Technology Tool Consolidation Update: A Reminder as the Fiscal Year Winds Down
As the fiscal year winds down, a reminder that several technology tools currently in use across campus will be discontinued by June 30, 2025, as part of the SPU 135 Technology Workstream initiative. The goal of this project is to reduce operational costs, eliminate tool redundancies, and ensure that SPU’s technology ecosystem remains sustainable and well-supported.
Over the past year, the Information Technology department has worked closely with faculty, staff, and departments to review technology contracts, assess tool usage, and identify services that can be consolidated or retired.
Key Tools Being Discontinued and Alternatives
Technology | Purpose | Recommended Alternative | Primary Groups Impacted |
|---|---|---|---|
Zoom | Online meetings, webinars, and recordings | Faculty, Staff, Students | |
Formstack | Web forms | University Communications, Staff, Departments | |
Poll Everywhere | Live polling and audience feedback | Microsoft Forms, Teams Polls | Faculty, Staff |
LabStats & Remote Lab Access | Lab usage reporting and remote lab access for students and employees | On-campus labs or Library computers | IT, Faculty, Students |
PRTG Support & Maintenance | Monitoring IT-managed devices | Moving to unsupported license; replacement to be evaluated | IT |
Scantron & Parscore | Exam scoring and analysis | Tool deprecated due to Windows 11 incompatibility | Select Faculty |
Minitab | Teaching and statistical analysis | No longer needed | Faculty |
Tableau | Data visualization and reporting | Power BI or other tools | Faculty, Staff |
Important Note About Zoom
For faculty and staff who continue to use Zoom for external meetings, please note that SPU’s enterprise Zoom license will be discontinued at the end of this fiscal year. If you need to use Zoom after June 30, 2025 for external meetings related to your role (e.g. guild participation, academic partnerships), you will need to transition to a personal basic Zoom account. Please note that use of a personal basic Zoom account will also mean that IT cannot support the tool or issues with your account beyond June 30th and that issues with the application or account should be directed to the vendor.
Security Reminder:
Do not use your SPU credentials (SPU email and password) when creating a personal Zoom account. Using the same credentials across platforms is a security risk.
Be mindful of regulated data when using personal Zoom accounts. These platforms should not be used to discuss or share confidential, sensitive, or regulated information. Please refer to SPU’s Regulated Data Chart for guidance.
Need Assistance?
As we transition into the new fiscal year and phase out these tools, the IT Support team is here to help. If you have any questions, concerns, or need help navigating these changes, please contact us at itsupport@spu.edu.
Thank you for your continued collaboration as we work to build a secure, cost-effective, and forward-looking technology environment at SPU.