New Faculty FAQ
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 reached 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.
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, Samba (network storage), Moodle (course management system) and Spaces, Banner Self-Service (for access to your payroll information and for class lists, grade submission, etc.), 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.
- 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 servers can be accessed via smbweb (https://smbweb.lafayette.edu). Authentication requires your Network ID and password.
Library resources can be accessed from off-campus by going through the library's web page. No set up is required—as long as you use links to resources from the library website. Use your Network ID and password for authentication.
- Contact: the Help Desk (smbweb)
- Contact: Terese Heidenwolf (x5153) (Off-campus access to library resources)
Q: How can I access my email on-campus?
A: The computer in your campus office can be configured with a supported mail client or you can use Webmail https://webmail.lafayette.edu/. Use your Network ID and password to access your account.
- 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, anti-virus software, and assorted course-related applications (e.g., Mathematica, SPSS, Stata). 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: Thiana Kitrilakis (x5803)
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), Jennifer Rao (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 public Web site a WordPress site can be created for you. Complete the WordPress site request form or contact an Instructional Technologist for additional information.
The Instructional Technology group provides support for both Moodle and Web authoring.
- Contact: Courtney Bentley (x5504)
Q: Is there a multimedia lab on campus?
A: The Instructional Technology group maintains both a multimedia lab and a smaller consulting center specifically for faculty and staff in Skillman Library. These labs include 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, audio recording kits, external hard drives, and an audience response system (clickers).
- Contact: Courtney Bentley (x5504), Jennifer Rao (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), Jennifer Rao (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: E.J. Hudock (x5869)
Q: What sort of computer virus protection does the college provide?
A: Current versions of Symantec anti-virus software are installed on all college-owned computers.
The college's license agreement with Symantec provides for installation of the software on college employee home computers at no cost to you. For installation instructions, view the Symantec anti-virus software 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.
- Contact: Chris Koch (x5624)
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: E.J. 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 file storage accounts. Each account comes with an initial 1GB of storage space in a personal directory on a campus server. (If this space is insufficient for your needs, please contact ITS to have it increased; 1GB 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 referred to as one's "home directory." Data shared with others is assigned a drive mapping of "P" and is referred to as the "shared directory." On Macs, personal and shared space will show up as folders on the desktop. Connect to Samba from a Mac.
On-campus and off-campus access is available to both private and shared data from either a college owned computer or personal computer or mobile device. (http://help.lafayette.edu/samba).
- Contact: the Help Desk
Q: What is Banner Self-Service?
A:Through Banner Self-Service, faculty can access class lists and student academic information, submit final grades, and view personal employment information. Banner Self-Service is accessible by visiting https://bannerselfservice.lafayette.edu and logging in with your Network ID and password. ITS is responsible for Banner system administration, while problems related to accessing course and student information should be addressed to the Registrar’s Office.
- Contact: Lafayette Help desk (x5501)
- Contact: Registrar's Office (x5090)
- Contact: Human Resources (x5060)
Q: Can I use Remote Access VPN?
A: VPN access is available for college employees. For additional information and installation directions, take a look at the VPN at Lafayette help document.
- Contact: the Help Desk
Q: Can I set up Lafayette email, calendar and contacts on my smartphone?
A: Lafayette's email and calendaring system, Zimbra, provides real-time, wireless synchronization of email, contacts, and calendar information between the Zimbra server and any smartphone with ActiveSync technology. While we can't support individual devices, we do provide documentation for Smartphones and Zimbra Synchronization.
- Contact: the Help Desk