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Division of Information Technology

Technology Tips for New Faculty Members

The Division of Information Technology supports the teaching, research and public services goals of faculty at the University of South Carolina. Here are some helpful technology tips and resources for a successful year.

IT Service Desk

The IT Service Desk is your single point of contact for computer, technology and IT-related questions and support. They can be reached by phone at 803-777-1800 or via internet chat at sc.edu/ithelp.

Blackboard

Blackboard is a web-based learning management system designed to allow students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching. Blackboard enables instructors to provide students with course materials, discussion boards, virtual chat, online quizzes, an academic resource center and more. The degree to which Blackboard is used in a course varies based on instructor preference. Instructions and tips are available at sc.edu/it.

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra

Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a live presentation tool built into Blackboard courses that allows instructors to interact with students in a real time environment, pre-record lectures for asynchronous learning, share content, use a whiteboard, and create breakout groups.

Blackboard Ally

Blackboard Ally is a set of tools that help instructors and students create and use course materials that are accessible for every user. Blackboard automatically scans original content and creates Alternative Formats that are available for download. Examples include audio, HTML, ePub and Electronic Braille files. The Instructor Feedback feature provides an indicator showing the overall accessibility of the original content, indicates specific accessibility issues that it finds, and provides information about how to improve the accessibility of the original material. Instructors can also run a Course Accessibility Report to find the content that needs to be improved in the course, sorted by the score or by the items that are easiest to repair.

 

Network Username

All employees are assigned a Network Username when they begin employment. Your Network Username is used to access the wired and wireless networks, university email and some departmental systems. Upon hire, you will need to claim your account and establish a password in myaccount.sc.edu. For security, the password will expire every six months. NOTE: If you have not received your Network Username, please check with the Human Resources contact in your area.

 

Connecting to WiFi

When you come to campus, you must connect your devices to WiFi by selecting the eduroam wireless network, then enter your Network Username followed by @ds.sc.edu. For example, if the first portion of your email address is JohnDoe, you must enter JohnDoe@ds.sc.edu in order to successfully connect to WiFi. You then enter the password associated with your Network Username to connect.

Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor Authentication is required to access systems on the university network that store Personally Identifiable Information. All faculty and staff must take an extra step to confirm their identity each time they log in to university systems such as Banner, PeopleSoft, VIP, myaccount.sc.edu, and more. The university uses Duo Security to provide MFA services. The easiest way to use MFA is to download the free Duo Security app on your smartphone. More information can be found at sc.edu/multifactor.

 Research Computing

The DoIT can help with common software tools such as SAS, along with building collaborative online workspaces for research groups. In addition, the Research Computing (RC) team provides access and training to High Performance Computing resources, offers workflow and pipeline support, and can help you engage faculty members across multiple colleges and campuses. RC also conducts many training and workshop events on a variety of topics. For more information on workshops and training, visit sc.edu/rci.

 

Virtual Private Network

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is available for secure access to university resources including shared drives, databases, and select systems when a student, faculty, or staff member is away from campus. Free software can be downloaded at my.sc.edu.

 
Software Discounts

As a university employee, you receive Microsoft Office for free. Go to portal.office.com, log in with your UofSC email and password, and hit install. Other software available for download or purchase can be found under the Products & Software section of sc.edu/it. Software purchases for university-owned computers can be made in my.sc.edu with supervisor approval.

 

Quick Links:

IT Support 

Email

Blackboard

Blackboard Support


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