Welcome to the first IT Updates Digest, your monthly look at what changed in KAUST IT and what it means for you. This edition covers mid-August through September 2026.
In this edition
Choosing a scheduling tool
New this month
A macOS deadline
Your feedback at work
Featured #InsideIT article
Calendar, Shifts, or Bookings? Choose the right Microsoft 365 tool
A team meeting, an on-call rotation, and a laboratory reservation all involve a date and time, but they are different scheduling problems. Start with what you are actually scheduling, and the right tool follows.
Read the full article
Go deeper: one tool per article
Appointments and reservations
New this month
Launched August 16
The IT Service Center is live
Request services, report issues, message IT, and track progress in one place.
- Talk to IT directly inside your ticket.
- Reopen a ticket within 48 hours of closure if more work is needed.
- Share how it went in a short survey after your ticket closes.
August and September
Campus network upgrades continued
IT upgraded campus network switches, Wi-Fi, and residential network equipment during scheduled maintenance windows, each announced in advance.
See scheduled maintenance in IT Alerts
Running macOS Sonoma 14 or earlier? Upgrade by October 31
If your computer runs macOS Sequoia 15 or Tahoe 26, you do not need to do anything right now. If it runs Sonoma 14 or earlier, please upgrade by October 31, 2026. On a KAUST-managed device, open Self Service+ from your Applications folder. You do not need administrator rights.
Check your macOS version and upgrade
You spoke, we listened
Your feedback shapes what IT changes. Here is where it made a difference recently.
KAUST Portal
What we heard
In workshops, focus groups, and surveys, faculty, students, and staff told us services in the Portal should be easier to find and navigate.
What we did
We turned that feedback into a new Portal design prototype and walked the community through it in live demo and feedback sessions in early August.
Status: final adjustments before implementation
See how your feedback shaped the Portal
KAUSTCentral app
What we heard
A search bar was one of the most requested improvements from the first KAUSTCentral Design Thinking session.
What we did
Search is making its way into the app, and a second session on August 27 invited the community to shape the app's look, feel, and overall experience.
Status: search on its way into the app
Read the KAUSTCentral update
Tell us what to improve next
Something working well, or getting in your way? Your feedback helps IT decide where to focus, and it helps us shape future editions of this digest.
Share your feedback
Need help?
Ask VITA
Log a ticket, reset your password, or find IT information, anytime.
Open VITA
IT Service Desk
Dial 910 from KAUST, or use the full number from a mobile.
+966 12 808-0910
Walk-in support
Walk-in desk in Building 14, plus current hours for every option.
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