Student Orientation to Technology Services
This is a brief introduction to Technology Services and the systems available to you as a Meredith College student. Each topic has more information available, and links will be provided for you to access greater detail as needed.
Welcome To Technology Services
“Our staff hopes to make your transition into the technology environment here at Meredith College a smooth one. Please read over the information outlined to learn what services and resources are available to you as a Meredith student.
- Jeff Howlett, Chief Information Officer
The Technology Services Department is housed in three locations on campus:
- Noel House- Technology Administration; Campus Computing; Information Systems Services. Temporarily located in the first floor of Barefoot during the fall of 2011.
- Noel Annex- User Services (Help Desk and Desktop Support)
- Martin Annex- Network Services (Network Administration)
The Technology Services Department provides technology leadership and serves as the primary technology support structure for Meredith College. This structure offers the following to our college community: service, support and consulting. This support is offered through the defined teams as outlined in the sections below:
Teams:
Campus Computing Services
The Campus Computing team’s primary job function is to offer training scenarios to the faculty and staff of Meredith College. However, this group also offers support to students via: online support materials, a variety of workshops, and the Techie Cafe which can be found in the Google sites area of Meredith's email system.
If you have any questions please call the Help Desk at (919)760-2323 and your call will be routed to the appropriate team member.
Network Services
The Network Services team is responsible for building and maintaining the campus network and telecommunications infrastructure. This includes: network and telephone cabling; network equipment maintenance; IP telephone system and voice-mail set-up and maintenance; setting up and maintaining the campus network connection to the Internet; and managing Internet names and addresses. This team is also responsible for maintaining all server hardware, operating systems, and application servers.
If you need telephone assistance please email the Help Desk: techserv@meredith.edu
User Services
The User Services team (Help Desk and Desktop Support staff) working out of the Noel Annex (Technology Support Center), brings together the collection of technical initiatives associated with the MTI Meredith’s Technology Initiative, and coordinates departmental technology requests and repairs. More information about the Helpdesk and the services offered are addressed more fully below.
If you have a question, please call the Help Desk at (919)760-2323, or send an email to techserv@meredith.edu.
Technology AccessEach student, taking at least one class will be issued the following accounts:
- Blackboard
- Web Advisor
Please Note: If you have not been notified as to the status of these accounts please inquire at the Noel House 760-2803.
Computer LabsStudents may use the various labs on campus whenever classes are not using them.
Lab schedules and the application offerings are available on the User Services web page.
Please Note: The LINC Lab is open the same hours as the library.
Computer Use PoliciesPlease note that there are several computing policies for the campus. Computing policies are available at
http://www.meredith.edu/techserv/general/policies/default.htm
Technology Services Help Desk
The Meredith Technology Services Help Desk provides technical support for students, faculty, and staff. For assistance call, email, or stop by no appointment necessary. The Help Desk has extended hours to provide convenient service.
Contact InformationHours of OperationTelephone: 760-2323
Email: techserv@meredith.edu
Location: Noel Annex, back part of campus directly in front of the softball field
Website: http://www.meredith.edu/techserv/userservices/helpdesk/default.htmServicesRegular Semester Hours:
- Sunday: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 9:00pm
- Friday: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Summer Hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 5:00pm
- Friday: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Weekend Hours: Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00pm
*During the semester, the help desk has weekend hours. During the weekend, someone checks the help desk voice mail and responds to any campus wide issues within 30 minutes (i.e. phone, email, or network outage). All other calls will be returned on Sunday between 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm.
The Help Desk has several main functions: provide superior customer service to students, staff, and faculty while supporting software issues and hardware repair for Meredith owned laptops. No is appointments necessary.
Meredith Laptops: All students with Meredith laptops should bring them in to the Help Desk to be serviced for all software and hardware related issues.
When you come in please fill out a Student Support Request Form with all of your information: name, date & time, phone number, student ID , power on password, and your Meredith email address and email password (if the problem is email related). Please provide a full description of the problem under the Reason for Support section of the form and indicate where your data is saved in the Location of Your Data section of the form.
Loaner laptops are given to students while their machines are being repaired. Loaner laptops must be returned within 48 business hours after the first contact about your repaired laptop, to avoid a $10 per day late fee. If the loaner laptop is not returned after 14 days it will be treated as an Honor Code violation and referred to the Office of Dean of Students.
Backing Up your Data: We suggest that you make regular current backups of your data. If possible prior to bringing your machine in for service please back-up your data. We will make every effort to recover your data in the event of component failure or if the laptops condition requires it but will make no guarantee that it can or will be recovered.
Machines are fixed on a first come first serve basis. Turn-around time will vary depending on the workload and the severity of the issues regarding your laptop. Once a technician has fixed the laptop, you will receive a phone call and or email informing you of the completion. Please remember that valid photo ID is required to pick-up your laptop.
Non-Meredith Laptops: Students without Meredith issued laptops can bring their personal laptops in to the Technology Services Help Desk to have the wireless configured so they can connect to the Meredith wireless network. Certain course software can also be installed on a student’s personal system.
Course Software: Certain software for class use is available at the help desk for installation. If you have a Meredith laptop you can go to Blackboard and install it yourself. If you do not have a Meredith laptop you can come into the Technology Services Help Desk and have the software installed for you. For a list of available software, please enroll in the Blackboard course called Software downloads and updates. In the Blackboard section, you will find a link to resources that contain a video.
Software Questions: Meredith has chosen Atomic Learning as an online software resource for faculty, staff, and students. If you have software usage questions go to the Atomic Learning website to search for answers on most software related questions.
Helpdesk Resources
Atomic Learning
Meredith College has chosen Atomic Learning as an online software training resource for faculty, staff and students. It is our goal to prepare our community of learners and educators with the 21st century skills needed for today’s world.
Atomic Learning breaks down each application into manageable tasks and explains each task through a one- to three- minute tutorial. You can view a tutorial when you have a quick question about a program you’re using, or you can view a series of tutorials and master an entire application.
http://www.atomiclearning.com/
Blackboard Software Course
This is a course available on the campus’ Blackboard system to provide downloads and updates of some of our campus software.
UUTECHSVCSOFTWARES08: Software downloads and updates
System Information:
Students are mailed their email account information shortly after being accepted at Meredith College. You are encouraged to access your email regularly for new information that will be sent to you via your email account. Shortly after receiving your account, you will have Webadvisor account information sent to you in an email, as well as Blackboard account information. It is important to keep this information and to maintain confidentiality with your account logins to each system so that no one has access to your personal information. Technology Services will never ask for your password to email; please do not provide it to others.
Email Resources
For more information and training materials available on Google email, please go to the Technology Services website for more information. http://www.meredith.edu/techserv/networkservices/email/default.htm
Along with Google email, each student receives access to Google Docs, Sites, and Calendar. More information on these tools is available at http://www.meredith.edu/techserv/campuscomputing/google/default.htm
Blackboard
Blackboard is an online content management system used by faculty, staff, and students to share documents, resources, and online tools. Faculty frequently uses it to supplement course materials used in class. Many student organizations use Blackboard to share materials or communicate easily with one another. All faculty, staff, and students have accounts on Blackboard.
- The web address for the Blackboard server is: http://courses.meredith.edu/webapps/login/
- Your user ID is equal to the same User ID which is used for email. You should receive your ID and password in an email sent to your Meredith email account shortly after you are admitted to Meredith.
- Enrollment in regular courses on Blackboard is updated each weekday morning from the Registrar's office.
Please familiarize yourself with the full instructions for using Blackboard, appropriate naming conventions for files used on Blackboard, an introduction to the interface, tutorials for using Blackboard, etc. at the Student orientation page for Blackboard at http://www.meredith.edu/techserv/campuscomputing/blackboard/students.htm.
Web Advisor
Web Advisor gives students access to Meredith Colleges databases. You have the ability to look up your grades, schedules, course history, and register. Your login information is emailed to your campus email account shortly after your acceptance. You can access Web Advisor by going to: https://advisor.meredith.edu/ . There is also a link on the Meredith Enews page. The first thing you want to do is log in. Your username is what is in front of the “@” symbol in your Meredith email address.
Contact Information
For technical questions, and issues regarding Web Advisor, call 8989 or email infosys@meredith.edu. For questions about the data displayed in Web Advisor and issues involving registration or training for students, call the Registrar’s Office at 8878.
Web Advisor Resources
The registrar’s office has helpful information about Web Advisor. If you go to their link on the Meredith College Site; http://www.meredith.edu/registrar/default.htm, and click on the semester you are interested in, you will find good information you may need and a useful document called Web Advisor FAQ’s.
Printing
Meredith College has adopted a print management system for student printing on the campus. The systems main purpose is to contribute to the greening of the Meredith Campus by reducing the amount of wasteful printing. Printers are located in all the residence halls, the apartments, and most computer labs. Select Printer Locations for the complete list of locations, types of printers, and if they support duplexing. Full instructions and information on each of the following topics are available at the Campus Printing website: http://www.meredith.edu/techserv/general/campusprinting/default.htm
- Printing Fees
- Adding Money to Your Campus Card
- Refunds
- Print Driver Installation & Duplex Installation
- How to use the Print Management System
- Important Printer Facts
Wireless
The Meredith College campus has a wireless network to allow students to sit down in or around a building with wireless access, open their laptop, and connect to the internet. Below you will find some information regarding the campus wireless as well as using your Meredith laptop on other networks.
Meredith Profiles
There are two Meredith Profiles on campus, the Meredith public and the Meredith2009-10 profile.
Meredith public: This profile exists to provide visitors to the Meredith campus the ability to connect to the internet while on campus. This profile has limitations however, so while connected to this profile there will be certain sites that the user will not be able to access.
Meredith2009-10: As a Meredith student, you have been given access to the Meredith secure profile. This profile is the preferred profile and will allow you to access all Meredith website as well as the internet. This profile is for Meredith students and employees only.Non-Meredith Laptops
Guests: Guests of Meredith College can connect automatically to the Meredith public profile.
Meredith Students without a Meredith Laptop: Students who do not have a Meredith issued laptop can come to the Meredith College Help Desk in the Noel Annex to have their laptop configured to connect to the Meredith2009-10 profile. No appointment is necessary. Because this profile is secure, you will not be able to connect to this profile automatically.
Safe Computing
NEVER give your social security number, bank account numbers, passwords, password hints, user ids, user accounts to an unsolicited email (or phone call). Meredith College may send you a password to a Meredith College email account but we will never ask for one. An email may pose as being from System Administrator or say Urgent but just call 760 - 2323 instead.
Visiting web sites, sending email, and accessing Blackboard are essential and useful resources for Meredith College students, faculty, and staff and all require being on the internet. We should all now know there are potential pitfalls, scams, tricks, phising attempts, programs, and other distractions that bad people attempt to spread everyday in order to attempt to steal identities, credit card numbers, victim addresses, shopping habits, manipulate your shopping choices, or just make your life miserable.
You could be become a victim in an instant by going to an unsafe web page (like can happen when entering the wrong typo in the URL field), clicking on innocent-looking links (like some Facebook links), downloading programs, music and video files, opening sneaky email attachments, or in rare cases, just by being on the Internet.
Tips to Outsmart the Bad Guys
NEVER give your social security number, bank account numbers, passwords, password hints, user ids, user accounts to an unsolicited email (or phone call). Meredith College may send you a password to a Meredith College email account but we will never ask for one. An email may pose as being from System Administrator or say Urgent but just call (919) 760-2323 instead.
Closing Suspicious Dialog Boxes And Pop-Ups
- Those that do not offer “X” on upper right
Can use Alt+F4 to close the front dialog, sometimes. - ALT+TAB may help to cycle to active dialog box
- Can use CTRL+ALT+DEL and close the active process if you recognize it.
FOR REVIEW
To test your knowledge of this basic information about computing at Meredith, you may wish to take a little quiz.
Upon completion of reading the Student Orientation, log into Blackboard and select the “Courses” tab. Scroll to UU non-credit courses. Select UUTECHORIENTATION clicking on the "enroll" button on the right side of the course name listing. Once you enroll, take the Orientation quiz which is posted under "Assignments". Upon completion, you can print the page showing your completion for your teacher, if requested.
