Latest Contributions by GeriMiller

Colleagues:   As the academic year begins in many countries, we want to provide updated recommendations for installing ArcGIS on student and employee-owned devices.  This is particularly important now that many students are learning remotely using their own devices.   The Esri Education Program offerings allow deployment of any product on student-owned devices; these offerings include the Education Institution Agreement, Academic Department License, and ArcGIS for Student Use.   We now recommend that institutions provide access to students and employees following these best practices for sharing ArcGIS executables and license files.   To meet increasing demand for online learning and to provide the flexibility expected of cloud computing, we updated our offerings in 2017 to permit any software licensed to a college or university to be deployed (installed and used) on student-owned devices and in hosted environments as well as on institution-owned and employee-owned devices.   The previous method of ordering separate 1-year Student Licenses (EVA codes) is now redundant and obsolete.  Thus, we will retire the pages www.esri.com/slpromo and www.esri.com/EducationEdition at the end of the year. They will not be updated for ArcGIS Desktop 10.8/ArcGIS Pro 2.6.   Last, please refer to the following resource on How to Manage ArcGIS with your updated Institution Agreement (previously known as Site License). ... View more

The Esri Development Center (EDC) program, soon will be renamed Esri Innovation Program (EIP), confers special status and benefits upon a select few leading universities that challenge their students to create innovative applications and projects with ArcGIS technology.  Every year, universities that are a part of this program select one student to be their Student of the Year recipient - for innovative use of ArcGIS technology in learning or research.  Simply sharing the wonderful work that some of these students have done, via this Story Map.  Congratulations to them, and the faculty/instructors who mentored these students.  ... View more

At the User Conference Plenary session, Jack Dangermond briefly announced a new program, the Learn ArcGIS Student Program, designed to provide access to software and lessons to higher education students who are learning ArcGIS independently (outside of a formal course), and who don’t have access through their institution. The program provides access to ArcGIS and self-paced learning resources for self-initiated learning anywhere and at any time.    The program will have a global reach. It is designed for students in fields such as data science, public health, business, journalism (and many others!) who know the value of GIS to their work but lack access to software and training. It provides motivated students a way to acquire additional skills that expand their career options in the digital economy.        This program builds on the success of the program launched in March to support students and educators amidst COVID-19 college/university closures.  That program offered free software access and learning resources via extended Learn ArcGIS membership to students globally until August 31st, 2020.    The new program will launch September 1, 2020 and will offer qualified students free access to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro for one (1) year through a membership in the Learn ArcGIS organization.    Higher education students whose institution already has education licensing should seek access to ArcGIS via their institution. For learning as part of a formal course/degree program, research, or operational/administrative use, access should be provided by the institution.   Many of you are implementing these best practices for enabling access to ArcGIS for all students, faculty and staff via your institution’s license. Please continue to follow these best practices; this program should not change existing workflows.       For further details, here is an FAQ explaining who this program is for, eligibility, what is included, verification process, and what happens after the 1-year ends. ... View more

Education Colleagues: There are different approaches for off-boarding ArcGIS Online users (students graduating, faculty and staff retiring or leaving the institution). We often get asked for advice on how best to off-board and what to communicate. I am taking the liberty to share an example from a fellow institution, University of Michigan, on their practice. Thank you Peter Knoop. Below is the current text of an email they send to everyone in the ArcGIS Online organization a few weeks before the end of each semester. Feel free to think of similar approaches for your institution.  *Note that the links in the email referring to an FAQ (Google Doc) that will not work outside of the University of Michigan. The relevant sections are excerpted and pasted at the bottom.  ------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this email because you used ArcGIS Online, StoryMaps, GeoPlanner, or some other part of the Esri ArcGIS platform at the University of Michigan during the past year. Who is this message for? Graduating students or those otherwise leaving the University of Michigan.  What is this message about? After graduating or leaving the University, you will no longer be able to login; however, your content will not be immediately deleted. (Access for students not enrolled over Spring/Summer but returning in the Fall will continue as usual.) What do I need to do? If you want to maintain access to ArcGIS and your content, like Web Maps and StoryMaps, then you need to transfer the content from your U-M ArcGIS Online account to another ArcGIS Online location. You have several options:   Transfer to another U-M user -- If you own content that you created in collaboration with others at U-M, and they are still dependent on it (and they are still eligible to use ArcGIS), then you should transfer the ownership of that content to them. For instance, if you created a StoryMap or Web Map for a faculty member to use in their research or teaching, then you should have ownership of those items transferred to them. (More info in FAQ.) Transfer to an ArcGIS for Personal Use subscription -- This is a fully functional environment, just like you have been using at U-M, but just for you. You can transfer your content here, and continue to work on it and share it with others, such as potential employers to highlight your skills. It is also a great environment with which to continue developing and expanding your GIS skills, and includes free access to most of Esri’s training materials. It is for professional development purposes and cannot be used in for-profit activities. The cost is $100 per year. (More info in FAQ.) Transfer to another ArcGIS Online organization -- If you will be heading off to a job or enrolling elsewhere, and your new organization has their own ArcGIS Online subscription, you could transfer your content to their organization, if they permit this. (More info in FAQ.) Delete your content -- You can delete any content you no longer need. Your content will not be stored indefinitely after you leave the University, and eventually will be deleted. (More info in FAQ.)   If you need help determining what to do with your content, assistance with the various transfer options, or have other questions about ArcGIS, please feel free to contact us at xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.   You may also find the answers you need in our FAQ.   -------------------------------------------------   Subset of questions from  the FAQ...   -------------------------------------------------   What does our Esri Education Institution License permit me to use the Esri ArcGIS Platform for?   The general terms of the Esri Education Institution License cover functionally unlimited use for university-related academic purposes (teaching and research). Use for university-related administrative purposes is covered as well, but under slightly more restrictive terms (please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email> for more details.)   Our license covers nearly all products included in the Esri ArcGIS platform. It also covers installation on personally owned devices, as long as you are using it for university-related business, including self-education.   Additional information on permitted use can be found in the Rubric for Determining Permitted Uses under the Esri Education Institution License Program. If you have any questions or concerns regarding licensing, for any component of the Esri ArcGIS platform, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>. After I graduate or leave, when will I lose the ability to login? Graduating students typically lose access a couple weeks after graduation.    Your access is tied to your role at the University of Michigan. As long as you have at least one role as an active student, staff, faculty, or sponsored affiliate, then your University of Michigan account will remain authorized to use ArcGIS.    You can check your role(s) by looking yourself up in MCommunity. What if I can no longer login but need help with managing my content? Please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>for assistance. What can I do if I have graduated or left U-M but still need to work in ArcGIS on a U-M project? Ask a U-M faculty or staff member collaborating with you on the project to sponsor you for access. They can request MCommunity Sponsorship for your uniqname at no cost.    You may only use your access to ArcGIS as a Sponsored Affiliate for the purposes of working on U-M projects. Can I still access my content after I leave? You will still be able to access content, if you shared that content publicly with Everyone, even after you can no longer login.   You will not be able to access content whose sharing is limited to private or with a group. Can group members access my shared content after I leave? Yes, if you shared content with a group, then other members of the group will still be able to access that content as they were before, as long as they remain active members of the University. Can I still access my publicly shared content after I leave? Yes, anyone can access publicly shared content without having to login. Can I still use ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Desktop after I leave? Not through U-M. You can obtain your own ArcGIS for Personal Use organization for professional development purposes, and it includes licensing for Pro and Desktop, as well as other ArcGIS components. How do I transfer ownership of content to another U-M user? Please use the ArcGIS Online Ownership Transfer Request form to indicate what content needs to be transferred, and to whom it should be transferred. You can organize your content in a folder in ArcGIS Online to simplify identifying what content needs to be transferred. How do I obtain an ArcGIS for Personal Use subscription? See the ArcGIS for Personal Use website for details. How do I transfer content to my ArcGIS for Personal Use subscription? If you need assistance transferring content to a Personal Use organization, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>.   Most ArcGIS Online content can be transferred using ArcGIS Online Assistant, however, one notable exception is ArcGIS StoryMaps. For assistance with content that cannot be transferred via ArcGIS Online Assistant, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>. How do I transfer content to another ArcGIS Online Organization? If you need assistance transferring content to another ArcGIS Online organization, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>. You may also need to contact the administrators of the destination organization.   Most ArcGIS Online content can be transferred using ArcGIS Online Assistant, however, one notable exception is ArcGIS StoryMaps. For assistance with content that cannot be transferred via ArcGIS Online Assistant, please contact xxx@umich.edu <your GIS support email>. What happens to my Content if I do nothing? The content you have stored in ArcGIS Online, such as Web Maps, StoryMaps, Feature Layers, etc., will not be deleted immediately when you leave the University.    While we cannot guarantee your content will kept at all after you leave the University, our plan is to only delete content when:   Content owner has not logged in during the last 2-years and no one has viewed the content in the last 3-years. Content owner has not logged in during the last 3-years and no one has viewed the content in the last 2-years. Content owner has not logged in during the last 4-years and no one has viewed the content in the last 1-year. Content owner has not logged in during the last 5-years.   ... View more

Meeting Recording: Returning to Campus Safely: Plan, Prepare, & Respond to COVID-19 with GIS, recording access password is 7t&w?4J* Resources page: Returning to Campus Safely Education Colleagues:   We’ve seen many inquiries for advice on leveraging GIS technology to reopen campus. Given the needs of the community, we are organizing a community web meeting on the topic, see details below.   We look forward to seeing you there. The community meeting will be recorded and posted on GeoNet.   ***   Title Returning to Campus Safely: Plan, Prepare, & Respond to COVID-19 with GIS   Date/Time 6/23/2020 – 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EST Description How do we maintain safe social distances across campus? How do we track high-traffic area sanitation requirements? How can staff report their daily health status? These are just a handful of the questions that campus administrators are asking as they look to bring students and staff back to campuses this fall. At the heart of these questions is the need to open and operate safely.   To solve these challenges, spatial data and tools play a key role.   This web meeting will explore a range of solutions, some of which you can do with technology provided as part of your Institution Agreement (i.e. site license), some of which may require additional technology, such as ArcGIS Indoors and Tracker for ArcGIS.    Audience Campus IT, GIS administrative staff, facilities staff   Length 1:30  Allowing time for Q&A/discussion Meeting Recording: Returning to Campus Safely: Plan, Prepare, & Respond to COVID-19 with GIS, recording access password is 7t&w?4J* ... View more

As you are aware, the 2020 Esri User Conference is moving to a virtual format.  The event will include Plenary sessions, technical workshops, user sessions, an Expo, and unique networking events. It will take place July 13-15. Registration will be complimentary for all Esri customers with current licenses/maintenance. In addition, it will be free for all currently enrolled students and 2020 graduates, regardless of whether their institution has Education Program licenses. This FAQ provides additional details about registration policies and the event format. Please socialize this broadly across your campus community, as this is a great opportunity to broaden GIS knowledge and learn new skills. Below is a list of commonly asked questions: Q: Can really anyone at my institution attend? A: Yes. Institutions with a current Education Program license may register an unlimited number of participants (e.g., Education Institution Agreement/Site License, Academic Department license/Lab Kit, Administrative Use Department license, Schools Bundle). This means ANYONE in your institution can attend.   Q: Do I need to provide our institution’s Customer Number to register? A: Yes, a Customer Number is needed for full-conference access for faculty and staff.  This video walks through the registration process. However, students can register for full-conference access without a customer number - see next question for details on student registration.  In addition, anyone can register for the Plenary session only without a Customer Number.      Q: I am a student at an institution which does not have an Education program license or would like to register independent of my institution with Education program license. A: Any student or 2020 graduate can attend the Virtual UC for free.  This video walks through the process, or you can follow these instructions:  1. Go to www.esri.com/uc and click on Registration.  2. Click Register now under the heading Student access.  3. Log in with an Esri Account.  (If you do not have an Esri Account, create a Public Esri Account.) 4. The Virtual UC Student access rate will be selected. Please send proof of enrollment to confregis@esri.com. Proof of enrollment can be a photo/screenshot of your most recent course schedule or student ID card (with a date of issue or expiration date). 5. Complete the Personal Information section. 6. Review and accept the policies and submit your registration.  Q: Is it OK to provide my Customer Number to everyone at my institution and do I need to provide special instructions? A: Yes, please share your Customer Number with your users across campus. Some of your users may already be linked to your Customer Number in MyEsri.  For these users, the Customer Number will automatically populate when they log into their ArcGIS account to register for the conference.  If the Customer Number does not automatically populate, the user should enter it manually during the registration process.  The user may then be instructed to request permission to connect their ArcGIS account to the university’s customer account through MyEsri.   The MyEsri administrator determines what permissions to grant, so providing someone with your Customer Number does not automatically provide access to all licenses or to Technical Support.  Q: Can I get a list of users who have registered under my customer number? A: Yes, on MyEsri there is an Events tab that shows a quick summary of who has registered under your customer number.  There also is a more detailed report available under the Reports tab. On the Events tab, the section showing Complimentary UC Registration should be ignored for this virtual offering, since complimentary UC Registrations are unlimited. Note: Students who register under the Student rate will not appear in these reports. Q: Is the Education Summit taking place? A: The Education Summit will be moved to a later date.  Details about the schedule and format will be shared as they become available. ... View more

Amidst COVID-19 closures, many educators have sought to virtualize ArcGIS to support their courses. One of the ways is to leverage the AWS Educate Program, which provides EC2 instances (virtual computers), among other AWS services, as well as enhances student’s knowledge of cloud environments in general. Given recent experiences shared by a couple of educators, we wanted to take the opportunity to share lessons learned and provide further guidance in terms of running ArcGIS on EC2. With the AWS Educate Program, there is a an option for a AWS Educate Starter Account, and "regular" AWS Account. The AWS Educate Starter Account does not support access to AWS Marketplace for EC2, which means that access to preconfigured Marketplace AMIs will not be available. Esri does provide preconfigured AMIs on the AWS Marketplace, which come with pre-installed ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcMap (not ArcGIS Pro), and hence are not available with a Starter Account. Starter Account No credit card required sign-up Eligible for free credits through AWS Educate No access to Esri's ArcGIS Enterprise AMIs in Marketplace; have to share your own custom AMI to students, or have students install ArcGIS on their own. Regular Account Credit card required for sign-up Eligible for free credits through Educate Access to Esri's ArcGIS Enterprise AMIs in Marketplace; can share your own custom AMI to students, or have students install ArcGIS on their own. The ArcGIS Enterprise AMIs are a wonderful way to start but are highly customized and have a large footprint/overhead. Unless you are teaching ArcGIS Enterprise in your course, if your intent is to just provide access to ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap, the recommendation is to create your own custom AMI, and share that with your students.  Alternatively, have your students start from an appropriate base Windows AMI and install ArcGIS on their own.   Advantage of creating one’s own AMI, then making it available to the whole class is that you can also include other helpful tools in your own image (7-zip, Notepad++, Chrome, Atom, PyCharm, etc.).  When this approach is taken, you would need to ask the students to send their AWS account IDs, then share the AMI with those IDs (i.e. an additional step). In terms of covering any outstanding costs, AWS has provided codes that could be distributed to students and redeemed for AWS credits, so consider reaching out to AWS directly.   Also, it should be mentioned that, yet another approach is to have an AWS centralized account for the class/department, and instructor or staff spins the instances for the students, using a similar pre-configured AMI approach. The advantage of a centralized account is that the students do not need individual AWS accounts (i.e. lesser amount of steps), which has worked well for some institutions. However, there are associated costs, though AWS could also provide codes/credits for educational purposes to cover the costs. Feel free to review the following webinar on “Enabling Remote Access and Virtualizing ArcGIS”, outlining additional virtualization options. If you are considering Azure as an environment, the videos below from our colleagues from Esri Canada will be very helpful.       ArcGIS Desktop Azure VMs, Sizing, Cost and Sample Templates       How to Launch pre-configured ArcGIS Desktop virtual machines in Azure Thank you to Peter Knoop, University of Michigan, and James Detwiler, Penn State, for sharing their experiences above. ... View more

As part of our continued efforts to support students and educators amidst COVID-19 university closures, we will offer free Student licensing until August 31 st , 2020 – via Learn ArcGIS.  The following Press Release was published, feel free to share widely - Esri Offers Students Free Access to Software for Continued Education through Coronavirus Closures. In essence, we’re extending the Learn ArcGIS membership from the standard 60 days to August 31 st , and anyone who signs up will have that extended access. The membership includes access to ArcGIS Online and over 20 apps including ArcGIS Pro, along with a library of lessons that are available in seven languages. New lessons on public health have just been added. To sign up for a membership in Learn ArcGIS, visit learn.arcgis.com/en/become-a-member/. This offer is retroactive for Learn ArcGIS users who registered since March 1. Any new signups may not see an immediate message communicating August 31 as an end date, but that is the effective end date. Messaging will be communicated later.  Below is a lists of FAQ we have seen from Educators, please feel free to ask additional questions. For additional questions please check our Student Access FAQs. Q: What is Learn ArcGIS? A:  Learn ArcGIS is a free resource for learning to use ArcGIS in the context of real-world problems.  It provides hands-on lessons for many products, such as ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, Story Maps, Survey123, and more – over twenty in all.    Lessons can be filtered by capability (e.g., mapping, spatial analysis, real-time visualization); product; industry; resource type; or geographic region.  Learn Paths are curated collections of resources on a given topic, such as spatial analysis or health, providing easy access to a series of activities.   Q: My institution already provides ArcGIS, how is this different?    A: If your institution already has ArcGIS deployed successfully, we recommend that students utilize the institution-provided licensing that is already in place. Therefore, this offer may not be applicable.  However, there are still students worldwide, who do not have access. Hence, we wanted to provide access for them.       Q: Does this offer create another ArcGIS Online account? Are they related?  A: This offer creates an account in the ArcGIS Online organization managed by Learn ArcGIS. This account is separate, and not related to any ArcGIS Online account provided by the university. To minimize confusion, if your institution already provides student licenses via their institution agreement (i.e. site license) AND if students are leveraging this free student license offer, please ensure that they are aware that the two accounts are separate.     Q: How do I copy content from my Learn membership to my university account?   A: Currently there are three ways to copy content from one organization to another - 1) ArcGIS Online Assistant, 2) GeoJOBE Admin tools, 3) ArcGIS API for Python.       Q: Where do I get the installation files/executables to install ArcGIS Pro?   A: Instructions will be sent via email when students register.  Students will receive one email message to activate their account, then a second message with instructions to download ArcGIS Pro.  Once you've received your account information, log into the Learn ArcGIS Organization and go to  https://learn.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-pro-for-learn-members/. Q: Does my Learn membership include ArcMap?   A: ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap) is not included.  ArcGIS Pro is the desktop application included in the Learn membership. Q: What support is offered (e.g., download and installation, general software use), and how do I get help?  A: Community support is available in the Learn ArcGIS GeoNet community .  You can ask questions and search for information in the Content feed.   Q: I’m younger than 18 years; can I use this offer?  A: No, this offer is available only for students 18 years or older, based on Esri’s Privacy Policies.  If you’re a student under age 18, a parent or guardian can create an account on your behalf.  For additional questions please check our Student Access FAQs. ... View more