Devices: A laptop or tablet with a built-in camera and microphone will work best for online learning. Check out the Pitt Start web page to find educational discounts on computer hardware. If you need to add a camera or microphone to a current device it is best to contact the manufacturer to see what is compatible.
Canvas, Zoom, Respondus, and more: Canvas is the PSU Learning Management System (LMS). Zoom, Respondus, and more are integrated into Canvas. Knowing how to use this tool will be critical to your success online. Check out the details and tutorials on these resources and much more at the University Canvas web site.
Access Many PSU Owned Software Packages Remotely: PSU has university-owned software available for students and faculty to access through GUSWare. In addition, you can find a link to GUSWare on the GUS Portal. Be sure to check out the directions on how to use GUSWare for the first time!
Use your FREE Office 365 Account: Office 365 will make your remote working/learning experience much simpler. It is an amazing suite of all of the most popular Office products in one spot. In addition, everything is online, sharable, and the suite allows for collaboration! You can access Office 365 in the GUS Portal.
Reliable Wifi Is Critical: A good wifi signal is critical to your success in learning online. PSU has GUSNet wifi campus-wide. In addition, we have created additional hotspots that you can reach from various outdoor and parking spaces on campus. If you are experiencing sluggish home network connectivity or slow cloud services while working or learning remotely you can help to improve performance by:
In a pinch for wifi? Check out this great tutorial from PC Magazine on how to turn your mobile phone into a wifi hot spot!
GUS Portal is PSU's go-to spot to access the most commonly used IT systems at the University. All links on GUS Portal do not require VPN (virtual private network access).
NOTE: As always, if you are accessing ANY PSU data you should be on a private network or use VPN if you are on a public network (like found in a coffee shop, hotel, etc)
Be sure to take advantage of University training sessions through both Information Technology Services (ITS) and the Center for Teaching Learning and Technology (CTLT). In addition to face-to-face training sessions, there is an abundance of online resources for Canvas and tools integrated within Canvas including Zoom, Turnitin, Respondus, and Vidgrid.
Office 365 will make your remote working/learning experience much simpler. It is an amazing suite of all of the most popular Office products in one spot. In addition, everything is online, sharable, and the suite allows for collaboration! Here is what you get, along with some top-notch training resources on how to use some of these products:
Office 365 can also be accessed in the GUS Portal. If you choose, as a PSU student, faculty, or staff member, you can download the Microsoft Office Suite to up to 5 personal machines and 5 personal phones, and 5 personal tablets. Check out PSU's Office 365 informational website for even more details!
PSU has university-owned software available for students and faculty to access through the GUSWare website. In addition, you can find a link to GUSWare on the GUS Portal.
Be sure to check out the directions on how to use GUSWare for the first time!
Please note that not all university-owned software is available through this source. The availability depends on licensing rules per the software company. However, software packages are regularly added to the site. If you would like to see a university-owned software added to this site please send us a message at geeks@pittstate.edu and we'll contact the university department that owns the software to see if licensing allows for the addition.
We understand that some of you live in locations where strong wifi is difficult to come by. PSU has positioned some wifi access points near easy parking spots around campus. Check out the GUSNet Parking Lot Hot Spot map!
Faculty and Staff office/desk phone instructions can be found at our Telephone Service page. Learn how to check your voicemail messages while off of campus, how to create messages for both internal and external callers, and more!
Did you know that you can get a Google Voice number to use when returning or making calls on your personal phone for work? This allows you to keep your personal number private while working remotely.
Both Teams and Zoom offer the option to change backgrounds in whatever setting you may be videoconferencing from. The amazing PSU Marketing and Communications Team has made PSU Custom Backgrounds available for both Teams (WIN users only right now) and Zoom. Show off our beautiful campus during your next videoconference!
Electronic signatures can be entered into electronic documents (vs. an actual signature) and submitting documents through PSU email (which is secure and encrypted). This is a practice that can be used while on or off campus.
Most contracts can be signed electronically as well. Just like when signing a hard copy of a contract, make sure the person signing the contract has authority to sign for PSU. If in doubt, email Jamie Brooksher, PSU’s General Counsel with your questions. For more information see PSU’s new Electronic Signature Policy.
Learn how to use Word, Adobe Acrobat (free version), or Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (which includes Adobe Sign) for electronic signatures using these quick guides.
NOTE: If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Pro DC installed on your machine you can contact ITS (support@pittstate.edu) to request an installation. The cost for this product is billed by the CTLT annually and is approximately $52.00 per license (this fluctuates based on the number of users that we have at PSU).
How do I change my password?
Decide what tool you will use to collaborate as a dept/committee/etc:
Consider whether or not you will need an extra monitor, a webcam, speakers, etc at home and all of the cabling required to make it properly connect to your machine.
Section off a quiet, comfortable work-space in your home to work effectively and efficiently.
Test your home internet connection to be sure that it will support the resources that you must use in your position.
Have contact phone numbers for colleagues easily accessible or use the University Directory to contact colleagues.
Consider changing your PSU office phone greeting and steering callers to email or MS Teams/Skype to reach you.
Use the dial-in capabilities of our phone system to get voicemails from your desk phone while on or off of campus.
Check out this article from NPR with some great tips regarding remote work.
Zoom's Current Security Stance: Check out this letter from Zoom's CEO regarding Zoom vulerabiliites and how the company is handling these concerns during this unique time.
Zoom Bombing: With everyone now working from home, the hackers have started Zoom-Bombing - hijacking your video teleconference. This means that someone who was not an intended invitee could access your meeting. They could learn confidential information, they could share their screen that contained inappropriate material, etc....
Streaming a Zoom meeting or Webinar on YouTube Live.
Below are some steps to secure your Zoom meeting.
* Do not make meetings or classrooms public. In Zoom, there are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests.
* Do not share a link to a teleconference or classroom on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
* Manage screen sharing options. In Zoom, change screen sharing to “Host Only.”
* Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
All of us benefit when there are multiple and agile digital options for learning and working. Creating digital materials for both on-site and remote instruction/work that are fully and equally accessible to PSU students, faculty, and staff is crucial to the success of everyone. It is the responsibility of those creating digital content to do so in a way that all can acquire the same content, engage in the same collaboration opportunities, and enjoy the same services with an ease of use that is as similar as possible. Check out this digital accessibility resource page to learn how to make your content accessible to everyone in the PSU community.
If you are experiencing sluggish home network connectivity or slow cloud services while working or learning remotely you can help to improve performance by:
In a pinch for wifi? Check out this great tutorial from PC Magazine on how to turn your mobile phone into a wifi hot spot!
"If you're stuck in a situation where you need a Wi-Fi connection, but can't get it anywhere else, chances are your smartphone can give you the boost you need. By setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can turn your phone into a source for the internet that laptops, tablets, and other phones can use."
NOTE: Before you use your mobile phone as a hot spot be sure to contact your carrier to see if any additional fees will be incurred.
If you need to change your password while not on campus, no problem.
How do I change my password?
Give your eyes a rest:
Staring at a computer screen for long periods of time can cause strain on your eyes, fatigue, dry eyes, and more. WEBmd tells us to use the 20x20x20 rule: Look away from the screen every 20 minutes or so and look at something around 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. Blink often to keep your eyes moist. If they feel dry, try some eye drops.
Trouble seeing small fonts, etc. on your screen?
Cloud services are changing things on the fly...and it's going to be OK.
We are here for you. If you are working remotely and need IT assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to the ITS Help Desk (aka The Gorilla Geeks):