Beginning Monday, Oct. 5, the portal “My UNC Charlotte” will debut; it will eventually replace 49er Express on Nov. 16. As vendor support for 49er Express is ending, ITS has worked with faculty, staff and students to re-examine and optimize the University’s gateway to a myriad of systems and services that include Banner Self Service, Academic Advising and 49er Mart.
A My UNC Charlotte prototype was developed and tested with different audiences who provided helpful feedback to shape the new site. Beth Rugg, assistant vice chancellor for client engagement in ITS, said, “So far, the feedback has been quite favorable. Students, faculty and staff seem to find it visually appealing and well-organized.”
When My UNC Charlotte becomes available on Oct. 5, users are encouraged to try the site and provide feedback. “If you’re looking for something and can’t find it, let us know; if we’re missing an important link, let us know,” said Rugg.
My UNC Charlotte and 49er Express will run in tandem until Nov. 16, at which time 49er Express will fully retire. When this occurs, 49erexpress.uncc.edu will automatically redirect to my.uncc.edu for one year. Additionally, the 49er Express link on the University’s home page will change to My UNC Charlotte.
Single sign on offers reduced logins
In addition to the improved look and feel, people will discover a reduction to the number of times they need to login to different systems. Many systems in My UNC Charlotte are part of the University’s Web authentication service or Single Sign On (SSO). For example, once a person is in My UNC Charlotte, he or she can automatically enter other systems such as Gmail, NinerTalent and Skillport. Check of these FAQs about SSO.
Although some systems will still require a separate login, such as Moodle, SSO will improve users’ overall login experience. For a full listing of SSO systems, click here.
Protecting privacy when using shared computers
SSO is an added convenience; however, it underscores the importance of logging out of all accounts when using shared computers. To reduce this risk, ITS, the Office of Classroom Support and local IT partners are working to implement “privacy mode” in many shared computer browsers around campus. This is when a browser doesn’t store the browsing history of a user’s session, hence a “private” session. Remember — the best protection is each user should proactively log out of the browser and the computer individually.
Improved navigation, visual appeal and Single Sign On convenience are features ITS hopes the new My UNC Charlotte brings to campus, Rugg said. “By making it easier to find information, we hope everyone will benefit.”