IT Information for New Faculty/Staff
VCU College of Engineering

Contact Information

Engineering General IT Help email address: egrfixit@vcu.edu

Anil Chatterji	828-1261	anilc@vcu.edu	West Hall 220
Michael Winston	828-3600	mwinston4@vcu.edu	West Hall 102B
Travis Greene	827-4016	greenet3@vcu.edu	West Hall 102C
Marc Jenkins	828-7228	mejenkins@vcu.edu	West Hall B3

We try to provide very personalized service, so do contact one of us as soon as you join the College!

VCU eID

On joining, VCU Technology Services (TS) creates an "electronic ID" for you, to be used to access most IT related services. The eID consists of your last name and initials. Engineering Human Resources (HR) will assist you with identifying your eID and setting the initial eID password.

You will also need to set up "two factor" or "DUO" authentication, which is required to access most University online systems. You are encouraged to use your smartphone as your second form of authentication. To register for DUO, go to: go.vcu.edu/2factor

Email/Canvas

As part of the eID creation, an email account of the form eID@vcu.edu will be created. In addition, a Canvas (course management system) account will also be created.

VCU uses Google applications for Email, calendaring, chat, and other collaboration functions.

To access Email or Canvas, at the VCU home page (www.vcu.edu), click on the "Faculty and Staff" tab, and select the function you want.

Do's and Don'ts

We receive many questions about whether a user should do something or not. Therefore, we generated a list of what of best practices, which can be found here: https://wiki.vcu.edu/x/lr-OBQ

Computer/Software Purchases

Please contact Engineering IT for assistance with ordering computers, printers, and related hardware and software. There are a number of existing vendor contracts, recommended brands, and purchasing rules that need to be followed. New computers are to be delivered to the IT group, who will configure the systems to meet VCU security and other standards. For more information on some of the central VCU policies governing some technology acquisitions, you may also check here: https://itgovernance.vcu.edu/governance/

If you are bringing IT equipment with you, please notify us as soon as possible so that we can make the required changes to ensure that your devices meet our university policies and security standards before being connected to the network. Please provide a full list of the computing hardware you are bringing with you.

Cloud Software

Please note that the use of ANY cloud software or other internet based platform must be fully vetted by VCU Information Security and a Security Plan must be completed and on file before the use of this software for any VCU related operations or data. This includes, but is not limited to, "free" software that does not require a purchase in order to use. Please contact EGR IT directly before utilizing or ordering such a service.

VCU Logins

Your computer will be configured to login to the VCU active directory domain "RAMS". The login automatically sets permissions for access to both VCU and Engineering College services, and ensures that the system remains compliant with all applicable VCU standards and regulations.

Network File Shares and Cloud Storage

The College of Engineering provides access to network file storage for both individual and shared files on VCU owned hardware. Shares can be created for faculty research and administrative functions to include students, faculty, staff and other collaborators with VCU eIDs. This is our recommended storage method for all research and business operations data. Contact Justin Osborne about configuring a share for your lab or group to utilize for your file sharing needs.

Additionally VCU Google Drive and VCU Google Shared Drives are approved storage for most VCU data types. For more information on Google Shared Drives, visit here: https://wiki.vcu.edu/x/M9AtBg

NOTE: No other cloud storage providers are currently approved for use with VCU Data. Please avoid using other services as this could result in violation of regulatory policies. If you have any questions, please contact the EGR IT team for further guidance.

Software

Several software systems are available using both VCU and Engineering College licensing. Several of these systems are also available for personally-owned computers.

For a list of software installed in the Engineering student public labs, see: http://www.engineering.vcu.edu/comp/installed_software_list.html
- All these packages are available for faculty/staff on their VCU-owned computers using the Software Center. For more information, see: https://wiki.vcu.edu/x/n5HOBQ
For a list of software available through VCU Technology Services, see: http://www.ts.vcu.edu/software-center/
- For each package, see the details for licensing rules.
Microsoft Office is now available to faculty/staff on their personally owned computers for free. See: go.vcu.edu/microsoft

Wired Network

Offices and labs have wired network connections. Wall jacks are activated "as needed" to control the cost of the electronics. VCU prohibits connecting routers/hubs/switches to the wired network. Personally owned devices are also not allowed on the wired network.

Wireless Network (Wi-Fi)

Faculty/staff are encouraged to use the "VCU SafeNet" wireless network for their personal laptops and smart phones. For more information about connecting to VCU SafeNet, see: https://ts.vcu.edu/askit/network-services/vcu-wireless-network/vcu-safenet-wireless/

The "VCU Guest" wireless is available for visitors. VCU also participates in the "Eduroam" international academic Wi-Fi system for external faculty members.

VPN Access from Off-campus

The Engineering College and certain VCU services require using the VCU Virtual Private Network (VPN) system for secure connections. In particular, you need to use the VPN Duo (dual authentication) to access Engineering network file shares, and connect to your office computer (Remote Desktop Connection). For details on installing the RAMS VPN Duo system, see: https://ts.vcu.edu/askit/network-services/rams-vpn/

Large Format Printer

A large format printer (36-inch roll) is available for poster printing located in West 243. Contact Travis Greene for first time orientation. If you need assistance, please schedule an appointment with at least a 24-hour notice. Same day appointments will not be accepted. If you are wanting to use glossy paper, please make sure to bring your own from your department. Please make sure you have a PowerPoint file (either in Google Drive or USB), and then we will convert to a PDF right before printing (this ensures we have the right dimensions).

Mailing List

The College maintains mailing lists comprising faculty, staff and students. On joining the College, you will be placed into the appropriate mailing list. Contact Anil Chatterji for more details.

Classroom Technology

All Engineering classrooms have basic technology to include a podium computer, projector, and connections for a laptop. All classrooms are also configured for distance education classes and have cameras, microphones, multiple monitors, document cameras and pen-writing functionality for and desktop conferencing. Engineering West 104, 105, and 106 are equipped with multiple cameras and microphones for desktop conferencing. West Hall 105 and 106 are also equipped with video teleconferencing hardware. Contact Marc Jenkins for assistance before your first use of a classroom.

Desktop Videoconferencing

VCU has a license for the Zoom desktop videoconferencing system, and we encourage faculty to use Zoom instead of Skype or other free services. Use your eID to log in at https://vcu.zoom.us/ to activate your account.

Backup of Critical Files

It is very important that critical files be backed up on a regular basis. Network file storage is backed up by the IT group. If you maintain critical files on your office computer, please contact Anil Chatterji to discuss options for backing up your files.

Student Computer Labs/Classroom

The College maintains a student public lab in both West and East Hall. The West Hall lab is open during specific weekend hours in addition to the weekday hours. If you are teaching courses requiring your students to use the student lab, please talk to Justin Osborne to ensure that required software is installed.

A computer teaching classroom with 40 student workstations in East E1239 is available for scheduling.

Web Publishing

The College's Marketing and Communications unit maintains the College website at: http://www.egr.vcu.edu

Faculty may use VCU TS provided websites such as the "People" server for their teaching or research needs. For more details, see: https://ts.vcu.edu/askit/web-tools/web-publishing/

Getting IT Help

In most cases, contact the College of Engineering IT group for any assistance with IT, classroom technology, or telephones.

For assistance with your eID, such as reset of password, contact the Technology Services (TS) help line at 804-828-2227. However, for all desktop and network needs, please contact the College IT group, since otherwise TS will just refer you back to us!

Telephones

Contact Anil Chatterji for assistance with your telephone needs. You may also want to review the links found here: https://wiki.vcu.edu/x/_Z7OBQ

VCU uses Avaya 4610 (gray) and 9611 (black) model telephones and the AVST CX Unified Communications Voice Mail system. For user guide information on your phone, see: http://www.ts.vcu.edu/askit/knowledge-base/telecommunications/user-guides/

For the AVST CX Voice Mail system, scroll through the webpage, see: https://ts.vcu.edu/askit/knowledge-base/telecommunications/products-and-services/voice-mail/avst/how-to/how-to-use-voice-messaging/

To make long distance calls, you need to request a "Long Distance PIN" (personal identification number). This bills calls to the appropriate Engineering department.

Servers and Services

VCU has strict requirements on the physical locations and set up of servers and network /cloud based services. If your group is in need of services, applications, or other server based needs, please contact Engineering IT BEFORE purchasing/connecting any equipment to the network. Often there are existing services available to meet your needs. If not, we can assist you through the process of acquiring the services and/or hardware to meet your needs in a way that will meet the VCU standards.

Information Security Basics

VCU requires annual Information Security training. Once you log in to Blackboard, you should see the VCU Information Security awareness training available to you. Please complete the training at your earliest convenience.

VCU has several security mandates on systems belonging to the University. Systems connecting to the VCU network should be running anti-virus software, the IT SCCM endpoint management tool, and a currently supported operating system. All mobile devices MUST be encrypted with the University approved encryption software/methods for the appropriate platform.

VCU Information Security also publishes specific security guidelines that all computers connected to the network must meet. If you have special operating system needs (such as a specific version of Linux), do contact us so that we can provide you the information to ensure your system is configured appropriately (do note that this may require additional hardware purchases depending on your configuration request). All Windows and Mac based systems (including virtual machines) are required to be configured by Engineering IT in order to meet these standards.

University IT Policies

University IT resources are to be used primarily for university-related work. For more information about the VCU IT policies, please see: https://policy.vcu.edu/policies/information-technology

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