Faculty and Staff
Technology Orientation
Technology Orientation for Faculty
At the beginning of each school year, faculty new to the College of Charleston and Information Technology staff gather for a Technology Orientation Workshop. Technology Orientation is conducted during Human Resources New Hire Orientation for new faculty. Topics covered include:
- Credentials for accounts, such as usernames and passwords for MyPortal and the Cougars network
- Checking email and logging into the network for the first time
- An introduction to smart classrooms
- An introduction to the Teaching, Learning, and Technology program, including contact information for Instructional Technologists
- Information on services and how to contact technical support
Technology Orientation for Staff
During the new Hire Orientation for staff, Information Technology personnel introduce them to services provided by IT at the College of Charleston. New staff members get their username and password for logging onto the network and checking email (and are led through the process). Staff are introduced to the IT Service Desk and learn how to contact technical support.
Accessing the College Network and Services
Network Account (COUGARS)
Your Cougars account is your electronic key to a variety of computing systems and resources at the College of Charleston. The username and password allows you to access both the Cougars network and email accounts. Faculty and Staff receive the Cougar account information from Human Resources during the initial hiring process. Learn more about at it.cofc.edu/accounts-email/cougars/. If you did not receive your Cougars account information, please contact the IT Service Desk at 843-953-3375.
Computing Security
Information Technology Policies. To access a list of College policies please visit policy.cofc.edu.
Personal Devices. You may utilize your own smart phones and tablets, however if you have access to protected campus data you must secure your device with strong passcodes. Additionally, if you lose your device you must report it to Campus Security and the Helpdesk at 843-953-3375.
Secure File Transfer. Transmitting protected data or attachments larger than 20mb via email is prohibited. A service called Secure Share allows for the secure transfer of sensitive information and allows files up to 10GB in size.
Remote Access
With remote access, faculty & staff can access network resources from off-campus. Remote users can modify files stored on network drives using available administrative applications such as MS Office. Users can only save modified files back to the network drives – users can not copy files or save files from the network to the remote machine they are working from or vice versa. Visit http://it.cofc.edu/network/remote/ for more information.
MyPortal
MyPortal is the College’s online portal located at myportal.cofc.edu. MyPortal provides centralized access to numerous online services including time and leave reporting, pay information, finance tools, campus news and events, personal and campus announcements, and more. Use your COUGARS login and password to access MyPortal.
Campus email services allow you to exchange email with individuals on and off campus. Users can access campus email with a supported e-mail client or directly at https://outlook.office.com using your Cougars login. If you don't know your email account name and password, contact the IT Service Desk at 843.953.3375. Learn more at http://it.cofc.edu/accounts-email/outlook/.
Network Storage
The College provides secure networked storage space for your work files. These files are accessible with your COUGARS login password from any computer on campus as well as off campus through Remote Access. This storage is backed‐up on a regular basis. Employees are prohibited from storing personal files, including pictures and music, on College network storage devices.
Web Server
Information Technology provides faculty and staff free web space to upload and house your college-related web pages. Faculty and Staff webpage are located at people.cofc.edu. To request a web account, please contact the IT Service Desk at 843.953.3375.
Blogs
If you need a webpage, but don’t have a clue about “xhtml” or “rss”, then you may want to explore blogging. Blogs provide a ready-made platform, in a unique journal-style format, that allow you to get your information up for display fast – and, best of all, blogging requires very little technical knowledge. Request a blog account by visiting help.cofc.edu and opening a support ticket. Once set up, you will use your Cougars username and password for administrative access to your blog hosted on http://blogs.cofc.edu.
Streaming Media
Information Technology provides a variety of options if you wish to stream media. Options include the College's Stream server, Kaltura and iTunesU. Learn more at http://it.cofc.edu/vvw/multimedia/index.php.
IT Support Services
Information Technology at the College of Charleston provides ongoing, site-based support for all aspects of technology implementation. From troubleshooting a computer glitch to outfitting an entire department with the latest instructional technology, IT works behind the scenes to make the College’s use of technology run smoothly.
IT Service Desk
When things stop working, these are the folks to call. The IT Service Desk is your first source for help with any problem related to computer technology. They can assist you with network (server) access, lost passwords, or a computer that acts up just as you are ready to begin your presentation. If you are having trouble, please visit help.cofc.edu.
Student Computing
Housed in the Addlestone Library, Student Computing provides guidance to students about the purchase and setup of laptops for use on campus. Students can also go to this desk for help troubleshooting problems they are having with their computers. If students have questions about the computer technology in use on our campus, this is the place to get answers. For more information, please visit http://it.cofc.edu/help/studentcomputing.php.
Telephone Services
This group keeps the phones ringing, the voicemail's recording, and makes sure that incoming telephone calls really do reach the phone on your desk. They should be contacted for assistance with telephone installations, repair, and voicemail problems. You can reach Telephone Services at 3-3375 (Press 2). For more information, please visit http://it.cofc.edu/vvw/telecom/index.php.
Teaching, Learning & Technology (TLT)
Incorporating the latest technologies into your teaching and research efforts can be a daunting task, especially if you are not a technical guru. The College provides faculty with such technological support as: Instructional Technologists to work with you on special projects, instruction on the use of OAKS (our current learning management system), seminars that demonstrate how to maximize your teaching goals with technology, and a tech center that houses innovative equipment and software. For more information, please visit tlt.cofc.edu.
Purchasing Hardware or Software
Faculty and staff may purchase hardware and software with an educational discount through participating vendors.