Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
    • Columnists
    • The Adam Dorrel Show
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
  • Life
    • Arts
    • FoodBlog
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Panoramics
    • Photo Galleries
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
You are here: Home / News / Xythos software loses its place on an increasing Google campus

Xythos software loses its place on an increasing Google campus

November 14, 2018 by Allison Harrell

The university will discontinue use of its Xythos software system beginning Dec. 20.

Xythos is a file repository that has served a decade in conjunction with myACU, allowing students and faculty to interact through assignment submissions and grading.

The program also serves as a place for individual or departmental file storage. In a limited context, it’s been used for the basic creation and posting of simple websites as used by different departments, such as the College of Business Administration and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications.

The Xythos system has been on campus for almost 10 years and has established a broad usage during that time. However, Jon Bruner, executive director of information technology, said in recent years the system provided by Blackboard has failed to provide any significant feature updates.

“It’s become dilapidated as a product,” Bruner said. “With no feature updates, it needed to be retired in the near future.”

Bruner said Information Technology has identified other systems already used on campus to maintain and replace Xythos.

“We are a Google campus,” Bruner said. “Google Drive has unlimited storage and serves a lot of the same purposes that Xythos has filled in that capacity. We also use Canvas as our learning management system and it has, built into it, the file submission interaction between faculty and students. So, to be able to provide a more consistent use for students, just having them use Canvas and the adopted elements, was a more desirable outcome.”

Bruner said through consultation with others on campus, IT has discovered there is a feature overlap where Xythos utilization for specific use cases has declined in recent years.

“This kind of provided an opportunity, with Google having released some of their new product sets and our adoption of Canvas a few years ago, for a natural move, not monetarily driven, to replace this tool or retire it,” Bruner said.  “So, I think we can replace it with tools that we already have.”

Faculty who previously used Xythos to set up a course through Dropbox this semester were alerted of future termination of the program in December. Bruner said IT has worked with the Adams Center and Education Technology to ensure professors can be taught and exposed to overlapping features and training in Canvas, if needed.

“As with any systems going away, there’s going to be some disruption,” Bruner said. “It’s the ‘Hey, I have files out there, what do I do with them?’ We’ve been very intentional about our communication with various groups of ACU constituents to say, ‘This is how this impacts you.'”

Dr. Jonathan Stewart, professor of finance, has been using the system for about ten years to host a website and podcasts for a Financial Management class. Stewart said that he appreciates the way IT has been proactive to let him know of the changes and when they will be implemented.

“They are also helping me evaluate options for moving my website and podcasts to a different server,” Stewart said. “I think the migration should be relatively easy and seamless.”

Filed Under: News

Other News:

  • Debate’s defeat of HPU caps 2019 season

  • Hispaniola journal looks for writers

  • Alums open Front Porch Coffee Company downtown

Avatar

About Allison Harrell

You are here: Home / News / Xythos software loses its place on an increasing Google campus

Other News:

  • Debate’s defeat of HPU caps 2019 season

  • Hispaniola journal looks for writers

  • Alums open Front Porch Coffee Company downtown

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
20h

Did you miss the final print edition of the semester? If you did, read it at the link below:
https://acuoptimist.com/2019/12/optimist-print-edition-12-06-19/

Reply on Twitter 1203050364016181250Retweet on Twitter 1203050364016181250Like on Twitter 1203050364016181250Twitter 1203050364016181250
acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
4 Dec

NEWS | For the first time in the station’s long history, 89.5 KACU is hosting a live radio play at the Paramount Theatre. To read more, click the link below:
https://acuoptimist.com/2019/11/kacu-to-bring-its-a-wonderful-life-to-the-paramount/

Reply on Twitter 1202331742431924224Retweet on Twitter 1202331742431924224Like on Twitter 12023317424319242241Twitter 1202331742431924224

Optimist on Facebook

This message is only visible to admins.

Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error

Error: An access token is required to request this resource.
Type: OAuthException
Solution: See here for how to solve this error

Videos

ACU Best Buddies recognizes White Ribbon week with wheelchair challenge

ACU Best Buddies educates students and faculty on disabilities and calls ... [Read More…]

  • A Distant Heartache: California wildfires impact out-of-state students
  • Sundaes on Mondays informs students about current issues
  • ACU Roundnet returns for a second year

More Videos

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
    • Advertising Rate Sheet
    • Print Edition Publication Schedule
    • Weekly Ads
  • Classifieds
  • Policies
    • Letters to the Editor & Reader Comments
  • Staff Contacts
  • Projects
  • Jobs

© 2019 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved