Answers to some of your technology questions as you're getting started at Lafayette.

Q: Who can help me with my office computer?
A: The Help Desk is the best first point of contact for technology support issues. The Help Desk can be called at extension 5501 (610.330.5501 off campus) or emailed at help@lafayette.edu. If you call, Help Desk personnel will try to solve your problem while you're on the line. If they can't solve it, you will be contacted by an ITS staff member who will set up an appointment to come to your office.

Q: Do I have to request accounts for email and other services?
A: Network service accounts are automatically created for you when you begin working at Lafayette. These include a Network ID and password that gives you access to accounts for email, Novell (the campus network operating system), Moodle (course management system), the full campus directory and other services. Your username for these accounts will be consistent and the initial password for all accounts will be a randomly-generated password issued to you at the commencement of your employment. You should also receive an "L-number" and PIN that are used to access Banner Self-Service.

• Contact: the Help Desk

Q: Can I synchronize all of my passwords automatically?
A: Not yet, but ITS is working on implementing a single-ID/password system. Currently the Network ID and password are used for most services—including network file access and email—while a few other services use a password that is unique to that service. More detailed information can be found in the help document Managing your Passwords.

• Contact: the Help Desk

Q: Can I get to files/library resources/etc. through an off-campus ISP?
A: Yes. Personal and shared files stored on campus Novell servers can be accessed via NetStorage (https://netstorage.lafayette.edu/NetStorage). Authentication requires your Network ID and password.

Library resources can be accessed from off-campus by going through the library's proxy server. No set up is required—as long as you use links to resources from the library Website, the proxy server will be contacted when you try to access a restricted resource from off-campus. The authentication process uses your last name and the barcode number from the back of your college ID.

• Contact: the Help Desk (NetStorage)
• Contact: Bob Duncan (x5156) (Off-campus access to library resources)

Q: How can I access my email?
A: The preferred methods for accessing your Lafayette email account are an IMAP mail client (Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc.) or the Webmail interface at https://webmail.lafayette.edu/. The personal computer in your campus office has a mail client installed which has been preconfigured with the information required to access your account. Your password is the same as that for your Network ID.

• Contact: the Help Desk

Q: How can I access my email from off-campus?
A: It depends on your Internet Service Provider. IMAP mail clients can be used to read your Lafayette email from off-campus through most ISPs, but not all ISPs allow you to send email from accounts issued by some entity other than the ISP. See E-mail Configuration for Off-Campus Access for instructions on how to set up your mail client. If this configuration doesn't work through your ISP, Webmail (https://webmail.lafayette.edu/) can be used.

• Contact: the Help Desk

Q: What about spam?
A: All incoming email is checked for spam and harmful attachments by the college's Proofpoint anti-spam appliance. A default policy is applied to all email accounts, but each user has the ability to change the way Proofpoint deals with his or her email. For details see Customizing Your Proofpoint Anti-Spam Settings.

• Contact: the Help Desk

Q: What software is licensed by Lafayette?
A: The college has site licenses for Microsoft and Apple operating systems, the Microsoft Office Suite, Symantec AntiVirus, and assorted course-related applications (e.g., Mathematica, SPSS, Inspiration). To view additional information about available software, visit the Software section of this site. If your teaching or research requires an application not installed on your office or classroom computer, please contact ITS.

• Contact: John O'Keefe (x5161)

Q: Who can help me with course projects that integrate technology?
A: The Instructional Technology group in Skillman Library offers assistance and workshops on using technology for teaching.

• Contact: Courtney Bentley (x5504), Pat Facciponti (x5632) or Jason Alley (x5884)

Q: How do I set up a course Web site?
A: The college uses Moodle as the course management system. All faculty and students have accounts on Moodle, and course sites are automatically created and student enrollments added prior to the start of the semester.

If you are more comfortable creating a course Web site from scratch, an account on the college Web server can be created for you by emailing ITS.

The Instructional Technology group provides support for both Moodle and Web authoring.

• Contact: Courtney Bentley (x5504)
• Contact: ITS@lafayette.edu (Request Web server accounts)

Q: Is there a multimedia lab on campus?
A: The Instructional Technology group maintains a multimedia lab in Skillman Library. The lab includes equipment for creating and editing digital content in a variety of formats. Training for use of the equipment is available through scheduled workshops, one-on-one sessions with an Instructional Technologist, and regular class sessions (should your students need instructions on the use of multimedia equipment or applications).

Equipment used for creating multimedia content can be checked out by faculty and students at the Skillman circulation desk. Available equipment includes digital still and video cameras, tripods, electronic keyboards, and external hard drives.

• Contact: Courtney Bentley (x5504), Pat Facciponti (x5632) or Jason Alley (x5884)

Q: Do I need to make arrangements with Instructional Technology when I assign a multimedia project to a class?
A: Multimedia assignments are becoming more and more popular with Lafayette faculty, which means we need to coordinate the demand for equipment and support with the supply. If the project you have in mind will require the use of Skillman's multimedia labs and/or equipment, we ask that you contact an instructional technologist prior to giving the assignment so we can make sure the resources your students need to create a quality product will be available when they need them.

• Contact: Courtney Bentley (x5504), Pat Facciponti (x5632) or Jason Alley (x5884)

Q: How do I get training in the use of equipment installed in classrooms?
A: Members of the Instructional Technology group would be happy to give you a guided tour of the classroom(s) and the control system you'll be using whenever it's convenient for you. During class hours someone in Instructional Technology is always on-call to help deal with the occasional emergency situation.

• Contact: EJ Hudock (x5869)

Q: What sort of computer virus protection does the college provide?
A: Symantec AntiVirus (SAV) is installed on all college-owned computers.

The college's license agreement for SAV provides for installation of the software on college employee home computers at no cost to you. For installation instructions, view the Symantec AntiVirus help document.

• Contact: the Help Desk (for virus problems)

Q: How do I get additional hardware for my teaching or research?
A: Equipment in support of faculty teaching and research is purchased from an assortment of college budget lines managed by different offices. The ITS User Services group can help point you in the right direction.

• Contact: Chris Koch (x5624)

Q: Can I install software on lab and/or classroom computers?
A: All computers in public labs and classrooms have security software installed that restores the computer to its original state when it's restarted. If you install an application or save files to one of these computers they will be erased at reboot. If your teaching requires an application that is not already installed on a classroom computer please contact us. Assuming the application is appropriately licensed, we can install it for you.

• Contact: EJ Hudock (x5869)

Q: How can I get support for computers in labs and classrooms?
A: For labs, call the Help Desk.

All technology-equipped classrooms have a "Help" button on the touch panel that can be used to request emergency assistance. To report problems that are not an emergency, please use the link on the desktop.

Questions about labs and classrooms can be directed to EJ Hudock. Reservations for labs and classrooms need to be requested through the Scheduling and Events Planning office.

• Contact: EJ Hudock  (x5869) (questions/problems)
• Contact: x5643 or reserve@lafayette.edu (room reservations)

Q: Do I have access to network storage space? How much? How do I access it?
A: All faculty have Novell user accounts. Each account comes with an initial 200MB of storage space in a personal directory on a Novell server. (If this space is insufficient for your needs, please contact ITS to have it increased; 200MB is just the starting point.) Additionally, many departments and some organizations have shared space.

On Windows machines the personal directory is assigned a drive mapping of "U" and is typically referred to as one's "home directory." (Note that this space used to be mapped to the letter "H"; if you hear reference to an "H drive", it is this same personal storage space that is being referred to.) On Macs, personal and shared space will show up as folders within the network volume Lafnwfc3.

On-campus access to both private and shared space is achieved by logging in using the Windows Novell NetWare client or Novell Native File Access for Macs. (Both the NetWare client and Native File Access can be downloaded from the ITS Website if not already installed on your office computer.) Off-campus access to the same space is available via NetStorage (https://netstorage.lafayette.edu/NetStorage). All methods of accessing this network storage space use the Network ID and password for authentication.

• Contact: the Help Desk

Q: What do I need to know about Banner?
A: ITS' Administrative Information Systems (AIS) group administers the Sungard HE Banner suite of administrative systems used for managing all of the college's financial and student data. Web-based access to the system (a.k.a. "Banner Self-Service") is at https://bannerselfservice.lafayette.edu:8090. Through Banner Self-Service, faculty can access class lists and student academic information, submit final grades, and view personal employment information. Authentication to the system uses the "L-Number" and a PIN assigned by Human Resources. Problems accessing course- and student-related information should be addressed to the Registrar's office.

• Contact: Paulette Poloni - AIS (x5527)
• Contact: Registrar's Office (x5090)
• Contact: Human Resources (x5060)