This guide is designed to help new and existing administrators get answers to some frequently asked technology questions.
For nearly all support needs that involve a problem with equipment or services, such as your desktop computer, email, or website, you should first contact the Help Desk at help@lafayette.edu or (610) 330-5501.
It’s important to emphasize that this is a useful and necessary first step for anything that seems to be malfunctioning or otherwise not working as you might expect. Using the Help Desk accomplishes the following:
- Resolving your issue more immediately and quickly than contacting ITS staff directly.
- Generating a ticket to track your issue and ensure it is resolved promptly. It also provides useful data to recognize issues that occur frequently or may indicate a broader problem.
- If the Help Desk cannot solve your issue immediately, ITS staff will be contacted and will follow up with you directly.
New Administrators
As a newly hired administrator, you will receive Lafayette credentials and directions for setting your password. Your Lafayette credentials are used for email, Spaces, Banner Self-Service, Google Workspace for Education, wireless access, logging into public computers, and most other campus services.
Update your recovery email
In the event you have forgotten your password, you must have a recovery email associated with your account to complete the password reset. The password change utility allows you to manage your recovery email.
Using two-step login
Two-step login, also known as two-factor authentication, protects your Lafayette NetID by adding a second step when authenticating to applications that use Web single sign-on (SSO). It provides an additional layer of security so that attackers can’t access protected systems with only your NetID.
Do I need different accounts for email and other various services?
In general, no. An account and username (commonly called a NetID) are automatically created for you when you begin working at Lafayette. Your NetID and password together are often referred to as your Lafayette credentials. These credentials give you access to accounts for Google Workspace for Education, Moodle (course management system), Spaces, Banner Self-Service (for access to your payroll information and class lists, grade submission, etc.), and other services. In special circumstances, you may need a different local account for a particular service, but those are rare.
The most effective way to see and access available services is to use your My Lafayette portal, which aggregates nearly all important links and services in one location.
Campus Portal
Located at my.lafayette.edu, the campus portal provides single sign-on and a starting point for various online services — including Moodle, Spaces, Webmail, Google Workspace for Education, and Banner Self-Service.
See more at Learn How to Customize your Portal.
How do I get started with Email?
Use your Lafayette credentials to access your Lafayette Gmail account at Gmail. More information about using Lafayette Gmail can be found at help.lafayette.edu/email.
What is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace provides access to productivity and collaboration tools such as Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and more.
- Access Google Workspace tools by logging in to the Campus Portal at my.lafayette.edu and navigating to the “My Google Workspace” block.
- Visit our Google Workspace help page for information related to using these tools.
Can I set up my Lafayette email, calendar and contacts on my smartphone?
Lafayette’s email and calendaring system, Gmail, provides real-time, wireless synchronization of email, contacts, and calendar information between the server and most smartphones. While we can’t support individual devices, we do provide documentation for accessing email, contacts, and calendars on a Smartphone.
Can I use VPN (virtual private network)?
VPN access is available for College employees. For additional information and installation directions, take a look at the VPN at Lafayette help document.
What software is licensed by Lafayette?
Does the College provide software to protect my computer from viruses and malware?
ITS equips all College-owned devices with endpoint protection. See Endpoint Protection for more information.
What about spam and phishing emails?
All incoming email is checked for spam and harmful attachments by Gmail. A default policy is applied to all email accounts, but each user can report spam and suspected phishing.
While Gmail is effective, it is not perfect, and some spam, or malicious phishing messages, may slip through even a stringent filter. As such, the best advice is simply to be vigilant and careful before opening any email that seems remotely suspicious, even if it was sent by someone you know. This is especially true if the message includes an attachment or a link.
Additional Security Resources and Information
For additional information about safe computing and security best practices, see Security.
Is training available for software and hardware?
In some instances, it may be possible for the Learning and Research Technologies team to work with you to develop or offer limited training or targeted help documentation or resources, depending on your needs. For more information, contact the Help Desk at help@lafayette.edu.
Help Desk
For nearly all support needs that involve a problem with equipment or services, such as your desktop computer, email, or course website, you should first contact the Help Desk at help@lafayette.edu or (610) 330-5501.
Technology workshops
ITS offers technology workshops throughout the semester for students and employees on a variety of applications. Scheduled workshops are announced in the Lafayette Today and ITS News.