Faculty Technology Support Guide

General requests for technical assistance

For technical assistance visit the Help Desk Support site. From this page you can browse the Knowledge Base for answers to your technical questions or submit a written help request. In case of emergencies and for urgent requests call the Help Desk directly at 312.341.4357. Agents are available Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 8:30pm, Saturday from 8:30am to 5:00pm, and Sunday from Noon to 4:00pm.

Getting more information

Answers to common technology questions and detailed documentation on ITS resources and services are available online through the ITS web site and the technology Knowledge Base.

Your computer accounts

All faculty and staff receive an email/network account. Your username and password are used to log onto your university-provided computer and access your email either using Outlook or the Outlook Web Access web page. The same credentials are used to access the RU Files networked file sharing and storage service. Depending on your responsibilities, you may also receive access to some of the services listed at the bottom of this page. Your login credentials on some of these systems may be different. 

Desktop hardware and software

Full-time faculty and staff members are provided with a computer supported by ITS desktop support. These machines have standard applications including MS Office, several web browsers, and a range of productivity tools. Faculty members may also request the installation of additional software, including statistical applications (SPSS), graphical development tools, and discipline-specific applications. Roosevelt maintains licenses for many of these applications and can acquire others as needed. Often there is a licensing cost chargeable to the requestor's department. For more info or to request software use the software request form.

Printing services

Users with assigned computers and offices usually have access to either an attached or networked printer. Printing in the libraries, labs, and computer classrooms is available through the Greenprint card-based system.

Classroom technology

Many of the classrooms at Roosevelt are equipped with network connections and digital display technology. For details on the technology setup in your assigned classroom see the Classroom Technology Configuration page. If you're unsure how to operate the equipment in your classroom or need help connecting your laptop to the classroom projection system, a good place to start is the Classroom Technology User Guide.

When you're in class and encounter problems with computing or projection equipment, the fastest way to get help is to contact your local Multimedia Services (MMS) office, either in person or by telephone. There's an MMS office at all three buildings, and they are staffed whenever classes are in session. Here's the contact info for each:

If your classroom does not contain the technical resources you need, you can request the delivery of additional equipment to your classroom from Multimedia Services using the equipment request form on the ITS forms page. This equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to get your requests in early. If the classroom assigned to you is inadequate because it's too small or lacks the necessary equipment we may be able to provide you with an alternative space. Just contact the scheduling clerk in the Office of the Registrar at 312.341.3721.

Additional information and services

ITS maintains a variety of services to support instructional and research activities. Here's a quick overview. Follow the links for details.

• Multimedia Services and the Office of Academic Technology. The MMS and OAT offices provide support for a wide range of technologies for use in the classroom, video and audio recording devices, tools for conducting web-based class sessions, and digitization services to convert analog materials into digital formats, and technical training. The OAT also maintains a faculty resource center where you can use software that you need only occasionally or try out new applications that you are considering for instructional or research use.
• Blackboard and Moodle are online learning management systems. Blackboard is the University's primary system and provides course sites for all Roosevelt courses, including both standard classroom-based courses and courses offered through RU Online. Moodle is an alternative learning management system available to faculty by request.
• iTunes U. Podcasts and other audio or video materials for use by classes can be posted on Roosevelt's iTunes U service. The system can be configured to restrict access to members of the class and also supports student uploading of media files for sharing with fellow students.
• Mailing list support. Our Listserv mailing list service can be used to support a variety of electronic mailing list activities. While direct communication with students is most easily done through Blackboard or RU Access, the Listserv approach is particularly useful for mailing lists that include both students and faculty, graduates of the University, and subscibers from other institutions or organizations.
• Policies. The ITS web site contains a collection of technology related policies, covering such topics as the acceptable use of electronic resources, cell phones, laptops, password management, and technology request procedures.
• RU Files . This service provides secure networked file storage support not only for personal files, but also for files intended to be shared with colleagues or students. For example, you can embed links in Blackboard that provide students with direct access to files on the RU Files server.
• RU Access . RU Access is the self-service interface to Banner, the system used to manage student records, financial data, class schedules and enrollments, and other enterprise data.
• Faculty web sites.  These sites are available to Faculty  on the new RU Sites service, which is supported by WordPress, a popular blogging and content management platform.

[16 Jun 2011]