to effectively implement it. How can we help ensure that content and communications put out by our institutions are accessible?

By implementing the RAMPS framework, we can use simple tactics to encourage and support campus personnel to remove potential barriers. The acronym RAMPS stands for Request, Amplify, Model, Prioritize, and Support.

In this discussion, Kate DeForest will introduce how the State University of New York at Oswego uses RAMPS as a framework for cultivating a culture of access. She will share stories and ideas of how to easily integrate these principles into everyday interactions and workflows, thereby boosting accessibility awareness with minimal effort.

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Join us for the in-person version of our popular monthly group discussion. Come voice your topics and join in the conversation!

This birds of a feather session aims to bring together folks across SUNY who do Identity Management. We’ll chat about things like IDM systems, account lifecycles, automations, challenges, and successes.

LibreNMS is an open-source, autodiscovering network monitoring system built on PHP, MySQL, and SNMP. It is a community-based fork of the last GPL-licensed version of Observium. In this session, we will touch on SUNY Geneseo’s journey from Big Brother and MRTG, through rrdtool and Prime Infrastructure, into LibreNMS. We will explore how LibreNMS, our primary network management tool for thousands of devices, has been deployed at Geneseo.

Drawing from personal experiences with job-induced stress, this presentation introduces the ‘I.T.S. a New Day’ initiative, a creative approach to daily tasks that promotes growth and well-being. Participants will learn how to install updates to their stress management protocols, configure their personal settings for better work-life balance, and reboot their professional environment to one that prioritizes mental health, preventing burnout and enhancing overall job satisfaction.

This session will cover current System-wide technology agreements and initiatives updates.

Meet outside of Golden Arrow, the Conference Center, and Crowne to get on a bus to the conference event at Mt Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex.

Van Hoevenberg awaits! Join your STC colleagues at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex on Wednesday night for fun activities, good food and drink, and a re-run of the popular mountain coaster.

AI is transforming lives by improving accessibility and promoting ethical fairness. This presentation explores AI-driven accessibility solutions and ethical considerations. AI helps remove barriers for individuals with disabilities. Provides tools for communication, mobility, and interaction with technology. AI can mitigate biases and ensure fair treatment in hiring and education. However, ethical challenges remain, requiring responsible AI development.

Effective communication is paramount for any IT department, especially within a university setting. This presentation will detail the strategic development and implementation of a comprehensive communication plan by the Client Support and Communications wing of the IT department at SUNY Oswego. We will share our process for addressing the challenge of keeping the campus community informed about IT-related events, from planned maintenance to unexpected outages.

This session will provide attendees with practical, real-world examples of how to improve communication within an IT department. We will focus on the steps taken by SUNY Oswego’s IT department to create a robust communication plan, emphasizing the following key components:

• Formation of a Communication Council
• Development of a Comprehensive Spreadsheet that serves as a central repository for communication strategies and templates.
• Establishment of a Shared Resource Drive
• Outreach to Management

Attendees will gain actionable insights and practical tools that can be adapted for their organizations. This presentation will provide:

• A clear blueprint for creating a communication council.
• Examples of effective communication templates and strategies.
• A model for organizing and managing IT communication resources.
• Strategies for improving communication with various campus stakeholders, including management.

We will provide a copy of our template and discuss the process we developed.

When the IT department is the last to know that new technology is being evaluated for purchase, it makes procurement harder for everyone! At SUNY New Paltz, we aim to get ahead of the procurement cycle to make sure that critical considerations like security, accessibility, support, and integration happen before a product is chosen.

To meet this goal, we launched our Technology Acquisition Request Process over three years ago in collaboration with our Purchasing Department. This process leverages our TeamDynamix platform to create an easy request process and an efficient system to track and evaluate requested technologies.

We will show you how our process works, including specifics of setting up the support tickets and workflows in TeamDynamix. Not a TeamDynamix campus? Our step-by-step process can be translated into any similar ITSM platform.

If you’re ready to get ahead of the procurement cycle on your campus to help ensure appropriate and compliant products are being purchased, join us for this presentation, where we’ll discuss:

• How we implemented and evolved the process
• Which areas of ITS are involved in the process
• What we evaluate during the review process
• How we use TeamDynamix to implement the request for review
• How we use TeamDynamix to facilitate the review process
• A demonstration of how the approval workflow was created
• The process to handle exceptions for non-compliant technology

As many SUNY campuses are looking to modernize their communication infrastructure, SUNY Plattsburgh embarked on a transformative journey to migrate from a legacy Siemens PBX system to Zoom Phone; leveraging cloud-based flexibility while ensuring continuity and compliance. This session will detail the collaborative efforts between the Enterprise Systems, Network Operations & Telecommunications, and other ITS units. How these cross-functional teams successfully bridged legacy and modern systems using an AudioCodes SBC.

Key highlights include our process for evaluating and selecting physical devices (ultimately choosing the Poly E220), and our innovative approach to Enhanced 911 (E911) address handling. Working closely with Warren and Clinton County 911 services, we are implementing a “roaming 911” solution by mapping local switch ports to physical addresses. This eliminates the need for manual E911 updates when a user moves across campus. Instead, the system dynamically identifies the user’s physical location based on their network connection.

While many SUNY institutions are exploring Microsoft Teams for their telephony needs, this presentation offers a real-world case study for those considering a modern switch. Our practical insights and lessons learned will help other campuses make informed decisions, tackle migration challenges, and ensure safety in a cloud-first communications landscape.

We are pleased to share our experience in deploying a 24/7 Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) solution through Forsyte Guardian 365, a strategic initiative that has significantly strengthened our cybersecurity posture. This implementation has enhanced threat detection, incident response capabilities, and compliance adherence while minimizing operational impact across our institution.

Our deployment followed a structured, phased approach encompassing assessment, implementation, and optimization. We conducted a comprehensive security gap analysis, seamlessly integrated Forsyte’s MXDR with Microsoft security tools, and collaborated across IT teams to automate threat detection and response workflows, improving overall security efficiency.

As we continue to refine and optimize our cybersecurity strategies, we look forward to sharing key insights, challenges, and successes from our deployment to assist peer institutions in navigating similar security enhancements.

Join the COA AI Collaboration Group for an open, interactive “”Birds of a Feather”” session focused on artificial intelligence initiatives across SUNY campuses. This session provides a space for IT professionals, academic technologists, faculty, and administrators to share experiences, challenges, and ideas around AI integration in higher education. From generative AI in the classroom to operational automation, and governance, we’ll explore collaborative and effective opportunities for AI solutions within the SUNY.

Whether you’re deep into AI development or just beginning to explore its possibilities, this is a chance to connect with peers, align on common goals, and shape the future of AI across SUNY.

The SUNY Global ID system plays a critical role in identity management across campuses, ensuring seamless integration with key applications and processes throughout the entire SUNY System. This session will provide an in-depth update on recent enhancements, including key performance indicators (KPIs) for Global ID tickets, available reports, and review the support mechanisms for campuses. We will also evaluate the new workflow for the update process, designed to improve efficiency and accuracy. Additionally, we will explore the downstream impact on functions within SUNY, Human Resources and Institutional Research applications and processes. Attendees will gain valuable insights into these updates and learn how they can optimize their engagement with the SUNY Global ID API.

For the past five years we have been fighting against account compromises and lateral phishing campaigns in the Microsoft 365 environment. I would like to share the tools and techniques that we have adopted over that time to greatly lessen the impact of these campaigns on our campus using Microsoft A5 security. When we started Microsoft did not provide very much, but now there is a wealth of options.

Managing paper forms in the registrar’s office can be slow, inefficient, and prone to errors, creating challenges for both staff and students. This presentation explores how TDX iPaaS modernizes form processing by converting static PDFs into intelligent, interactive, and trackable eForms. These eForms are not just fillable—they dynamically adapt based on user inputs, ensuring that only relevant fields and options are displayed. They also integrate real-time data validation and auto-population features, reducing errors and improving accuracy.

With seamless integration into TDX tickets, submissions are automatically recorded, making it easier to track, process, and manage requests in real time. Students benefit from a more accessible and intuitive experience, while staff can reduce manual workloads and improve efficiency. Additionally, iPaaS’s responsive design allows smooth integration with other applications, ensuring scalability and flexibility for future needs.

This solution not only streamlines administrative processes but also enhances accuracy, security, and overall service quality. Join us to learn how digital transformation with iPaaS can create a faster, more efficient, and student-centered registrar’s office.

Please join me for a deep dive into the evolution of Zoom Rooms on Stony Brook’s Campus, tracing its journey from a crucial pedagogical solution during the pandemic to a powerful boardroom tool. This session will explore how Zoom Rooms effectively facilitated online instruction for large groups, addressing the challenges faced by faculty adapting to remote teaching.

I will then shift focus to the application of Zoom Rooms in a boardroom setting. I’ll share my experience using QSC to automate the room’s functions via iPad(s) and custom programming, detailing the development process, the hurdles encountered, and the ultimate satisfaction of creating this dynamic space for senior DoIT leadership.

Come and talk with fellow TOA colleagues about topics talked about at the conference or something that wasn’t. This is an open discussion for all TOA topics.