Installing AVG Anti-virus
AVG Antivirus
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Spyware and Adware
Anti-spyware
Topics covered.
What is spyware?
How is spyware different from adware?
Are cookies considered spyware?
How to avoid spyware
How to detect and remove spyware
What is spyware?
Spyware is software that is installed on your computer without your permission. It often tags along with free software you have downloaded or comes from "infected" web sites and/or links. The most common source of spyware is file sharing software (Kazaa, Blubster, etc.). Even innocent free programs (e.g. Comet Cursor) will come with spyware. In fact, it is best to assume that if the software is free, it comes with spyware attached.
Its purpose is to report your browsing habits (web sites you've visited) to the publisher of the spyware software. They use this information to present you with pop-ups when you are browsing the Web. Sometimes the information gathered is also used to send you spam.
Spyware can interfere with your network connection, slow down the performance of your computer and prevent legitimate software (such as Internet Explorer) from working properly.
Back to top
How is spyware different from adware?
Spyware and Adware are essentially the same thing. The primary difference is that adware is used to pop-up ads that are meant to be meaningful to you, whereas spyware may pop-up ads that are offensive or have nothing to do with your interests. Both are annoying and can overwhelm your browser with pop-ups. Adware typically does not insert itself into your computer operating system as thoroughly as spyware.
Back to top
Are cookies considered spyware?
Cookies are used in a manner similar to adware and spyware. They report information about you back to the publisher of the cookie. Many, many web sites use cookies. Respectable sites, such as Amazon.com, use cookies responsibly. They only store information directly related to the use of their web pages. For example, it is used to suggest products based on your past purchases. Other sites gather more information than they should. Cookies can safely be deleted and are usually recreated when you revisit the site (sometimes you will have to login to the site before the cookie is reset). Internet Explorer includes a button in its "options" window that allows you to quickly remove all cookies.
Back to top
How to avoid spyware
Do not click on banners that appear at the top of web pages even if they look like a fun game, they say you are a winner or they are going to help you correct a potential problem on your computer (your clock is wrong, you have spyware, etc.).
Do not download free software. If you must use free software, be as selective as possible and only install that which is completely necessary. Use trustworthy web sites.
Do not click on AIM or MSN profile links unless you are absolutely certain they are real. Ask your friend if they know the link is there before you click on it.
Do not follow links in spam e-mail messages. They often take you to sites that install spyware on your computer.
Music/file sharing is illegal. It is also a pipeline to spyware, viruses and hackers. Is it worth it?
Back to top
How to detect and remove spyware
ITS is currently suggesting students use AVG Antivirus for Windows computers. Click here for installation instructions: https://my.hamilton.edu/information-technology-services/resource-center/installing-avg-anti-virus.
For Macintosh computers, the ITS recommends iAntivirus or Sophos Home Edition. Click here for installation instructions: http://my.hamilton.edu/information-technology-services/resource-center/sophos-home-edition-for-mac
Removing spyware may sometimes disable the software with which it came. In some cases the spyware cannot be removed until the free software it came with is also removed.
Back to top
Getting Started With Information Technology
Antivirus
Getting Started With Information Technology
NOTE: The information on this page is fully up-to-date and accurate for the 2011-12 academic year.
This page connects new and returning members of the Hamilton College community to the most up-to-date information on networking, personal computer systems and standards. Whether you've never been to Hamilton, or you've just been away for a semester or two, this is the place to find out about the information technology environment.
Why Bring a Laptop Computer to Campus?
The campus has universally distributed connectivity via ethernet and wireless. This will make it easy for you to use your computer anywhere on campus (e.g., in the library), even bring it to class or the place you most prefer to study;
You will want to continue to use your computer when you go home for breaks;
Laptops take up less space in your room;
If you have a problem, laptops can be easily transported to our Help Desk.
What do I Need to Know About Bringing a Computer to Campus?
Have a computer you need connected to the Hamilton network? Want to purchase your own computer, and be sure it can be connected to the network? Follow this link for information on minimum and recommended system requirements and network connectivity.
Virus Protection
Virus Protection Information
Policy Note
Hamilton College requires all existing and all incoming students to install Anti-Virus software on their personal computers by the end of the second week of classes each semester. Failure to do so can result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until up-to-date Anti-virus software is installed. Anti-virus software (AVG for Windows and Sophos & iAntivirus for Macintosh) is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Hamilton supported Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
Student Phone and Voice Mail Overview
Cable Television Information
Contact Us
E-mail us at: helpdesk@hamilton.edu
Or, if you just want to hear a friendly voice, phone 315-859-4181. We'll be sure that someone gets back to you within one business day.
Installing AVG Anti-virus
Antivirus
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Policies - Access to Information Technology Resources
Antivirus
Policies
Access to Information Technology Resources
Eligibility
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College.
Electronic resources include:
Group I (electronic mail, listservs, personal calendar, portal, Blackboard course management system, network storage, campus ID card)
Group II (Web Advisor)
Group III (Login access to Datatel)
Access to electronic resources for employees, students, spouses/partners, and alumni is enabled through username and password provided to individuals according to the following guidelines.
Non-Faculty Employees are given access to Group I resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request from the Department Head.
Non-Faculty employee access to all resources is removed at the end of business on the last date of employment. As soon as an employee gives notice, he/she should enable a "vacation" (auto-responder) message to indicate his/her last date of employment and to provide correspondents with an alternate address to which they should address future College business. Employees should also remove any personal e-mail or files from their accounts during this period.
Faculty are given access to Group I resources and Group II resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request by the Dean of Faculty.
Faculty access to all resources is removed at the end of business three months after the last date of employment. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Dean of Faculty. Upon request to the Dean of Faculty an emeritus faculty member can retain his/her Hamilton e-mail address for as long as desired.
Students are given access to Group I and Group II resources upon making an acceptance deposit to the College. Students who work in administrative offices may be granted limited access to Group III resources.
Student access to all resources is removed three months after withdrawal or graduation. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Director, Help Desk and Training Services in ITS.
Graduates are automatically eligible for access to the Hamilton alumni directory. As part of the directory, alumni have access to an e-mail forwarding service. Each alumnus can create a username@alumni.hamilton.edu which will automatically forward e-mail to an e-mail account they have with an Internet Service Provider (e.g. AOL).
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College. Access to these resources is provided to employees of the College (faculty, administration, staff, maintenance and operations) and enrolled students consistent with their responsibilities. E-mail accounts are continued for Hamilton alumni for three months after graduation, and may be extended by special request to the e-mail administrator.
Other individuals, upon submission of a request, may be granted access to some, or all, of Hamilton's IT resources by the Vice President for Information Technology. Generally, such individuals will have some association with the College. The terms of access will be stated at the time access is granted.
Under no circumstance may anyone use College IT resources for profit-making activities, in ways that are illegal (e.g. copyright violations), that threaten the College's tax-exempt or other status, or interfere with reasonable use by other members of the College community.
Convention For User Names
The standard Hamilton naming convention for access to electronic systems comprises the first initial of the first name, followed by (up to seven characters of) the last name. If duplicates occur, the middle initial is generally used to resolve ambiguity.
Access in Residence Halls
Residence hall connections are intended to provide students with access to telephone and cable television services, and the campus data network. One telephone, cable television, and data network connection is provided for each student. Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Students must provide their own telephones, televisions, computers, software, and Ethernet cards that meet minimum Hamilton standards. Information on current minimum standards and recommended configurations is available online. Network standards are updated annually. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a residence hall room will be divided equally, and billed to the students residing in that room.
Management of Internet Bandwidth
The campus network, including our connection to the Internet, is a critical shared resource for supporting the academic program. Uses of our Internet connection that are central to the academic/administrative mission of the college (e.g. access to Hamilton web, e-mail, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers) will receive higher priority during times when classes are in session, offices are open, and in the evenings when preparation takes place (i.e. critical times).
Low priority uses, including recreational uses, are peripheral to our mission and will receive lower priority during critical times.
Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. each day (critical times): With the exception of web traffic a fixed percentage of bandwidth is allocated between the residence halls and the Internet. Access to the Hamilton e-mail, web, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers from off-campus is the highest priority. Incoming or outgoing web traffic between the Internet and the campus network is the next highest priority. Peer-to-Peer Internet applications (applications for distributing videos, music, software, etc.) receive the lowest priority.
Between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. (non-critical times): There will be no restrictions on bandwidth. The quality and volume of our Internet traffic is regularly monitored to assure that critical applications are available to members of the community.
Hamilton does not monitor the content of traffic on the network. It is the responsibility of each person using college resources, including the network, to do so in an ethical and legal manner. Particular attention should be given to observing copyright laws for digital materials.
Personal Computers on the Network
Internet addresses are provided dynamically through a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) system. In order to obtain a static Internet (TCP/IP) computer address the owner of the system must register the computer with ITS network services.
The rules and regulations contained in this policy pertaining to electronic mail and Internet access are equally applicable to the use of personal machines for file sharing or as servers. If bandwidth or other problems occur, ITS reserves the right to discontinue access to the machine. Computers connected to the network may not be used as servers for private enterprises, commercial activity, or personal profit. Computers connected to the network may not be used to provide access to the Internet for anyone not formally affiliated with the College. If personal computers on the Hamilton network are used as servers, the administrator has the additional responsibility to respond to any use of the server that is in violation of these policies and procedures. Server administrators must take steps to prevent recurrence of such violations and report these violations to the Hamilton Network Administrator (hostmaster@hamilton.edu).
ITS reserves the rights to disconnect any network port whose activity causes an adverse effect on the network or on any other user. Network connections may also be revoked in the case of malicious or inappropriate computing activity on the network. See Noncompliance and Sanctions for examples of these activities.
ITS reserves the right to restrict access to the network during expansion, or for diagnostic and maintenance services. Every effort will be made to provide advance notification and to schedule such disruptions during times of minimum impact and traffic.
Virus Protection
Hamilton College requires all computers connected to the network to have up-to-date virus protection. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Sophos anti-virus software is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Sophos Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
In addition, all attachments to e-mail sent to the Hamilton mail server are scanned for viruses. If an attachment is found to be infected it is deleted and a text file is attached to the e-mail message (called substitute.txt) informing the receiver that the attachment was infected with a virus. The receiver can then contact the sender to have the message retransmitted after the attachment has been cleaned of the virus.
Windows Updates
All computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system and connected to the Hamilton College network must be kept up-to-date with critical service updates from Microsoft. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Individuals wanting to request an exception to the Windows update policy must do so in writing to the Vice President for Information Technology.
Network Connections in Departments
All offices, laboratories, and classrooms on campus are wired for access to the network. If departments request additional network jacks, or if network connections need to be moved to different locations, the department should request this service through ITS. The department will be billed for charges resulting from moves, additions, and changes.
Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a department will be billed to that department.
Dial-Up Connections
For all campus users the primary access to Hamilton computing services is through the campus network. Dial-in access via modem is not provided.
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Antivirus
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Spyware and Adware
Antivirus
Topics covered.
What is spyware?
How is spyware different from adware?
Are cookies considered spyware?
How to avoid spyware
How to detect and remove spyware
What is spyware?
Spyware is software that is installed on your computer without your permission. It often tags along with free software you have downloaded or comes from "infected" web sites and/or links. The most common source of spyware is file sharing software (Kazaa, Blubster, etc.). Even innocent free programs (e.g. Comet Cursor) will come with spyware. In fact, it is best to assume that if the software is free, it comes with spyware attached.
Its purpose is to report your browsing habits (web sites you've visited) to the publisher of the spyware software. They use this information to present you with pop-ups when you are browsing the Web. Sometimes the information gathered is also used to send you spam.
Spyware can interfere with your network connection, slow down the performance of your computer and prevent legitimate software (such as Internet Explorer) from working properly.
Back to top
How is spyware different from adware?
Spyware and Adware are essentially the same thing. The primary difference is that adware is used to pop-up ads that are meant to be meaningful to you, whereas spyware may pop-up ads that are offensive or have nothing to do with your interests. Both are annoying and can overwhelm your browser with pop-ups. Adware typically does not insert itself into your computer operating system as thoroughly as spyware.
Back to top
Are cookies considered spyware?
Cookies are used in a manner similar to adware and spyware. They report information about you back to the publisher of the cookie. Many, many web sites use cookies. Respectable sites, such as Amazon.com, use cookies responsibly. They only store information directly related to the use of their web pages. For example, it is used to suggest products based on your past purchases. Other sites gather more information than they should. Cookies can safely be deleted and are usually recreated when you revisit the site (sometimes you will have to login to the site before the cookie is reset). Internet Explorer includes a button in its "options" window that allows you to quickly remove all cookies.
Back to top
How to avoid spyware
Do not click on banners that appear at the top of web pages even if they look like a fun game, they say you are a winner or they are going to help you correct a potential problem on your computer (your clock is wrong, you have spyware, etc.).
Do not download free software. If you must use free software, be as selective as possible and only install that which is completely necessary. Use trustworthy web sites.
Do not click on AIM or MSN profile links unless you are absolutely certain they are real. Ask your friend if they know the link is there before you click on it.
Do not follow links in spam e-mail messages. They often take you to sites that install spyware on your computer.
Music/file sharing is illegal. It is also a pipeline to spyware, viruses and hackers. Is it worth it?
Back to top
How to detect and remove spyware
ITS is currently suggesting students use AVG Antivirus for Windows computers. Click here for installation instructions: https://my.hamilton.edu/information-technology-services/resource-center/installing-avg-anti-virus.
For Macintosh computers, the ITS recommends iAntivirus or Sophos Home Edition. Click here for installation instructions: http://my.hamilton.edu/information-technology-services/resource-center/sophos-home-edition-for-mac
Removing spyware may sometimes disable the software with which it came. In some cases the spyware cannot be removed until the free software it came with is also removed.
Back to top
Comparison of Browser Interfaces
Apple Safari
Browsing
Browser History
Accessing Browser History
Browser History Interface
Bookmarks
Adding a Bookmark
Accessing Bookmarks
Trust Certificates
Configuring Computer for Skype
Audiovisual (AV)
Other Videoconferencing Documents
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Videoconferencing for Students
Videoconferencing for Employees
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Audiovisual (AV)
Environment Optimization
Regardless which videoconferencing solution is chosen for the communication, it will be important to prepare the location where your call will take place so as to realize the most optimal, standard experience for all involved parties.
General Considerations
Regardless of the conversation type, if the communication is high-risk/high-value, at least one test should be performed with all participants before the actual conversation.
Remember that accidents can happen: pets can meander into the conversation and voice their opinions, cell phones have the potential of ringing, and items can fall and clatter. While all participants should attempt to prepare for these eventualities, it is best to just accept that they are a part of the conversation, a normative experience, and therefore look past them.
Remember that participants within the domain of the webcam and the microphone are involved in the videoconference: anything uttered or any act performed within range of either device will be transmitted to all participants. It behooves everyone to be aware (by dint of the Preview available on all computers/software) of what will be seen and heard before the videoconference begins. As the character Doctor Emmett Brown opined in the movie Back to the Future, "no wonder your president has to be an actor, [they] have to look good on television."
Lighting
Proper lighting is an essential ingredient for a successful, high-quality videoconference. "A webcam isn't the most flattering piece of technology," according to Stephen Winzenburg in an article for the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "[it can] make you appear gaunt, overweight, beady eyed, or narcoleptic. And often you look all those things at the same time." To ensure that all participants see each other in the best possible light, everyone should:
Ensure your environment is well-lit--turn on as many lights as possible;
Be mindful of such issues as camera angle, background, and any other light sources that might affect the conversation;
A room with a window might be a nice place to have a chat, but the sun streaming in can wreak havoc on the quality of the conversation;
If you must have a conversation in a room with a window, be sure to test your setup around the same time you anticipate having the conversation to ensure a uniform experience;
Test, test, test, test, test: almost all software and computers have the ability to provide participants with a preview and this preview is what other participants will actually see--make sure the contents of the preview are what you want the other participants to see.
If a high-quality conversation is desired, it may behoove participants to purchase a dedicated webcam. ITS has enjoyed success with devices like the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000.
Sound
Problems with sound are reliable sources of videoconferencing woes. In addition to the ambient noise issue covered in the "Location" section, there are other potential problems one should be aware of:
Echo/Feedback
A problem arises whenever a sound input is colocated with a sound output: If you put a microphone IN FRONT of a speaker, a positive feedback loop will be generated, i.e. loud, screechy, piercing sound that is painful. Be sure either to place the speaker far away from the microphone, wear headphones to ameliorate the problem, or invest in a microphone with integrate anti-feedback technology.
Most laptops, all-in-one desktops (e.g. the iMac), and smartphones have built-in webcameras, microphones, and speakers. While they are sometimes configured to interoperate without generated feedback, one cannot rely on them working perfectly, especially for high-value conversations. All participants are STRONGLY encouraged to wear headphones to eliminate echoing/feedback.
Configuration
The peripherals required to perform a videoconference interoperate well, but are susceptible to problems. If participants are unable to hear each other, see each other, or connect, there may be a problem with the configuration of the peripherals, the software for the chat (e.g. Skype, Google Talk), or the drivers that the computer uses to communicate with the devices. While easier with the built-in microphone, webcam, speaker setup, problems can plague those setups. ITS strongly recommends testing the full setup before any videoconference. If problems are identified before the actual conversation, chances are better that they can be troubleshooted and resolved without conflicting with the actual conversation.
Accessibility Issues
Hearing Aids/Lipreaders
All communications conducted using these solutions will be affected to varying degrees by synchronicity issues. For example: participants may notice that mouths move independently of the sound they generate. While this is becoming a normative experience, it can be jarring, especially for those who need to read lips to understand what is being said. Proper balancing of audio is also key to ensure that participants whose hearing is impaired can participate equally in the conversation .
Location
Through the miracle of modern technology, these conversations can now take place at any time and in any location, e.g. cafés, libraries, street corners, dorm rooms, hospitals, vel sim. Just because they can take place in every location does not necessarily mean they ought to take place in every location. Both parties should consider:
The ambient noise in their respective environments--loud environs equals bad conversations;
The people whom they might affect with the conversation--not everyone needs to be privy to the conversation;
The speed of the internet conections at the locations--a low-speed DSL connection will not create a good videoconferencing experience (You can test your bandwidth here.)
Videoconferencing using OoVoo
Audiovisual (AV)
Description
OoVoo is an voice, video, and instant messaging communications tool that permits up to twelve simultaneous voice or video participants for no fee. Unlike Skype, OoVoo Free users cannot share their computer desktops with each other.
Procedures
Downloading and Installing OoVoo
In your internet browser, navigate to http://www.oovoo.com/Download.aspx;
Select the appropriate Download for your platform (i.e. Mac, Windows, or Linux;)
Wait for the download to commence and finish;
Install Skype using the downloaded installer (it should be a relatively straightforward affair;)
Skype will automatically launch--log in to continue.
Data Backup and Storage
Backup
Introduction
Imagine if all of the work that you spent hours completing suddenly disappeared and there were no way to bring it back from oblivion.
A nightmarish scenario to be sure! Unfortunately, many face it every semester: ITS often assists students and employees whose computers have malfunctioned while either working on or after finishing some assignment, typically when such a loss is most painful and difficult to recover from. Thankfully, with a very little effort, this scenario can be easily avoided.
Backing up your files serves many purposes. Beyond preventing a catastrophic loss of data, proper organization of one's data and easy options for retrieval will facilitate one's work at Hamilton and beyond, viz. graduate school, internships, and possibly future employment
Storage Solution Finder
External Hard Drive
Employee Network Storage 1
Academic Server 2
Google Drive
Flash Drive
Dropbox or Similar
Documents
✓
✓
✓
✓
Images
✓
✓
✓
✓
Music
✓
✓
✓
Video
✓
✓
Computer Backup
✓
✓
Easy Sharing
✓
✓
is a solution that should not be used for sensitive or confidential information, e.g. bank account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, health information.
1 This solution is only available to staff and faculty.
2 This solution is for academic purposes (e.g. Coursework) only. And only members of the Faculty and Staff can request folders be created on the Academic Server.
SSS File Manager on the WWW
Backup
Provided you have access to the World Wide Web, it is possible to work with files you have stored in your SSS HOME directory from anywhere in the world. Your HOME directory is the folder on SSS that bears your e-mail name. For example, it might be alincoln if you were Abe Lincoln. You will not have access to department or special shared folders through this interface.
Accessing Your Files and Folders on SSS via the Web
Open your Internet browser (Internet Explorer for Windows, Netscape for Macintosh, etc.) and navigate to the My Hamilton page: http://my.hamilton.edu/.
Login in using your e-mail address (e.g. alincoln) and your e-mail password. It is important to note that you do NOT use your SSS password. The web interface will authenticate you via your e-mail login and will not require you to enter your SSS password.
Click on the Submit button.
Click on the Files tab. You will see a list of the folders and files you have previously created in your SSS folder.
To open a folder, simply click on the folder name. In this example, I clicked on the folder called Documents. You can see this by looking at the top of the screen following the word Folder:
To return to the level above the folder you are in, you can either click on the Back button in your browser or click on Parent Directory in the list of files and folders.
Reading and Modifying SSS Files
You will have to save files to your computer in order to read or work on them. To do so, simply click on the file you wish to access. If you are prompted to choose what to do with the file (open or save), Save it to a convenient location on your computer (e.g. the desktop.) After saving the file, go to the location you chose (e.g. the desktop) and open it there. It is not recommended that you choose Open since the file will be saved in a temporary folder and won’t be easy to find.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After making modifications to your file you must upload it back to your SSS folder. Clicking on “save” within the application (e.g. Word) will NOT save the modifications on SSS.
Saving Modified Files Back to your SSS folder
NOTE: If you download a file (MS Word document, PowerPoint presentation, etc.) to your computer and modify it, you must upload that file back to SSS to overwrite the unmodified file.
To upload a file from your computer to your SSS folder, click the Upload File link.
If you are uploading a modified version of a file to replace the unmodified version of that file on SSS, place a check mark in the box next to Check to overwrite existing file names. If you aren’t replacing a file, leave this unchecked. Click on the Browse button.
Browse to the file that you wish to upload. Highlight the file and click Open.
Click Submit. The little box will close, the page will refresh, and the file will show up in your SSS folder.
Deleting Files and Folders
To delete a file or folder, click on Delete next to that file or folder (NOTE: folders must be empty in order to be deleted. If you want to delete a folder with files in it, you must first delete all of the files in that folder and then you can delete the folder. Unless you have no other choice, it is best to save this task for when you return to campus.)
A box will pop up asking, “Are you sure you want to delete this file?” Click OK.
If the file deletes successfully, the page will refresh and the file will now be deleted. If you attempted to delete a folder that was not empty, you’ll see an error message like the one below. Click Close in order to close the message. You should either delete all of the files within that folder and then delete the folder or wait until you are back on campus to delete the folder.
Renaming Files and Folders on SSS
To rename a file or folder on SSS, click Rename next to the file or folder
In the space provided, enter the name you want to give the file or folder and click Submit.
The page will refresh with the new file name showing up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WHENEVER you are finished using My Hamilton or leave your computer, be sure to Log out!
Getting Started With Information Technology
Buying
Getting Started With Information Technology
NOTE: The information on this page is fully up-to-date and accurate for the 2011-12 academic year.
This page connects new and returning members of the Hamilton College community to the most up-to-date information on networking, personal computer systems and standards. Whether you've never been to Hamilton, or you've just been away for a semester or two, this is the place to find out about the information technology environment.
Why Bring a Laptop Computer to Campus?
The campus has universally distributed connectivity via ethernet and wireless. This will make it easy for you to use your computer anywhere on campus (e.g., in the library), even bring it to class or the place you most prefer to study;
You will want to continue to use your computer when you go home for breaks;
Laptops take up less space in your room;
If you have a problem, laptops can be easily transported to our Help Desk.
What do I Need to Know About Bringing a Computer to Campus?
Have a computer you need connected to the Hamilton network? Want to purchase your own computer, and be sure it can be connected to the network? Follow this link for information on minimum and recommended system requirements and network connectivity.
Virus Protection
Virus Protection Information
Policy Note
Hamilton College requires all existing and all incoming students to install Anti-Virus software on their personal computers by the end of the second week of classes each semester. Failure to do so can result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until up-to-date Anti-virus software is installed. Anti-virus software (AVG for Windows and Sophos & iAntivirus for Macintosh) is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Hamilton supported Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
Student Phone and Voice Mail Overview
Cable Television Information
Contact Us
E-mail us at: helpdesk@hamilton.edu
Or, if you just want to hear a friendly voice, phone 315-859-4181. We'll be sure that someone gets back to you within one business day.
Purchasing Computers
Buying
Purchasing Computers
This page provides resources and guidelines for computer purchases by students and employees of Hamilton College. If you are interested in purchasing a new computer, Hamilton College works with both Apple and Dell to offer computer configurations guaranteed to work in our campus network environment at discounted prices.
Online Computer Stores With Academic Pricing For Hamilton College
Apple
Dell
Apple For Hamilton Online
Telephone: 315-859-4242
Dell For Hamilton Online
Telephone: 1-888-987-3355
Current computer configurations provided by these vendors will meet or exceed our recommended NEW system requirements.
Table of Contents
General Recommendations for Students
Microsoft Office for Employees
Recommended NEW computer specifications
Recommendations for PRE-OWNED computers
General Recommendations For Students
Word Processing
Many academic programs require the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) for course work. It is therefore highly recommended that you purchase this software with your new computer, or that you purchase and install it on your existing computer. Please note that this software is not provided by Hamilton College. It can be purchased at the College Bookstore, from computer vendors, from many retail stores, and web sites. Be sure to ask for an academic discount when purchasing this software. The software product to choose is Microsoft Office Professional (Academic) 2010 (Windows) or Microsoft Office Mac 2011 (Academic) (Macintosh).
Virus Protection
All computers on the Hamilton College network are required to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed. New computers will typically come with a preinstalled trial version of anti-virus software. We recommend you either purchase the full version of that software, other anti-virus software of your choice, or install the free anti-virus products we fully support. Please contact the Help Desk if you have any questions or need assistance (315-859-4181).
Backup Drive
Hamilton College provides students with a modest amount of server storage. While the space provided is usually sufficient for storing documents, it is not sufficient for storing backup copies of music, video, photos or exceptionally large project files. Students may request additional space for academic purposes. For backing up all your critical files (academic and personal) we recommend purchasing an external hard drive. When selecting a drive, please be certain to confirm it is compatible with the operating system on your computer (Windows or Macintosh). Some external drives are designed for rugged use (they come with a protective rubberized bumper). If the drive you are considering does not come with this level of protection, it is wise to purchase a neoprene sleeve or similar protective pouch for the drive. Lastly, some new computers come with USB 3 and/or Firewire 800 ports. You may want to purchase a drive that can take advantage of the faster file transfer rates these ports can deliver.
Printers
Printers are available for student use in public computing labs located on both sides of campus. Most are located in academic buildings that are open to students until late at night or, in some cases, all night. There are no public printers available in any of the residence halls. Approximately half of our students elect to bring their own printer.
Networking
Hamilton College has secure wireless network access available in all campus buildings and most outdoor areas. Connectivity to the wireless network is supported by 802.11b or 802.11g wireless cards, which are available in most new Windows and Macintosh laptops. Please note that the installation of a personal wireless access point (Apple Airport Station, wireless router, etc.), is strictly prohibited on campus.
Network jacks are included in all the residence hall rooms for those who want to use a network (Ethernet) cable. The College does not provide cables.
Back to Top
Microsoft Office for Employees
Through the College's license agreement with Microsoft, employees can purchase a license for Microsoft Office at a special discounted rate. For more information, contact ITS at 315-859-4169 or by e-mail at its@hamilton.edu.
Hamilton College provides Sophos Anti-Virus free of charge to employees and their households for use on their personal computers.
Back to Top
Recommended NEW System Requirements
ITS recommends that new computers be configured to match or exceed the recommendations listed below. PLEASE NOTE: The minimum system requirements in the last column represent the bare minimum to connect to our network and support our standard software.
Platform
Recommended
Minimum
Windows
Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, 2 GHz or faster
Dedicated 256 MB graphics card
Windows 7 Home Premium
At least 3 GB DDR3 RAM
250 GB Hard Drive or greater
DVD/CD-RW optical disk drive
Built-in Gigabit Ethernet Card
802.11n Wireless Card
1.5 GHz Dual Core Processor or faster.
Integrated HD video card
Windows 7 Home Premium
At least 2 GB DDR2 or DDR3 RAM
120 GB Hard Drive or greater
CD-ROM/DVD Drive
10/100 Ethernet card
802.11 g/n Wireless Network card
Macintosh
Intel Core i5 or i7 Processor, 2 GHz or faster.
Dedicated 256 MB graphics card
Mac OS X 10.6
At least 3 GB RAM
250 GB Hard Drive or greater
Superdrive
Built-in Gigabit Ethernet card
802.11n Airport Wireless Card.
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor or newer
Mac OS X 10.5 or newer
At least 2 GB RAM
Integrated HD graphics card
120 GB Hard Drive or greater
Combo CD-ROM/DVD-Drive
10/100 Ethernet Card
802.11 g/n Airport Wireless Ca
Back to Top
Recommendations for PRE-OWNED computers
If your computer is less than four years old, it should work in our network environment and support our standard software (e.g. Web browsing, document authoring.)
Please keep in mind that most computers have a four-year lifespan, after which major components (e.g. hard drive, optical drive) are more likely to fail. These components can sometimes be replaced, though they may be expensive and difficult to come by, especially in much older computers. Also note that computers older than one year are not typically covered under warranty, making accidental damage costly to repair.
If you choose to bring a pre-owned computer to campus, please ensure the computer meets or exceeds the specifications listed below. It is important to note that a computer that meets these specifications should not be expected to meet a student's needs for all four years.
Platform
Specifications
Windows
1.5 GHz Intel Core Duo or AMD Athlon 64 Processor or newer
At least 2 GB of RAM
Windows XP, Vista Home Premium, or 7 Home Premium
120 GB Hard Drive or greater
Built-in ethernet card
Wireless card (optional but recommended)
Mac
1.8 GHz Intel Core Duo processor or newer
At least 2 GB of RAM
OS X 10.5 or newer
100 GB Hard Drive or greater
Built-in ethernet card
Wireless card (optional but recommended)
Back to Top
If you have further questions about a personal computer purchase, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 315-859-4181 or by e-mail.
Policies - Repair of Computer Equipment
Computer Repair
Policies
Repair of Computer Equipment
Hamilton Computer Equipment
All college computer equipment is maintained on a service contract with an outside vendor. Currently that vendor is VITEC Solutions (formerly IKON Technology Services). If a hardware problem is suspected the user should call the Helpdesk (859-4181) during normal business hours for assistance. If hardware service is indicated arrangements will be made with the VITEC technician. VITEC only repairs equipment located in college offices. Repairs will not be done in residence halls or private residences.
Personally Owned Equipment
VITEC Solutions also provides repair for personally owned computers. Computers are repaired at a discounted commercial rate established by the vendor as part of its contract with Hamilton. There is a minimum charge for examining the equipment if repair is not needed. Equipment must be delivered to the VITEC office in the basement of the Burke Library during regular business hours. The VITEC technician will be available each day between 4 and 5 p.m. to receive equipment, or by special arrangement by calling x4171 or by e-mail (vitec@hamilton.edu). Payment for the repairs must be made by check, credit card, or money order when the equipment is picked up. Charges for repair cannot be applied to your Hamilton College account.
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Policies - College Computer Equipment
Computer Replacement
Replacement of College Computer Equipment
Most college computer equipment is replaced every four to five years (see exceptions below). The Goals of the replacement plan are to:
assure that appropriate computing resources are available in public and departmental computing facilities, classrooms, and college offices to support the mission of the institution;
assure that each faculty and staff member who uses computing resources in his or her position has a computer of sufficient capability to fulfill his/her responsibilities;
implement minimum standards for computing equipment on campus; • encourage planning, cost-effective installation of new equipment and disposal of old equipment.
Computer equipment is generally replaced during the late spring and summer months (May 1 - August 15). Replacement schedules are distributed annually to departments in early November for review and consultation with ITS staff. Hardware configurations for new equipment are prepared in March and individuals with equipment scheduled for replacement are notified of those details.
Generally, individuals will have one college computer provided for them on the replacement plan. By the nature of their responsibilities, some individuals may need to have more than one computer to accomplish their responsibilities - for example, if they must use both Macintosh and Windows platforms in their work. In these cases, department heads/supervisors may request from the appropriate officer of the college (e.g., for faculty, the Dean of the Faculty) that an exception be made.
Computers are essential tools for faculty, even when they are on sabbatical leave. For this reason the college permits faculty on leave to continue to use their computer during that period. Computers will be provided to faculty replacements from a pool of computers designated for this purpose.
Computers are not to be purchased from departmental operating budgets. Only special funds designated for computer replacement or equipment purchases may be used for this purpose. The officers of the college approve such funds. Certain departments or individuals obtain grants or have special budget allocations for computing equipment. Computers purchased with these grants or budget allocations will not be on the replacement plan unless approval is obtained from the officers at the time the grant is received or the budget is allocated.
Loaner Equipment
Hamilton College employees can borrow laptop computers for up to seven consecutive days for uses related to college business. Both Macintosh and Windows laptops are available. These computers are enabled for wireless and high-speed internet access. Reservations are required, and should be made at least two business days in advance. For more information, or to make a reservation, call 4LLP (4557), or e-mail: laptop@hamilton.edu
Departmental Equipment
All college computers are maintained in a central inventory. At the time a computer enters the inventory the replacement cycle, if any, is designated. Computers that are an integral part of a piece of scientific equipment, or are used primarily for research purposes, are not generally part of the replacement plan. Replacement of such equipment is by a special request to the Dean of the Faculty. Old equipment is sold for residual values through Hamilton's official salvage process and must be returned to ITS.
Grant-Funded Equipment
Individuals pursuing grants for computing equipment should discuss their plans with the Director, Desktop Integration Services as part of the budgeting process. Computing equipment that is acquired under grants will enter the inventory and be upgraded on a regular replacement cycle only if approved at the time of the application for the grant.
Faculty members teaching in various special curricular programs are, under certain conditions, awarded research, or startup, funds. Some faculty members also have research funds available to them when they hold endowed chair positions. These funds may be used to buy additional computers and printers for office or home use, but the equipment will belong to the college. Such equipment should be ordered through the College purchasing process and will not normally be upgraded or replaced by the college, except through further use of research funds. If this equipment is to be on the computer replacement plan the faculty member must obtain a commitment, in writing, from the Dean and the Vice-President for Administration and Finance indicating this. Otherwise, the equipment will not be on a replacement cycle.
Printers and Other Peripheral Equipment
The college provides networked printing locations for workgroup clusters in every department. Individual desktop printers are not normally provided. Other peripheral pieces of equipment such as scanners are also generally provided in clustered locations instead of individual offices. Since these pieces of equipment are usually used intermittently, clustering allows sharing of specialized technical resources.
Responsibility for Equipment
Each employee is responsible for taking reasonable safety precautions in regard to Hamilton-owned computer equipment. Employees will be held responsible for damage to such equipment arising out of their negligence or intentional misconduct.
Upgrades and Renewal
For computer equipment on the replacement plan, ITS staff members consult with users prior to ordering and installing new equipment to determine the current and anticipated equipment needs. Computers that are replaced are returned to ITS. ITS then reassigns the computers or sells them through the campus salvage process. Hamilton will not upgrade non-Hamilton computers.
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Data Backup and Storage
ESS
Introduction
Imagine if all of the work that you spent hours completing suddenly disappeared and there were no way to bring it back from oblivion.
A nightmarish scenario to be sure! Unfortunately, many face it every semester: ITS often assists students and employees whose computers have malfunctioned while either working on or after finishing some assignment, typically when such a loss is most painful and difficult to recover from. Thankfully, with a very little effort, this scenario can be easily avoided.
Backing up your files serves many purposes. Beyond preventing a catastrophic loss of data, proper organization of one's data and easy options for retrieval will facilitate one's work at Hamilton and beyond, viz. graduate school, internships, and possibly future employment
Storage Solution Finder
External Hard Drive
Employee Network Storage 1
Academic Server 2
Google Drive
Flash Drive
Dropbox or Similar
Documents
✓
✓
✓
✓
Images
✓
✓
✓
✓
Music
✓
✓
✓
Video
✓
✓
Computer Backup
✓
✓
Easy Sharing
✓
✓
is a solution that should not be used for sensitive or confidential information, e.g. bank account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, health information.
1 This solution is only available to staff and faculty.
2 This solution is for academic purposes (e.g. Coursework) only. And only members of the Faculty and Staff can request folders be created on the Academic Server.
Moving Your HillConnect Mail to Another Account
Email
This document describes how to move your HillConnect mail into another account. Detailed instructions are provided for moving it into a commercial Gmail account.
Moving your Hamilton mail to a Commercial Gmail Account
These instructions assume you have already established an account with Google (gmail.com).
Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of your screen next to your e-mail address. From the menu that appears, select Mail Settings.
In the Settings screen, click on the link labeled Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Even though your settings may already indicate that “POP is enabled for all mail….”, go ahead and click in the dot next to “Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded”. Then click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Settings page.
Log in to your commercial Gmail account (http://gmail.google.com). NOTE: If you have not previously configured your Hamilton account to allow multiple account logins, you will have to log out of your Hamilton account before logging in to your commercial (.com) Gmail account.
Once you are in your commercial account, click on the gear icon and select Mail Settings.
Click on the link labeled Accounts and Import and then click on the link on that page labeled Import mail and contacts (see below).
Enter your HillConnect account address (e.g. dquayle@hamilton.edu) and click on Continue.
Enter your HillConnect password and click on Continue.
In the next screen enter your password again as prompted.
For the next 6 steps, please refer to the image below:
Change the POP user name to include @hamilton.edu (e.g. dquayle2@hamilton.edu)
Change the SMTP server to pop.gmail.com
Click on the link to the right of "Port: 110" labeled Edit
Click in the box to select “Use SSL”
Change the port to 995
Click on Continue
In the next screen select the following check boxes:
Import Mail
Optional: Select to “Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server”. NOTE: In some cases, checking this option will prevent the transfer from beginning. If that occurs, uncheck it and try again.
Add a label to all imported mail [dquayle2@hamilton.edu] This will allow you to easily identify the mail that was imported from your Hamilton account.
18. Click on Start Import.
19. You should see a confirmation page that informs you the import has begun. Click on OK.
NOTE: The transfer of your mail can take DAYS. Google gives it a very low priority but it does take place. You can check on the progress by doing a search in your Gmail.com account for all mail labeled userID@hamilton.edu (substitute your real user ID where “userID” appears”). If the number of messages found with that label in your Gmail.com account matches the number of messages in your “all mail” label (folder) in your HillConnect account, then it is done!!
When the transfer has finished you should do the following:
Log in to your Hamilton HillConnect account and set it up to forward your mail to your Gmail.com account. You can do this by going to the gear icon and again select Mail Settings. Click on Forwarding & POP/IMAP, fill in the address for your Gmail.com account and click Save Changes.
Next, log in to your Gmail.com account. Click on the gear icon, select Mail Settings and then select Accounts and Import.
In the middle of the section, where it is labeled Check mail using POP3, you’ll see a link labeled “delete” to the far right. Click on the “delete” link. Doing so will break the tie between your two accounts. From here on, new mail addressed to your Hamilton account will automatically arrive in your gmail.com account.
Policies - Access to Information Technology Resources
Email
Policies
Access to Information Technology Resources
Eligibility
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College.
Electronic resources include:
Group I (electronic mail, listservs, personal calendar, portal, Blackboard course management system, network storage, campus ID card)
Group II (Web Advisor)
Group III (Login access to Datatel)
Access to electronic resources for employees, students, spouses/partners, and alumni is enabled through username and password provided to individuals according to the following guidelines.
Non-Faculty Employees are given access to Group I resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request from the Department Head.
Non-Faculty employee access to all resources is removed at the end of business on the last date of employment. As soon as an employee gives notice, he/she should enable a "vacation" (auto-responder) message to indicate his/her last date of employment and to provide correspondents with an alternate address to which they should address future College business. Employees should also remove any personal e-mail or files from their accounts during this period.
Faculty are given access to Group I resources and Group II resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request by the Dean of Faculty.
Faculty access to all resources is removed at the end of business three months after the last date of employment. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Dean of Faculty. Upon request to the Dean of Faculty an emeritus faculty member can retain his/her Hamilton e-mail address for as long as desired.
Students are given access to Group I and Group II resources upon making an acceptance deposit to the College. Students who work in administrative offices may be granted limited access to Group III resources.
Student access to all resources is removed three months after withdrawal or graduation. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Director, Help Desk and Training Services in ITS.
Graduates are automatically eligible for access to the Hamilton alumni directory. As part of the directory, alumni have access to an e-mail forwarding service. Each alumnus can create a username@alumni.hamilton.edu which will automatically forward e-mail to an e-mail account they have with an Internet Service Provider (e.g. AOL).
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College. Access to these resources is provided to employees of the College (faculty, administration, staff, maintenance and operations) and enrolled students consistent with their responsibilities. E-mail accounts are continued for Hamilton alumni for three months after graduation, and may be extended by special request to the e-mail administrator.
Other individuals, upon submission of a request, may be granted access to some, or all, of Hamilton's IT resources by the Vice President for Information Technology. Generally, such individuals will have some association with the College. The terms of access will be stated at the time access is granted.
Under no circumstance may anyone use College IT resources for profit-making activities, in ways that are illegal (e.g. copyright violations), that threaten the College's tax-exempt or other status, or interfere with reasonable use by other members of the College community.
Convention For User Names
The standard Hamilton naming convention for access to electronic systems comprises the first initial of the first name, followed by (up to seven characters of) the last name. If duplicates occur, the middle initial is generally used to resolve ambiguity.
Access in Residence Halls
Residence hall connections are intended to provide students with access to telephone and cable television services, and the campus data network. One telephone, cable television, and data network connection is provided for each student. Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Students must provide their own telephones, televisions, computers, software, and Ethernet cards that meet minimum Hamilton standards. Information on current minimum standards and recommended configurations is available online. Network standards are updated annually. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a residence hall room will be divided equally, and billed to the students residing in that room.
Management of Internet Bandwidth
The campus network, including our connection to the Internet, is a critical shared resource for supporting the academic program. Uses of our Internet connection that are central to the academic/administrative mission of the college (e.g. access to Hamilton web, e-mail, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers) will receive higher priority during times when classes are in session, offices are open, and in the evenings when preparation takes place (i.e. critical times).
Low priority uses, including recreational uses, are peripheral to our mission and will receive lower priority during critical times.
Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. each day (critical times): With the exception of web traffic a fixed percentage of bandwidth is allocated between the residence halls and the Internet. Access to the Hamilton e-mail, web, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers from off-campus is the highest priority. Incoming or outgoing web traffic between the Internet and the campus network is the next highest priority. Peer-to-Peer Internet applications (applications for distributing videos, music, software, etc.) receive the lowest priority.
Between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. (non-critical times): There will be no restrictions on bandwidth. The quality and volume of our Internet traffic is regularly monitored to assure that critical applications are available to members of the community.
Hamilton does not monitor the content of traffic on the network. It is the responsibility of each person using college resources, including the network, to do so in an ethical and legal manner. Particular attention should be given to observing copyright laws for digital materials.
Personal Computers on the Network
Internet addresses are provided dynamically through a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) system. In order to obtain a static Internet (TCP/IP) computer address the owner of the system must register the computer with ITS network services.
The rules and regulations contained in this policy pertaining to electronic mail and Internet access are equally applicable to the use of personal machines for file sharing or as servers. If bandwidth or other problems occur, ITS reserves the right to discontinue access to the machine. Computers connected to the network may not be used as servers for private enterprises, commercial activity, or personal profit. Computers connected to the network may not be used to provide access to the Internet for anyone not formally affiliated with the College. If personal computers on the Hamilton network are used as servers, the administrator has the additional responsibility to respond to any use of the server that is in violation of these policies and procedures. Server administrators must take steps to prevent recurrence of such violations and report these violations to the Hamilton Network Administrator (hostmaster@hamilton.edu).
ITS reserves the rights to disconnect any network port whose activity causes an adverse effect on the network or on any other user. Network connections may also be revoked in the case of malicious or inappropriate computing activity on the network. See Noncompliance and Sanctions for examples of these activities.
ITS reserves the right to restrict access to the network during expansion, or for diagnostic and maintenance services. Every effort will be made to provide advance notification and to schedule such disruptions during times of minimum impact and traffic.
Virus Protection
Hamilton College requires all computers connected to the network to have up-to-date virus protection. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Sophos anti-virus software is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Sophos Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
In addition, all attachments to e-mail sent to the Hamilton mail server are scanned for viruses. If an attachment is found to be infected it is deleted and a text file is attached to the e-mail message (called substitute.txt) informing the receiver that the attachment was infected with a virus. The receiver can then contact the sender to have the message retransmitted after the attachment has been cleaned of the virus.
Windows Updates
All computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system and connected to the Hamilton College network must be kept up-to-date with critical service updates from Microsoft. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Individuals wanting to request an exception to the Windows update policy must do so in writing to the Vice President for Information Technology.
Network Connections in Departments
All offices, laboratories, and classrooms on campus are wired for access to the network. If departments request additional network jacks, or if network connections need to be moved to different locations, the department should request this service through ITS. The department will be billed for charges resulting from moves, additions, and changes.
Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a department will be billed to that department.
Dial-Up Connections
For all campus users the primary access to Hamilton computing services is through the campus network. Dial-in access via modem is not provided.
Policies - Electronic Mail (E-mail) & Listserv (Mass E-mail lists)
Email
Department or Group Accounts
By special permission, college departments and student groups will be granted a single account to facilitate connections between the department or group and interested parties. The department or group must identify one person to be responsible for the account and to act as the contact person. In addition, student organizations must be registered with the Office of Student Activities before an account will be granted.
Appropriate Use of E-mail
Hamilton strongly recommends that e-mail not be used for confidential communication. E-mail is now considered a formal written record that carries the same legal weight as a formal memorandum. Users of e-mail should remember that e-mail messages become the possession of the receiver and can be easily duplicated and redistributed by recipients. Messages that have been deleted can unintentionally be retained on system backup files. In addition, even secure passwords are not completely confidential. When a private message needs to be conveyed between two individuals, a conversation is the best way to accomplish it, and messages that should not be preserved should be deleted immediately.
College policy prohibits certain types of e-mail. These include mail that may be perceived as harassment, political campaigning, chain mail or commercial solicitation. Violators will be subject to loss of computer access privileges, as well as additional disciplinary action as determined by the Hamilton judiciary procedures. Certain types of e-mail, including but not limited to harassing e-mail, may also subject the sender to civil or criminal penalties. In spite of College policy, e-mail can be abused by malicious users who know the owner's computing ID and password. Users are responsible for protecting their own passwords.
ListServ Lists
ListServ is a commercial software product installed on our E-mail system. It is designed to provide an easy way to create and maintain large E-mail mailing lists. These lists can be used for the one-way distribution of information, for E-mail based discussion, questions and answers, etc. Lists are created and "owned" by an E-mail user who manages the list?s behavior.
Any faculty, staff, or student member of the Hamilton College community is entitled to become a ListServ list owner. Campus-based organizations and departments are also entitled to own lists, but an individual within the group must be designated as the list owner. Students must be in good standing with the Dean of Students office and student organizations must be registered with the Office of Student Activities.
All lists must be approved by the ITS ListServ administrator prior to creation, but the following general guidelines apply:
The purpose of the list must pertain to Hamilton College business.
Lists are not open to off-campus subscribers unless special permission is obtained. However, Hamilton College students or employees who use off-campus E-mail addresses are allowed to own and belong to lists.
It is the list owner's responsibility to learn the commands necessary to manage the list's subscribers.
Under no circumstances can a list be used to participate in or promote activities that are illegal, violate the Hamilton College code of conduct, or the Hamilton College Honor code.
To apply for list ownership and select a list type, please read Becoming a ListServ List Owner from which you can create your list.
Return to Main Listserv Page
ListServ Mass Mailing Lists
Effective July 1, 2010
As a service to the Hamilton College community, several e-mail based mass mailing lists have been created. These are designed to facilitate the timely and cost-effective distribution of information to the campus community. E-mail now reaches almost all faculty, administration and staff (members of M & O generally don't use computers in connection with their responsibilities) and students. Participation in the mass mailing lists is voluntary.
In order that these lists remain a reliable means of communication, it is important that members of the Hamilton community abide by a few guidelines. These guidelines are not designed to limit free speech but are intended to keep your mail volume at a reasonable level.
Most importantly, anonymous mailings are prohibited. The sender's real name must be identified (in full) within the body of the message - not just at the top in the "from" line.
There are two sets of mass mailing lists, one for announcement of events and the other for general campus notices. The guidelines for use of these lists are explained below.
Events
By an "event" we mean an activity (meeting, performance,, lecture, etc.) that takes place on- or off-campus at a specific date and time and is sponsored, or co-sponsored by either an academic or administrative department/program or a student organization recognized by Student Activities. Sponsorship means that the chair of a College department, program or organization indicates that the organization supports the event and that members of the College are actively involved in organizing the event (e.g., as speakers). If someone other than the organizer(s) makes the event announcement, they share in the responsibility for adhering to the guidelines.
Posting to the lists will be limited to all employees and two* student representatives, or the e-mail account assigned to each student organization recognized by Student Activities.
Violations by the student representatives will accrue to the organization they represent regardless of whether the violator acted alone.
An event will be limited to two posts to the mass mailing lists. Corrections count as one of the two messages.
If an event is cancelled or postponed, two additional notices are allowed.
Each message must have a subject line that is descriptive of the event
The first 4 lines of the message must contain:
Date and time of the event
Sponsor of the event
Name of the event
Location of the event
The remainder of the message should be a short description of the event. [Note that if you include graphics you may exceed the limit of 25 MB for the message. Such messages will be rejected.]
Clarification: Posting a message to an inappropriate list is a violation (e.g., posting a message intended for students to the events-all list)
The mass e-mail lists for posting events are:
a. Events-students@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to students)
b. Events-20xx@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to students in a particular class year, where xx is the last two digits of the class year)
c. Events-faculty@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the faculty)
d. Events-staff@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the staff)
e. Events-admin@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the administration)
f. Events-maintop@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of Maintenance and Operations)
g. Events-employees@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to employees)
h. Events-all@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to both students and employees)
The notices mass e-mail lists will be used only for the following general categories. A non-comprehensive bulleted list of examples is provided for each category.
Announcement of Hamilton deadlines, policies and procedures
These announcements must come from individuals representing the administrative or academic departments responsible for the deadline, policy or procedure being addressed (e.g. drop-add, parking permits, library books due)
Reports from Hamilton organizations or departments
These reports must come from individuals representing the academic or administrative offices, or student organizations recognized by Student Activities who generated the reports (e.g., Minutes of Student Assembly, Agendas, reports from faculty meetings, Honor Court decisions, results of campus-wide initiatives or community events such as United Way, Heart Walk & Run, announcement of appointments).
Notification of the availability of, or changes in, Hamilton College services or facilities
These notices must come from individuals representing the academic or administrative departments, or student organizations recognized by Student Activities who are responsible for the services or facilities being addressed (e.g., dining and fitness center schedules, availability of Hamilton housing, IT and library services, department newsletters, availability of Hamilton-sponsored publications, Campus Safety announcements, sales in the College Store, Physical Plant notices, fund raising activities for Hamilton organizations, fund raising activities approved by Office of the President (for employees) or by the Student Activities Office (for students)).
Surveys
Student-initiated surveys must be related to the academic program and endorsed by a faculty mentor. The request for such surveys must be submitted by the faculty mentor. These surveys must be sent to exception@hamilton.edu for prior approval.
Student organizations recognized by Student Activities can submit surveys directly to the student lists. These must be surveys that will only be given to students.
Surveys related to college business or faculty research may be submitted directly to the lists.
Notices from members of the senior staff directly related to their areas of responsibility
The mass e-mail lists for posting notices are:
a. Notices-students@listserv.hamilton.edu(sent only to students)
b. Notices-20xx@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to students in a particular class year, where xx is the last two digits of the class year)
c. Notices-faculty@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the faculty)
d. Notices-staff@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the staff)
e. Notices-admin@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the administration)
f. Notices-maintop@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of Maintenance and Operations)
g. Notices-employees@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to employees)
h. Notices-all@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to both students and employees)
Please consider your audience carefully (e.g., do not send a mailing to "all" if you only need to reach students).Examples of inappropriate uses include, but are not limited to:
Personal opinion, public debate, or campaigning
Announcements should not attempt to sell the reader on a point of view. The information provided should be as factual as possible and sufficient enough to explain the purpose of the announcement. If additional background information is necessary, a web link may be included.
A message that contains no actual announcement (e.g. does not meet the criteria listed above for an event or a non-event) is a violation.
Give-aways (personal property such as furniture, tickets, equipment, books, etc.)
Surveys other than those specified above
Chain mail
Lost and found (except when it is Hamilton College property, or involves animals) there is a Lost and Found channel in My Hamilton.
Requests for rides (there is a Rides channel in My Hamilton)
Items for sale - or items desired (including houses, tickets, books, services, etc.) There is a marketplace channel in My Hamilton that can be used for this purpose.
Exceptions to the Guidelines:
Messages that Fall Outside the Guidelines, or from senders not approved for Mass Mail:
Any individual wanting to post a message to the mass e-mail lists that falls outside of the guidelines, can request that the message be posted by sending a request for an exception to: exception@hamilton.edu. The request will be directed to the appropriate member of the senior staff for approval. Approval or denial will be communicated to the person making the request. Requests for exceptions should be sent at least two business days in advance of the time the posting is to take place.
Penalties for Violations:
A first time violation will result in the removal of posting (sending) privileges to the mass lists for a period of one month (not including breaks). A second violation will result in the removal of both posting and receiving messages to/from the mass lists for a period of one month (not including breaks). A third violation will result in the loss of posting and receiving privileges for the equivalent of a full semester. A fourth violation will result in the individual being referred to the appropriate judicial body dealing with employees or students. Violations are cumulative for as long as you are at Hamilton (or four years for employees). Loss of privileges applies to all the mass lists.
Violators may appeal their penalty by submitting their reasons in writing to the chair of the Committee on Information Technology. The Committee will review the appeal and return a decision within 5 business days. During the appeal process the penalty will be suspended.
[Return to Main Listserv Page]
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen
Vice President for Information Technology, Hamilton College
315-859-4169
Data Backup and Storage
External Hard Drive
Introduction
Imagine if all of the work that you spent hours completing suddenly disappeared and there were no way to bring it back from oblivion.
A nightmarish scenario to be sure! Unfortunately, many face it every semester: ITS often assists students and employees whose computers have malfunctioned while either working on or after finishing some assignment, typically when such a loss is most painful and difficult to recover from. Thankfully, with a very little effort, this scenario can be easily avoided.
Backing up your files serves many purposes. Beyond preventing a catastrophic loss of data, proper organization of one's data and easy options for retrieval will facilitate one's work at Hamilton and beyond, viz. graduate school, internships, and possibly future employment
Storage Solution Finder
External Hard Drive
Employee Network Storage 1
Academic Server 2
Google Drive
Flash Drive
Dropbox or Similar
Documents
✓
✓
✓
✓
Images
✓
✓
✓
✓
Music
✓
✓
✓
Video
✓
✓
Computer Backup
✓
✓
Easy Sharing
✓
✓
is a solution that should not be used for sensitive or confidential information, e.g. bank account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, health information.
1 This solution is only available to staff and faculty.
2 This solution is for academic purposes (e.g. Coursework) only. And only members of the Faculty and Staff can request folders be created on the Academic Server.
Comparison of Browser Interfaces
Google Chrome
Browsing
Browser History
Accessing Browser History
Browser History Interface
Bookmarks
Adding a Bookmark
Accessing Bookmarks
Trust Certificates
Data Backup and Storage
Google Docs
Introduction
Imagine if all of the work that you spent hours completing suddenly disappeared and there were no way to bring it back from oblivion.
A nightmarish scenario to be sure! Unfortunately, many face it every semester: ITS often assists students and employees whose computers have malfunctioned while either working on or after finishing some assignment, typically when such a loss is most painful and difficult to recover from. Thankfully, with a very little effort, this scenario can be easily avoided.
Backing up your files serves many purposes. Beyond preventing a catastrophic loss of data, proper organization of one's data and easy options for retrieval will facilitate one's work at Hamilton and beyond, viz. graduate school, internships, and possibly future employment
Storage Solution Finder
External Hard Drive
Employee Network Storage 1
Academic Server 2
Google Drive
Flash Drive
Dropbox or Similar
Documents
✓
✓
✓
✓
Images
✓
✓
✓
✓
Music
✓
✓
✓
Video
✓
✓
Computer Backup
✓
✓
Easy Sharing
✓
✓
is a solution that should not be used for sensitive or confidential information, e.g. bank account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, health information.
1 This solution is only available to staff and faculty.
2 This solution is for academic purposes (e.g. Coursework) only. And only members of the Faculty and Staff can request folders be created on the Academic Server.
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Google Talk
Environment Optimization
Regardless which videoconferencing solution is chosen for the communication, it will be important to prepare the location where your call will take place so as to realize the most optimal, standard experience for all involved parties.
General Considerations
Regardless of the conversation type, if the communication is high-risk/high-value, at least one test should be performed with all participants before the actual conversation.
Remember that accidents can happen: pets can meander into the conversation and voice their opinions, cell phones have the potential of ringing, and items can fall and clatter. While all participants should attempt to prepare for these eventualities, it is best to just accept that they are a part of the conversation, a normative experience, and therefore look past them.
Remember that participants within the domain of the webcam and the microphone are involved in the videoconference: anything uttered or any act performed within range of either device will be transmitted to all participants. It behooves everyone to be aware (by dint of the Preview available on all computers/software) of what will be seen and heard before the videoconference begins. As the character Doctor Emmett Brown opined in the movie Back to the Future, "no wonder your president has to be an actor, [they] have to look good on television."
Lighting
Proper lighting is an essential ingredient for a successful, high-quality videoconference. "A webcam isn't the most flattering piece of technology," according to Stephen Winzenburg in an article for the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "[it can] make you appear gaunt, overweight, beady eyed, or narcoleptic. And often you look all those things at the same time." To ensure that all participants see each other in the best possible light, everyone should:
Ensure your environment is well-lit--turn on as many lights as possible;
Be mindful of such issues as camera angle, background, and any other light sources that might affect the conversation;
A room with a window might be a nice place to have a chat, but the sun streaming in can wreak havoc on the quality of the conversation;
If you must have a conversation in a room with a window, be sure to test your setup around the same time you anticipate having the conversation to ensure a uniform experience;
Test, test, test, test, test: almost all software and computers have the ability to provide participants with a preview and this preview is what other participants will actually see--make sure the contents of the preview are what you want the other participants to see.
If a high-quality conversation is desired, it may behoove participants to purchase a dedicated webcam. ITS has enjoyed success with devices like the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000.
Sound
Problems with sound are reliable sources of videoconferencing woes. In addition to the ambient noise issue covered in the "Location" section, there are other potential problems one should be aware of:
Echo/Feedback
A problem arises whenever a sound input is colocated with a sound output: If you put a microphone IN FRONT of a speaker, a positive feedback loop will be generated, i.e. loud, screechy, piercing sound that is painful. Be sure either to place the speaker far away from the microphone, wear headphones to ameliorate the problem, or invest in a microphone with integrate anti-feedback technology.
Most laptops, all-in-one desktops (e.g. the iMac), and smartphones have built-in webcameras, microphones, and speakers. While they are sometimes configured to interoperate without generated feedback, one cannot rely on them working perfectly, especially for high-value conversations. All participants are STRONGLY encouraged to wear headphones to eliminate echoing/feedback.
Configuration
The peripherals required to perform a videoconference interoperate well, but are susceptible to problems. If participants are unable to hear each other, see each other, or connect, there may be a problem with the configuration of the peripherals, the software for the chat (e.g. Skype, Google Talk), or the drivers that the computer uses to communicate with the devices. While easier with the built-in microphone, webcam, speaker setup, problems can plague those setups. ITS strongly recommends testing the full setup before any videoconference. If problems are identified before the actual conversation, chances are better that they can be troubleshooted and resolved without conflicting with the actual conversation.
Accessibility Issues
Hearing Aids/Lipreaders
All communications conducted using these solutions will be affected to varying degrees by synchronicity issues. For example: participants may notice that mouths move independently of the sound they generate. While this is becoming a normative experience, it can be jarring, especially for those who need to read lips to understand what is being said. Proper balancing of audio is also key to ensure that participants whose hearing is impaired can participate equally in the conversation .
Location
Through the miracle of modern technology, these conversations can now take place at any time and in any location, e.g. cafés, libraries, street corners, dorm rooms, hospitals, vel sim. Just because they can take place in every location does not necessarily mean they ought to take place in every location. Both parties should consider:
The ambient noise in their respective environments--loud environs equals bad conversations;
The people whom they might affect with the conversation--not everyone needs to be privy to the conversation;
The speed of the internet conections at the locations--a low-speed DSL connection will not create a good videoconferencing experience (You can test your bandwidth here.)
Configuring the First Year Student Survey
Hamilton Website
Notes
New students are directed to this survey in mid- to late-July. Matthew Carr administers the system.
Each student has a unique ID generated by the Higher Education Research Institute. Matt sends us these IDs in a spreadsheet so we can pre-load the IR_FirstYear table. Each CIRPID is appended to request.cirplink (see below) to create a unique link for each student.
The system is located at http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey
Students are passed through this page so they can review the completion status of the CIRP survey and the Qualtrics supplement.
The administration area is located at http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey-administration
Matt uses this form to upload a spreadsheet nightly. This spreadsheet updates the "submitstatus" and "submitdate" columns in the IR_FirstYear table.
Instructions
Verify the following parameters in /college/institutional_research/FirstYear/admin/parameters.cfm with Matt Carr:
request.cirplink
request.supplementlink
request.surveyOpenDate
Import the spreadsheet data Matt provides to IR_FirstYear
Test http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey by passing one of the Colleague IDs into the url, e.g.:
http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey?colleagueid=1234567. Be sure to verify that both survey links are working properly.
My Hamilton
Hamilton Website
My Hamilton is your personalized view of information at Hamilton, as well as a starting point for accessing information and entertainment from all over the Web. My Hamilton gives you customizable control over the Web resources and information that are available to you, such as your Hamilton E-mail, calendar, ESS/SSS space, Hill Card and Blackboard accounts.
My Hamilton uses tabs to group certain resources. Each resource is called a channel. There is an [EDIT] button on each channel which enables you to manage display settings and content for the channel.
Home
The main section in which you can add channels for direct access to your E-mail, WebAdvisor, Blackboard, Facebook, Personal Calendar etc.
Communities
These provide access to Listservs to which you are subscribed, campus messages and events and messages from the Hamilton community (e.g marketplace, lost and found, ride board).
Tools
Access to the following:
Resource
Applies To
Academic Resources
Employees
Budget Center
Employees
Campus Safety - statistics
Students,Employees
Card Services - for making deposits and activating/deactivating the Hill Card
Students, Employees
College Business - for paying bills online
Students
Course Tools - for accessing your WebAdvisor account
Students
Financial Aid - for accessing your award letter
Students, Employees
Human Resources
Employees
Library - for accessing the Alex Library Catalog, Reserves, E-Journals, and Databases
Students,
Employees
Mail Center - for retrieving your mail number and combinations
Students
Personal Information - view and edit your contact information
Students
Physical Plant
Students
Student Organizations
Students
Transportation
Students
News
Access to the most recent college news new feeds from ABC News, BBC, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post etc.. You can also add your own news feeds.
Links
Add your own collection of links to your My Hamilton page. To begin adding your own collection of links, click the "Add Link Group" button.
Files
Access your personal space through My Hamilton
ESS
SSS
Courses
Access Blackboard through My Hamilton.
Setup
Layout Options - change the number of columns on your home page. You can also reset your tabs, channels, and settings back to the original layout by clicking the RESET CHANNELS. Your data (contacts, links, news, etc.) will not be lost, but your display preferences will be removed.
My Profile - update your Hamilton College Profile and your Hamilton Community profile.
Passwords and Security - Sync passwords - Your network password will be the same as your My Hamilton/E-mail password.
Themes - change the color scheme on your My Hamilton page.
SSS File Manager on the WWW
Hamilton Website
Provided you have access to the World Wide Web, it is possible to work with files you have stored in your SSS HOME directory from anywhere in the world. Your HOME directory is the folder on SSS that bears your e-mail name. For example, it might be alincoln if you were Abe Lincoln. You will not have access to department or special shared folders through this interface.
Accessing Your Files and Folders on SSS via the Web
Open your Internet browser (Internet Explorer for Windows, Netscape for Macintosh, etc.) and navigate to the My Hamilton page: http://my.hamilton.edu/.
Login in using your e-mail address (e.g. alincoln) and your e-mail password. It is important to note that you do NOT use your SSS password. The web interface will authenticate you via your e-mail login and will not require you to enter your SSS password.
Click on the Submit button.
Click on the Files tab. You will see a list of the folders and files you have previously created in your SSS folder.
To open a folder, simply click on the folder name. In this example, I clicked on the folder called Documents. You can see this by looking at the top of the screen following the word Folder:
To return to the level above the folder you are in, you can either click on the Back button in your browser or click on Parent Directory in the list of files and folders.
Reading and Modifying SSS Files
You will have to save files to your computer in order to read or work on them. To do so, simply click on the file you wish to access. If you are prompted to choose what to do with the file (open or save), Save it to a convenient location on your computer (e.g. the desktop.) After saving the file, go to the location you chose (e.g. the desktop) and open it there. It is not recommended that you choose Open since the file will be saved in a temporary folder and won’t be easy to find.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After making modifications to your file you must upload it back to your SSS folder. Clicking on “save” within the application (e.g. Word) will NOT save the modifications on SSS.
Saving Modified Files Back to your SSS folder
NOTE: If you download a file (MS Word document, PowerPoint presentation, etc.) to your computer and modify it, you must upload that file back to SSS to overwrite the unmodified file.
To upload a file from your computer to your SSS folder, click the Upload File link.
If you are uploading a modified version of a file to replace the unmodified version of that file on SSS, place a check mark in the box next to Check to overwrite existing file names. If you aren’t replacing a file, leave this unchecked. Click on the Browse button.
Browse to the file that you wish to upload. Highlight the file and click Open.
Click Submit. The little box will close, the page will refresh, and the file will show up in your SSS folder.
Deleting Files and Folders
To delete a file or folder, click on Delete next to that file or folder (NOTE: folders must be empty in order to be deleted. If you want to delete a folder with files in it, you must first delete all of the files in that folder and then you can delete the folder. Unless you have no other choice, it is best to save this task for when you return to campus.)
A box will pop up asking, “Are you sure you want to delete this file?” Click OK.
If the file deletes successfully, the page will refresh and the file will now be deleted. If you attempted to delete a folder that was not empty, you’ll see an error message like the one below. Click Close in order to close the message. You should either delete all of the files within that folder and then delete the folder or wait until you are back on campus to delete the folder.
Renaming Files and Folders on SSS
To rename a file or folder on SSS, click Rename next to the file or folder
In the space provided, enter the name you want to give the file or folder and click Submit.
The page will refresh with the new file name showing up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WHENEVER you are finished using My Hamilton or leave your computer, be sure to Log out!
Web Support
Hamilton Website
Before you fill out any of the support forms below, you may be able to find the answer to your question on our Web Publishing at Hamilton page.
If you need help, or if you have any questions, about Web development at Hamilton College, please select one of the support areas below...
The following forms are for assistance with Web Space, Web Accounts, and Web Development ONLY. If you need help with network passwords, Blackboard CourseInfo, hardware, or other issues please contact the Help Desk at x4181, helpdesk@hamilton.edu, or ITS Support.
Technical Support and Problems / Bugs / Updates
Examples: Broken links, a bug/error in a Web application, change to content or form fields, unable to connect to a specific Web site at Hamilton.
Technical/Bug Problem Report
General Contact Form to submit your issue.)--->
Sign Up for Student Web Space
Student Web space is now available through SiteManager, the College's content management system. Please fill out an account request form to get started.
Sign up / Manage Student Web SpaceCurrently Unavailable
Contact Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu or call 315-859-4932.
--->
Account and Password Issues
Examples: Give someone access to one of your Web folders, request organization Web space, and other user account-related issues.
Account/Password Request
Projects and New Features
Examples: Request to develop and new Web application or site, request to add a new feature to an existing Web application.
New Project Request Form
Feature Request Form (for an existing application/site)
General Questions
Examples: Comments, Suggestions, anything not covered above.
E-mail Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu
Policies - Access to Information Technology Resources
Hardware
Policies
Access to Information Technology Resources
Eligibility
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College.
Electronic resources include:
Group I (electronic mail, listservs, personal calendar, portal, Blackboard course management system, network storage, campus ID card)
Group II (Web Advisor)
Group III (Login access to Datatel)
Access to electronic resources for employees, students, spouses/partners, and alumni is enabled through username and password provided to individuals according to the following guidelines.
Non-Faculty Employees are given access to Group I resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request from the Department Head.
Non-Faculty employee access to all resources is removed at the end of business on the last date of employment. As soon as an employee gives notice, he/she should enable a "vacation" (auto-responder) message to indicate his/her last date of employment and to provide correspondents with an alternate address to which they should address future College business. Employees should also remove any personal e-mail or files from their accounts during this period.
Faculty are given access to Group I resources and Group II resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request by the Dean of Faculty.
Faculty access to all resources is removed at the end of business three months after the last date of employment. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Dean of Faculty. Upon request to the Dean of Faculty an emeritus faculty member can retain his/her Hamilton e-mail address for as long as desired.
Students are given access to Group I and Group II resources upon making an acceptance deposit to the College. Students who work in administrative offices may be granted limited access to Group III resources.
Student access to all resources is removed three months after withdrawal or graduation. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Director, Help Desk and Training Services in ITS.
Graduates are automatically eligible for access to the Hamilton alumni directory. As part of the directory, alumni have access to an e-mail forwarding service. Each alumnus can create a username@alumni.hamilton.edu which will automatically forward e-mail to an e-mail account they have with an Internet Service Provider (e.g. AOL).
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College. Access to these resources is provided to employees of the College (faculty, administration, staff, maintenance and operations) and enrolled students consistent with their responsibilities. E-mail accounts are continued for Hamilton alumni for three months after graduation, and may be extended by special request to the e-mail administrator.
Other individuals, upon submission of a request, may be granted access to some, or all, of Hamilton's IT resources by the Vice President for Information Technology. Generally, such individuals will have some association with the College. The terms of access will be stated at the time access is granted.
Under no circumstance may anyone use College IT resources for profit-making activities, in ways that are illegal (e.g. copyright violations), that threaten the College's tax-exempt or other status, or interfere with reasonable use by other members of the College community.
Convention For User Names
The standard Hamilton naming convention for access to electronic systems comprises the first initial of the first name, followed by (up to seven characters of) the last name. If duplicates occur, the middle initial is generally used to resolve ambiguity.
Access in Residence Halls
Residence hall connections are intended to provide students with access to telephone and cable television services, and the campus data network. One telephone, cable television, and data network connection is provided for each student. Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Students must provide their own telephones, televisions, computers, software, and Ethernet cards that meet minimum Hamilton standards. Information on current minimum standards and recommended configurations is available online. Network standards are updated annually. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a residence hall room will be divided equally, and billed to the students residing in that room.
Management of Internet Bandwidth
The campus network, including our connection to the Internet, is a critical shared resource for supporting the academic program. Uses of our Internet connection that are central to the academic/administrative mission of the college (e.g. access to Hamilton web, e-mail, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers) will receive higher priority during times when classes are in session, offices are open, and in the evenings when preparation takes place (i.e. critical times).
Low priority uses, including recreational uses, are peripheral to our mission and will receive lower priority during critical times.
Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. each day (critical times): With the exception of web traffic a fixed percentage of bandwidth is allocated between the residence halls and the Internet. Access to the Hamilton e-mail, web, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers from off-campus is the highest priority. Incoming or outgoing web traffic between the Internet and the campus network is the next highest priority. Peer-to-Peer Internet applications (applications for distributing videos, music, software, etc.) receive the lowest priority.
Between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. (non-critical times): There will be no restrictions on bandwidth. The quality and volume of our Internet traffic is regularly monitored to assure that critical applications are available to members of the community.
Hamilton does not monitor the content of traffic on the network. It is the responsibility of each person using college resources, including the network, to do so in an ethical and legal manner. Particular attention should be given to observing copyright laws for digital materials.
Personal Computers on the Network
Internet addresses are provided dynamically through a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) system. In order to obtain a static Internet (TCP/IP) computer address the owner of the system must register the computer with ITS network services.
The rules and regulations contained in this policy pertaining to electronic mail and Internet access are equally applicable to the use of personal machines for file sharing or as servers. If bandwidth or other problems occur, ITS reserves the right to discontinue access to the machine. Computers connected to the network may not be used as servers for private enterprises, commercial activity, or personal profit. Computers connected to the network may not be used to provide access to the Internet for anyone not formally affiliated with the College. If personal computers on the Hamilton network are used as servers, the administrator has the additional responsibility to respond to any use of the server that is in violation of these policies and procedures. Server administrators must take steps to prevent recurrence of such violations and report these violations to the Hamilton Network Administrator (hostmaster@hamilton.edu).
ITS reserves the rights to disconnect any network port whose activity causes an adverse effect on the network or on any other user. Network connections may also be revoked in the case of malicious or inappropriate computing activity on the network. See Noncompliance and Sanctions for examples of these activities.
ITS reserves the right to restrict access to the network during expansion, or for diagnostic and maintenance services. Every effort will be made to provide advance notification and to schedule such disruptions during times of minimum impact and traffic.
Virus Protection
Hamilton College requires all computers connected to the network to have up-to-date virus protection. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Sophos anti-virus software is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Sophos Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
In addition, all attachments to e-mail sent to the Hamilton mail server are scanned for viruses. If an attachment is found to be infected it is deleted and a text file is attached to the e-mail message (called substitute.txt) informing the receiver that the attachment was infected with a virus. The receiver can then contact the sender to have the message retransmitted after the attachment has been cleaned of the virus.
Windows Updates
All computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system and connected to the Hamilton College network must be kept up-to-date with critical service updates from Microsoft. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Individuals wanting to request an exception to the Windows update policy must do so in writing to the Vice President for Information Technology.
Network Connections in Departments
All offices, laboratories, and classrooms on campus are wired for access to the network. If departments request additional network jacks, or if network connections need to be moved to different locations, the department should request this service through ITS. The department will be billed for charges resulting from moves, additions, and changes.
Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a department will be billed to that department.
Dial-Up Connections
For all campus users the primary access to Hamilton computing services is through the campus network. Dial-in access via modem is not provided.
Policies - Hardware and Software
Hardware
Supported Products
The Committee on Information Technology maintains a list of supported hardware and software. Suggestions for additions and deletions from the list should be submitted to the Chair of the Committee. The Committee will review this list periodically. This list includes the types and brands of hardware and software that are in use at the college and indicates the level of support that ITS can provide. Two levels of service are provided for supported information technology resources, full and limited.
Full Support
Products designated for full support are those with widespread use on the campus. Examples include generic products (word processors, spreadsheets, Web browsers, etc.). ITS will provide help for the integration of these products with other supported campus technology resources, including services such as installation, training, maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades. HelpDesk, hardware repair, and training services for these products will be available through ITS. ITS will maintain sufficient expertise on staff, or through contractual arrangements, to deliver a high level of service for these products. In addition, for these products, ITS will negotiate favorable pricing and maintain a central budget for software upgrades.
Limited Support
Products designated for limited support are generally used by one or two departments. Examples include computer-assisted instruction programs and simulations. ITS does not have access to these products on a regular basis. Departments acquiring such products should plan to develop their own expertise and be prepared to resolve problems through the vendors' support services. ITS will provide help installing these products. It is unlikely that Helpdesk, repair, or training services will be available for these products. Items in the limited category can move to the full category if they achieve more widespread use and sufficient resources exist within ITS to provide the range of services described above.
Licensing of Software
The use of all software in the College is protected by copyright laws and must be used in accordance with software licenses. It is against College policy to copy or reproduce any licensed software. Unlicensed software may not be installed on any computers owned by Hamilton. The unauthorized use or copying of software is a serious violation of policy and subject to disciplinary action. Such unauthorized use or copying may also subject the offending individual to law suits by third parties.
Software on Personally Owned Equipment
Hamilton's educational licensing agreements for software specifically limit installation to machines owned by the college. Therefore, software purchased by Hamilton under these agreements may not be installed on personally owned equipment. Our current license agreement with Microsoft does allow the installation of one copy of Microsoft Office on the home machine of an employee who has Office on the work machine. For information on these programs, Hamilton's current licensing agreements, and exceptions, contact the Director, ITS, Desktop Integration Services.
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
HillChat
Environment Optimization
Regardless which videoconferencing solution is chosen for the communication, it will be important to prepare the location where your call will take place so as to realize the most optimal, standard experience for all involved parties.
General Considerations
Regardless of the conversation type, if the communication is high-risk/high-value, at least one test should be performed with all participants before the actual conversation.
Remember that accidents can happen: pets can meander into the conversation and voice their opinions, cell phones have the potential of ringing, and items can fall and clatter. While all participants should attempt to prepare for these eventualities, it is best to just accept that they are a part of the conversation, a normative experience, and therefore look past them.
Remember that participants within the domain of the webcam and the microphone are involved in the videoconference: anything uttered or any act performed within range of either device will be transmitted to all participants. It behooves everyone to be aware (by dint of the Preview available on all computers/software) of what will be seen and heard before the videoconference begins. As the character Doctor Emmett Brown opined in the movie Back to the Future, "no wonder your president has to be an actor, [they] have to look good on television."
Lighting
Proper lighting is an essential ingredient for a successful, high-quality videoconference. "A webcam isn't the most flattering piece of technology," according to Stephen Winzenburg in an article for the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "[it can] make you appear gaunt, overweight, beady eyed, or narcoleptic. And often you look all those things at the same time." To ensure that all participants see each other in the best possible light, everyone should:
Ensure your environment is well-lit--turn on as many lights as possible;
Be mindful of such issues as camera angle, background, and any other light sources that might affect the conversation;
A room with a window might be a nice place to have a chat, but the sun streaming in can wreak havoc on the quality of the conversation;
If you must have a conversation in a room with a window, be sure to test your setup around the same time you anticipate having the conversation to ensure a uniform experience;
Test, test, test, test, test: almost all software and computers have the ability to provide participants with a preview and this preview is what other participants will actually see--make sure the contents of the preview are what you want the other participants to see.
If a high-quality conversation is desired, it may behoove participants to purchase a dedicated webcam. ITS has enjoyed success with devices like the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000.
Sound
Problems with sound are reliable sources of videoconferencing woes. In addition to the ambient noise issue covered in the "Location" section, there are other potential problems one should be aware of:
Echo/Feedback
A problem arises whenever a sound input is colocated with a sound output: If you put a microphone IN FRONT of a speaker, a positive feedback loop will be generated, i.e. loud, screechy, piercing sound that is painful. Be sure either to place the speaker far away from the microphone, wear headphones to ameliorate the problem, or invest in a microphone with integrate anti-feedback technology.
Most laptops, all-in-one desktops (e.g. the iMac), and smartphones have built-in webcameras, microphones, and speakers. While they are sometimes configured to interoperate without generated feedback, one cannot rely on them working perfectly, especially for high-value conversations. All participants are STRONGLY encouraged to wear headphones to eliminate echoing/feedback.
Configuration
The peripherals required to perform a videoconference interoperate well, but are susceptible to problems. If participants are unable to hear each other, see each other, or connect, there may be a problem with the configuration of the peripherals, the software for the chat (e.g. Skype, Google Talk), or the drivers that the computer uses to communicate with the devices. While easier with the built-in microphone, webcam, speaker setup, problems can plague those setups. ITS strongly recommends testing the full setup before any videoconference. If problems are identified before the actual conversation, chances are better that they can be troubleshooted and resolved without conflicting with the actual conversation.
Accessibility Issues
Hearing Aids/Lipreaders
All communications conducted using these solutions will be affected to varying degrees by synchronicity issues. For example: participants may notice that mouths move independently of the sound they generate. While this is becoming a normative experience, it can be jarring, especially for those who need to read lips to understand what is being said. Proper balancing of audio is also key to ensure that participants whose hearing is impaired can participate equally in the conversation .
Location
Through the miracle of modern technology, these conversations can now take place at any time and in any location, e.g. cafés, libraries, street corners, dorm rooms, hospitals, vel sim. Just because they can take place in every location does not necessarily mean they ought to take place in every location. Both parties should consider:
The ambient noise in their respective environments--loud environs equals bad conversations;
The people whom they might affect with the conversation--not everyone needs to be privy to the conversation;
The speed of the internet conections at the locations--a low-speed DSL connection will not create a good videoconferencing experience (You can test your bandwidth here.)
Moving Your HillConnect Mail to Another Account
HillConnect
This document describes how to move your HillConnect mail into another account. Detailed instructions are provided for moving it into a commercial Gmail account.
Moving your Hamilton mail to a Commercial Gmail Account
These instructions assume you have already established an account with Google (gmail.com).
Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of your screen next to your e-mail address. From the menu that appears, select Mail Settings.
In the Settings screen, click on the link labeled Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Even though your settings may already indicate that “POP is enabled for all mail….”, go ahead and click in the dot next to “Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded”. Then click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Settings page.
Log in to your commercial Gmail account (http://gmail.google.com). NOTE: If you have not previously configured your Hamilton account to allow multiple account logins, you will have to log out of your Hamilton account before logging in to your commercial (.com) Gmail account.
Once you are in your commercial account, click on the gear icon and select Mail Settings.
Click on the link labeled Accounts and Import and then click on the link on that page labeled Import mail and contacts (see below).
Enter your HillConnect account address (e.g. dquayle@hamilton.edu) and click on Continue.
Enter your HillConnect password and click on Continue.
In the next screen enter your password again as prompted.
For the next 6 steps, please refer to the image below:
Change the POP user name to include @hamilton.edu (e.g. dquayle2@hamilton.edu)
Change the SMTP server to pop.gmail.com
Click on the link to the right of "Port: 110" labeled Edit
Click in the box to select “Use SSL”
Change the port to 995
Click on Continue
In the next screen select the following check boxes:
Import Mail
Optional: Select to “Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server”. NOTE: In some cases, checking this option will prevent the transfer from beginning. If that occurs, uncheck it and try again.
Add a label to all imported mail [dquayle2@hamilton.edu] This will allow you to easily identify the mail that was imported from your Hamilton account.
18. Click on Start Import.
19. You should see a confirmation page that informs you the import has begun. Click on OK.
NOTE: The transfer of your mail can take DAYS. Google gives it a very low priority but it does take place. You can check on the progress by doing a search in your Gmail.com account for all mail labeled userID@hamilton.edu (substitute your real user ID where “userID” appears”). If the number of messages found with that label in your Gmail.com account matches the number of messages in your “all mail” label (folder) in your HillConnect account, then it is done!!
When the transfer has finished you should do the following:
Log in to your Hamilton HillConnect account and set it up to forward your mail to your Gmail.com account. You can do this by going to the gear icon and again select Mail Settings. Click on Forwarding & POP/IMAP, fill in the address for your Gmail.com account and click Save Changes.
Next, log in to your Gmail.com account. Click on the gear icon, select Mail Settings and then select Accounts and Import.
In the middle of the section, where it is labeled Check mail using POP3, you’ll see a link labeled “delete” to the far right. Click on the “delete” link. Doing so will break the tie between your two accounts. From here on, new mail addressed to your Hamilton account will automatically arrive in your gmail.com account.
Moving Your HillConnect Mail to Another Account
HillMail
This document describes how to move your HillConnect mail into another account. Detailed instructions are provided for moving it into a commercial Gmail account.
Moving your Hamilton mail to a Commercial Gmail Account
These instructions assume you have already established an account with Google (gmail.com).
Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of your screen next to your e-mail address. From the menu that appears, select Mail Settings.
In the Settings screen, click on the link labeled Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Even though your settings may already indicate that “POP is enabled for all mail….”, go ahead and click in the dot next to “Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded”. Then click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Settings page.
Log in to your commercial Gmail account (http://gmail.google.com). NOTE: If you have not previously configured your Hamilton account to allow multiple account logins, you will have to log out of your Hamilton account before logging in to your commercial (.com) Gmail account.
Once you are in your commercial account, click on the gear icon and select Mail Settings.
Click on the link labeled Accounts and Import and then click on the link on that page labeled Import mail and contacts (see below).
Enter your HillConnect account address (e.g. dquayle@hamilton.edu) and click on Continue.
Enter your HillConnect password and click on Continue.
In the next screen enter your password again as prompted.
For the next 6 steps, please refer to the image below:
Change the POP user name to include @hamilton.edu (e.g. dquayle2@hamilton.edu)
Change the SMTP server to pop.gmail.com
Click on the link to the right of "Port: 110" labeled Edit
Click in the box to select “Use SSL”
Change the port to 995
Click on Continue
In the next screen select the following check boxes:
Import Mail
Optional: Select to “Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server”. NOTE: In some cases, checking this option will prevent the transfer from beginning. If that occurs, uncheck it and try again.
Add a label to all imported mail [dquayle2@hamilton.edu] This will allow you to easily identify the mail that was imported from your Hamilton account.
18. Click on Start Import.
19. You should see a confirmation page that informs you the import has begun. Click on OK.
NOTE: The transfer of your mail can take DAYS. Google gives it a very low priority but it does take place. You can check on the progress by doing a search in your Gmail.com account for all mail labeled userID@hamilton.edu (substitute your real user ID where “userID” appears”). If the number of messages found with that label in your Gmail.com account matches the number of messages in your “all mail” label (folder) in your HillConnect account, then it is done!!
When the transfer has finished you should do the following:
Log in to your Hamilton HillConnect account and set it up to forward your mail to your Gmail.com account. You can do this by going to the gear icon and again select Mail Settings. Click on Forwarding & POP/IMAP, fill in the address for your Gmail.com account and click Save Changes.
Next, log in to your Gmail.com account. Click on the gear icon, select Mail Settings and then select Accounts and Import.
In the middle of the section, where it is labeled Check mail using POP3, you’ll see a link labeled “delete” to the far right. Click on the “delete” link. Doing so will break the tie between your two accounts. From here on, new mail addressed to your Hamilton account will automatically arrive in your gmail.com account.
Moving Your HillConnect Mail to Another Account
Import
This document describes how to move your HillConnect mail into another account. Detailed instructions are provided for moving it into a commercial Gmail account.
Moving your Hamilton mail to a Commercial Gmail Account
These instructions assume you have already established an account with Google (gmail.com).
Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of your screen next to your e-mail address. From the menu that appears, select Mail Settings.
In the Settings screen, click on the link labeled Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Even though your settings may already indicate that “POP is enabled for all mail….”, go ahead and click in the dot next to “Enable POP for all mail (even mail that’s already been downloaded”. Then click on the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Settings page.
Log in to your commercial Gmail account (http://gmail.google.com). NOTE: If you have not previously configured your Hamilton account to allow multiple account logins, you will have to log out of your Hamilton account before logging in to your commercial (.com) Gmail account.
Once you are in your commercial account, click on the gear icon and select Mail Settings.
Click on the link labeled Accounts and Import and then click on the link on that page labeled Import mail and contacts (see below).
Enter your HillConnect account address (e.g. dquayle@hamilton.edu) and click on Continue.
Enter your HillConnect password and click on Continue.
In the next screen enter your password again as prompted.
For the next 6 steps, please refer to the image below:
Change the POP user name to include @hamilton.edu (e.g. dquayle2@hamilton.edu)
Change the SMTP server to pop.gmail.com
Click on the link to the right of "Port: 110" labeled Edit
Click in the box to select “Use SSL”
Change the port to 995
Click on Continue
In the next screen select the following check boxes:
Import Mail
Optional: Select to “Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server”. NOTE: In some cases, checking this option will prevent the transfer from beginning. If that occurs, uncheck it and try again.
Add a label to all imported mail [dquayle2@hamilton.edu] This will allow you to easily identify the mail that was imported from your Hamilton account.
18. Click on Start Import.
19. You should see a confirmation page that informs you the import has begun. Click on OK.
NOTE: The transfer of your mail can take DAYS. Google gives it a very low priority but it does take place. You can check on the progress by doing a search in your Gmail.com account for all mail labeled userID@hamilton.edu (substitute your real user ID where “userID” appears”). If the number of messages found with that label in your Gmail.com account matches the number of messages in your “all mail” label (folder) in your HillConnect account, then it is done!!
When the transfer has finished you should do the following:
Log in to your Hamilton HillConnect account and set it up to forward your mail to your Gmail.com account. You can do this by going to the gear icon and again select Mail Settings. Click on Forwarding & POP/IMAP, fill in the address for your Gmail.com account and click Save Changes.
Next, log in to your Gmail.com account. Click on the gear icon, select Mail Settings and then select Accounts and Import.
In the middle of the section, where it is labeled Check mail using POP3, you’ll see a link labeled “delete” to the far right. Click on the “delete” link. Doing so will break the tie between your two accounts. From here on, new mail addressed to your Hamilton account will automatically arrive in your gmail.com account.
Installing AVG Anti-virus
Install
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Installing Mozilla Firefox on Windows and Macintosh Computers
Install
For Personal Windows & Macintosh Computers
Click on the link below and follow their instructions for installing Mozilla Firefox on your operating system: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Installing Firefox?s=installation&r=0&as=
For Hamilton-Owned Macintosh Computers
Download the latest version of Firefox from Mozilla's website here. Choose to Save the file.
Go to your Macintosh HD, open the Applications folder, and navigate to Firefox. NOTE: For Macintosh 10.7 (Lion) users, hold CTRL and cllick on the Firefox icon on your dock, choose Options, and select Show in Finder.
Move the old version of Firefox to the Trash icon on the dock.
Navigate to the file location for the new version of Firefox you just downloaded and double-click it.
In the window that appears like the one below, drag the Firefox icon to the Applications folder icon.
Follow the instructions.
If prompted, enter your Hamilton network credentials.
Once the installation is complete, open Firefox. The message below will only appear the first time you open Firefox after it has been downloaded. Click Open.
You have successfully installed the latest version of Mozilla Firefox and can now browse the internet with more security.
For Hamilton-Owned Windows Computers
NOTE: By default, Mozilla Firefox is set to automatically install the latest updates. If you prefer to install the latest updates yourself and check what version you are using, you can follow the steps below.
Open Firefox. Go to the Help menu and select About Firefox.
Firefox will now check for updates. You can view its progress by reading the light grey text located below your Firefox version. NOTE: Depending on how you have Firefox setup to install updates, you may see a Check for Updates button. Click that to begin checking your browser for updates.
If any updates need to be installed, click Apply Update and follow the directions on the screen to complete the installation process.
Comparison of Browser Interfaces
Internet
Browsing
Browser History
Accessing Browser History
Browser History Interface
Bookmarks
Adding a Bookmark
Accessing Bookmarks
Trust Certificates
Multimedia Presentation Center
Labs
What is the MPC
The Multimedia Presentation Center (MPC) is a state-of-the-art computing facility equipped with cutting-edge hardware and software, as well as a full range of support services, specifically designed for authoring multimedia-enhanced presentations.
The Multimedia Presentation Center, located on the ground floor of Burke Library, has 21 quad core iMacs running Mac OS X Lion. The Macintosh workstations are set up as multimedia editing workstations, and can be used to produce a variety of digital content, as well as standard word processing. Color laser printing is available for academic purposes only.
MPC Location and Hours of Operation
The MPC is located on the first floor of the Burke Library and follows the same hours of operation, available here.
An Overview of MPC Services
The MPC is equipped to support a wide variety of multimedia-enhanced presentation formats including:
Large format, photo-quality printing
Medium format color laser printing
Web content with audio, video and animation
PowerPoint with audio and video
Mini DV, CD and DVD
Please direct any questions or inquiries about large format posters to the MPC professional staff. mpc@hamilton.edu, x4888.
To request a large format poster appointment, click here.
Getting Started With Information Technology
Laptop
Getting Started With Information Technology
NOTE: The information on this page is fully up-to-date and accurate for the 2011-12 academic year.
This page connects new and returning members of the Hamilton College community to the most up-to-date information on networking, personal computer systems and standards. Whether you've never been to Hamilton, or you've just been away for a semester or two, this is the place to find out about the information technology environment.
Why Bring a Laptop Computer to Campus?
The campus has universally distributed connectivity via ethernet and wireless. This will make it easy for you to use your computer anywhere on campus (e.g., in the library), even bring it to class or the place you most prefer to study;
You will want to continue to use your computer when you go home for breaks;
Laptops take up less space in your room;
If you have a problem, laptops can be easily transported to our Help Desk.
What do I Need to Know About Bringing a Computer to Campus?
Have a computer you need connected to the Hamilton network? Want to purchase your own computer, and be sure it can be connected to the network? Follow this link for information on minimum and recommended system requirements and network connectivity.
Virus Protection
Virus Protection Information
Policy Note
Hamilton College requires all existing and all incoming students to install Anti-Virus software on their personal computers by the end of the second week of classes each semester. Failure to do so can result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until up-to-date Anti-virus software is installed. Anti-virus software (AVG for Windows and Sophos & iAntivirus for Macintosh) is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Hamilton supported Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
Student Phone and Voice Mail Overview
Cable Television Information
Contact Us
E-mail us at: helpdesk@hamilton.edu
Or, if you just want to hear a friendly voice, phone 315-859-4181. We'll be sure that someone gets back to you within one business day.
Policies - College Computer Equipment
Laptop Loaner
Replacement of College Computer Equipment
Most college computer equipment is replaced every four to five years (see exceptions below). The Goals of the replacement plan are to:
assure that appropriate computing resources are available in public and departmental computing facilities, classrooms, and college offices to support the mission of the institution;
assure that each faculty and staff member who uses computing resources in his or her position has a computer of sufficient capability to fulfill his/her responsibilities;
implement minimum standards for computing equipment on campus; • encourage planning, cost-effective installation of new equipment and disposal of old equipment.
Computer equipment is generally replaced during the late spring and summer months (May 1 - August 15). Replacement schedules are distributed annually to departments in early November for review and consultation with ITS staff. Hardware configurations for new equipment are prepared in March and individuals with equipment scheduled for replacement are notified of those details.
Generally, individuals will have one college computer provided for them on the replacement plan. By the nature of their responsibilities, some individuals may need to have more than one computer to accomplish their responsibilities - for example, if they must use both Macintosh and Windows platforms in their work. In these cases, department heads/supervisors may request from the appropriate officer of the college (e.g., for faculty, the Dean of the Faculty) that an exception be made.
Computers are essential tools for faculty, even when they are on sabbatical leave. For this reason the college permits faculty on leave to continue to use their computer during that period. Computers will be provided to faculty replacements from a pool of computers designated for this purpose.
Computers are not to be purchased from departmental operating budgets. Only special funds designated for computer replacement or equipment purchases may be used for this purpose. The officers of the college approve such funds. Certain departments or individuals obtain grants or have special budget allocations for computing equipment. Computers purchased with these grants or budget allocations will not be on the replacement plan unless approval is obtained from the officers at the time the grant is received or the budget is allocated.
Loaner Equipment
Hamilton College employees can borrow laptop computers for up to seven consecutive days for uses related to college business. Both Macintosh and Windows laptops are available. These computers are enabled for wireless and high-speed internet access. Reservations are required, and should be made at least two business days in advance. For more information, or to make a reservation, call 4LLP (4557), or e-mail: laptop@hamilton.edu
Departmental Equipment
All college computers are maintained in a central inventory. At the time a computer enters the inventory the replacement cycle, if any, is designated. Computers that are an integral part of a piece of scientific equipment, or are used primarily for research purposes, are not generally part of the replacement plan. Replacement of such equipment is by a special request to the Dean of the Faculty. Old equipment is sold for residual values through Hamilton's official salvage process and must be returned to ITS.
Grant-Funded Equipment
Individuals pursuing grants for computing equipment should discuss their plans with the Director, Desktop Integration Services as part of the budgeting process. Computing equipment that is acquired under grants will enter the inventory and be upgraded on a regular replacement cycle only if approved at the time of the application for the grant.
Faculty members teaching in various special curricular programs are, under certain conditions, awarded research, or startup, funds. Some faculty members also have research funds available to them when they hold endowed chair positions. These funds may be used to buy additional computers and printers for office or home use, but the equipment will belong to the college. Such equipment should be ordered through the College purchasing process and will not normally be upgraded or replaced by the college, except through further use of research funds. If this equipment is to be on the computer replacement plan the faculty member must obtain a commitment, in writing, from the Dean and the Vice-President for Administration and Finance indicating this. Otherwise, the equipment will not be on a replacement cycle.
Printers and Other Peripheral Equipment
The college provides networked printing locations for workgroup clusters in every department. Individual desktop printers are not normally provided. Other peripheral pieces of equipment such as scanners are also generally provided in clustered locations instead of individual offices. Since these pieces of equipment are usually used intermittently, clustering allows sharing of specialized technical resources.
Responsibility for Equipment
Each employee is responsible for taking reasonable safety precautions in regard to Hamilton-owned computer equipment. Employees will be held responsible for damage to such equipment arising out of their negligence or intentional misconduct.
Upgrades and Renewal
For computer equipment on the replacement plan, ITS staff members consult with users prior to ordering and installing new equipment to determine the current and anticipated equipment needs. Computers that are replaced are returned to ITS. ITS then reassigns the computers or sells them through the campus salvage process. Hamilton will not upgrade non-Hamilton computers.
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Policies - Electronic Mail (E-mail) & Listserv (Mass E-mail lists)
Listserv
Department or Group Accounts
By special permission, college departments and student groups will be granted a single account to facilitate connections between the department or group and interested parties. The department or group must identify one person to be responsible for the account and to act as the contact person. In addition, student organizations must be registered with the Office of Student Activities before an account will be granted.
Appropriate Use of E-mail
Hamilton strongly recommends that e-mail not be used for confidential communication. E-mail is now considered a formal written record that carries the same legal weight as a formal memorandum. Users of e-mail should remember that e-mail messages become the possession of the receiver and can be easily duplicated and redistributed by recipients. Messages that have been deleted can unintentionally be retained on system backup files. In addition, even secure passwords are not completely confidential. When a private message needs to be conveyed between two individuals, a conversation is the best way to accomplish it, and messages that should not be preserved should be deleted immediately.
College policy prohibits certain types of e-mail. These include mail that may be perceived as harassment, political campaigning, chain mail or commercial solicitation. Violators will be subject to loss of computer access privileges, as well as additional disciplinary action as determined by the Hamilton judiciary procedures. Certain types of e-mail, including but not limited to harassing e-mail, may also subject the sender to civil or criminal penalties. In spite of College policy, e-mail can be abused by malicious users who know the owner's computing ID and password. Users are responsible for protecting their own passwords.
ListServ Lists
ListServ is a commercial software product installed on our E-mail system. It is designed to provide an easy way to create and maintain large E-mail mailing lists. These lists can be used for the one-way distribution of information, for E-mail based discussion, questions and answers, etc. Lists are created and "owned" by an E-mail user who manages the list?s behavior.
Any faculty, staff, or student member of the Hamilton College community is entitled to become a ListServ list owner. Campus-based organizations and departments are also entitled to own lists, but an individual within the group must be designated as the list owner. Students must be in good standing with the Dean of Students office and student organizations must be registered with the Office of Student Activities.
All lists must be approved by the ITS ListServ administrator prior to creation, but the following general guidelines apply:
The purpose of the list must pertain to Hamilton College business.
Lists are not open to off-campus subscribers unless special permission is obtained. However, Hamilton College students or employees who use off-campus E-mail addresses are allowed to own and belong to lists.
It is the list owner's responsibility to learn the commands necessary to manage the list's subscribers.
Under no circumstances can a list be used to participate in or promote activities that are illegal, violate the Hamilton College code of conduct, or the Hamilton College Honor code.
To apply for list ownership and select a list type, please read Becoming a ListServ List Owner from which you can create your list.
Return to Main Listserv Page
ListServ Mass Mailing Lists
Effective July 1, 2010
As a service to the Hamilton College community, several e-mail based mass mailing lists have been created. These are designed to facilitate the timely and cost-effective distribution of information to the campus community. E-mail now reaches almost all faculty, administration and staff (members of M & O generally don't use computers in connection with their responsibilities) and students. Participation in the mass mailing lists is voluntary.
In order that these lists remain a reliable means of communication, it is important that members of the Hamilton community abide by a few guidelines. These guidelines are not designed to limit free speech but are intended to keep your mail volume at a reasonable level.
Most importantly, anonymous mailings are prohibited. The sender's real name must be identified (in full) within the body of the message - not just at the top in the "from" line.
There are two sets of mass mailing lists, one for announcement of events and the other for general campus notices. The guidelines for use of these lists are explained below.
Events
By an "event" we mean an activity (meeting, performance,, lecture, etc.) that takes place on- or off-campus at a specific date and time and is sponsored, or co-sponsored by either an academic or administrative department/program or a student organization recognized by Student Activities. Sponsorship means that the chair of a College department, program or organization indicates that the organization supports the event and that members of the College are actively involved in organizing the event (e.g., as speakers). If someone other than the organizer(s) makes the event announcement, they share in the responsibility for adhering to the guidelines.
Posting to the lists will be limited to all employees and two* student representatives, or the e-mail account assigned to each student organization recognized by Student Activities.
Violations by the student representatives will accrue to the organization they represent regardless of whether the violator acted alone.
An event will be limited to two posts to the mass mailing lists. Corrections count as one of the two messages.
If an event is cancelled or postponed, two additional notices are allowed.
Each message must have a subject line that is descriptive of the event
The first 4 lines of the message must contain:
Date and time of the event
Sponsor of the event
Name of the event
Location of the event
The remainder of the message should be a short description of the event. [Note that if you include graphics you may exceed the limit of 25 MB for the message. Such messages will be rejected.]
Clarification: Posting a message to an inappropriate list is a violation (e.g., posting a message intended for students to the events-all list)
The mass e-mail lists for posting events are:
a. Events-students@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to students)
b. Events-20xx@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to students in a particular class year, where xx is the last two digits of the class year)
c. Events-faculty@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the faculty)
d. Events-staff@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the staff)
e. Events-admin@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the administration)
f. Events-maintop@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of Maintenance and Operations)
g. Events-employees@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to employees)
h. Events-all@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to both students and employees)
The notices mass e-mail lists will be used only for the following general categories. A non-comprehensive bulleted list of examples is provided for each category.
Announcement of Hamilton deadlines, policies and procedures
These announcements must come from individuals representing the administrative or academic departments responsible for the deadline, policy or procedure being addressed (e.g. drop-add, parking permits, library books due)
Reports from Hamilton organizations or departments
These reports must come from individuals representing the academic or administrative offices, or student organizations recognized by Student Activities who generated the reports (e.g., Minutes of Student Assembly, Agendas, reports from faculty meetings, Honor Court decisions, results of campus-wide initiatives or community events such as United Way, Heart Walk & Run, announcement of appointments).
Notification of the availability of, or changes in, Hamilton College services or facilities
These notices must come from individuals representing the academic or administrative departments, or student organizations recognized by Student Activities who are responsible for the services or facilities being addressed (e.g., dining and fitness center schedules, availability of Hamilton housing, IT and library services, department newsletters, availability of Hamilton-sponsored publications, Campus Safety announcements, sales in the College Store, Physical Plant notices, fund raising activities for Hamilton organizations, fund raising activities approved by Office of the President (for employees) or by the Student Activities Office (for students)).
Surveys
Student-initiated surveys must be related to the academic program and endorsed by a faculty mentor. The request for such surveys must be submitted by the faculty mentor. These surveys must be sent to exception@hamilton.edu for prior approval.
Student organizations recognized by Student Activities can submit surveys directly to the student lists. These must be surveys that will only be given to students.
Surveys related to college business or faculty research may be submitted directly to the lists.
Notices from members of the senior staff directly related to their areas of responsibility
The mass e-mail lists for posting notices are:
a. Notices-students@listserv.hamilton.edu(sent only to students)
b. Notices-20xx@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to students in a particular class year, where xx is the last two digits of the class year)
c. Notices-faculty@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the faculty)
d. Notices-staff@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the staff)
e. Notices-admin@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the administration)
f. Notices-maintop@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of Maintenance and Operations)
g. Notices-employees@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to employees)
h. Notices-all@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to both students and employees)
Please consider your audience carefully (e.g., do not send a mailing to "all" if you only need to reach students).Examples of inappropriate uses include, but are not limited to:
Personal opinion, public debate, or campaigning
Announcements should not attempt to sell the reader on a point of view. The information provided should be as factual as possible and sufficient enough to explain the purpose of the announcement. If additional background information is necessary, a web link may be included.
A message that contains no actual announcement (e.g. does not meet the criteria listed above for an event or a non-event) is a violation.
Give-aways (personal property such as furniture, tickets, equipment, books, etc.)
Surveys other than those specified above
Chain mail
Lost and found (except when it is Hamilton College property, or involves animals) there is a Lost and Found channel in My Hamilton.
Requests for rides (there is a Rides channel in My Hamilton)
Items for sale - or items desired (including houses, tickets, books, services, etc.) There is a marketplace channel in My Hamilton that can be used for this purpose.
Exceptions to the Guidelines:
Messages that Fall Outside the Guidelines, or from senders not approved for Mass Mail:
Any individual wanting to post a message to the mass e-mail lists that falls outside of the guidelines, can request that the message be posted by sending a request for an exception to: exception@hamilton.edu. The request will be directed to the appropriate member of the senior staff for approval. Approval or denial will be communicated to the person making the request. Requests for exceptions should be sent at least two business days in advance of the time the posting is to take place.
Penalties for Violations:
A first time violation will result in the removal of posting (sending) privileges to the mass lists for a period of one month (not including breaks). A second violation will result in the removal of both posting and receiving messages to/from the mass lists for a period of one month (not including breaks). A third violation will result in the loss of posting and receiving privileges for the equivalent of a full semester. A fourth violation will result in the individual being referred to the appropriate judicial body dealing with employees or students. Violations are cumulative for as long as you are at Hamilton (or four years for employees). Loss of privileges applies to all the mass lists.
Violators may appeal their penalty by submitting their reasons in writing to the chair of the Committee on Information Technology. The Committee will review the appeal and return a decision within 5 business days. During the appeal process the penalty will be suspended.
[Return to Main Listserv Page]
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen
Vice President for Information Technology, Hamilton College
315-859-4169
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Mac OS 10.4 Tiger
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Mac OS 10.5 Leopard
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Mac OS 10.7 Lion
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Comparison of Browser Interfaces
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Browsing
Browser History
Accessing Browser History
Browser History Interface
Bookmarks
Adding a Bookmark
Accessing Bookmarks
Trust Certificates
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Mobile Device
Environment Optimization
Regardless which videoconferencing solution is chosen for the communication, it will be important to prepare the location where your call will take place so as to realize the most optimal, standard experience for all involved parties.
General Considerations
Regardless of the conversation type, if the communication is high-risk/high-value, at least one test should be performed with all participants before the actual conversation.
Remember that accidents can happen: pets can meander into the conversation and voice their opinions, cell phones have the potential of ringing, and items can fall and clatter. While all participants should attempt to prepare for these eventualities, it is best to just accept that they are a part of the conversation, a normative experience, and therefore look past them.
Remember that participants within the domain of the webcam and the microphone are involved in the videoconference: anything uttered or any act performed within range of either device will be transmitted to all participants. It behooves everyone to be aware (by dint of the Preview available on all computers/software) of what will be seen and heard before the videoconference begins. As the character Doctor Emmett Brown opined in the movie Back to the Future, "no wonder your president has to be an actor, [they] have to look good on television."
Lighting
Proper lighting is an essential ingredient for a successful, high-quality videoconference. "A webcam isn't the most flattering piece of technology," according to Stephen Winzenburg in an article for the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "[it can] make you appear gaunt, overweight, beady eyed, or narcoleptic. And often you look all those things at the same time." To ensure that all participants see each other in the best possible light, everyone should:
Ensure your environment is well-lit--turn on as many lights as possible;
Be mindful of such issues as camera angle, background, and any other light sources that might affect the conversation;
A room with a window might be a nice place to have a chat, but the sun streaming in can wreak havoc on the quality of the conversation;
If you must have a conversation in a room with a window, be sure to test your setup around the same time you anticipate having the conversation to ensure a uniform experience;
Test, test, test, test, test: almost all software and computers have the ability to provide participants with a preview and this preview is what other participants will actually see--make sure the contents of the preview are what you want the other participants to see.
If a high-quality conversation is desired, it may behoove participants to purchase a dedicated webcam. ITS has enjoyed success with devices like the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000.
Sound
Problems with sound are reliable sources of videoconferencing woes. In addition to the ambient noise issue covered in the "Location" section, there are other potential problems one should be aware of:
Echo/Feedback
A problem arises whenever a sound input is colocated with a sound output: If you put a microphone IN FRONT of a speaker, a positive feedback loop will be generated, i.e. loud, screechy, piercing sound that is painful. Be sure either to place the speaker far away from the microphone, wear headphones to ameliorate the problem, or invest in a microphone with integrate anti-feedback technology.
Most laptops, all-in-one desktops (e.g. the iMac), and smartphones have built-in webcameras, microphones, and speakers. While they are sometimes configured to interoperate without generated feedback, one cannot rely on them working perfectly, especially for high-value conversations. All participants are STRONGLY encouraged to wear headphones to eliminate echoing/feedback.
Configuration
The peripherals required to perform a videoconference interoperate well, but are susceptible to problems. If participants are unable to hear each other, see each other, or connect, there may be a problem with the configuration of the peripherals, the software for the chat (e.g. Skype, Google Talk), or the drivers that the computer uses to communicate with the devices. While easier with the built-in microphone, webcam, speaker setup, problems can plague those setups. ITS strongly recommends testing the full setup before any videoconference. If problems are identified before the actual conversation, chances are better that they can be troubleshooted and resolved without conflicting with the actual conversation.
Accessibility Issues
Hearing Aids/Lipreaders
All communications conducted using these solutions will be affected to varying degrees by synchronicity issues. For example: participants may notice that mouths move independently of the sound they generate. While this is becoming a normative experience, it can be jarring, especially for those who need to read lips to understand what is being said. Proper balancing of audio is also key to ensure that participants whose hearing is impaired can participate equally in the conversation .
Location
Through the miracle of modern technology, these conversations can now take place at any time and in any location, e.g. cafés, libraries, street corners, dorm rooms, hospitals, vel sim. Just because they can take place in every location does not necessarily mean they ought to take place in every location. Both parties should consider:
The ambient noise in their respective environments--loud environs equals bad conversations;
The people whom they might affect with the conversation--not everyone needs to be privy to the conversation;
The speed of the internet conections at the locations--a low-speed DSL connection will not create a good videoconferencing experience (You can test your bandwidth here.)
Comparison of Browser Interfaces
Mozilla Firefox
Browsing
Browser History
Accessing Browser History
Browser History Interface
Bookmarks
Adding a Bookmark
Accessing Bookmarks
Trust Certificates
Installing Mozilla Firefox on Windows and Macintosh Computers
Mozilla Firefox
For Personal Windows & Macintosh Computers
Click on the link below and follow their instructions for installing Mozilla Firefox on your operating system: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Installing Firefox?s=installation&r=0&as=
For Hamilton-Owned Macintosh Computers
Download the latest version of Firefox from Mozilla's website here. Choose to Save the file.
Go to your Macintosh HD, open the Applications folder, and navigate to Firefox. NOTE: For Macintosh 10.7 (Lion) users, hold CTRL and cllick on the Firefox icon on your dock, choose Options, and select Show in Finder.
Move the old version of Firefox to the Trash icon on the dock.
Navigate to the file location for the new version of Firefox you just downloaded and double-click it.
In the window that appears like the one below, drag the Firefox icon to the Applications folder icon.
Follow the instructions.
If prompted, enter your Hamilton network credentials.
Once the installation is complete, open Firefox. The message below will only appear the first time you open Firefox after it has been downloaded. Click Open.
You have successfully installed the latest version of Mozilla Firefox and can now browse the internet with more security.
For Hamilton-Owned Windows Computers
NOTE: By default, Mozilla Firefox is set to automatically install the latest updates. If you prefer to install the latest updates yourself and check what version you are using, you can follow the steps below.
Open Firefox. Go to the Help menu and select About Firefox.
Firefox will now check for updates. You can view its progress by reading the light grey text located below your Firefox version. NOTE: Depending on how you have Firefox setup to install updates, you may see a Check for Updates button. Click that to begin checking your browser for updates.
If any updates need to be installed, click Apply Update and follow the directions on the screen to complete the installation process.
Lab Consultant On-Going Training
Multimedia Presentation Center (MPC)
Fall 2011
Place all projects within specified folders on MSS by 5 PM on due dates
Fall Training Project:
Rough version 2 8/26
Final version 9/2
Public Screening Event TBD
Project 1 & Scheduling Meeting:
9/4 7-9 PM SCCT 3039
9/11 First Drafts Due
9/18 Final Drafts Due
Project 2:
10/9 7-9 PM SCCT 3039
10/17 First Drafts Due
10/23 Final Drafts Due
Project 3:
11/6 7-9 PM SCCT 3039
11/16 Final Drafts Due
Multimedia Presentation Center
Multimedia Presentation Center (MPC)
What is the MPC
The Multimedia Presentation Center (MPC) is a state-of-the-art computing facility equipped with cutting-edge hardware and software, as well as a full range of support services, specifically designed for authoring multimedia-enhanced presentations.
The Multimedia Presentation Center, located on the ground floor of Burke Library, has 21 quad core iMacs running Mac OS X Lion. The Macintosh workstations are set up as multimedia editing workstations, and can be used to produce a variety of digital content, as well as standard word processing. Color laser printing is available for academic purposes only.
MPC Location and Hours of Operation
The MPC is located on the first floor of the Burke Library and follows the same hours of operation, available here.
An Overview of MPC Services
The MPC is equipped to support a wide variety of multimedia-enhanced presentation formats including:
Large format, photo-quality printing
Medium format color laser printing
Web content with audio, video and animation
PowerPoint with audio and video
Mini DV, CD and DVD
Please direct any questions or inquiries about large format posters to the MPC professional staff. mpc@hamilton.edu, x4888.
To request a large format poster appointment, click here.
Video Common Issues
Multimedia Presentation Center (MPC)
Things to consider about video . .
The length of the video is a major consideration.
Videos of more than 5 minutes in length have technical and logistical issues not encountered in shorter video projects. And, a video novice can expect to spend 3 hours/minute of final project length editing original video.
Camera settings are critical to success when shooting original video.
They can have effects on your project that are nearly impossible to fix with the computer. Be certain to ask about setting, audio bit rate, white balance, and special effects when you borrow a camera from the MPC.
Special storage arrangements must be made in advance of any editing. Video requires 3.6 mb/sec hard drive storage. As an example, five minutes of raw unedited video requires over 1 GB of storage space. Edits to the video, compression formats, and delivery can require up to three times the storage space necessary for the amount of raw video being manipulated. Video should be stored, or copied to, a Firewire Harddrive or an MPC video storage account at the end of each editing session.
File management is critical to the editing process. Digital video is composed of multiple files that must remain in a specific relationship.
Digital video must be properly prepared and compressed for the intended delivery before it can be used in a presentation.
Consult an MPC instructional technologist, mpc@hamilton.edu, to develop a video workflow that will meet your project needs.
Storage
Capturing and editing video requires large amounts of high-speed digital storage – much more space and speed than that of a floppy disk, zip disk, the student storage server (SSS) and even some computer hard drives. Video storage, whether a firewire harddrive or MPC video storage account, is determined by characteristics of the intended video project. Longer video projects or multiple projects within the semester are usually better handled by firewire harddrive storage. Short single video projects are often handled through specially set up MPC storage accounts. These accounts are provided in planned support efforts and should be used while working in the MPC or Burke 001. Accounts for students working in groups are set up differently from those for individual projects.
File Management
An understanding of video file structure and how to manage files between storage area and authoring area is one of our most frequently encountered “gotchas”. Because the MPC is a public lab facility, the "Scratch disk" on MPC computers is intended as an editing area but not as a storage area. Projects left on the scratch disk are not backed up and can be deleted by anyone who sits down at that computer. While actually editing video, the video project folder should be on the Scratch disk. Working from the Scatch disk ensures that pieces of your project will not be lost in transit ("dropped frames") between an external drive/network account and the computer. Students must attend storage account appointments and understand their video project file structure to successfully complete video projects using our public lab resources.
Delivery
The desired output (delivery/display) method has a significant effect upon the number of steps included in the overall assignment design. There are also technical considerations associated with compression formats that may be dependent upon the characteristics of the footage being used. And, the actual time it takes for the files to be converted to the desired output format can be up to three times the actual duration of the final video. A 3 minute video can take 9 minutes to export/compress and another 9 minutes to burn to disc. Allowing time for a trial presentation run on a lectern system is advised.
Video Home
Adding New Students to the Transition System
My Hamilton
Before You Start:
Fall Admit new students typically enter the transition process in Mid-May. Spring admits typically enter the process in Mid-September.
User accounts have already been created by Debby Quayle. You will need for her to provide an export containing username, password and Colleague ID. There is typically an export \\ess\its\Account Details\Students\Class of {year} but it's not always accurate. Ask her to double-check.
New Student user acounts must have the New Students group membership assigned to them. This is typically done during the bulk new student upload process, but occasionally when an individual account is added it doesn't have this group membership assigned.
New Students must be included in the Student LDAP nightly job in order to have the Students group membership assigned. They will need to have records in the file CIS generates at \\polaris\hamiltonweb\fileexchange\scheduledjobs\LDAPF. Make sure new students are in the student_ldap table. If not, ask CIS to include them then run https://preview.hamilton.edu/applications/scheduledtasks/studentldap.cfm.
Steps to Bulk-Add New Students to Transition Process
Update the following settings in /myhamilton/parameters.cfm as appropriate:
showNewStudents (Anne Riffle)
showNewStudentsTerms
newStudentOldAccountExpiration
newStudentJanuaryOldAccountExpiration
placementexamdeadline (Anne Riffle)
roomhidestart (Jean Burke)
roomhideend (Jean Burke)
Obtain import file Debby Quayle provides and import it into the portal_users_transition table. Be sure to replace the existing records.
Spot check your work by logging into My Hamilton as a few new students. Keep in mind that you may need to manipulate the showNewStudents variable to temporarily access the system.
Notes
The transition page will likely need to be reviewed and updated (Esena Jackson)
In May, the Campus Life Tour is the first step in the transition process. In September the Advising Tour is the first step. Esena will likely have updates to them.
Late additions to the transtition process are managed using the Add Students feature in the Advising Tour SiteManager module, located at https://my.hamilton.edu/sitemanager/myapps.cfm. During the Campus Life Tour Cindy Reynolds manages additions and during the Advising Tour Anne Riffle manages them.
My Hamilton
My Hamilton
My Hamilton is your personalized view of information at Hamilton, as well as a starting point for accessing information and entertainment from all over the Web. My Hamilton gives you customizable control over the Web resources and information that are available to you, such as your Hamilton E-mail, calendar, ESS/SSS space, Hill Card and Blackboard accounts.
My Hamilton uses tabs to group certain resources. Each resource is called a channel. There is an [EDIT] button on each channel which enables you to manage display settings and content for the channel.
Home
The main section in which you can add channels for direct access to your E-mail, WebAdvisor, Blackboard, Facebook, Personal Calendar etc.
Communities
These provide access to Listservs to which you are subscribed, campus messages and events and messages from the Hamilton community (e.g marketplace, lost and found, ride board).
Tools
Access to the following:
Resource
Applies To
Academic Resources
Employees
Budget Center
Employees
Campus Safety - statistics
Students,Employees
Card Services - for making deposits and activating/deactivating the Hill Card
Students, Employees
College Business - for paying bills online
Students
Course Tools - for accessing your WebAdvisor account
Students
Financial Aid - for accessing your award letter
Students, Employees
Human Resources
Employees
Library - for accessing the Alex Library Catalog, Reserves, E-Journals, and Databases
Students,
Employees
Mail Center - for retrieving your mail number and combinations
Students
Personal Information - view and edit your contact information
Students
Physical Plant
Students
Student Organizations
Students
Transportation
Students
News
Access to the most recent college news new feeds from ABC News, BBC, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post etc.. You can also add your own news feeds.
Links
Add your own collection of links to your My Hamilton page. To begin adding your own collection of links, click the "Add Link Group" button.
Files
Access your personal space through My Hamilton
ESS
SSS
Courses
Access Blackboard through My Hamilton.
Setup
Layout Options - change the number of columns on your home page. You can also reset your tabs, channels, and settings back to the original layout by clicking the RESET CHANNELS. Your data (contacts, links, news, etc.) will not be lost, but your display preferences will be removed.
My Profile - update your Hamilton College Profile and your Hamilton Community profile.
Passwords and Security - Sync passwords - Your network password will be the same as your My Hamilton/E-mail password.
Themes - change the color scheme on your My Hamilton page.
SSS File Manager on the WWW
My Hamilton
Provided you have access to the World Wide Web, it is possible to work with files you have stored in your SSS HOME directory from anywhere in the world. Your HOME directory is the folder on SSS that bears your e-mail name. For example, it might be alincoln if you were Abe Lincoln. You will not have access to department or special shared folders through this interface.
Accessing Your Files and Folders on SSS via the Web
Open your Internet browser (Internet Explorer for Windows, Netscape for Macintosh, etc.) and navigate to the My Hamilton page: http://my.hamilton.edu/.
Login in using your e-mail address (e.g. alincoln) and your e-mail password. It is important to note that you do NOT use your SSS password. The web interface will authenticate you via your e-mail login and will not require you to enter your SSS password.
Click on the Submit button.
Click on the Files tab. You will see a list of the folders and files you have previously created in your SSS folder.
To open a folder, simply click on the folder name. In this example, I clicked on the folder called Documents. You can see this by looking at the top of the screen following the word Folder:
To return to the level above the folder you are in, you can either click on the Back button in your browser or click on Parent Directory in the list of files and folders.
Reading and Modifying SSS Files
You will have to save files to your computer in order to read or work on them. To do so, simply click on the file you wish to access. If you are prompted to choose what to do with the file (open or save), Save it to a convenient location on your computer (e.g. the desktop.) After saving the file, go to the location you chose (e.g. the desktop) and open it there. It is not recommended that you choose Open since the file will be saved in a temporary folder and won’t be easy to find.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After making modifications to your file you must upload it back to your SSS folder. Clicking on “save” within the application (e.g. Word) will NOT save the modifications on SSS.
Saving Modified Files Back to your SSS folder
NOTE: If you download a file (MS Word document, PowerPoint presentation, etc.) to your computer and modify it, you must upload that file back to SSS to overwrite the unmodified file.
To upload a file from your computer to your SSS folder, click the Upload File link.
If you are uploading a modified version of a file to replace the unmodified version of that file on SSS, place a check mark in the box next to Check to overwrite existing file names. If you aren’t replacing a file, leave this unchecked. Click on the Browse button.
Browse to the file that you wish to upload. Highlight the file and click Open.
Click Submit. The little box will close, the page will refresh, and the file will show up in your SSS folder.
Deleting Files and Folders
To delete a file or folder, click on Delete next to that file or folder (NOTE: folders must be empty in order to be deleted. If you want to delete a folder with files in it, you must first delete all of the files in that folder and then you can delete the folder. Unless you have no other choice, it is best to save this task for when you return to campus.)
A box will pop up asking, “Are you sure you want to delete this file?” Click OK.
If the file deletes successfully, the page will refresh and the file will now be deleted. If you attempted to delete a folder that was not empty, you’ll see an error message like the one below. Click Close in order to close the message. You should either delete all of the files within that folder and then delete the folder or wait until you are back on campus to delete the folder.
Renaming Files and Folders on SSS
To rename a file or folder on SSS, click Rename next to the file or folder
In the space provided, enter the name you want to give the file or folder and click Submit.
The page will refresh with the new file name showing up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WHENEVER you are finished using My Hamilton or leave your computer, be sure to Log out!
Network and Telephone Services Home Page
Network
Network and Telecommunications Services
Team Mission
Network and Telecommunications Services will ensure a reliable, secure, efficient network and telecommunications environment for the campus community.
Network and Telephone Services Internet-Information
Network
Internet Connection Information
Hamilton College has a 300 Mbps primary Internet connection and a 10 Mbps secondary internet connection (used only for redundancy) over high speed fiber optic lines provided by Time Warner. The Internet at Hamilton is a shared resource.
Telephone Services Main Page
Network
Telephone Services
Employee Telephone InformationEmployee Phones Employee Voice Mail
Student Telephone Information
Network Information Hotline: 315-859-4050
Phone Services: 315-859-4160Fax: 315-859-4185
You can email the Telephone Services Team at: telephone@hamilton.edu
Return to Network & Telecommunications Home Page
Remove old versions of Java
Oracle Java
If you are attempting to disable Java through the Java Control Panel you will not see the check box you need if you still have older versions of Java installed. These instructions will help you remove them. Once they are removed, the check box will appear in the Java Control Panel.
Java programs go by many names. If you see something with Java in the name and the publisher is Oracle (or Sun Microsystems) this is what you need to remove. Anything called JavaScript is OK and should be left alone. As of January 2013, the current version of Java is 7 update 11. All other versions should be considered old and available for removal. To determine if you have the latest version of Java installed, please visit http://www.java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp.
Remove older versions of Java in the same way as you would remove other software from your Windows computer.
Windows 7 and Vista - Uninstall Programs
Click Start
Select Control Panel
Select Programs
Click Programs and Features
Select the program you want to uninstall by clicking on it, and then click the Uninstall button.
Click Yes to remove the application. You may need administrator privileges to remove programs.
If a window labeled User Account Control pops up, procede by clicking Yes.
Repeat steps 5 - 7 for each old version of Java on your computer.
Cloe the Control Panel when you are finished
Windows XP - Uninstall Programs
Click Start
Select Control Panel
Click Add/Remove Programs
The Add/Remove Control Panel displays a list of software on your system, including any Java software products that are on your computer. Select the one you want to uninstall by clicking on it. Then click the Remove button.
Repeat step 4 for each old version of Java on your computer.
Cloe the Control Panel when you are finished
Web Support
Personal Web Space
Before you fill out any of the support forms below, you may be able to find the answer to your question on our Web Publishing at Hamilton page.
If you need help, or if you have any questions, about Web development at Hamilton College, please select one of the support areas below...
The following forms are for assistance with Web Space, Web Accounts, and Web Development ONLY. If you need help with network passwords, Blackboard CourseInfo, hardware, or other issues please contact the Help Desk at x4181, helpdesk@hamilton.edu, or ITS Support.
Technical Support and Problems / Bugs / Updates
Examples: Broken links, a bug/error in a Web application, change to content or form fields, unable to connect to a specific Web site at Hamilton.
Technical/Bug Problem Report
General Contact Form to submit your issue.)--->
Sign Up for Student Web Space
Student Web space is now available through SiteManager, the College's content management system. Please fill out an account request form to get started.
Sign up / Manage Student Web SpaceCurrently Unavailable
Contact Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu or call 315-859-4932.
--->
Account and Password Issues
Examples: Give someone access to one of your Web folders, request organization Web space, and other user account-related issues.
Account/Password Request
Projects and New Features
Examples: Request to develop and new Web application or site, request to add a new feature to an existing Web application.
New Project Request Form
Feature Request Form (for an existing application/site)
General Questions
Examples: Comments, Suggestions, anything not covered above.
E-mail Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu
Policies - Access to Information Technology Resources
Policy
Policies
Access to Information Technology Resources
Eligibility
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College.
Electronic resources include:
Group I (electronic mail, listservs, personal calendar, portal, Blackboard course management system, network storage, campus ID card)
Group II (Web Advisor)
Group III (Login access to Datatel)
Access to electronic resources for employees, students, spouses/partners, and alumni is enabled through username and password provided to individuals according to the following guidelines.
Non-Faculty Employees are given access to Group I resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request from the Department Head.
Non-Faculty employee access to all resources is removed at the end of business on the last date of employment. As soon as an employee gives notice, he/she should enable a "vacation" (auto-responder) message to indicate his/her last date of employment and to provide correspondents with an alternate address to which they should address future College business. Employees should also remove any personal e-mail or files from their accounts during this period.
Faculty are given access to Group I resources and Group II resources upon notification of hire. Access to Group III resources is by request by the Dean of Faculty.
Faculty access to all resources is removed at the end of business three months after the last date of employment. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Dean of Faculty. Upon request to the Dean of Faculty an emeritus faculty member can retain his/her Hamilton e-mail address for as long as desired.
Students are given access to Group I and Group II resources upon making an acceptance deposit to the College. Students who work in administrative offices may be granted limited access to Group III resources.
Student access to all resources is removed three months after withdrawal or graduation. A request for a brief extension of e-mail privileges may be made to the Director, Help Desk and Training Services in ITS.
Graduates are automatically eligible for access to the Hamilton alumni directory. As part of the directory, alumni have access to an e-mail forwarding service. Each alumnus can create a username@alumni.hamilton.edu which will automatically forward e-mail to an e-mail account they have with an Internet Service Provider (e.g. AOL).
Information Technology Resources (computer hardware, software, telephone systems, cable television, networks, services, data, and other information) are made available at Hamilton to support and facilitate the teaching, research and administrative functions of the College. Access to these resources is provided to employees of the College (faculty, administration, staff, maintenance and operations) and enrolled students consistent with their responsibilities. E-mail accounts are continued for Hamilton alumni for three months after graduation, and may be extended by special request to the e-mail administrator.
Other individuals, upon submission of a request, may be granted access to some, or all, of Hamilton's IT resources by the Vice President for Information Technology. Generally, such individuals will have some association with the College. The terms of access will be stated at the time access is granted.
Under no circumstance may anyone use College IT resources for profit-making activities, in ways that are illegal (e.g. copyright violations), that threaten the College's tax-exempt or other status, or interfere with reasonable use by other members of the College community.
Convention For User Names
The standard Hamilton naming convention for access to electronic systems comprises the first initial of the first name, followed by (up to seven characters of) the last name. If duplicates occur, the middle initial is generally used to resolve ambiguity.
Access in Residence Halls
Residence hall connections are intended to provide students with access to telephone and cable television services, and the campus data network. One telephone, cable television, and data network connection is provided for each student. Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Students must provide their own telephones, televisions, computers, software, and Ethernet cards that meet minimum Hamilton standards. Information on current minimum standards and recommended configurations is available online. Network standards are updated annually. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a residence hall room will be divided equally, and billed to the students residing in that room.
Management of Internet Bandwidth
The campus network, including our connection to the Internet, is a critical shared resource for supporting the academic program. Uses of our Internet connection that are central to the academic/administrative mission of the college (e.g. access to Hamilton web, e-mail, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers) will receive higher priority during times when classes are in session, offices are open, and in the evenings when preparation takes place (i.e. critical times).
Low priority uses, including recreational uses, are peripheral to our mission and will receive lower priority during critical times.
Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. each day (critical times): With the exception of web traffic a fixed percentage of bandwidth is allocated between the residence halls and the Internet. Access to the Hamilton e-mail, web, and Blackboard Courseinfo servers from off-campus is the highest priority. Incoming or outgoing web traffic between the Internet and the campus network is the next highest priority. Peer-to-Peer Internet applications (applications for distributing videos, music, software, etc.) receive the lowest priority.
Between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. (non-critical times): There will be no restrictions on bandwidth. The quality and volume of our Internet traffic is regularly monitored to assure that critical applications are available to members of the community.
Hamilton does not monitor the content of traffic on the network. It is the responsibility of each person using college resources, including the network, to do so in an ethical and legal manner. Particular attention should be given to observing copyright laws for digital materials.
Personal Computers on the Network
Internet addresses are provided dynamically through a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) system. In order to obtain a static Internet (TCP/IP) computer address the owner of the system must register the computer with ITS network services.
The rules and regulations contained in this policy pertaining to electronic mail and Internet access are equally applicable to the use of personal machines for file sharing or as servers. If bandwidth or other problems occur, ITS reserves the right to discontinue access to the machine. Computers connected to the network may not be used as servers for private enterprises, commercial activity, or personal profit. Computers connected to the network may not be used to provide access to the Internet for anyone not formally affiliated with the College. If personal computers on the Hamilton network are used as servers, the administrator has the additional responsibility to respond to any use of the server that is in violation of these policies and procedures. Server administrators must take steps to prevent recurrence of such violations and report these violations to the Hamilton Network Administrator (hostmaster@hamilton.edu).
ITS reserves the rights to disconnect any network port whose activity causes an adverse effect on the network or on any other user. Network connections may also be revoked in the case of malicious or inappropriate computing activity on the network. See Noncompliance and Sanctions for examples of these activities.
ITS reserves the right to restrict access to the network during expansion, or for diagnostic and maintenance services. Every effort will be made to provide advance notification and to schedule such disruptions during times of minimum impact and traffic.
Virus Protection
Hamilton College requires all computers connected to the network to have up-to-date virus protection. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Sophos anti-virus software is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Sophos Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
In addition, all attachments to e-mail sent to the Hamilton mail server are scanned for viruses. If an attachment is found to be infected it is deleted and a text file is attached to the e-mail message (called substitute.txt) informing the receiver that the attachment was infected with a virus. The receiver can then contact the sender to have the message retransmitted after the attachment has been cleaned of the virus.
Windows Updates
All computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system and connected to the Hamilton College network must be kept up-to-date with critical service updates from Microsoft. Failure to do so will result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until the situation is corrected. Individuals wanting to request an exception to the Windows update policy must do so in writing to the Vice President for Information Technology.
Network Connections in Departments
All offices, laboratories, and classrooms on campus are wired for access to the network. If departments request additional network jacks, or if network connections need to be moved to different locations, the department should request this service through ITS. The department will be billed for charges resulting from moves, additions, and changes.
Network connections, wiring, equipment, or jacks may not be altered or extended beyond the location of their intended use. Any costs incurred to repair damages to a network, telephone, or cable television jack in a department will be billed to that department.
Dial-Up Connections
For all campus users the primary access to Hamilton computing services is through the campus network. Dial-in access via modem is not provided.
Policies - College Computer Equipment
Policy
Replacement of College Computer Equipment
Most college computer equipment is replaced every four to five years (see exceptions below). The Goals of the replacement plan are to:
assure that appropriate computing resources are available in public and departmental computing facilities, classrooms, and college offices to support the mission of the institution;
assure that each faculty and staff member who uses computing resources in his or her position has a computer of sufficient capability to fulfill his/her responsibilities;
implement minimum standards for computing equipment on campus; • encourage planning, cost-effective installation of new equipment and disposal of old equipment.
Computer equipment is generally replaced during the late spring and summer months (May 1 - August 15). Replacement schedules are distributed annually to departments in early November for review and consultation with ITS staff. Hardware configurations for new equipment are prepared in March and individuals with equipment scheduled for replacement are notified of those details.
Generally, individuals will have one college computer provided for them on the replacement plan. By the nature of their responsibilities, some individuals may need to have more than one computer to accomplish their responsibilities - for example, if they must use both Macintosh and Windows platforms in their work. In these cases, department heads/supervisors may request from the appropriate officer of the college (e.g., for faculty, the Dean of the Faculty) that an exception be made.
Computers are essential tools for faculty, even when they are on sabbatical leave. For this reason the college permits faculty on leave to continue to use their computer during that period. Computers will be provided to faculty replacements from a pool of computers designated for this purpose.
Computers are not to be purchased from departmental operating budgets. Only special funds designated for computer replacement or equipment purchases may be used for this purpose. The officers of the college approve such funds. Certain departments or individuals obtain grants or have special budget allocations for computing equipment. Computers purchased with these grants or budget allocations will not be on the replacement plan unless approval is obtained from the officers at the time the grant is received or the budget is allocated.
Loaner Equipment
Hamilton College employees can borrow laptop computers for up to seven consecutive days for uses related to college business. Both Macintosh and Windows laptops are available. These computers are enabled for wireless and high-speed internet access. Reservations are required, and should be made at least two business days in advance. For more information, or to make a reservation, call 4LLP (4557), or e-mail: laptop@hamilton.edu
Departmental Equipment
All college computers are maintained in a central inventory. At the time a computer enters the inventory the replacement cycle, if any, is designated. Computers that are an integral part of a piece of scientific equipment, or are used primarily for research purposes, are not generally part of the replacement plan. Replacement of such equipment is by a special request to the Dean of the Faculty. Old equipment is sold for residual values through Hamilton's official salvage process and must be returned to ITS.
Grant-Funded Equipment
Individuals pursuing grants for computing equipment should discuss their plans with the Director, Desktop Integration Services as part of the budgeting process. Computing equipment that is acquired under grants will enter the inventory and be upgraded on a regular replacement cycle only if approved at the time of the application for the grant.
Faculty members teaching in various special curricular programs are, under certain conditions, awarded research, or startup, funds. Some faculty members also have research funds available to them when they hold endowed chair positions. These funds may be used to buy additional computers and printers for office or home use, but the equipment will belong to the college. Such equipment should be ordered through the College purchasing process and will not normally be upgraded or replaced by the college, except through further use of research funds. If this equipment is to be on the computer replacement plan the faculty member must obtain a commitment, in writing, from the Dean and the Vice-President for Administration and Finance indicating this. Otherwise, the equipment will not be on a replacement cycle.
Printers and Other Peripheral Equipment
The college provides networked printing locations for workgroup clusters in every department. Individual desktop printers are not normally provided. Other peripheral pieces of equipment such as scanners are also generally provided in clustered locations instead of individual offices. Since these pieces of equipment are usually used intermittently, clustering allows sharing of specialized technical resources.
Responsibility for Equipment
Each employee is responsible for taking reasonable safety precautions in regard to Hamilton-owned computer equipment. Employees will be held responsible for damage to such equipment arising out of their negligence or intentional misconduct.
Upgrades and Renewal
For computer equipment on the replacement plan, ITS staff members consult with users prior to ordering and installing new equipment to determine the current and anticipated equipment needs. Computers that are replaced are returned to ITS. ITS then reassigns the computers or sells them through the campus salvage process. Hamilton will not upgrade non-Hamilton computers.
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Policies - Electronic Mail (E-mail) & Listserv (Mass E-mail lists)
Policy
Department or Group Accounts
By special permission, college departments and student groups will be granted a single account to facilitate connections between the department or group and interested parties. The department or group must identify one person to be responsible for the account and to act as the contact person. In addition, student organizations must be registered with the Office of Student Activities before an account will be granted.
Appropriate Use of E-mail
Hamilton strongly recommends that e-mail not be used for confidential communication. E-mail is now considered a formal written record that carries the same legal weight as a formal memorandum. Users of e-mail should remember that e-mail messages become the possession of the receiver and can be easily duplicated and redistributed by recipients. Messages that have been deleted can unintentionally be retained on system backup files. In addition, even secure passwords are not completely confidential. When a private message needs to be conveyed between two individuals, a conversation is the best way to accomplish it, and messages that should not be preserved should be deleted immediately.
College policy prohibits certain types of e-mail. These include mail that may be perceived as harassment, political campaigning, chain mail or commercial solicitation. Violators will be subject to loss of computer access privileges, as well as additional disciplinary action as determined by the Hamilton judiciary procedures. Certain types of e-mail, including but not limited to harassing e-mail, may also subject the sender to civil or criminal penalties. In spite of College policy, e-mail can be abused by malicious users who know the owner's computing ID and password. Users are responsible for protecting their own passwords.
ListServ Lists
ListServ is a commercial software product installed on our E-mail system. It is designed to provide an easy way to create and maintain large E-mail mailing lists. These lists can be used for the one-way distribution of information, for E-mail based discussion, questions and answers, etc. Lists are created and "owned" by an E-mail user who manages the list?s behavior.
Any faculty, staff, or student member of the Hamilton College community is entitled to become a ListServ list owner. Campus-based organizations and departments are also entitled to own lists, but an individual within the group must be designated as the list owner. Students must be in good standing with the Dean of Students office and student organizations must be registered with the Office of Student Activities.
All lists must be approved by the ITS ListServ administrator prior to creation, but the following general guidelines apply:
The purpose of the list must pertain to Hamilton College business.
Lists are not open to off-campus subscribers unless special permission is obtained. However, Hamilton College students or employees who use off-campus E-mail addresses are allowed to own and belong to lists.
It is the list owner's responsibility to learn the commands necessary to manage the list's subscribers.
Under no circumstances can a list be used to participate in or promote activities that are illegal, violate the Hamilton College code of conduct, or the Hamilton College Honor code.
To apply for list ownership and select a list type, please read Becoming a ListServ List Owner from which you can create your list.
Return to Main Listserv Page
ListServ Mass Mailing Lists
Effective July 1, 2010
As a service to the Hamilton College community, several e-mail based mass mailing lists have been created. These are designed to facilitate the timely and cost-effective distribution of information to the campus community. E-mail now reaches almost all faculty, administration and staff (members of M & O generally don't use computers in connection with their responsibilities) and students. Participation in the mass mailing lists is voluntary.
In order that these lists remain a reliable means of communication, it is important that members of the Hamilton community abide by a few guidelines. These guidelines are not designed to limit free speech but are intended to keep your mail volume at a reasonable level.
Most importantly, anonymous mailings are prohibited. The sender's real name must be identified (in full) within the body of the message - not just at the top in the "from" line.
There are two sets of mass mailing lists, one for announcement of events and the other for general campus notices. The guidelines for use of these lists are explained below.
Events
By an "event" we mean an activity (meeting, performance,, lecture, etc.) that takes place on- or off-campus at a specific date and time and is sponsored, or co-sponsored by either an academic or administrative department/program or a student organization recognized by Student Activities. Sponsorship means that the chair of a College department, program or organization indicates that the organization supports the event and that members of the College are actively involved in organizing the event (e.g., as speakers). If someone other than the organizer(s) makes the event announcement, they share in the responsibility for adhering to the guidelines.
Posting to the lists will be limited to all employees and two* student representatives, or the e-mail account assigned to each student organization recognized by Student Activities.
Violations by the student representatives will accrue to the organization they represent regardless of whether the violator acted alone.
An event will be limited to two posts to the mass mailing lists. Corrections count as one of the two messages.
If an event is cancelled or postponed, two additional notices are allowed.
Each message must have a subject line that is descriptive of the event
The first 4 lines of the message must contain:
Date and time of the event
Sponsor of the event
Name of the event
Location of the event
The remainder of the message should be a short description of the event. [Note that if you include graphics you may exceed the limit of 25 MB for the message. Such messages will be rejected.]
Clarification: Posting a message to an inappropriate list is a violation (e.g., posting a message intended for students to the events-all list)
The mass e-mail lists for posting events are:
a. Events-students@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to students)
b. Events-20xx@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to students in a particular class year, where xx is the last two digits of the class year)
c. Events-faculty@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the faculty)
d. Events-staff@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the staff)
e. Events-admin@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the administration)
f. Events-maintop@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of Maintenance and Operations)
g. Events-employees@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to employees)
h. Events-all@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to both students and employees)
The notices mass e-mail lists will be used only for the following general categories. A non-comprehensive bulleted list of examples is provided for each category.
Announcement of Hamilton deadlines, policies and procedures
These announcements must come from individuals representing the administrative or academic departments responsible for the deadline, policy or procedure being addressed (e.g. drop-add, parking permits, library books due)
Reports from Hamilton organizations or departments
These reports must come from individuals representing the academic or administrative offices, or student organizations recognized by Student Activities who generated the reports (e.g., Minutes of Student Assembly, Agendas, reports from faculty meetings, Honor Court decisions, results of campus-wide initiatives or community events such as United Way, Heart Walk & Run, announcement of appointments).
Notification of the availability of, or changes in, Hamilton College services or facilities
These notices must come from individuals representing the academic or administrative departments, or student organizations recognized by Student Activities who are responsible for the services or facilities being addressed (e.g., dining and fitness center schedules, availability of Hamilton housing, IT and library services, department newsletters, availability of Hamilton-sponsored publications, Campus Safety announcements, sales in the College Store, Physical Plant notices, fund raising activities for Hamilton organizations, fund raising activities approved by Office of the President (for employees) or by the Student Activities Office (for students)).
Surveys
Student-initiated surveys must be related to the academic program and endorsed by a faculty mentor. The request for such surveys must be submitted by the faculty mentor. These surveys must be sent to exception@hamilton.edu for prior approval.
Student organizations recognized by Student Activities can submit surveys directly to the student lists. These must be surveys that will only be given to students.
Surveys related to college business or faculty research may be submitted directly to the lists.
Notices from members of the senior staff directly related to their areas of responsibility
The mass e-mail lists for posting notices are:
a. Notices-students@listserv.hamilton.edu(sent only to students)
b. Notices-20xx@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to students in a particular class year, where xx is the last two digits of the class year)
c. Notices-faculty@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the faculty)
d. Notices-staff@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the staff)
e. Notices-admin@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of the administration)
f. Notices-maintop@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to members of Maintenance and Operations)
g. Notices-employees@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent only to employees)
h. Notices-all@listserv.hamilton.edu (sent to both students and employees)
Please consider your audience carefully (e.g., do not send a mailing to "all" if you only need to reach students).Examples of inappropriate uses include, but are not limited to:
Personal opinion, public debate, or campaigning
Announcements should not attempt to sell the reader on a point of view. The information provided should be as factual as possible and sufficient enough to explain the purpose of the announcement. If additional background information is necessary, a web link may be included.
A message that contains no actual announcement (e.g. does not meet the criteria listed above for an event or a non-event) is a violation.
Give-aways (personal property such as furniture, tickets, equipment, books, etc.)
Surveys other than those specified above
Chain mail
Lost and found (except when it is Hamilton College property, or involves animals) there is a Lost and Found channel in My Hamilton.
Requests for rides (there is a Rides channel in My Hamilton)
Items for sale - or items desired (including houses, tickets, books, services, etc.) There is a marketplace channel in My Hamilton that can be used for this purpose.
Exceptions to the Guidelines:
Messages that Fall Outside the Guidelines, or from senders not approved for Mass Mail:
Any individual wanting to post a message to the mass e-mail lists that falls outside of the guidelines, can request that the message be posted by sending a request for an exception to: exception@hamilton.edu. The request will be directed to the appropriate member of the senior staff for approval. Approval or denial will be communicated to the person making the request. Requests for exceptions should be sent at least two business days in advance of the time the posting is to take place.
Penalties for Violations:
A first time violation will result in the removal of posting (sending) privileges to the mass lists for a period of one month (not including breaks). A second violation will result in the removal of both posting and receiving messages to/from the mass lists for a period of one month (not including breaks). A third violation will result in the loss of posting and receiving privileges for the equivalent of a full semester. A fourth violation will result in the individual being referred to the appropriate judicial body dealing with employees or students. Violations are cumulative for as long as you are at Hamilton (or four years for employees). Loss of privileges applies to all the mass lists.
Violators may appeal their penalty by submitting their reasons in writing to the chair of the Committee on Information Technology. The Committee will review the appeal and return a decision within 5 business days. During the appeal process the penalty will be suspended.
[Return to Main Listserv Page]
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen
Vice President for Information Technology, Hamilton College
315-859-4169
Policies - Hardware and Software
Policy
Supported Products
The Committee on Information Technology maintains a list of supported hardware and software. Suggestions for additions and deletions from the list should be submitted to the Chair of the Committee. The Committee will review this list periodically. This list includes the types and brands of hardware and software that are in use at the college and indicates the level of support that ITS can provide. Two levels of service are provided for supported information technology resources, full and limited.
Full Support
Products designated for full support are those with widespread use on the campus. Examples include generic products (word processors, spreadsheets, Web browsers, etc.). ITS will provide help for the integration of these products with other supported campus technology resources, including services such as installation, training, maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades. HelpDesk, hardware repair, and training services for these products will be available through ITS. ITS will maintain sufficient expertise on staff, or through contractual arrangements, to deliver a high level of service for these products. In addition, for these products, ITS will negotiate favorable pricing and maintain a central budget for software upgrades.
Limited Support
Products designated for limited support are generally used by one or two departments. Examples include computer-assisted instruction programs and simulations. ITS does not have access to these products on a regular basis. Departments acquiring such products should plan to develop their own expertise and be prepared to resolve problems through the vendors' support services. ITS will provide help installing these products. It is unlikely that Helpdesk, repair, or training services will be available for these products. Items in the limited category can move to the full category if they achieve more widespread use and sufficient resources exist within ITS to provide the range of services described above.
Licensing of Software
The use of all software in the College is protected by copyright laws and must be used in accordance with software licenses. It is against College policy to copy or reproduce any licensed software. Unlicensed software may not be installed on any computers owned by Hamilton. The unauthorized use or copying of software is a serious violation of policy and subject to disciplinary action. Such unauthorized use or copying may also subject the offending individual to law suits by third parties.
Software on Personally Owned Equipment
Hamilton's educational licensing agreements for software specifically limit installation to machines owned by the college. Therefore, software purchased by Hamilton under these agreements may not be installed on personally owned equipment. Our current license agreement with Microsoft does allow the installation of one copy of Microsoft Office on the home machine of an employee who has Office on the work machine. For information on these programs, Hamilton's current licensing agreements, and exceptions, contact the Director, ITS, Desktop Integration Services.
Policies - Indemnification of Hamilton College
Policy
Users agree, in consideration of access to the College's computing, networking and media services, to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the College for any suits, claims, losses, expenses or damages, including, but not limited to, the user's access to or use of the College's computing, networking, and media services and facilities.
Noncompliance and Sanctions
Information Technology Services may suspend or terminate all computing privileges of any individuals without notice who engage in improper computing activities. Serious cases, as determined by the Vice President for Information Technology, Hamilton College, will be referred to the appropriate officer of the college for disciplinary action. Such disciplinary action may include the suspension, expulsion, or termination of the offending individual, as appropriate and as determined at the sole discretion of Hamilton College. Where violation of state and federal law is involved, cases will be referred to the proper legal authorities for action. The following serves to provide examples of violations of computing or computing facility policies at Hamilton College. The list of violations includes, but is not limited to:
Malicious misuse. Examples - using IDs or passwords assigned to others, disrupting the network, destroying information, removing software from public computers, spreading viruses, sending e-mail that threatens or harasses other people (a Class A misdemeanor under New York State law), invading the privacy of others, and subscribing others to mailing lists or providing the e-mail addresses of others to bulk mailers without their approval.
Unacceptable use of software and hardware. Examples - knowingly or carelessly running or installing unlicensed software on any computer system or network; giving another user a program intended to damage the system; running or installing any program that places an excessive load on a computer system or network, or compromises the security of the systems or network; violating terms of applicable software licensing agreements, including copying or reproducing any licensed software; or violating copyright laws and their fair use provisions through inappropriate reproduction or dissemination of copyrighted text, images, or other materials; using imaging equipment to duplicate, alter and subsequently reproduce official documents.
Inappropriate access. Examples - unauthorized use of a computer account; providing misleading information in order to obtain access to computing facilities; using the campus network to gain unauthorized access to any computer system; connecting unauthorized equipment to the campus network; unauthorized attempts to circumvent data protection schemes to uncover security loopholes (including creating and/or running programs that are designed to identify security loopholes and/or decrypt intentionally secure data); knowingly or carelessly performing an act that will interfere with the normal operation of computers, terminals, peripherals, or networks; deliberately wasting or overloading computing resources, such as printing too many copies of a document; or other activities.
Inappropriate use of electronic mail and Internet access. E-mail communications are subject to statements of conduct as published in the Student, Faculty, Administrator, Staff, and Maintenance and Operations Handbooks, as well as all applicable federal and state laws. In addition, other activities that threaten the integrity of the system or harm individual users are not allowed. These include, but are not limited to initiating or propagating electronic chain letters; inappropriate mass mailing including multiple mailings to newsgroups, mailing lists, or individuals, forging the identity of a user or machine in an electronic communication or sending anonymous e-mail; using another person's e-mail account or identity to send e-mail messages; attempting to monitor or tamper with another user's electronic communications; reading, copying, changing, or deleting another user's files or software without the explicit agreement of the owner; or using e-mail or personal web page advertising to solicit or proselytize others for commercial ventures, religious or political causes, or for personal gain.
Policies - Repair of Computer Equipment
Policy
Policies
Repair of Computer Equipment
Hamilton Computer Equipment
All college computer equipment is maintained on a service contract with an outside vendor. Currently that vendor is VITEC Solutions (formerly IKON Technology Services). If a hardware problem is suspected the user should call the Helpdesk (859-4181) during normal business hours for assistance. If hardware service is indicated arrangements will be made with the VITEC technician. VITEC only repairs equipment located in college offices. Repairs will not be done in residence halls or private residences.
Personally Owned Equipment
VITEC Solutions also provides repair for personally owned computers. Computers are repaired at a discounted commercial rate established by the vendor as part of its contract with Hamilton. There is a minimum charge for examining the equipment if repair is not needed. Equipment must be delivered to the VITEC office in the basement of the Burke Library during regular business hours. The VITEC technician will be available each day between 4 and 5 p.m. to receive equipment, or by special arrangement by calling x4171 or by e-mail (vitec@hamilton.edu). Payment for the repairs must be made by check, credit card, or money order when the equipment is picked up. Charges for repair cannot be applied to your Hamilton College account.
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Policies - Software Standards
Policy
Policies
Software Standards
Rationale:
In Hamilton's modern networked environment, the ability to easily share information is important. Ideally, the ease of sharing should not depend upon which hardware environment is being used on the desktop (Wintel or Macintosh). Central to making sharing facile is the software environment, particularly software used for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, network browsing, and electronic mail.
The following are advantages of campus-wide software standards:
Improved Data Sharing
Consistency of file formats provides for optimal file sharing capabilities between individuals, departments, and groups across campus.
Identical resources on each desktop (private offices and public labs) provide ease of transferability and a consistent tool-set for all users. From any room, office or public lab, needed resources will be available.
Sharing of data between applications (word processors, spreadsheets, data bases) is seamless.
Simplified Budgeting and Purchasing
Software standards would permit centralized budgeting and purchasing. This would relieve an individual or department from the time consuming tasks of choosing a product, tracking down the best pricing and product availability, and generating the proper paperwork to place an order for the product.
Significant savings can be achieved through site licenses or quantity discounts.
Improved Support
ITS support personnel can focus on depth of application knowledge rather than breadth of numerous applications.
Product expertise means questions can be answered more quickly and efficiently.
Support efforts can be focused on proactively supporting the end-user and documenting known problems.
Support could come from any member of the Hamilton College community, since most will be using the same application.
Support subscriptions to Knowledge Data Bases provided by third party vendors could be made available online to all users via the campus network.
Support licenses from the vendor could be made available to users.
Improved Training
Training teams can focus on developing curricula for levels of user proficiency (introductory, intermediate, advanced).
Training specialists from outside campus can be used more effectively and economically.
Smoother Software Installation and Upgrades
Software installations for new machines could become invisible to the end-users by making it part of the hardware installation.
Installations can become routine, rather than a specialized process for each individual, resulting in time savings.
Installations and upgrades could be made available to all users via the campus network, and automated for consistency.
Upgrades can be tested and documented prior to campus-wide deployment to reduce potential incompatibles and problems.
Simplified Software Licensing
Separate record keeping for software licenses would not be required by the individual; rather it could become part of the central inventory of hardware.
Software Standards:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Dreamweaver
Filemaker
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Thunderbird
Adobe Acrobat Creator/Reader
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Student Dialing and Voice Mail Instructions
Repair
Student Dialing Instructions
On Campus Calls:
Dial last 4 digit extension number
Local calls:
Dial 9 local number
Local Area Dialing Exchanges:
202,223,225,235,240,266,269,271,272,281,292,327,330,334,335,336,337,338,339,351,356,368,371,381
404,507,520,525,526,527,533,542,557,571,580,607,617,624,709,721,722,723,724,725,728,731,732,733
734,735,736,737,738,739,749,765,768,790,792,793,794,795,796,797,798,799,829,832,838,841,853,859
890,939,941,953
Regional and Long Distance Calls:
(You will need a pre-paid phone card or calling card)
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow prompts
International Calls:
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow prompts. Note: For international calls, you need to enter 011 country code city code (if needed) phone number
Toll Free Calls:
Dial 9 1 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888 phone number
Calling Cards, Credit Cards, and Collect Calls:
Dial 9 1 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888. Access phone number on your card and follow directions
Directory Assistance:
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow instructions
Student Voice Mail Instructions
You may request a personal voice mail box to receive and send messages on your resident room phone line. There is no charge for this service. Email telephone@hamilton.edu with your name, residence and room number.
If you change rooms during the school year, please notify the telephone system administrator at extension 4160 or email telephone@hamilton.edu to move your voice mailbox to your new phone number. For those planning on staying on campus for the summer and wish to retain their voice mailbox please email telephone@hamilton.edu.
To Set up Your Voice Mail Box:
From your own phone dial 4808
Enter temporary pass code: 1111
Follow prompts to record name and greeting
Facts You Should Know:
You keep the same voice mail box for the academic year
Your voice mail box moves with you from room to room
Maximum greeting length: 30 seconds
Maximum message length: 2 minutes
Maximum messages in voice mail box at one time: 20
Days new messages kept: 999 days
Days saved messages kept: 999 days
To Enter Your Voice Mailbox:
From Your Room
Dial 4808
Enter your pass code
From Another Phone on Campus
Dial 4809
Press the # key
Enter the last four digits of your phone number
Follow the prompts
From Off-Campus
Dial 315-859-4809
Press the # key
Enter the last four digits of your phone number
Follow the prompts
Using Your Voice Mail Box:
Retrieve Messages:
Press 1 to listen
Press 2 to pause
Press 3 3 to fast forward to the end
Press 9 to increase the volume
Press # to skip to the next message
Change Pass Code:
Press 4 personal options
Press 2 administrative options
Press 1 pass code
Press 5 personal pass code
Change Greeting:
Press 4 personal options
Press 3 greetings
Press 1 personal greeting
Student Phone Features & Tips, Troubleshooting
and Repair
Each dorm room is equipped with an analog line. You must provide your own phone. If you have requested a voice mailbox and have set it up a new message will be indicated by a stutter dial tone when you lift your handset.
Call Waiting:
Press switchhook / flash button (The switchhook is located where your handset or receiver rests when you hang up. The flash button is a separate button on some phones, used to cut off calls or break off the dial tone.)
Answer a new call
Press switchhook / flash button to return to original call
For Trouble Accessing Your Voice Mail Box:
Call your phone number from another phone to make sure you have set up your voice mailbox on the correct extension.
Make sure your phone is set to tone and not pulse (look for a small slide or switch on your phone or base)
For Trouble Dialing Off Campus:
If making regional or long distance calls, make sure your pre-paid phone card or calling card is active
Make sure your phone is set to tone and not pulse (look for a small slide or switch on your phone or base)
Stutter Dial Tone: indicates a voice mail message
For Static or Noise: Call 4160 or e-mail: telephone@hamilton.edu
For No Dial Tone:
Check all connections
Make sure you are plugged into the voice jack and not the network jack
Try another phone in the jack to make sure it is not your phone. Remember cordless phones need to be charged and have batteries that need replacing
Questions: telephone@hamilton.edu or 1-315-859-4160
Data Backup and Storage
SSS
Introduction
Imagine if all of the work that you spent hours completing suddenly disappeared and there were no way to bring it back from oblivion.
A nightmarish scenario to be sure! Unfortunately, many face it every semester: ITS often assists students and employees whose computers have malfunctioned while either working on or after finishing some assignment, typically when such a loss is most painful and difficult to recover from. Thankfully, with a very little effort, this scenario can be easily avoided.
Backing up your files serves many purposes. Beyond preventing a catastrophic loss of data, proper organization of one's data and easy options for retrieval will facilitate one's work at Hamilton and beyond, viz. graduate school, internships, and possibly future employment
Storage Solution Finder
External Hard Drive
Employee Network Storage 1
Academic Server 2
Google Drive
Flash Drive
Dropbox or Similar
Documents
✓
✓
✓
✓
Images
✓
✓
✓
✓
Music
✓
✓
✓
Video
✓
✓
Computer Backup
✓
✓
Easy Sharing
✓
✓
is a solution that should not be used for sensitive or confidential information, e.g. bank account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, health information.
1 This solution is only available to staff and faculty.
2 This solution is for academic purposes (e.g. Coursework) only. And only members of the Faculty and Staff can request folders be created on the Academic Server.
SSS File Manager on the WWW
SSS
Provided you have access to the World Wide Web, it is possible to work with files you have stored in your SSS HOME directory from anywhere in the world. Your HOME directory is the folder on SSS that bears your e-mail name. For example, it might be alincoln if you were Abe Lincoln. You will not have access to department or special shared folders through this interface.
Accessing Your Files and Folders on SSS via the Web
Open your Internet browser (Internet Explorer for Windows, Netscape for Macintosh, etc.) and navigate to the My Hamilton page: http://my.hamilton.edu/.
Login in using your e-mail address (e.g. alincoln) and your e-mail password. It is important to note that you do NOT use your SSS password. The web interface will authenticate you via your e-mail login and will not require you to enter your SSS password.
Click on the Submit button.
Click on the Files tab. You will see a list of the folders and files you have previously created in your SSS folder.
To open a folder, simply click on the folder name. In this example, I clicked on the folder called Documents. You can see this by looking at the top of the screen following the word Folder:
To return to the level above the folder you are in, you can either click on the Back button in your browser or click on Parent Directory in the list of files and folders.
Reading and Modifying SSS Files
You will have to save files to your computer in order to read or work on them. To do so, simply click on the file you wish to access. If you are prompted to choose what to do with the file (open or save), Save it to a convenient location on your computer (e.g. the desktop.) After saving the file, go to the location you chose (e.g. the desktop) and open it there. It is not recommended that you choose Open since the file will be saved in a temporary folder and won’t be easy to find.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After making modifications to your file you must upload it back to your SSS folder. Clicking on “save” within the application (e.g. Word) will NOT save the modifications on SSS.
Saving Modified Files Back to your SSS folder
NOTE: If you download a file (MS Word document, PowerPoint presentation, etc.) to your computer and modify it, you must upload that file back to SSS to overwrite the unmodified file.
To upload a file from your computer to your SSS folder, click the Upload File link.
If you are uploading a modified version of a file to replace the unmodified version of that file on SSS, place a check mark in the box next to Check to overwrite existing file names. If you aren’t replacing a file, leave this unchecked. Click on the Browse button.
Browse to the file that you wish to upload. Highlight the file and click Open.
Click Submit. The little box will close, the page will refresh, and the file will show up in your SSS folder.
Deleting Files and Folders
To delete a file or folder, click on Delete next to that file or folder (NOTE: folders must be empty in order to be deleted. If you want to delete a folder with files in it, you must first delete all of the files in that folder and then you can delete the folder. Unless you have no other choice, it is best to save this task for when you return to campus.)
A box will pop up asking, “Are you sure you want to delete this file?” Click OK.
If the file deletes successfully, the page will refresh and the file will now be deleted. If you attempted to delete a folder that was not empty, you’ll see an error message like the one below. Click Close in order to close the message. You should either delete all of the files within that folder and then delete the folder or wait until you are back on campus to delete the folder.
Renaming Files and Folders on SSS
To rename a file or folder on SSS, click Rename next to the file or folder
In the space provided, enter the name you want to give the file or folder and click Submit.
The page will refresh with the new file name showing up.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WHENEVER you are finished using My Hamilton or leave your computer, be sure to Log out!
Configuring Computer for Skype
Skype
Other Videoconferencing Documents
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Videoconferencing for Students
Videoconferencing for Employees
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Skype
Environment Optimization
Regardless which videoconferencing solution is chosen for the communication, it will be important to prepare the location where your call will take place so as to realize the most optimal, standard experience for all involved parties.
General Considerations
Regardless of the conversation type, if the communication is high-risk/high-value, at least one test should be performed with all participants before the actual conversation.
Remember that accidents can happen: pets can meander into the conversation and voice their opinions, cell phones have the potential of ringing, and items can fall and clatter. While all participants should attempt to prepare for these eventualities, it is best to just accept that they are a part of the conversation, a normative experience, and therefore look past them.
Remember that participants within the domain of the webcam and the microphone are involved in the videoconference: anything uttered or any act performed within range of either device will be transmitted to all participants. It behooves everyone to be aware (by dint of the Preview available on all computers/software) of what will be seen and heard before the videoconference begins. As the character Doctor Emmett Brown opined in the movie Back to the Future, "no wonder your president has to be an actor, [they] have to look good on television."
Lighting
Proper lighting is an essential ingredient for a successful, high-quality videoconference. "A webcam isn't the most flattering piece of technology," according to Stephen Winzenburg in an article for the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "[it can] make you appear gaunt, overweight, beady eyed, or narcoleptic. And often you look all those things at the same time." To ensure that all participants see each other in the best possible light, everyone should:
Ensure your environment is well-lit--turn on as many lights as possible;
Be mindful of such issues as camera angle, background, and any other light sources that might affect the conversation;
A room with a window might be a nice place to have a chat, but the sun streaming in can wreak havoc on the quality of the conversation;
If you must have a conversation in a room with a window, be sure to test your setup around the same time you anticipate having the conversation to ensure a uniform experience;
Test, test, test, test, test: almost all software and computers have the ability to provide participants with a preview and this preview is what other participants will actually see--make sure the contents of the preview are what you want the other participants to see.
If a high-quality conversation is desired, it may behoove participants to purchase a dedicated webcam. ITS has enjoyed success with devices like the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000.
Sound
Problems with sound are reliable sources of videoconferencing woes. In addition to the ambient noise issue covered in the "Location" section, there are other potential problems one should be aware of:
Echo/Feedback
A problem arises whenever a sound input is colocated with a sound output: If you put a microphone IN FRONT of a speaker, a positive feedback loop will be generated, i.e. loud, screechy, piercing sound that is painful. Be sure either to place the speaker far away from the microphone, wear headphones to ameliorate the problem, or invest in a microphone with integrate anti-feedback technology.
Most laptops, all-in-one desktops (e.g. the iMac), and smartphones have built-in webcameras, microphones, and speakers. While they are sometimes configured to interoperate without generated feedback, one cannot rely on them working perfectly, especially for high-value conversations. All participants are STRONGLY encouraged to wear headphones to eliminate echoing/feedback.
Configuration
The peripherals required to perform a videoconference interoperate well, but are susceptible to problems. If participants are unable to hear each other, see each other, or connect, there may be a problem with the configuration of the peripherals, the software for the chat (e.g. Skype, Google Talk), or the drivers that the computer uses to communicate with the devices. While easier with the built-in microphone, webcam, speaker setup, problems can plague those setups. ITS strongly recommends testing the full setup before any videoconference. If problems are identified before the actual conversation, chances are better that they can be troubleshooted and resolved without conflicting with the actual conversation.
Accessibility Issues
Hearing Aids/Lipreaders
All communications conducted using these solutions will be affected to varying degrees by synchronicity issues. For example: participants may notice that mouths move independently of the sound they generate. While this is becoming a normative experience, it can be jarring, especially for those who need to read lips to understand what is being said. Proper balancing of audio is also key to ensure that participants whose hearing is impaired can participate equally in the conversation .
Location
Through the miracle of modern technology, these conversations can now take place at any time and in any location, e.g. cafés, libraries, street corners, dorm rooms, hospitals, vel sim. Just because they can take place in every location does not necessarily mean they ought to take place in every location. Both parties should consider:
The ambient noise in their respective environments--loud environs equals bad conversations;
The people whom they might affect with the conversation--not everyone needs to be privy to the conversation;
The speed of the internet conections at the locations--a low-speed DSL connection will not create a good videoconferencing experience (You can test your bandwidth here.)
Videoconferencing using Skype
Skype
Procedures
All participants need a Skype Account and the software installed on their computer.
Obtaining a Skype Account
In your internet browser, navigate to http://www.skype.com;
Click the Join Skype button in the upper-right-hand corner;
Fill in the form that appears;
Click I agree - Continue at the bottom of the form (if you do agree - read the form);
Your Skype account now exists.
Downloading and Installing Skype
In your internet browser, navigate to http://www.skype.com;
Click Get Skype near the top of the page;
Select your platform (i.e. Mac, Windows, or Linux;)
Click Download Skype;
Sign in using your Skype credentials;
Wait for the download to commence and finish;
Install Skype using the downloaded installer (it should be a relatively straightforward affair;)
Skype will automatically launch--log in to continue;
To avoid any network problems, follow this guide to configure your computer's firewall to work properly with Skype.
Connecting with other Skype users
After launching and logging into Skype, select the Contacts tab;
Click Add Contact in the upper-right-hand corner of the Skype window;
Input into the search field the Skype username of the person with whom you're trying to connect;
Select the correct result from the list;
An invitation will be sent--after being accepted, you will see them in your contacts list;
Double-click their name to start a text chat with that individual--other chat options will be available in the screen that follows;
The call options will be in the upper-right-hand corner of the contact window--click the default option or select another option from the pull-down menu (located under the chevron).
Installing AVG Anti-virus
Software
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Installing Mozilla Firefox on Windows and Macintosh Computers
Software
For Personal Windows & Macintosh Computers
Click on the link below and follow their instructions for installing Mozilla Firefox on your operating system: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Installing Firefox?s=installation&r=0&as=
For Hamilton-Owned Macintosh Computers
Download the latest version of Firefox from Mozilla's website here. Choose to Save the file.
Go to your Macintosh HD, open the Applications folder, and navigate to Firefox. NOTE: For Macintosh 10.7 (Lion) users, hold CTRL and cllick on the Firefox icon on your dock, choose Options, and select Show in Finder.
Move the old version of Firefox to the Trash icon on the dock.
Navigate to the file location for the new version of Firefox you just downloaded and double-click it.
In the window that appears like the one below, drag the Firefox icon to the Applications folder icon.
Follow the instructions.
If prompted, enter your Hamilton network credentials.
Once the installation is complete, open Firefox. The message below will only appear the first time you open Firefox after it has been downloaded. Click Open.
You have successfully installed the latest version of Mozilla Firefox and can now browse the internet with more security.
For Hamilton-Owned Windows Computers
NOTE: By default, Mozilla Firefox is set to automatically install the latest updates. If you prefer to install the latest updates yourself and check what version you are using, you can follow the steps below.
Open Firefox. Go to the Help menu and select About Firefox.
Firefox will now check for updates. You can view its progress by reading the light grey text located below your Firefox version. NOTE: Depending on how you have Firefox setup to install updates, you may see a Check for Updates button. Click that to begin checking your browser for updates.
If any updates need to be installed, click Apply Update and follow the directions on the screen to complete the installation process.
Policies - Hardware and Software
Software
Supported Products
The Committee on Information Technology maintains a list of supported hardware and software. Suggestions for additions and deletions from the list should be submitted to the Chair of the Committee. The Committee will review this list periodically. This list includes the types and brands of hardware and software that are in use at the college and indicates the level of support that ITS can provide. Two levels of service are provided for supported information technology resources, full and limited.
Full Support
Products designated for full support are those with widespread use on the campus. Examples include generic products (word processors, spreadsheets, Web browsers, etc.). ITS will provide help for the integration of these products with other supported campus technology resources, including services such as installation, training, maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrades. HelpDesk, hardware repair, and training services for these products will be available through ITS. ITS will maintain sufficient expertise on staff, or through contractual arrangements, to deliver a high level of service for these products. In addition, for these products, ITS will negotiate favorable pricing and maintain a central budget for software upgrades.
Limited Support
Products designated for limited support are generally used by one or two departments. Examples include computer-assisted instruction programs and simulations. ITS does not have access to these products on a regular basis. Departments acquiring such products should plan to develop their own expertise and be prepared to resolve problems through the vendors' support services. ITS will provide help installing these products. It is unlikely that Helpdesk, repair, or training services will be available for these products. Items in the limited category can move to the full category if they achieve more widespread use and sufficient resources exist within ITS to provide the range of services described above.
Licensing of Software
The use of all software in the College is protected by copyright laws and must be used in accordance with software licenses. It is against College policy to copy or reproduce any licensed software. Unlicensed software may not be installed on any computers owned by Hamilton. The unauthorized use or copying of software is a serious violation of policy and subject to disciplinary action. Such unauthorized use or copying may also subject the offending individual to law suits by third parties.
Software on Personally Owned Equipment
Hamilton's educational licensing agreements for software specifically limit installation to machines owned by the college. Therefore, software purchased by Hamilton under these agreements may not be installed on personally owned equipment. Our current license agreement with Microsoft does allow the installation of one copy of Microsoft Office on the home machine of an employee who has Office on the work machine. For information on these programs, Hamilton's current licensing agreements, and exceptions, contact the Director, ITS, Desktop Integration Services.
Policies - Software Standards
Software
Policies
Software Standards
Rationale:
In Hamilton's modern networked environment, the ability to easily share information is important. Ideally, the ease of sharing should not depend upon which hardware environment is being used on the desktop (Wintel or Macintosh). Central to making sharing facile is the software environment, particularly software used for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, network browsing, and electronic mail.
The following are advantages of campus-wide software standards:
Improved Data Sharing
Consistency of file formats provides for optimal file sharing capabilities between individuals, departments, and groups across campus.
Identical resources on each desktop (private offices and public labs) provide ease of transferability and a consistent tool-set for all users. From any room, office or public lab, needed resources will be available.
Sharing of data between applications (word processors, spreadsheets, data bases) is seamless.
Simplified Budgeting and Purchasing
Software standards would permit centralized budgeting and purchasing. This would relieve an individual or department from the time consuming tasks of choosing a product, tracking down the best pricing and product availability, and generating the proper paperwork to place an order for the product.
Significant savings can be achieved through site licenses or quantity discounts.
Improved Support
ITS support personnel can focus on depth of application knowledge rather than breadth of numerous applications.
Product expertise means questions can be answered more quickly and efficiently.
Support efforts can be focused on proactively supporting the end-user and documenting known problems.
Support could come from any member of the Hamilton College community, since most will be using the same application.
Support subscriptions to Knowledge Data Bases provided by third party vendors could be made available online to all users via the campus network.
Support licenses from the vendor could be made available to users.
Improved Training
Training teams can focus on developing curricula for levels of user proficiency (introductory, intermediate, advanced).
Training specialists from outside campus can be used more effectively and economically.
Smoother Software Installation and Upgrades
Software installations for new machines could become invisible to the end-users by making it part of the hardware installation.
Installations can become routine, rather than a specialized process for each individual, resulting in time savings.
Installations and upgrades could be made available to all users via the campus network, and automated for consistency.
Upgrades can be tested and documented prior to campus-wide deployment to reduce potential incompatibles and problems.
Simplified Software Licensing
Separate record keeping for software licenses would not be required by the individual; rather it could become part of the central inventory of hardware.
Software Standards:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Dreamweaver
Filemaker
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Thunderbird
Adobe Acrobat Creator/Reader
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Software
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Sophos Home Edition on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 for Students
Sophos
Students Only
As Macintosh becomes more popular, it is increasingly a target for an emerging group of viruses and spyware designed specifically for the Mac operating system. It is in the best interests of Mac users to take action now to protect their systems. This document explains how to download and install Sophos’ free Anti-Virus solution for student Mac users.
Download Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Visit the Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition page on the Sophos website: http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition.aspx
2. Click on the Download Now button:
3. When prompted, click the Save File button.
4. Select Desktop as the save location and then click the Save button.
Installing Sophos Anti-Virus
1. Double-click the savosx_72_he.dmg file that you just downloaded to the desktop. It will mount and automatically open Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition OS X 10.4 .
2. Double-click on Sophos Anti-Virus Home Edition.mpkg.
3. When prompted that “This package will run a program to determine if the software can be installed,” click the Continue button. This will check your system for any possible conflicts that would prevent Sophos from installing.
4. If there are no conflicts, the Welcome Screen will appear. Click Continue.
5. At the Software License Agreement screen, click Continue.
6. Click the Agree button.
7. At the Select a Destination screen, click on Macintosh HD (for most, this will be the only option) and then click Continue.
8. At the Sophos Anti-Virus Updates screen, click Continue.
9. At the Standard Install screen, click the Install button to proceed with the installation.
10. When prompted, enter your username and password for your Mac computer.
11. At the Completion screen, take a moment to read through the brief information on how to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition. Click Continue.
12. At the Installation was Successful screen, click Close.
13. You should now have a black Sophos shield icon in the Menu Bar at the upper right of your screen.
How Do I Use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition?
Sophos runs in the background and scans files for threats whenever the files are opened. If you want to perform a manual scan of all your files, click the black Sophos shield in the menu bar and select Scan Local Drives.
Getting Started With Information Technology
Telephone
Getting Started With Information Technology
NOTE: The information on this page is fully up-to-date and accurate for the 2011-12 academic year.
This page connects new and returning members of the Hamilton College community to the most up-to-date information on networking, personal computer systems and standards. Whether you've never been to Hamilton, or you've just been away for a semester or two, this is the place to find out about the information technology environment.
Why Bring a Laptop Computer to Campus?
The campus has universally distributed connectivity via ethernet and wireless. This will make it easy for you to use your computer anywhere on campus (e.g., in the library), even bring it to class or the place you most prefer to study;
You will want to continue to use your computer when you go home for breaks;
Laptops take up less space in your room;
If you have a problem, laptops can be easily transported to our Help Desk.
What do I Need to Know About Bringing a Computer to Campus?
Have a computer you need connected to the Hamilton network? Want to purchase your own computer, and be sure it can be connected to the network? Follow this link for information on minimum and recommended system requirements and network connectivity.
Virus Protection
Virus Protection Information
Policy Note
Hamilton College requires all existing and all incoming students to install Anti-Virus software on their personal computers by the end of the second week of classes each semester. Failure to do so can result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until up-to-date Anti-virus software is installed. Anti-virus software (AVG for Windows and Sophos & iAntivirus for Macintosh) is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Hamilton supported Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
Student Phone and Voice Mail Overview
Cable Television Information
Contact Us
E-mail us at: helpdesk@hamilton.edu
Or, if you just want to hear a friendly voice, phone 315-859-4181. We'll be sure that someone gets back to you within one business day.
Network and Telephone Services Home Page
Telephone
Network and Telecommunications Services
Team Mission
Network and Telecommunications Services will ensure a reliable, secure, efficient network and telecommunications environment for the campus community.
Student Dialing and Voice Mail Instructions
Telephone
Student Dialing Instructions
On Campus Calls:
Dial last 4 digit extension number
Local calls:
Dial 9 local number
Local Area Dialing Exchanges:
202,223,225,235,240,266,269,271,272,281,292,327,330,334,335,336,337,338,339,351,356,368,371,381
404,507,520,525,526,527,533,542,557,571,580,607,617,624,709,721,722,723,724,725,728,731,732,733
734,735,736,737,738,739,749,765,768,790,792,793,794,795,796,797,798,799,829,832,838,841,853,859
890,939,941,953
Regional and Long Distance Calls:
(You will need a pre-paid phone card or calling card)
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow prompts
International Calls:
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow prompts. Note: For international calls, you need to enter 011 country code city code (if needed) phone number
Toll Free Calls:
Dial 9 1 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888 phone number
Calling Cards, Credit Cards, and Collect Calls:
Dial 9 1 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888. Access phone number on your card and follow directions
Directory Assistance:
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow instructions
Student Voice Mail Instructions
You may request a personal voice mail box to receive and send messages on your resident room phone line. There is no charge for this service. Email telephone@hamilton.edu with your name, residence and room number.
If you change rooms during the school year, please notify the telephone system administrator at extension 4160 or email telephone@hamilton.edu to move your voice mailbox to your new phone number. For those planning on staying on campus for the summer and wish to retain their voice mailbox please email telephone@hamilton.edu.
To Set up Your Voice Mail Box:
From your own phone dial 4808
Enter temporary pass code: 1111
Follow prompts to record name and greeting
Facts You Should Know:
You keep the same voice mail box for the academic year
Your voice mail box moves with you from room to room
Maximum greeting length: 30 seconds
Maximum message length: 2 minutes
Maximum messages in voice mail box at one time: 20
Days new messages kept: 999 days
Days saved messages kept: 999 days
To Enter Your Voice Mailbox:
From Your Room
Dial 4808
Enter your pass code
From Another Phone on Campus
Dial 4809
Press the # key
Enter the last four digits of your phone number
Follow the prompts
From Off-Campus
Dial 315-859-4809
Press the # key
Enter the last four digits of your phone number
Follow the prompts
Using Your Voice Mail Box:
Retrieve Messages:
Press 1 to listen
Press 2 to pause
Press 3 3 to fast forward to the end
Press 9 to increase the volume
Press # to skip to the next message
Change Pass Code:
Press 4 personal options
Press 2 administrative options
Press 1 pass code
Press 5 personal pass code
Change Greeting:
Press 4 personal options
Press 3 greetings
Press 1 personal greeting
Student Phone Features & Tips, Troubleshooting
and Repair
Each dorm room is equipped with an analog line. You must provide your own phone. If you have requested a voice mailbox and have set it up a new message will be indicated by a stutter dial tone when you lift your handset.
Call Waiting:
Press switchhook / flash button (The switchhook is located where your handset or receiver rests when you hang up. The flash button is a separate button on some phones, used to cut off calls or break off the dial tone.)
Answer a new call
Press switchhook / flash button to return to original call
For Trouble Accessing Your Voice Mail Box:
Call your phone number from another phone to make sure you have set up your voice mailbox on the correct extension.
Make sure your phone is set to tone and not pulse (look for a small slide or switch on your phone or base)
For Trouble Dialing Off Campus:
If making regional or long distance calls, make sure your pre-paid phone card or calling card is active
Make sure your phone is set to tone and not pulse (look for a small slide or switch on your phone or base)
Stutter Dial Tone: indicates a voice mail message
For Static or Noise: Call 4160 or e-mail: telephone@hamilton.edu
For No Dial Tone:
Check all connections
Make sure you are plugged into the voice jack and not the network jack
Try another phone in the jack to make sure it is not your phone. Remember cordless phones need to be charged and have batteries that need replacing
Questions: telephone@hamilton.edu or 1-315-859-4160
Student Phone Services
Telephone
Student Phone Services
OverviewIn-Room Phone and Voice Mail Info Every residence hall room has the capability of having a telephone line on the College Telephone System. However, students that have cellular phones typically use their cell phones for all their telephone needs. If you feel you would need a college phone line in your room please email telephone@hamilton.edu with your name, residence and room number. Also indicate if you would like to have a voice mailbox on the College Messaging System or if you intend to use your own answering machine. You must provide your own analog telephone. From your phone line in your room on-campus dialing and local dialing is free. Regional, long distance and international calls require a pre-paid phone card or a calling card with a toll free (800/888) access number. The College Bookstore has phone cards for sale. Of course, you can also purchase phone cards from other area stores and on many web sites. ITS does not provide any support for Internet capable phone services, and we do not guarantee they will work on the campus network. We do not recommend that students use such services. Cellular Service Info The College does not have a contractual agreement with any cellular carriers. AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless are the two recommended vendors for service on our campus and in our area. Cellular service agreements can be acquired at the local stores The College Bookstore offers pre-paid cellular air time minutes. AT&T Wireless offers a Hamilton College student discount of 16% of their personal service plan. The account must be in the student's name. To apply for the discount visit online http://www.att.com/wireless/hamiltonstudents or visit the main local AT&T Store 4874 Commercial Drive New York Mills, NY 13417 You will need the following code 02928897 and your Hamilton College Id card
Dialing & Voice Mail Instructions
Phone Installations & Problem Reporting
Questions: telephone@hamilton.edu or 1-315-859-4160
Telephone Services Main Page
Telephone
Telephone Services
Employee Telephone InformationEmployee Phones Employee Voice Mail
Student Telephone Information
Network Information Hotline: 315-859-4050
Phone Services: 315-859-4160Fax: 315-859-4185
You can email the Telephone Services Team at: telephone@hamilton.edu
Return to Network & Telecommunications Home Page
Adding New Students to the Transition System
Transition
Before You Start:
Fall Admit new students typically enter the transition process in Mid-May. Spring admits typically enter the process in Mid-September.
User accounts have already been created by Debby Quayle. You will need for her to provide an export containing username, password and Colleague ID. There is typically an export \\ess\its\Account Details\Students\Class of {year} but it's not always accurate. Ask her to double-check.
New Student user acounts must have the New Students group membership assigned to them. This is typically done during the bulk new student upload process, but occasionally when an individual account is added it doesn't have this group membership assigned.
New Students must be included in the Student LDAP nightly job in order to have the Students group membership assigned. They will need to have records in the file CIS generates at \\polaris\hamiltonweb\fileexchange\scheduledjobs\LDAPF. Make sure new students are in the student_ldap table. If not, ask CIS to include them then run https://preview.hamilton.edu/applications/scheduledtasks/studentldap.cfm.
Steps to Bulk-Add New Students to Transition Process
Update the following settings in /myhamilton/parameters.cfm as appropriate:
showNewStudents (Anne Riffle)
showNewStudentsTerms
newStudentOldAccountExpiration
newStudentJanuaryOldAccountExpiration
placementexamdeadline (Anne Riffle)
roomhidestart (Jean Burke)
roomhideend (Jean Burke)
Obtain import file Debby Quayle provides and import it into the portal_users_transition table. Be sure to replace the existing records.
Spot check your work by logging into My Hamilton as a few new students. Keep in mind that you may need to manipulate the showNewStudents variable to temporarily access the system.
Notes
The transition page will likely need to be reviewed and updated (Esena Jackson)
In May, the Campus Life Tour is the first step in the transition process. In September the Advising Tour is the first step. Esena will likely have updates to them.
Late additions to the transtition process are managed using the Add Students feature in the Advising Tour SiteManager module, located at https://my.hamilton.edu/sitemanager/myapps.cfm. During the Campus Life Tour Cindy Reynolds manages additions and during the Advising Tour Anne Riffle manages them.
Configuring the First Year Student Survey
Transition
Notes
New students are directed to this survey in mid- to late-July. Matthew Carr administers the system.
Each student has a unique ID generated by the Higher Education Research Institute. Matt sends us these IDs in a spreadsheet so we can pre-load the IR_FirstYear table. Each CIRPID is appended to request.cirplink (see below) to create a unique link for each student.
The system is located at http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey
Students are passed through this page so they can review the completion status of the CIRP survey and the Qualtrics supplement.
The administration area is located at http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey-administration
Matt uses this form to upload a spreadsheet nightly. This spreadsheet updates the "submitstatus" and "submitdate" columns in the IR_FirstYear table.
Instructions
Verify the following parameters in /college/institutional_research/FirstYear/admin/parameters.cfm with Matt Carr:
request.cirplink
request.supplementlink
request.surveyOpenDate
Import the spreadsheet data Matt provides to IR_FirstYear
Test http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey by passing one of the Colleague IDs into the url, e.g.:
http://my.hamilton.edu/oir/first-year-survey?colleagueid=1234567. Be sure to verify that both survey links are working properly.
Web Support
User Accounts
Before you fill out any of the support forms below, you may be able to find the answer to your question on our Web Publishing at Hamilton page.
If you need help, or if you have any questions, about Web development at Hamilton College, please select one of the support areas below...
The following forms are for assistance with Web Space, Web Accounts, and Web Development ONLY. If you need help with network passwords, Blackboard CourseInfo, hardware, or other issues please contact the Help Desk at x4181, helpdesk@hamilton.edu, or ITS Support.
Technical Support and Problems / Bugs / Updates
Examples: Broken links, a bug/error in a Web application, change to content or form fields, unable to connect to a specific Web site at Hamilton.
Technical/Bug Problem Report
General Contact Form to submit your issue.)--->
Sign Up for Student Web Space
Student Web space is now available through SiteManager, the College's content management system. Please fill out an account request form to get started.
Sign up / Manage Student Web SpaceCurrently Unavailable
Contact Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu or call 315-859-4932.
--->
Account and Password Issues
Examples: Give someone access to one of your Web folders, request organization Web space, and other user account-related issues.
Account/Password Request
Projects and New Features
Examples: Request to develop and new Web application or site, request to add a new feature to an existing Web application.
New Project Request Form
Feature Request Form (for an existing application/site)
General Questions
Examples: Comments, Suggestions, anything not covered above.
E-mail Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu
Policies - Repair of Computer Equipment
VITEC
Policies
Repair of Computer Equipment
Hamilton Computer Equipment
All college computer equipment is maintained on a service contract with an outside vendor. Currently that vendor is VITEC Solutions (formerly IKON Technology Services). If a hardware problem is suspected the user should call the Helpdesk (859-4181) during normal business hours for assistance. If hardware service is indicated arrangements will be made with the VITEC technician. VITEC only repairs equipment located in college offices. Repairs will not be done in residence halls or private residences.
Personally Owned Equipment
VITEC Solutions also provides repair for personally owned computers. Computers are repaired at a discounted commercial rate established by the vendor as part of its contract with Hamilton. There is a minimum charge for examining the equipment if repair is not needed. Equipment must be delivered to the VITEC office in the basement of the Burke Library during regular business hours. The VITEC technician will be available each day between 4 and 5 p.m. to receive equipment, or by special arrangement by calling x4171 or by e-mail (vitec@hamilton.edu). Payment for the repairs must be made by check, credit card, or money order when the equipment is picked up. Charges for repair cannot be applied to your Hamilton College account.
For questions about these Policies, Procedures, Plans and Standards, contact:
David Smallen, Vice President for Information Technology
315-859-4169
Video Common Issues
Video
Things to consider about video . .
The length of the video is a major consideration.
Videos of more than 5 minutes in length have technical and logistical issues not encountered in shorter video projects. And, a video novice can expect to spend 3 hours/minute of final project length editing original video.
Camera settings are critical to success when shooting original video.
They can have effects on your project that are nearly impossible to fix with the computer. Be certain to ask about setting, audio bit rate, white balance, and special effects when you borrow a camera from the MPC.
Special storage arrangements must be made in advance of any editing. Video requires 3.6 mb/sec hard drive storage. As an example, five minutes of raw unedited video requires over 1 GB of storage space. Edits to the video, compression formats, and delivery can require up to three times the storage space necessary for the amount of raw video being manipulated. Video should be stored, or copied to, a Firewire Harddrive or an MPC video storage account at the end of each editing session.
File management is critical to the editing process. Digital video is composed of multiple files that must remain in a specific relationship.
Digital video must be properly prepared and compressed for the intended delivery before it can be used in a presentation.
Consult an MPC instructional technologist, mpc@hamilton.edu, to develop a video workflow that will meet your project needs.
Storage
Capturing and editing video requires large amounts of high-speed digital storage – much more space and speed than that of a floppy disk, zip disk, the student storage server (SSS) and even some computer hard drives. Video storage, whether a firewire harddrive or MPC video storage account, is determined by characteristics of the intended video project. Longer video projects or multiple projects within the semester are usually better handled by firewire harddrive storage. Short single video projects are often handled through specially set up MPC storage accounts. These accounts are provided in planned support efforts and should be used while working in the MPC or Burke 001. Accounts for students working in groups are set up differently from those for individual projects.
File Management
An understanding of video file structure and how to manage files between storage area and authoring area is one of our most frequently encountered “gotchas”. Because the MPC is a public lab facility, the "Scratch disk" on MPC computers is intended as an editing area but not as a storage area. Projects left on the scratch disk are not backed up and can be deleted by anyone who sits down at that computer. While actually editing video, the video project folder should be on the Scratch disk. Working from the Scatch disk ensures that pieces of your project will not be lost in transit ("dropped frames") between an external drive/network account and the computer. Students must attend storage account appointments and understand their video project file structure to successfully complete video projects using our public lab resources.
Delivery
The desired output (delivery/display) method has a significant effect upon the number of steps included in the overall assignment design. There are also technical considerations associated with compression formats that may be dependent upon the characteristics of the footage being used. And, the actual time it takes for the files to be converted to the desired output format can be up to three times the actual duration of the final video. A 3 minute video can take 9 minutes to export/compress and another 9 minutes to burn to disc. Allowing time for a trial presentation run on a lectern system is advised.
Video Home
Configuring Computer for Skype
Videoconference
Other Videoconferencing Documents
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Videoconferencing for Students
Videoconferencing for Employees
Create a High-Quality Videoconference
Videoconference
Environment Optimization
Regardless which videoconferencing solution is chosen for the communication, it will be important to prepare the location where your call will take place so as to realize the most optimal, standard experience for all involved parties.
General Considerations
Regardless of the conversation type, if the communication is high-risk/high-value, at least one test should be performed with all participants before the actual conversation.
Remember that accidents can happen: pets can meander into the conversation and voice their opinions, cell phones have the potential of ringing, and items can fall and clatter. While all participants should attempt to prepare for these eventualities, it is best to just accept that they are a part of the conversation, a normative experience, and therefore look past them.
Remember that participants within the domain of the webcam and the microphone are involved in the videoconference: anything uttered or any act performed within range of either device will be transmitted to all participants. It behooves everyone to be aware (by dint of the Preview available on all computers/software) of what will be seen and heard before the videoconference begins. As the character Doctor Emmett Brown opined in the movie Back to the Future, "no wonder your president has to be an actor, [they] have to look good on television."
Lighting
Proper lighting is an essential ingredient for a successful, high-quality videoconference. "A webcam isn't the most flattering piece of technology," according to Stephen Winzenburg in an article for the Winter/Spring 2012 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "[it can] make you appear gaunt, overweight, beady eyed, or narcoleptic. And often you look all those things at the same time." To ensure that all participants see each other in the best possible light, everyone should:
Ensure your environment is well-lit--turn on as many lights as possible;
Be mindful of such issues as camera angle, background, and any other light sources that might affect the conversation;
A room with a window might be a nice place to have a chat, but the sun streaming in can wreak havoc on the quality of the conversation;
If you must have a conversation in a room with a window, be sure to test your setup around the same time you anticipate having the conversation to ensure a uniform experience;
Test, test, test, test, test: almost all software and computers have the ability to provide participants with a preview and this preview is what other participants will actually see--make sure the contents of the preview are what you want the other participants to see.
If a high-quality conversation is desired, it may behoove participants to purchase a dedicated webcam. ITS has enjoyed success with devices like the Microsoft LifeCam HD-6000.
Sound
Problems with sound are reliable sources of videoconferencing woes. In addition to the ambient noise issue covered in the "Location" section, there are other potential problems one should be aware of:
Echo/Feedback
A problem arises whenever a sound input is colocated with a sound output: If you put a microphone IN FRONT of a speaker, a positive feedback loop will be generated, i.e. loud, screechy, piercing sound that is painful. Be sure either to place the speaker far away from the microphone, wear headphones to ameliorate the problem, or invest in a microphone with integrate anti-feedback technology.
Most laptops, all-in-one desktops (e.g. the iMac), and smartphones have built-in webcameras, microphones, and speakers. While they are sometimes configured to interoperate without generated feedback, one cannot rely on them working perfectly, especially for high-value conversations. All participants are STRONGLY encouraged to wear headphones to eliminate echoing/feedback.
Configuration
The peripherals required to perform a videoconference interoperate well, but are susceptible to problems. If participants are unable to hear each other, see each other, or connect, there may be a problem with the configuration of the peripherals, the software for the chat (e.g. Skype, Google Talk), or the drivers that the computer uses to communicate with the devices. While easier with the built-in microphone, webcam, speaker setup, problems can plague those setups. ITS strongly recommends testing the full setup before any videoconference. If problems are identified before the actual conversation, chances are better that they can be troubleshooted and resolved without conflicting with the actual conversation.
Accessibility Issues
Hearing Aids/Lipreaders
All communications conducted using these solutions will be affected to varying degrees by synchronicity issues. For example: participants may notice that mouths move independently of the sound they generate. While this is becoming a normative experience, it can be jarring, especially for those who need to read lips to understand what is being said. Proper balancing of audio is also key to ensure that participants whose hearing is impaired can participate equally in the conversation .
Location
Through the miracle of modern technology, these conversations can now take place at any time and in any location, e.g. cafés, libraries, street corners, dorm rooms, hospitals, vel sim. Just because they can take place in every location does not necessarily mean they ought to take place in every location. Both parties should consider:
The ambient noise in their respective environments--loud environs equals bad conversations;
The people whom they might affect with the conversation--not everyone needs to be privy to the conversation;
The speed of the internet conections at the locations--a low-speed DSL connection will not create a good videoconferencing experience (You can test your bandwidth here.)
Videoconferencing using OoVoo
Videoconference
Description
OoVoo is an voice, video, and instant messaging communications tool that permits up to twelve simultaneous voice or video participants for no fee. Unlike Skype, OoVoo Free users cannot share their computer desktops with each other.
Procedures
Downloading and Installing OoVoo
In your internet browser, navigate to http://www.oovoo.com/Download.aspx;
Select the appropriate Download for your platform (i.e. Mac, Windows, or Linux;)
Wait for the download to commence and finish;
Install Skype using the downloaded installer (it should be a relatively straightforward affair;)
Skype will automatically launch--log in to continue.
Videoconferencing using Skype
Videoconference
Procedures
All participants need a Skype Account and the software installed on their computer.
Obtaining a Skype Account
In your internet browser, navigate to http://www.skype.com;
Click the Join Skype button in the upper-right-hand corner;
Fill in the form that appears;
Click I agree - Continue at the bottom of the form (if you do agree - read the form);
Your Skype account now exists.
Downloading and Installing Skype
In your internet browser, navigate to http://www.skype.com;
Click Get Skype near the top of the page;
Select your platform (i.e. Mac, Windows, or Linux;)
Click Download Skype;
Sign in using your Skype credentials;
Wait for the download to commence and finish;
Install Skype using the downloaded installer (it should be a relatively straightforward affair;)
Skype will automatically launch--log in to continue;
To avoid any network problems, follow this guide to configure your computer's firewall to work properly with Skype.
Connecting with other Skype users
After launching and logging into Skype, select the Contacts tab;
Click Add Contact in the upper-right-hand corner of the Skype window;
Input into the search field the Skype username of the person with whom you're trying to connect;
Select the correct result from the list;
An invitation will be sent--after being accepted, you will see them in your contacts list;
Double-click their name to start a text chat with that individual--other chat options will be available in the screen that follows;
The call options will be in the upper-right-hand corner of the contact window--click the default option or select another option from the pull-down menu (located under the chevron).
Getting Started With Information Technology
Voicemail
Getting Started With Information Technology
NOTE: The information on this page is fully up-to-date and accurate for the 2011-12 academic year.
This page connects new and returning members of the Hamilton College community to the most up-to-date information on networking, personal computer systems and standards. Whether you've never been to Hamilton, or you've just been away for a semester or two, this is the place to find out about the information technology environment.
Why Bring a Laptop Computer to Campus?
The campus has universally distributed connectivity via ethernet and wireless. This will make it easy for you to use your computer anywhere on campus (e.g., in the library), even bring it to class or the place you most prefer to study;
You will want to continue to use your computer when you go home for breaks;
Laptops take up less space in your room;
If you have a problem, laptops can be easily transported to our Help Desk.
What do I Need to Know About Bringing a Computer to Campus?
Have a computer you need connected to the Hamilton network? Want to purchase your own computer, and be sure it can be connected to the network? Follow this link for information on minimum and recommended system requirements and network connectivity.
Virus Protection
Virus Protection Information
Policy Note
Hamilton College requires all existing and all incoming students to install Anti-Virus software on their personal computers by the end of the second week of classes each semester. Failure to do so can result in the loss of connectivity to the Hamilton College network until up-to-date Anti-virus software is installed. Anti-virus software (AVG for Windows and Sophos & iAntivirus for Macintosh) is provided free to all students. Other anti-virus products may be substituted for Hamilton supported Anti-Virus as long as they are kept current.
Student Phone and Voice Mail Overview
Cable Television Information
Contact Us
E-mail us at: helpdesk@hamilton.edu
Or, if you just want to hear a friendly voice, phone 315-859-4181. We'll be sure that someone gets back to you within one business day.
Student Dialing and Voice Mail Instructions
Voicemail
Student Dialing Instructions
On Campus Calls:
Dial last 4 digit extension number
Local calls:
Dial 9 local number
Local Area Dialing Exchanges:
202,223,225,235,240,266,269,271,272,281,292,327,330,334,335,336,337,338,339,351,356,368,371,381
404,507,520,525,526,527,533,542,557,571,580,607,617,624,709,721,722,723,724,725,728,731,732,733
734,735,736,737,738,739,749,765,768,790,792,793,794,795,796,797,798,799,829,832,838,841,853,859
890,939,941,953
Regional and Long Distance Calls:
(You will need a pre-paid phone card or calling card)
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow prompts
International Calls:
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow prompts. Note: For international calls, you need to enter 011 country code city code (if needed) phone number
Toll Free Calls:
Dial 9 1 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888 phone number
Calling Cards, Credit Cards, and Collect Calls:
Dial 9 1 800, 855, 866, 877 or 888. Access phone number on your card and follow directions
Directory Assistance:
Dial 9 toll free access number (800/888) of your pre-paid phone card or calling card and follow instructions
Student Voice Mail Instructions
You may request a personal voice mail box to receive and send messages on your resident room phone line. There is no charge for this service. Email telephone@hamilton.edu with your name, residence and room number.
If you change rooms during the school year, please notify the telephone system administrator at extension 4160 or email telephone@hamilton.edu to move your voice mailbox to your new phone number. For those planning on staying on campus for the summer and wish to retain their voice mailbox please email telephone@hamilton.edu.
To Set up Your Voice Mail Box:
From your own phone dial 4808
Enter temporary pass code: 1111
Follow prompts to record name and greeting
Facts You Should Know:
You keep the same voice mail box for the academic year
Your voice mail box moves with you from room to room
Maximum greeting length: 30 seconds
Maximum message length: 2 minutes
Maximum messages in voice mail box at one time: 20
Days new messages kept: 999 days
Days saved messages kept: 999 days
To Enter Your Voice Mailbox:
From Your Room
Dial 4808
Enter your pass code
From Another Phone on Campus
Dial 4809
Press the # key
Enter the last four digits of your phone number
Follow the prompts
From Off-Campus
Dial 315-859-4809
Press the # key
Enter the last four digits of your phone number
Follow the prompts
Using Your Voice Mail Box:
Retrieve Messages:
Press 1 to listen
Press 2 to pause
Press 3 3 to fast forward to the end
Press 9 to increase the volume
Press # to skip to the next message
Change Pass Code:
Press 4 personal options
Press 2 administrative options
Press 1 pass code
Press 5 personal pass code
Change Greeting:
Press 4 personal options
Press 3 greetings
Press 1 personal greeting
Student Phone Features & Tips, Troubleshooting
and Repair
Each dorm room is equipped with an analog line. You must provide your own phone. If you have requested a voice mailbox and have set it up a new message will be indicated by a stutter dial tone when you lift your handset.
Call Waiting:
Press switchhook / flash button (The switchhook is located where your handset or receiver rests when you hang up. The flash button is a separate button on some phones, used to cut off calls or break off the dial tone.)
Answer a new call
Press switchhook / flash button to return to original call
For Trouble Accessing Your Voice Mail Box:
Call your phone number from another phone to make sure you have set up your voice mailbox on the correct extension.
Make sure your phone is set to tone and not pulse (look for a small slide or switch on your phone or base)
For Trouble Dialing Off Campus:
If making regional or long distance calls, make sure your pre-paid phone card or calling card is active
Make sure your phone is set to tone and not pulse (look for a small slide or switch on your phone or base)
Stutter Dial Tone: indicates a voice mail message
For Static or Noise: Call 4160 or e-mail: telephone@hamilton.edu
For No Dial Tone:
Check all connections
Make sure you are plugged into the voice jack and not the network jack
Try another phone in the jack to make sure it is not your phone. Remember cordless phones need to be charged and have batteries that need replacing
Questions: telephone@hamilton.edu or 1-315-859-4160
Student Phone Services
Voicemail
Student Phone Services
OverviewIn-Room Phone and Voice Mail Info Every residence hall room has the capability of having a telephone line on the College Telephone System. However, students that have cellular phones typically use their cell phones for all their telephone needs. If you feel you would need a college phone line in your room please email telephone@hamilton.edu with your name, residence and room number. Also indicate if you would like to have a voice mailbox on the College Messaging System or if you intend to use your own answering machine. You must provide your own analog telephone. From your phone line in your room on-campus dialing and local dialing is free. Regional, long distance and international calls require a pre-paid phone card or a calling card with a toll free (800/888) access number. The College Bookstore has phone cards for sale. Of course, you can also purchase phone cards from other area stores and on many web sites. ITS does not provide any support for Internet capable phone services, and we do not guarantee they will work on the campus network. We do not recommend that students use such services. Cellular Service Info The College does not have a contractual agreement with any cellular carriers. AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless are the two recommended vendors for service on our campus and in our area. Cellular service agreements can be acquired at the local stores The College Bookstore offers pre-paid cellular air time minutes. AT&T Wireless offers a Hamilton College student discount of 16% of their personal service plan. The account must be in the student's name. To apply for the discount visit online http://www.att.com/wireless/hamiltonstudents or visit the main local AT&T Store 4874 Commercial Drive New York Mills, NY 13417 You will need the following code 02928897 and your Hamilton College Id card
Dialing & Voice Mail Instructions
Phone Installations & Problem Reporting
Questions: telephone@hamilton.edu or 1-315-859-4160
Comparison of Browser Interfaces
Web Browser
Browsing
Browser History
Accessing Browser History
Browser History Interface
Bookmarks
Adding a Bookmark
Accessing Bookmarks
Trust Certificates
Web Support
Web Servers
Before you fill out any of the support forms below, you may be able to find the answer to your question on our Web Publishing at Hamilton page.
If you need help, or if you have any questions, about Web development at Hamilton College, please select one of the support areas below...
The following forms are for assistance with Web Space, Web Accounts, and Web Development ONLY. If you need help with network passwords, Blackboard CourseInfo, hardware, or other issues please contact the Help Desk at x4181, helpdesk@hamilton.edu, or ITS Support.
Technical Support and Problems / Bugs / Updates
Examples: Broken links, a bug/error in a Web application, change to content or form fields, unable to connect to a specific Web site at Hamilton.
Technical/Bug Problem Report
General Contact Form to submit your issue.)--->
Sign Up for Student Web Space
Student Web space is now available through SiteManager, the College's content management system. Please fill out an account request form to get started.
Sign up / Manage Student Web SpaceCurrently Unavailable
Contact Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu or call 315-859-4932.
--->
Account and Password Issues
Examples: Give someone access to one of your Web folders, request organization Web space, and other user account-related issues.
Account/Password Request
Projects and New Features
Examples: Request to develop and new Web application or site, request to add a new feature to an existing Web application.
New Project Request Form
Feature Request Form (for an existing application/site)
General Questions
Examples: Comments, Suggestions, anything not covered above.
E-mail Web Services at webhelp@hamilton.edu
Data Backup and Storage
Windows 7
Introduction
Imagine if all of the work that you spent hours completing suddenly disappeared and there were no way to bring it back from oblivion.
A nightmarish scenario to be sure! Unfortunately, many face it every semester: ITS often assists students and employees whose computers have malfunctioned while either working on or after finishing some assignment, typically when such a loss is most painful and difficult to recover from. Thankfully, with a very little effort, this scenario can be easily avoided.
Backing up your files serves many purposes. Beyond preventing a catastrophic loss of data, proper organization of one's data and easy options for retrieval will facilitate one's work at Hamilton and beyond, viz. graduate school, internships, and possibly future employment
Storage Solution Finder
External Hard Drive
Employee Network Storage 1
Academic Server 2
Google Drive
Flash Drive
Dropbox or Similar
Documents
✓
✓
✓
✓
Images
✓
✓
✓
✓
Music
✓
✓
✓
Video
✓
✓
Computer Backup
✓
✓
Easy Sharing
✓
✓
is a solution that should not be used for sensitive or confidential information, e.g. bank account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, health information.
1 This solution is only available to staff and faculty.
2 This solution is for academic purposes (e.g. Coursework) only. And only members of the Faculty and Staff can request folders be created on the Academic Server.
Installing AVG Anti-virus
Windows 7
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Enabling and Using Windows Update in Vista
Windows Vista
Description: This set of procedures is designed to walk someone through the Windows Update Process. It will also tell you how to configure Windows Update so that it will automatically check for updates.
Before starting this procedure, please close all other applications and save your work.
Enable Automatic Updating
Click on the Start menu (the button with the Windows logo in the lower-left of the screen) and click on All Programs near the bottom of the menu (figure a). Select Windows Update from the list of applications (figure b).
Click on Change Settings in the left sidebar.
Verify that the option to Install updates automatically (recommended) is selected. If it is not, change it so that it is selected with the default time settings. Click OK.
Install Windows Updates
Refer to step 1 on the preceding page to open Windows Update. When Windows Update opens click on Check for updates in the left sidebar. It will then check for updates and indicate how many are available after it has checked. Click on Install updates.
Windows Update will display the status of the updates as they are installed. After the updates are finished installing the window will indicate that the updates were successfully installed. Close Windows Update and restart if needed.
Installing AVG Anti-virus
Windows Vista
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Installing AVG Anti-virus
Windows XP
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Downloading Free AVG
Open a web browser.
In the address field type in free.avg.com.
When the window loads under the Free basic protection windows on the web page click on Get it now!
On the next web page that loads scroll down and in the column AVG Anti-virus Free click on Download.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now.
On the next web page that loads click on Download Now. This should initiate the downloading of the AVG installation file.
Click Save File.
Installing Free AVG
Double click on the downloaded file to install AVG.
Click on Run.
Click Next.
In the Acceptance Notice window click Accept.
In the license agreement window click Accept.
Install the Standard Installation by clicking Next.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
AVG First Run Wizard
When the First Run Wizard window opens click Next.
Configure when you would like AVG to scan your computer.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Make sure the box is unchecked for Yes, change my default search engine to Yahoo! and click Next.
Click Next to update AVG.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Connecting to the Guest Wireless Network
Wireless
For Bristol Center Visitors
Bristol Center Guest Username and Password
• Username: bristol-guest
• Password: HC.Bristol
Connecting With Mac OS X:
Click on the airport icon at the top of the screen near the clock and click on ‘ap-hamilton’ in the drop-down list.
Open a web browser (Firefox, Safari, etc.) and it will open the guest wireless access webpage. NOTE: You’ll likely get a certificate error message and will need to accept the certificate or continue to the webpage.
Enter the guest username and password provided above and click Agree and login. You’ll now have internet access.
Connecting With Windows XP, Vista, 7:
Right-click on the wireless icon at the bottom of the screen and click on ‘View available wireless networks.’ (Or, do whatever you normally do to find a wireless network).
Select ‘ap-hamilton’ and click ‘Connect.’
Open a web browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.) and it will open the guest wireless access webpage. NOTE: You’ll likely get a certificate error message and will need to accept the certificate or continue to the webpage.
Enter the guest username and password provided above and click Agree and login. You’ll now have internet access.
Guest Wireless Access is Available in the Following Locations:
Bristol Center
Burke Library
Science Center
Kirner Johnson
Siuda House (Admissions)
Café Opus (McEwen)
Buff and Blue Café
How to Get Support
If you have trouble connecting to or using the guest wireless network, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 315-859-4181 (or just x4181 from a campus phone). Please be sure to identify yourself as a guest or visitor to the college to ensure that you receive the proper technical support.
Help Desk Hours
Academic Year
M-Fri: 8:30am – 10:00pm
Sat –Sun: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Summer Hours
M-Fri: 8:00am – 4:00pm
Secure Wireless Setup - Windows 8
Wireless
For Personal Computers
1. To begin, left-click on the Wireless icon in the taskbar.
2. Select Open Network and Sharing Center in the menu that pops up.
3. In the Network and Sharing Center, select Set up a new connection or network.
4. Select Manually Connect to a wireless network in the window that appears.
5. In the screen that appears, type aps-hamilton in the Network Name field and select WPA-Enterprise and AES from the pull-down menus. When finished, left-click the Next button.
6. After you see Successfully added aps-hamilton, left-click Change Connection settings.
7. Ensure the two checkboxes labeled Connect Automatically when the network is in range and Connect even if the network is not broadcasting its name (SSID) are checked. Now click on the Security tab.
8. In the Security tab, check Remember my credentials for this connection each time I’m logged in.
9. Click Advanced Settings.
10. Check Specify Authentication Mode.
11. Select User Authenication in the pull-down menu.
12. Click OK.
13. Click on Settings next to “Microsoft: Protected EAP [PEAP]”
14. Make sure “Validate Server Certificate” and “Connect to these servers:” are checked and type “acs-07.hamilton.edu” in the field below.
15. Thereafter, scroll down the list and check “GeoTrust Global CA” and "GoDaddy Class 2 Certification Authority." Finish by clicking Configure next to “Secured password [EAP-MSCHAP v2]”Uncheck “Automatically use my Windows logon name and password…” and click OK.
16. Also click OK in all remaining dialogue boxes.
NOTE: If you are pre-configuring your laptop at home to prepare it for the Hamilton wireless network please stop here, otherwise you can continue to step 17. When you arrive on campus, your laptop should automatically attempt to connect to aps-hamilton. When it finds our network you will be prompted to log in using your Hamilton ID and your password as shown in steps 17-20 below. In the event you cannot connect to our wireless network while on campus, please contact the Help Desk for assistance at 315-859-4181.
17. You should notice a popup balloon in the lower-right hand corner that says “Additional information is required to connect to aps-hamilton.” Left-click on this balloon
18. If you are a student, please enter “HAMILTON-S\username” (replace "username" with your Hamilton username) in the first field and your password in the second.
19. Left-click on OK when finished.
20. You should now be connected to the internet.
