FAQs and Info


Information Technology (IT) has many resources to offer. Below we've complied a list of someof the questions most frequently asked by the Lewis & Clark (L&C) community. If your questions are not answered here feel free to call the IT Help Desk at 768-7225 or talk with one of the consultants by calling 768-7020.

TOPICS



What are my userid and password?

In order to access the resources available on the L&C Network, you must have an account. Your userid is a unique identification that consists of 8 or fewer characters made up of some part of your name. You select this userid when you create your account. At that time you will also create a password. This password ensures your privacy and guard against someone else accessing your accounts and the L&C system.

How do I get my userid and password?

Students, staff and faculty create accounts via our account management Web page.

 
How can I change my password?

Not only can you change your password, we recommend that you change it to something that will be easier to remember
In order to change your Account Password on a Mac or in Windows, go to this link and follow the directions there. NOTE: Password changes made via this web page will change BOTH your UNIX and Novell passwords
I forgot my password, can I access my account?

Even if you have forgotten your password, you can create a new one for your accounts. Go to this link and follow the directions.


Am I eligible for access to Lewis & Clark network services, and, if so, how do I request an account?
As outlined in our Access to Campus Technology policy, all students, first-year alumni, faculty, staff and approved guests are entitled to access the information technology resources at Lewis & Clark College. Student, staff and faculty can create accounts online by going to this link. Account request forms for Departments, Student Groups, Curricular Classes, and Guests can be obtained through the IT Main Office on the first floor of the Watzek Library.

Everyone has forgotten the department/group e-mail and Web site password. Can you tell me what it is?

IT does not keep records of account passwords, however, we can change your password. Password change forms are available from the Help Desk in the Watzek Library. Your group or departmental sponsor can also e-mail a password change request to accounts@lclark.edu


What computers are available for me to use on campus?
There are many computers available for you to use in computer labs in various locations around campus. The primary public computing lab is located in Watzek library and is open the same hours as the library. It houses a mixture of Windows XP and Macintosh OS X computers, a scanner and laser printing.

The Dubach ClassLabs (Templeton) are primarily reservable for classes. However, when they are not in use by classes, they are open for student use during the semester. There is a Macintosh OS X lab as well as a seperate Windows XP lab each with a scanner and laser printer.

Another service offered to students is express e-mail and printing stations. These are located in the Watzek library computing lab.

For more information on what is available, please see the Labs Web page.


How do I create an e-mail vacation message?

Visit Information Technology's Account Management Web page.


How do I find someone's e-mail address?

Use the Lewis & Clark online campus directory. If the person does not have a Lewis & Clark account, there are several resources on the Internet you can use to find people's e-mail addresses. Here are a few you can try:

If I leave the College or graduate, when will my Lewis & Clark e-mail account be removed?

Upon leaving, an account holder can request to close their e-mail or Novell account at any time. Upon leaving the College, students who have not graduated and are not on official, College-recognized leave or vacation will have their accounts removed, and their access will be terminated. Each August, to make room for students entering in the fall, accounts for first year alumni are cleared of files and moved to a space reserved solely for alumni, where they remain active for one year. For complete details on the process transferring students accounts to alumni status, visit our policy page.


Does Information Technology offer any computer training?

IT offers a wide variety of classes to assist you in improving your computer skills. To learn more about the classes currently being offered, visit our Training Web page.

We also have the policy that if you gather five or more people that desire training on a piece of supported software or a class that we normally offer, we will work with you to arrange a date and time that will work that is convenient for everyone.


Does IT charge for Computer Classes?

All classes offered through IT's Technology Training Program are free for L&C students, staff, faculty and alumni (on a space available basis).


Should I buy a computer?

That is a decision for you to make. While L&C's public computing labs are available for your use, some students prefer the convenience and customizability of having their own computer in their room. This is especially pertinent during times when the labs are in high demand, such as midterms and finals.


I am interested in buying a new computer. Where should I go?

The Computer Store is a good place to start to get an idea of what's available and pricing with educational discounts. These prices are usually better than those available through other sources.


Does LC have guidelines or recommendations for computer configurations?

Yes. See the Computer Store Website for help with selecting a new computer.


How do I connect my computer in my residence hall?

There are two components to connecting your computer to the residence hall network, PIO-NET.

The first is the physical connection. You have hopefully already received information based the residence hall in which you will be living specifying what you need for the physical connection. These specifications can also be found on our PIO-NET Webpage. If you do not already have the necessary Ethernet card, you can purchase them through our Computer Purchase Program. To learn the steps for connecting once you have the necessary hardware, you will need a step-by-step helpsheet which will specify the process.

Once you have established the connection to PIO-NET, you will need to obtain the necessary software to take advantage of your connection. All this software can be found on the PIO-NET Installer CD-ROM. On this CD, you will find installers for Netscape, e-mail clients, Telnet clients and more. You will also have the opportunity to install the Novell Network software which will allow you to use the public lab printers from your room. If you don't already have it, you can obtain your CD ROM by visiting the main IT office on the first floor of Watzek library.


I want to use Internet software that is not supported by IT. How do I configure it?
If you wish to use Internet software that is not on IT's supported software list and are willing to configure it yourself, our PIO-NET page has the network specific information you will need.


What software do you support at L&C?

See our supported software list.


Where do I get e-mail software for my computer?

At the IT Help Desk in the Watzek Library or from the Software Server.


Do you repair computer equipment?

Possibly. Please see our Personal Computer Repair policy for specifics.


I need to recover several files I deleted from a central server. Who do I call?

Call the Information Technology Help Desk at x7225. If we operate the server, we will do our best to recover the files.


The answer to my question is not here. How do I request help from Information Technology?

Please see our Help Web page. For non-emergency help, you can also complete our online service request.


Can I work for IT?
Possibly. Information Technology is always looking for a few good students. Your chances increase if you have a federal workstudy award since that is where most of our funding lies. You will also be more successful if you apply sooner rather than later. We try to complete our student scheduling at the beginning of each semester. To learn more about the available positions and to get an application, stop by the Information Technology office on the first floor of Watzek Library


Where can I print my paper on campus?

See our computer labs page.


Where can I print in color on campus?

See our computer labs page.


How much can I print in the Computer Labs on the Main Campus?

Each student is allowed 250 sheets of paper free of charge each semester. Students who need to print more than 250 sheets of paper during the semester, can purchase additional printing credits in allotments of 50 from either the Cashier's Office in Templeton or the Computer Showroom in the Watzek Libray during business hours. Additional pages can only be purchased during business hours, so plan accordingly.

One way to maximize your printing allotment is to print on both sides of the paper, also called duplex printing. This is available in the Dubach and Watzek labs.
 


Can I borrow equipment such as digital cameras?

Yes. IT loans equipment through our Instructional Media Services (IMS) front desk. Please review loaner guidelines. Take a look at the online reservation form to see what equipment is available.


Can I borrow a laptop computer?

Laptop computers can only be checked out by faculty and staff. Please see our Laptop Loaner Pool guidelines for more details.


How can I create and publish a web site?

You can create a personal web site in your UNIX account on our server. For help getting started, visit our Web Publishing at Lewis & Clark College helpsheet. Other helpsheets on using HTML and the Dreamweaver web editor are also available.


Where can I learn HTML?

IT offers several HTML and web oriented classes each semester. You can also learn HTML at your own pace using our Computer Based Training program. For details, see the Training Website.


How do I create a web site for my student group?

You must have an e-mail/UNIX account for your group. If your group already has an e-mail account, you simply need to create your web directory in that account and start to create your web pages. For help getting started, visit our Web Publishing at Lewis & Clark College helpsheet. Other helpsheets on using HTML and the Dreamweaver web editor are also available.

If you do not have a UNIX account, your sponsor can complete a Departmental Account request form available from the Main IT office on the first floor of the Watzek Library. Once submitted, it will take a working day to process the request.


I want my class to be able to communicate electronically - can I have a mailing list created?


Every class in the undergraduate, graduate and law course schedules has access to automatically generated e-mail lists for that class. For those of you that are unfamiliar with e-mail lists (also called listservs), lists allow you to send e-mail to a single e-mail address and to have that message automatically resent to all of the members of the list. For more information click here.

Each of the lists adheres to the following naming scheme: term-subject-number-section@lclark.edu

for example:
99FA-econ-100-01@lclark.edu
00GS-edad-500-03@lclark.edu
00UL-law-100-a@lclark.edu

where:
term = Term of the course. It consists of the last 2 digits of the year followed by the 2 letter semester abbreviation.

These look like: 99FA (for Fall, 1999, under grad), 00GS (for Spring, 2000, Grad School) and 00UL (for Summer,2000, Law School).

The semester abbreviations are as follows:

SEMESTER

UNDER GRAD

GRAD

LAW

Fall

FA

GF

FL

Spring

SP

GS

SL

Summer

SU

GU

UL

subject = The course subject as it appears in the catalog.
bio (under grad biology), ed (grad education), econ (under grad economics), edam (grad educational administration) or law (for all law courses).

number = The course number.
section = The course section.

If you are unclear as to the section number (or any other part of the address), please check with your departmental secretary or your registrar.

An e-mail message sent to any of these lists will be automatically forwarded to every member of the list (students and the faculty member). Currently only Lewis & Clark e-mail addresses are used in the creation of the lists.

The lists will be automatically updated every night to reflect any changes in the class roster (adds and drops). The lists will be closed, meaning that the only people that will be able to send a message to a particular list are the faculty member and students that are members of that list (and, hence, members of that particular class). If you are not a member of a class you will not be able to send e-mail to that class list. The lists will also be private, meaning that it will not be possible to obtain a listing of the members of any of the lists (this is being done to protect students privacy rights). Of course, as the instructor you can easily see who is on the list by looking at an up-to-date class roster. You can also see who is on your list and add guests on the lists Web page (http://www.lclark.edu/lists).

These lists will be available for you to start using within a few days of registration for a given term. This gives you the flexibility to send e-mail messages to students in a class before the semester actually starts (note that for fall semester courses, new students do not register until just before classes). The lists will also be maintained for up to a year after the end of the semester so that, if you desire, discussions can continue beyond the end of the semester.

The lists for the fall 05 term (05FA and 05FL), are now available for use.


How do I look at my class roster on the web?

To receive authorization to look at your class lists on the web, you must complete FERPA training through the appropriate Registrar's office. If you have received FERPA training you can access your class roster here.


How do I request an e-mail account for my student group?

Your group sponser must complete and sign the Departmental Account request form available from the Main IT office on the first floor of the Watzek Library. Once submitted, it will take a business day to process the request.


How do I get a Colleague/Benefactor account?

Your direct supervisor should contact Information Systems to determine your access needs and the approving offices or individuals. Requests can be submitted via E-Mail to infosys@lclark.edu or in writing to IT - Information Systems, MSC 97. Anyone seeking access to the Administrative ERP (Datatel) system must receive training on FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) guidelines and responsibilities.


I've forgotten my password to get into Colleague/Benefactor? Is it the same one I use for e-mail?

Your Colleague/Benefactor password is maintained separate from your
E-mail/Network password. If you forget your Colleague/Benefactor password, please request a password change via e-mail to infosys@lclark.edu. Information Systems staff will respond within 24 hours of your request.


How can I change my Colleague/Benefactor password?
You can change your password from any Colleague/Benefactor menu by running the 'XCPW' process. You will be prompted for your current password and then your new password (twice for verification).

How do I receive training for Colleague/Benefactor?
Reference and/or procedural documentation is available for most Colleague and Benefactor applications in either electronic or hard-copy formats. Access to online documentation is available via the Information Systems website at http://www.lclark.edu/~infosys/.

Training for basic use of Datatel's User Interface (UI), Query Builder and the UniQuery ad hoc reporting language is provided by Information Systems. Training for use of specific screens and processes is typically provided by the offices that are responsible for maintaining the relevant information (e.g. Registrar, for student records).

Formal application/module training is available directly through Datatel at their training facilities in Fairfax, Virginia, San Francisco, California
and Dallas, Texas. All travel, lodging and meal expenses are borne by the traveller's. Some funds are available through Information Systems to pay for course fees only on a first-come, first-served basic.

Please contact Information Systems at 'infosys@lclark.edu' to arrange for training, resources and other assistance based on your specific needs.


What is FERPA training? Why do I need it?

FERPA is an acronym for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, which is intended to ensure students the right to inspect, review, and control access to their educational records. To receive access to student records, school officials (including work study student personnel) must receive a copy of this policy and remain current regarding any FERPA modifications.
Created by: consult@lclark.edu
Updated: 5 August 2005