Frequently Asked Questions

• Forward email to my Penn State address to another account?
• Change my email password?
• Update my directory information?

You can set these at http://www.work.psu.edu as well.

If you intend to use another email account as your primary account, make sure you read the fine print associated with that account.  You will want to make sure the usage terms are acceptable to you.  You should also be aware that some services do not correctly handle all attachments. Penn State encourages the use of the Penn State account.

Can I access my email via the web?

Yes. Go to http://webmail.psu.edu

How can I see what other University services are available?

Go to http://its.psu.edu.

What is our college's website?

http://www.artsandarchitecture.psu.edu

Links to all the academic and arts services units are listed on this page.

I keep receiving junk email. What should I do?

Check out http://sos.its.psu.edu/spam.html. This includes information about junk email (spam) and what to do about it.

I'm writing a grant and need to know what I should get technology-wise.

Involving your support contact in this process is critical.  They can help you choose the right equipment for the tasks you need it to perform and guide you towards solutions that will work within the College and University environment. In addition, they will guide you towards solutions that will last as long as possible, rather than towards something that will be incompatible with everything else next year.

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For Institutionally-owned Equipment

Does my computer have antivirus software?  Should I be worried about strange attachments?

The University has licensed anti-virus software. It should be installed on all college machines. Contact your support person if you have any questions.

You should still be concerned about strange attachments. Anti-virus software may not catch all viruses, especially the brand new viruses.

Is my computer backed up centrally?

Most likely, no. You are responsible for backing up all important files.

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For Personally-owned Equipment

I have a question about my personally-owned computer.

Due to liability issues, we are not set up to support non-University-owned computers. Any Penn State faculty, staff or student can call one of the helpdesks for computing help at 863-1035 or 863-2494

My personally-owned computer keeps crashing.  How can I get it fixed?

Aside from taking your computer to a downtown business, Penn State has an on campus work bench, which focuses on operating system, virus, or data problems.

Can I get antivirus software for my personally-owned computer?

Yes. The software is available on the CD distributed by ITS at the Willard or Computer Building help desks.

It can also be downloaded at https://downloads.its.psu.edu. 

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Resources

I have a bunch of 35mm slides. Where can I digitize them?

There are slide scanners in the 401 and 302 Patterson labs.

Are there scanners I can use within the college?

Flatbed scanners are also available in the Patterson labs.

I'd like to request software or hardware. Who do I ask? 

You should start by getting your support contact involved. They will give you any alternative solutions and also identify what version/model/brand you should specify. Your next step is to take the request to your department head.  They control the budget.

How can I get a projector or other piece of equipment for my class?

MTSS will lend projectors and other equipment to classes at no cost. Contact them at 814-865-6314 or check out their website at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/mtss. They will also deliver and pick up.

I'm going to a conference at the end of the month to make a presentation. Is there a laptop I can borrow?

The Dean's office has two laptops that it can sign out on short-term loan (no longer than a week). Contact Amy Bucha (aqs2@psu.edu)  or Gwen Miller (gem15@psu.edu) in the Dean's office at 865-2591.

What else is available for sign out?

The College has two video cameras available for check out. Contact Alice Teeple at act123@psu.edu or 863-9528.

The College also has a data projector available for short-term sign out (no longer than a week). It resides with the dean's office at 111 Arts through Amy Bucha or Gwen Miller at 865-2591.

If you need a laptop or projector for a longer period of time and you cannot get it through MTSS, contact your support person well in advance. We do not have any spare equipment that can be dedicated to long-term assignment. However, if something becomes available and we are aware of the need, we will try to juggle equipment to accommodate you.

Laptop and projector policies are available at http://www.aanda.psu.edu/it/eqloan.html.

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University Systems and Policy

I just got my Penn State account. I'll never remember these random numbers and letters. How tricky does my password have to be?

Penn State recognizes your ID and password as you.  You can change your benefits online, check class lists and assign grades by using your Penn State ID/Access account and password. 

Don't make it easy for an identity thief to use your identity. 

Your password should contain numbers, letters and at least one symbol.  It should not be easily guessable, like a phone number or a spouse's name. It should not be the main character from a movie or even a foreign word. If your password is any of these, it can be guessed by malicious software that tries one name or word after another.

How does AD 20 affect me?

AD20, the Computer and Network Security policy, covers a lot of ground so you will probably hear about it from time to time. We all have to sign it upon getting our account. The text can be found at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/ad20.html and additional information at http://sos.its.psu.edu.  In a nutshell, these are the things that directly affect you:

• Don't share your password with others.
• Don't share your account with others or let them log in as you.  You are responsible for any actions they take while logged in with your account.
• Don't use Penn State systems or resources to spam people, conduct a personal business or promote a personal business.
• Don't log in as someone else even if you know their password.
• Maintain awareness about copyright issues.

I am concerned about who has access to my machine.

Machines have been issued to faculty and staff for the conducting of University business. AD20 ensures that the people working on your machine do so to accomplish a specific task, such as update software, run a disk utility or troubleshoot a problem. They will be discrete about anything they may inadvertently find on the machine.

If you suspect that someone unauthorized is using your machine, contact your support person immediately.

You should also see the University's Privacy Statement AD53 at http://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD53.html.

How do I get my home phone number removed from the faculty/staff directory?

For the University-level directory, see our Human Resources office at 113 Arts and they will process a form that will stop this information from appearing. Only your name and office number/address will appear.

If you wish to keep your information from appearing in the College's directory, talk to Lora Zimmerman in the Human Resources office.

My office address has changed. How do I get it updated in the electronic directory?

The College Human Resources office can help you here as well.

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Websites of Interest

Campus Computer Store: http://computerstore.psu.edu or 865-2100

University Information Technology Services: http://its.psu.edu/

-Specifically for new faculty: http://its.psu.edu/newfaculty

Training Resources:

-IT-related training: http://its.psu.edu/training

-HR Development Center:  http://www.ohr.psu.edu/hrdc

Office of Human Resources: http://www.ohr.psu.edu