Dear CIA Community,
I hope everyone had a restorative summer. IT had a productive one, and here's what's new, changed, or worth a reminder heading into the new year.
Interactive Media Lab (IML)
The IML has just completed its first full year of operation, and it was a strong one. Over the past fiscal year, the lab recorded 3,576 total visits , 151 facility bookings , and 85 classes and open studio sessions , serving CIA students and faculty alongside business, community, and K–12 youth audiences. The IML was recognized with two 2025 Greater Cleveland Partnership Best of Tech Awards — for Education, Training and Accessibility, and for Organizations Supporting Tech Company Growth — and the Warren E. Anderson MidTown Collaboration Center was named MidTown Cleveland Inc.'s Project of the Year, with the IML as an anchor tenant. Thank you to everyone who taught, booked, visited, or collaborated in the space this past year. We look forward to welcoming you all to the IML this year.
A few points to note for the year ahead:
Room Reservations The IML has updated its room reservation procedure. To request an IML space, please complete the Room Reservation Form , available on the IML myCIA page. You can also view individual space descriptions and availability calendars . Requests will be reviewed and confirmed or denied during normal business hours. Some spaces and equipment may require prior authorization, training, or demonstrated proficiency before a reservation can be approved. Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. For requests outside of normal operating hours or for extended reservation periods, please contact iml@cia.edu .
IML Policies and Procedures The IML Manual is available for review and contains important information regarding facility use, equipment policies, safety procedures, and user expectations. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to review the manual before booking IML spaces or conducting classes and activities within the IML.
Operating Hours and Open Studio Access The IML will be open Monday–Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm. If extended operating hours become available during the semester, updates will be communicated through CIA Weekly and posted on myCIA. The Arcade will resume Open Studio access during operating hours unless the space has been reserved for programming or other scheduled activities. Any use of VR headsets in this space requires an advance reservation.
Faculty and Staff Consultations Faculty and staff interested in integrating IML technology and studios into coursework are encouraged to schedule a training session or consultation with the IML team. Appointments can be scheduled here .
New This Summer: XGRIDS PortalCam The IML has acquired an XGRIDS PortalCam , a handheld reality-capture scanner that is a significant step forward for Gaussian splatting and 3D reconstruction work. Faculty interested in bringing the PortalCam into coursework should reach out to the IML team to arrange a demonstration.
Getting to the IML The IML is located within the Warren E. Anderson MidTown Collaboration Center (1974 E. 66th St.), roughly a 12-minute bus ride from Main Campus. All students should already have an RTA pass. Faculty and staff who would like to take RTA to the IML can pick up day passes at the Help Desk (116). Please visit here for hours of operation and public transportation/driving directions.
Please contact the IML team at iml@cia.edu with any questions.
Artificial Intelligence
CIA has consolidated AI guidance, tools, and training resources on the AI Resources page on myCIA.
Tool access
- All students, faculty, and staff have access to Copilot Chat through M365.
- Faculty and staff may also request access to Copilot Premium or Claude. Visit support.cia.edu to create a ticket to get set up.
Please note that these provisioned tools are supported for administrative use .
The Business Model Transformation (BMT) AI Workgroup has ended regular meetings after meeting all objectives listed in the BMT. Thank you to Jen Ahern, Zack Frazier, Amanda Fronek, Kathryn Heidemann, Zach Morgan, Laura Ponikvar, Jason Price, Rachael Sauber, and Lisa Schumann for their time and expertise over these past ten months. This group was instrumental in developing an AI Governance Framework .
Training and ongoing sessions
- Mandatory AI training (via KnowBe4) has been sent to CIA employees. Due August 31st.
- AI Community Share sessions for faculty and staff have been scheduled monthly. Please refer to Matt Minnich's 8/18 email for details.
Student Laptop Requirements + Computer Labs
CIA has annual validation requirements for our longstanding laptop requirements. If students have yet to complete it, the most important first step is to take a brief assessment in our Canvas LMS to ensure they have the technological tools to be successful at CIA. This assessment needs to be completed every year, so even if it was completed last year, it needs to be re-taken. It only takes a few minutes. The final deadline to complete this assessment is August 28, but earlier responses are greatly appreciated.
Please visit the Laptop Requirements Overview page and Laptop Program FAQs for more information.
Students should be able to download and install most frequently used software on their laptops. For information on where to download popular software, including from Adobe and Autodesk, visit the Technology Store page (note: you must be logged in to myCIA to access software for personal devices).
Equipment Checkout / Media Services (325)
The Equipment Checkout / Media Services provides free equipment loan for all students, faculty, and staff, plus classroom and event multimedia technology support.
These include photo/video, lighting, sound, and a wide array of technology is available for loan, including brand new Wacom Movink displays , plus dozens of Cintiq displays and Wacom tablets. Make your reservation online through the Checkout patron portal .
While all students and faculty are required to have their own laptops, several loaner laptops are available for temporary use from Checkout for extenuating circumstances, such as a broken or missing device.
Equipment Checkout maintains two laptop carts — one Mac and one PC — that can be reserved. These carts are intended for special circumstances rather than routine class use. Please coordinate with Equipment Checkout well in advance if you have a course need.
Digital Output Center (DOC)
The Digital Output Center (Room 115) is CIA's in-house print shop, handling large-format and fine art printing, scanning, binding, mounting, and project consultation for coursework, portfolios, exhibitions, and administrative needs.
Personal Laptop Printing (PLP) As a reminder, students and adjunct faculty can print directly from their personal laptops using Personal Laptop Printing. Please visit here for complete instructions and resources. Visit this link for digital printing, scanning, and consultation.
myCIA Navigation
As we begin the new academic term, please note that content previously located in the Departments section of myCIA has been moved to Campus Services and other updated areas of the site. If you have saved personal bookmarks to myCIA pages, those links may no longer work. We encourage everyone to use the myCIA navigation menus to locate information, as navigation is updated whenever content is moved. If you encounter a broken link in a page or menu, please visit support.cia.edu to create a support ticket.
Teams, SharePoint + OneDrive
CIA is an M365 campus. Teams is our tool for video conferencing , and also supports chat, file collaboration, and telephony for those with phone extensions. If you would like a consultation on getting more out of Teams, SharePoint, or OneDrive, please visit support.cia.edu to create a ticket to request assistance.
WiFi Instructions
Please visit wireless instructions on myCIA or visit support.cia.edu if you require assistance with accessing WiFi.
Acceptable Use Policy and Backups
Creating backups of your important files is a key aspect in artistic, academic, and administrative workflows. Per Cleveland Institute of Art's Acceptable Use Policy , one's personal responsibilities include making "frequent and appropriate backups of their own work to guarantee protection against loss."
To facilitate backups, CIA provides several different options for faculty, students, and staff to make backups. You can learn about backup options here . In addition to simply using backup tools, users may also schedule a consultation with Help Desk staff to implement a backup strategy using these tools. To arrange a consultation, please visit support.cia.edu to create a support ticket.
Phish Alert Button + KnowBe4
A "Phish Alert Button" (PAB) is available in Outlook clients and in web-based email clients. The PAB allows you to report a suspected phishing email with the click of a button without needing to forward the questionable email to IT staff.
As a reminder, we will continue to train employees by regularly sending out simulated phishing tests. In addition, IT will be sending a cybersecurity assessment (SAPA) to employees in September.
Remember these three rules to stay safe online:
- Rule Number One: Stop, look, and think before you click!
- Rule Number Two: Do you spot a red flag or something phishy about the email? Verify the suspicious email with the sender through the phone.
- Rule Number Three: "When in doubt, throw it out." Delete emails that look suspicious or notify IT by using the PAB to report the message in question.
If an employee clicks on a simulated phishing test, they will automatically be enrolled in some refresher training from KnowBe4. The message they will receive from KnowBe4 inviting them to the training will be in a similar format to the message below. It is ok for you to click on the links in these KnowBe4 emails.
From: KnowBe4 do-not-reply@training.knowbe4.com Subject: You've been enrolled in training
Keeper Password Manager
Employees that handle sensitive data should be using Keeper as a password manager. If employees need assistance in using Keeper, please visit support.cia.edu .
Self-service Conference Room Booking
CIA uses a self-service booking tool called Joan. Employees can book the Reinberger Conference Room, 113, 327A, and IML Conference Room (coordinate with IML for space access first) directly by using Joan. Please visit these instructions for using Joan .
Student Texting
CIA uses an integrated system for student texting. For students to receive general non-emergency communication text messages from CIA, incoming students must submit this form to opt-in to receive these messages. Continuing students are encouraged to check this form to ensure that we have their correct cell phone number on file as well as submit updates to their cell phone if needed.
Emergency Notifications (Omnilert)
- All CIA community members are automatically signed up to receive emergency emails.
- CIA uses Omnilert as its emergency contact management system.
- Community members can review and update their emergency contact information, including phone numbers for emergency text messages, at CIAlerts .
- Please take a moment at the start of the year to confirm your information is current.
Software Request Policy and Online Services Catalog
For faculty and staff needing to request software or access to an online service, please refer to the Online Services/Software Request Policy and Procedures . Also please refer to the Online Services Catalog (login required) to get a comprehensive list of currently supported services.
IT Readiness for Remote Work
CIA employees may be eligible for remote work per the employee handbook . For those employees who have the need to work remotely, please keep in mind that remote access tools such as VPN should be tested prior to working remotely.
Contact Us and Service Desk Hours
The technology staff is here to help. If you need any assistance, please visit support.cia.edu to submit a support ticket. You can also visit our offices and service desks. The hours are listed below:
Administrative Offices (413)
- Technology Management, Networking and Infrastructure, Online Services, Administrative Computing
- Open 8:30am–4:30pm Monday–Friday
Digital Output Center (115)
- Digital Printing, Scanning, and Consultation
- Open 9am–5pm Monday–Friday (through ~9/4), Open 9am–9pm Monday–Friday (starting ~9/8)
Equipment Checkout Main Campus / Media Services (325)
- Free equipment loan for all students, faculty, and staff + Classroom/event multimedia technology support
- Open 8am–8pm Monday–Thursday, 8am–7pm Friday (through ~9/4), Open 8am–10:30pm Monday–Thursday, 8am–7pm Friday (starting ~9/7)
Help Desk (116)
- Drop-in and scheduled support for all technology matters, Student/faculty/staff laptop pickup, Laptop Exemptions, RTA day passes for faculty and staff
- Open 8:30am–4:30pm Monday–Friday
Interactive Media Lab (Warren E. Anderson MidTown Collaboration Center, Ste. 210)
- Studio and lab space for immersive and emerging technologies, Free equipment loan for all students, faculty, and staff
- Open 8:30am–4:30pm Monday–Friday, Special events by appointment
In closing, we are here to help. Please don't hesitate to contact us .
Looking forward to a great 2026-2027 school year!
Best,