Apple Higher Education IT
News and Updates — Florida
August 3, 2026
Our own SE Office Hours sessions are coming up August 19 and 20. I'll have full session details in the next edition, but I wanted to get these on your calendar.
⏰ Happening this week: IT Tech Camps start tomorrow, take a look at the schedule below if you haven't registered yet.
I'd like to call your attention to something. Below you'll find some information on adding campus ID to Apple Wallet. If your institution hasn't looked into this yet, I'd like to start that conversation with you.
Declarative Device Management is a theme you're going to hear about with increasing frequency. I've included several new how-to guides and tool updates worth taking the time to explore. I've also gathered notes from the MacAdmins Conference session recordings, now posted online, with a few sessions to consider if you don't have time to watch all of them (but you should certainly look through the full list of sessions).
Thank you,
Tim
📍 Featured
SE Office Hours — Save the Date
Two sessions to choose from — August 19 and August 20.
Mark your calendar for our next SE Office Hours: Wednesday, August 19, 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET, repeated Thursday, August 20, 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET. Full session topics and WebEx meeting link will be in our next edition, ahead of the dates. Save the date now so it's on your calendar either way.
📱 Campus ID in Apple Wallet
Let's Talk About Bringing This to Your Campus
Apple Wallet lets students, faculty, and staff carry their campus ID right on iPhone and Apple Watch. No more worrying about a lost or forgotten card: a simple tap gets students into dorms, libraries, and campus events, and pays for laundry, snacks, and meals nearby, on and off campus.
A growing number of colleges and universities have already added campus ID to Apple Wallet. Duke University is one example: they rolled this out campuswide, adding the DukeCard to Student ID in Apple Wallet for a campus that sees about 100,000 people a day across more than 250 buildings. As Tracy Futhey, Duke's VP for Information Technology & CIO, put it:
"By pushing the boundaries with our technology, what we're ultimately doing is helping the university achieve its mission, while providing a great experience for everybody at Duke."
Interested in bringing this to your institution? Standing this up takes some coordination, including card office systems, app integration, and a few conversations to get the right teams connected. If you'd like to explore this idea, reach out to me directly and I'll help get you connected to the right people on the Apple Wallet team.
Back to topDDM & Fleet Update Management
Deploying VPP Apps With No MDM Commands
A clean how-to from philipross walks through deploying Volume Purchase Program apps purely through Declarative Device Management, with no MDM commands involved at all. If your team is exploring how far DDM can take app deployment on its own, this is a solid, practical walkthrough. Read the guide
Deploying DDM OS Reminder 4.0.0 in Jamf
DDM OS Reminder turns an enforced macOS update deadline into a visible, scheduled reminder for end users, sitting alongside your existing DDM workflow rather than replacing it. Jon Brown's deployment guide walks through a real Jamf install, treating the configuration profile and the installer script as separate deliverables, with endpoint evidence from a working setup along the way. Read the deployment guide
A few more worth a look if you're in this space: Der Flounder's two-part series on configuring Jamf Pro API Roles for Auditor- and Administrator-equivalent access (Part 1, Part 2), Eclectic Light's command-line walkthrough of the softwareupdate tool, and S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N., the open-source DDM update-enforcement tool that got a fresh look at this year's MacAdmins Conference.
Back to topMacAdmins Conference Recap
Session recordings from MacAdmins Conference 2026 at Penn State (480+ attendees) are now live on YouTube, with most slides posted to the conference resources page. A few sessions worth your time:
- "macOS 27: What You Need To Know" — Robert Hammen
- "Platform SSO State of the Union" — Arek Dreyer
- "The Evolution of macOS Identity: PSSO, Network Relay, and What's Next" — Adam Derrick
- "FileVault 101" — Rich Trouton
- "What's New in Munki" — Greg Neagle
- "Managing the Unmanageable: Rolling out Managed Apple Accounts" — Katie Due, Affirm — one of the most talked-about sessions of the conference, and a topic that comes up often in conversations across Florida.
Watch the full playlist · Session slides
Save the date: MacAdmins Conference returns to Penn State July 13–16, 2027.
Back to topTools Worth Knowing
Claris Pulse — Ask Questions About Your Fleet in Plain-English
Claris Pulse is an AI data assistant that connects to your data, MDM exports, and ticketing systems, then answers plain-English questions with charts and downloadable summaries. No formulas or prompt-engineering required. It now connects directly to Apple School Manager data as of June 15, and is already in use at several higher ed institutions. One school district reported cutting a state accountability file comparison from hours down to 12 minutes. Learn more
Orchard View — One Dashboard for Jamf Pro, Jamf School, and ASM/ABM
Orchard View is a native Mac app that brings device visibility from Jamf Pro, Jamf School, and Apple School/Business Manager together into a single dashboard, alongside your existing MDM. It covers unified inventory, live AppleCare warranty tracking, installed app inventory, and remote lock/restart/erase commands, all deduplicated across sources by serial number. Learn more
Back to topIn the News
⚠️ Encrypted HFS+ Support Ending in macOS 28
This one's about a year out, but worth planning for now, especially since some Macs have already started showing a related notification. Per Apple: "In macOS 28 and later, the Mac OS Extended file system format will be supported only for volumes (disks and other storage devices) that aren't encrypted. For future macOS compatibility, either decrypt or reformat any encrypted Mac OS Extended volumes."
Starting with macOS 26, a Mac might notify a user that they're using an encrypted Mac OS Extended (HFS+) disk and that it won't be compatible with macOS 28 or later. Unencrypted Mac OS Extended volumes will continue to work fine. If your users start asking what that notification means, this is it.
Apple Platform Security had a number of updates this week, including some new support articles: Terminal and script protections, Search on iCloud.com security, SharePlay security, and Nearby sharing security. See the Intro to Apple platform security guide for more.
⚠️ SentinelOne False-Positive Warning on macOS 26.6
If your institution runs SentinelOne, be aware of reports of false positives on macOS 26.6. As always, we won't detail exploit or vulnerability specifics here — check with SentinelOne directly for current guidance and continue with your normal patch cycle. Apple security releases
🌟 Accessibility Spotlight
Accessible Technology, Built In
At Apple, we believe that technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone. That's why for more than forty years, Apple has worked with educators to define the role of accessible technology in learning.
Read how Apple Distinguished Educator Jordyn Zimmerman advocates for access to robust communication tools for herself and for others who are nonspeaking. Read her story
Also hear from Ulster University student Rory Goss, who maintained top grades by using Apple's built-in accessibility features to unlock new ways of learning. Read Rory's story
Upcoming Events
Higher Education Webinars
View all Higher Education events
⏰ This Week — IT Tech Camps
Three IT Tech Camps sessions land this week, covering what's new for IT from WWDC26. One is tomorrow — register today if you can make it.
| Date | Webinar | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| ⏰ Aug 4 |
What's New for IT
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET · IT Tech Camps · Overview of new IT features from WWDC26: device management updates, new Apple Intelligence controls across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, and other changes to plan for ahead of the fall releases.
|
Register |
| ⏰ Aug 5 |
Identity Integrations and Ongoing Security
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET · IT Tech Camps · An in-depth look at the latest Platform SSO capabilities, identity provider integration, and best practices for securing managed Apple devices.
|
Register |
| ⏰ Aug 6 |
Managed AI and Apple Intelligence in Your Organization
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET · IT Tech Camps · A technical look at the next generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri, from on-device inference and Private Cloud Compute to the management controls available to IT.
|
Register |
| Aug 13 |
What's New for Higher Education from WWDC
3:00–3:45 p.m. ET · IT Tech Camps · A guided tour through the WWDC26 platform updates shaping the future of higher education IT.
|
Register |
| Aug 26 |
Shared Mac Deployment Updates for IT
3:00–3:45 p.m. ET · IT Tech Camps · Shared iPad and Mac deployment models, managing devices at scale, and the latest WWDC26 announcements for Higher Education IT.
|
Register |
| 📍 Aug 19–20 |
SE Office Hours
Full details in our next edition.
|
Details coming soon |
In-Person & Major Events
| Date | Event | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 29–Oct 1 |
EDUCAUSE 2026
Denver, CO · Join the Apple Higher Education team for conversations about AI, deployment, security, and the future of campus technology.
|
Info |
| Sept 23–25 |
JNUC 2026
Jamf Nation User Conference
|
Info |
Training & Resources
On-Demand Video Series
- Deploying Apple in Education — Fundamentals of Apple deployment for IT organizations — managing devices at scale.
- Education IT & Security — Apple Intelligence, device management, and enterprise-grade security standards.
IT Training
- Apple Professional Training for IT — Self-paced online training and certification for IT professionals, on your schedule.
- Apple Readiness Workshops — Free, interactive sessions on ASM, new features, beta testing, and best practices, led by Apple Systems Engineers.
- CDW Apple IT Training — Five training courses for IT teams supporting Apple endpoints.
- Jamf Training — Self-paced and instructor-led training for Jamf administrators.
Community & Reference
- IT Deployment and Management — Education Community Forum — Connect with Apple and peers on deployment tips, software updates, and best practices.
- Apple Education Store Help — Video guides covering proposals, orders, invoices, and returns.
Apple Platform Guides
- Apple Platform Deployment
- Apple Platform Support
- Apple Platform Security
- Apple Platform Certifications
Enterprise OS Reference
- Device management updates & deprecation lifecycle — how Apple communicates upcoming profile/config changes
- Apple security releases — Latest updates across all platforms
- Mastering Swift — New book on Swift scripting for Apple admins by Charles Edge, Jeremy Bannister, and Joel Rennich. Available for pre-order; ships September 15.
New to Mac?
A curated set of Apple resources to help you or your team get started — guides, keyboard shortcuts, training, and video tutorials, all in one place. Visit the resource page
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