IT Support

Overview

The Information Technology Department at the School of Public Policy, in coordination with the university's Office of Information Technology (OIT), offers a wide range of state-of-the-art technology to assist you. Specialized services are also provided for faculty, staff and students. Please take a moment to read the University's Policy on Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources.

Services for the Community

The Information Technology Department at the Maryland School of Public Policy, in coordination with the university's Office of Information Technology (OIT), plans, develops, supports and maintains computing, networking, and telecommunications services for the Public Policy community.

Labs and User Access

Note: You will have to use your UMD directory ID and password to access all campus computer labs, including the School of Public Policy computer labs.

The school has two 24-hr state-of-the-art computer labs for our Master's and PhD students, respectively. All workstations have the Windows 7 operating system and high-speed internet access. Three high capacity laserjet duplex printers and an image scanner are available. The school's Windows 8 Active Directory Server provides support for printing and file sharing. Each user receives network space (designated as U) for storing school related documents. This network space is a privilege and should not be abused. Inappropriate materials will be deleted without notice or consideration.

Each workstation has the entire Microsoft Office XP Professional suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access). Software packages required for class are are also included.

University WAM labs and other computer labs hosted by other departments are also available for student use. Please see 'Where to Go?'

This account allows users to login to the School of Public Policy computers, which include any computer located in the classrooms or computer labs. Users will also have access to network printing. Web Services

The School provides web services for faculty members to post academic materials on the Internet. Faculty members can also set up their individual web pages to post their various publications and on-going projects.

The University also supports the Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS) or Blackboard. This campus-wide course and content delivery system provides an integrated on-line course environment for posting course contents (syllabi, lecture notes, etc.) and access to interactive tools, discussion groups, live chats and online assessments.

Multimedia Support

All teaching theaters have built-in multimedia support from high-end audio-visual capabilities to support faculty and student presentations. There are also mobile projectors that can be used in standard classrooms and other locations. Laptop support along with appropriate software for use of those projects is also provided.

E-mail

You can access your respective mail via the Internet. The University of Maryland provides all Maryland community members with an account with Mail@umd. In order to access this e-mail account you must first set up your Directory ID and password. This University Directory ID will be used for most campus systems. Any Maryland community member can set up a new username and password.

Smartphone configuration for UMD Mail

Please click on the appropriate links below to configure your respective devices.

iPhone  Blackberry  HTC Droid 

Wireless

The School, in coordination with OIT's Mobile at Maryland (MAM) project provides wireless technology assistance to faculty, staff and students who would like to use their laptops to access the university system online.  With wireless technology, you are able to configure your laptop to read your e-mail, access the Internet and the School's file services. To access the university's wireless service, you will have to authenticate with your directory ID and password.

To accommodate faculty and staff wishing to sponsor campus visitors for temporary access to the wireless network, the Wireless Access for Guests program was developed. Faculty and staff members may sponsor up to four Guest Wireless accounts for a maximum of 30 days each. For more information visit the Guest Wireless Accounts page.

Tools

The Information Technology Department at the Maryland School of Public Policy, in coordination with the university's Office of Information Technology (OIT), supports tools and technologies for the academic environment including free virus protection, online course management, a legal music downloading service and discount purchasing programs.

Security

Here are a few tips to protect yourself from being a victim.

• Get Protection
  Free virus protection software is available to help protect your computer from infection.
• Be Aware
  Keep yourself aware of computer threats. If you catch virus' or other computer problems early, it is easier to fix the problem. Don't download suspicious applications or open unknown e-mail attachments.
• Have a Strong Password
  A good password is at least 8 characters long and is a combination of both upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
• Firewall
  If you computer is directly connected to the Internet, it is recommended that you run a firewall. Windows XP has a built in firewall but make sure it is enabled.
• Run Windows Updates
  Make sure you have Windows Automatic Updates enabled. This will help to keep Windows up to date with the latest patches and fixes. 
• Spyware/Adware Removal Tools
  There are several free spyware/adware removal tools including Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal and Spybot: Search and Destroy.

Blackboard (ELMS)

ELMS is the environment that supports online course materials at the University of Maryland. The Blackboard Academic Suite will provide the infrastructure for ELMS. Professors and Teaching Assistants can request courses and receive support from the IT Department at the School, and students can access course sites by logging-in with their Directory ID and password.

ELMS allows users to share content and files, create a virtual classroom, support collaboration, and facilitate grading and examinations.

Portal

myUM Portal
Be part of Maryland's new portal which offers up-to-date weather forecasts, news feeds and course information without having to visit multiple websites. Customize and make it your own!

Discount Programs

ACT: Computer Discount Purchasing Program
The Academic Computers for Terps (ACT) program offers purchasing discounts and warranty repair service for Apple and Dell computers.

Terrapin Technology Store
The University's new Terrapin Technology Store is located on the ground floor of the Stamp Student Union and offers convenient technology purchasing to students, faculty and staff.

University of Maryland Cellular Discount Program
Through this program, AT&T, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon Wireless offers specially priced plans and cellular phone equipment to university community members.

Contact Info

IT Support Services should be able to handle all your technology related questions within the School of Public Policy. We hope to help you by providing support in a variety of ways including providing prompt and professional assistance, pertinent information and tutorials to empower members of the School, and both hardware and software repairs and upgrades.

IT Support Services
Maryland School of Public Policy
Room 2129
Van Munching Hall
College Park, MD 20742
Phone: 301-405-3511

Links

The Information Technology Department at the Maryland School of Public Policy, in coordination with the university's Office of Information Technology (OIT), is leading the way in providing the School with state-of-the-art IT resources to enhance the School's standard of excellence in education and research. Below you will find important links to resources across this campus.

• OIT Student Help Desk
  The OIT Help Desk is the primary point of contact for technical assistance and information about IT, including system and outage alerts, at the university.
• Project NEThics
  Project NEThics promotes responsible use of information technology through user education and policy enforcement.
• TechKnow
  TechKnow is a newsletter to keep students aware of the latest IT happenings at the University.
• Testudo
  Testudo is an online resource offering course registration, course availability, grade inquiries, housing and meal plan information, and much more.
• University Directory
  The University Directory offers a way to search for university community members' contact information. It is also the place for you to update your personal information and your Directory ID and password, which control your access to numerous univeristy services.