New Students | Office of Information Technology | SIU

Should I buy a printer?

Individual printers take up space, are expensive to operate and service. Students are encouraged to use SalukiTech Printing to print documents.

Should I buy software? What software is used on campus?

The University provides Office 365 to all students. Office 365 has cloud-based versions of the Microsoft Office suite of tools. These work just like software that resides on your machine, but you will not have access to any of the software if you do not have access to Wi-Fi. On campus or at your home this may be irrelevant. However, if you rely on cloud-based tools on your laptop or tablet, you may lose access to the software when you travel.

Students also receive five FREE downloads of Microsoft Office to load onto personal devices. If you download Office, it resides on your machine and is accessible anywhere, regardless of access to the Internet.

Browsers

Firefox (ESR), Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge browsers are the most commonly used browsers on campus and are supported by SalukiTech. These browsers allow you a wide range of browsing options for various systems.

 

As a new student you will be assigned a Dawg Tag Number and network ID number. Your Dawg Tag number is your campus ID—this is assigned when you are accepted to the University. Your Network ID is the credential that along with a password allows you access to technology systems across campus. You will retain your Dawg Tag and network ID numbers permanently. These numbers provide you with continued access to your SIU student information through SalukiNet even after you leave SIU.

Dawg Tag number

Every new SIU student is assigned a Dawg Tag number; it is not the same as your network ID number.  This is your identification number within campus records. You can find your Dawg Tag number on your student ID, or by using the Dawg Tag lookup page.

Network ID

After you register for classes, you need to claim your network ID. (You will need your Dawg Tag number to do this.) Although your network ID includes your Dawg Tag number (preceded with SIU i.e. SIU85xxxxxxx) they are used in different ways. Your network ID identifies you to technology systems across campus such as SalukiNet, SIUonline (D2L), Computer Learning Center computers, Morris Library computers, and Wi-Fi (wireless networking). If you need help claiming your network ID visit the Network ID Help page or contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or by email at salukitech@siu.edu.

Your SIU email address is assigned to once you have officially enrolled in classes at SIU. SIU email is the University’s official mode of communication and everyone campus is expected to check it regularly. Additionally, there are some features in our technology systems—D2L and SalukiNet—that require an email address to function properly. SIU email addresses are formatted this way: firstname.lastname@siu.edu. If an email address is already taken, a number or middle initial may be added. If you need help with your email address contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or by email at salukitech@siu.edu.

Your student information is private, unless you choose to share it with a parent or other third-party by setting them up as a proxy. Why would you want to give someone proxy rights? So they can do things like pay your bursar bill, add money to your account, or check your grades. You must grant proxy rights individually—to each person who may access your information. This allows you to pick and choose exactly what information each person can access.

Accessing Wi-Fi on campus

SIU uses eduroam as its wireless service on campus. You should find Eduroam (the network name) in your devices’ network set up list. Set up is easy—just enter your SIU network ID and password—you’re connected! One caveat: we recommend that you enter your credentials while on campus, and add siu.edu at the end of your network ID (SIU 85xxxxxxx.siu.edu). If you set up eduroam this way, you can access the eduroam network at thousands of institutions across the country and around the world without having to ask for network access.

Once you set up your devices to access SIU Wi-Fi/eduroam you are theoretically good to go from that point forward.You will need to reenter your credentials if you change your password or on those rare occasions when a device drops your log in information.

Wi-Fi in Campus Housing

If you live in campus housing, you have two Wi-Fi network choices: eduroam and SIU-limited. Together these networks are referred to as RezNet. You should use eduroam to connect to Wi-Fi whenever possible; eduroam is the most accessible, secure, and versatile campus Wi-Fi network. It is possible that you have devices such as gaming consoles, media streaming devices, and network TV that cannot connect to eduroam (do not authenticate using WPA2 Enterprise). For these devices, use the SIU-limited wireless network. Devices connected via SIU-limited will not be able to access SIU campus resources such as D2L/SIUonline, SIU E-mail, and SalukiNet.

Can I use the SIU-Guest Wi-Fi network?

Although you can certainly access “SIU-Guest” Wi-Fi, you will need a password—a password which changes every semester. Using your own credentials is quicker and easier. SIU-Guest is typically reserved for guests of the University, and offers limited access to SIU resources. You can request the SIU-Guest password from SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155.

Wi-Fi outages should be reported to SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu, or to your LAN Administrator. You can also submit a help ticket through the SalukiTech Portal.

Remote access—working off campus

Students with specific needs can access the Campus Area Network while working remotely, but you must request access to SIU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN).

If you need access to a computer, a specific type of computer operating system (Windows or MAC), or specific software, SIU has computer labs and open-access technology spaces across campus. You may be required to show your student ID to use lab equipment; you will need to know your network ID and password to access any University-owned machine.

What if I need access to a computer?

The University has multiple computer labs located across the campus. You may use computers in any of the computer labs across campus as lab hours and availability allow.

Hours vary, but the labs are open during regular business hours, and stay open well into the evening. Most labs offer computers with Windows operating systems, and offer all of the software included in the Windows Business Suite. Some labs offer MAC computers.

Find a computer lab

The Computer Learning Center (CLC) labs are available for student, faculty, and staff use individually or for classes. These labs are located across campus for maximum convenience. You can see a list of these labs on the CLC website.

There are also computer labs on campus that are managed by University colleges and departments. These labs may be more closely aligned with your needs, and may be closer to you. Each college/department determines who can use labs under their management.

Morris Library has excellent open access technology spaces that are available to students any time the Library is open. You do not need to reserve a space—just find an open seat. To actually use a Library computer, you will need to enter your network ID and password.

Morris Library also has a large number of well-equipped rooms that may be reserved for intermittent use by students for University-related use. These rooms are managed by the library; availability depends on previous obligations. To learn more or to request a room, submit the Event Space Application found on Morris Library’s Public Space page. All library computers have Windows Professional Suite installed, as well as common browsers and internet access. Specific, legal software may be installed with prior authorization from the library. The library will work with you to install, test, and confirm application functionality and connectivity prior to the class or event. All extraneous software and participant work is removed immediately after the session. Look on the library spaces page to find the location of the labs.

Lab availability for one-time use group use depends on regular classroom use during the semester. This list of Computer Learning Center labs shows which labs are available, their locations, who to contact, and how to make requests. You may find these additional labs, which are located in and managed by departments, more convenient for you. Requests to have specific software installed should be made when reserving a lab. Software must be approved and legally licensed. Only lab staff may load software to lab machines. List of software available in CLC labs.

How do I log in to a campus computer?

You can login to a campus computer using your network ID (SIU85xxxxxxx) and your password. If you have questions or cannot log in, contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or by email at salukitech@siu.edu.

What if I need access to specific software in a lab?

If your major or a particular class/instructor requires that you use specific, ask which labs run the software. If you cannot determine if or where the software is available, contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu, or enter your question in the SalukiTech Help Portal.

How do I print a document on campus?

Universally accessible printers are maintained across campus by Campus Wide Printing Services (CWPS). These printers are set up to pay-as-you-print, and are primarily for student use. You can queue a print requests 24/7/365 and pick the finished document up on any CWPS printer on campus. Use these printers to print documents up to 11 x 17, in black and white or color. To access a printer from a personal device you must download printing software to your machine, and have a Student ID card with Debit Dawg funds loaded on the card.

How much is printing?

The cost for printing ranges in prices from $0.10 for 8.5 x 11” single sided to $0.75 for 11 x 17” double sided.

Should I buy a printer?

Individual printers are expensive to operate and difficult to service. The Office of Information Technology encourages all students to use SIU’s networked printers while on campus.

How to get an email address

Your email address is automatically assigned to you after register for your first class. The email address is formatted this way: firstname.lastname@siu.edu. If this email address is already taken a number or middle initial may be added.

Where do I access my email?

You can access your email at office.siu.edu. Email is provided for staff via Windows Outlook.

How to get into your email if you are locked out

If you are unable to access your email, contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or by email at salukitech@siu.edu. You can also submit a help ticket using the SalukiTech Portal. If you think your account has been compromised the safest option is to call SalukiTech.

Do I really need email?

Official campus communication, and much of the work and communication coming from your instructors is sent via email. You are not required to check your email, but if you fail to check your email regularly, you may miss critical or timely information sent by the University or your instructors.

SIU has BigDawg, a high-performance computing cluster that is available to supervised students doing research. BigDawg has enormous computational ability, vast memory and storage capacity, and incredible speed. To access the supercomputer, you must be working with a faculty member and complete a simple request form. Once approved, you need to attend a group or individual startup session to learn how to access BigDawg. For more information about BigDawg, contact Research Computing and Cyberinfrastructure at (618) 453-4297 or by email at research-computing@siu.edu.

BigDawg specifications

The BigDawg cyber “cluster” contains 800 CPUs cores and two high performance GPUs (with 2,880 more cores each), and has a theoretical maximum of more than 34 teraflops (one teraFlop is a million million) mathematical calculations per second.

It is your responsibility to back up your work

If you use BigDawg for important work—for example your research—you are required to take responsibility for this work and to make regular backups to the cloud or to an external hard drive.

SalukiNet is a must-use tool for all students. The majority of your student information—classes, scheduling, grades, financial information, bursar transactions, student records, and applications and forms—can be located in and accessed through the SalukiNet portal. If you are unfamiliar with SalukiNet, view this short video. It is important to review this video because it shows new users how to narrow and organize all of the tools that are available through SaulikiNet. If you need additional help, contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or by email at salukitech@siu.edu.

The Human Resources Self Service system (HRSS) allows SIU employees to access online information like pay slips and W-2 forms, and provides the ability to change their employee information. Only employees with a valid network ID and password can access HRSS. Since this is employment information, the Office of Human Resources provides comprehensive information and directions for using HRSS, and can provide you with additional assistance.

Learn how to stay safe online

The University has many security systems in place, but despite our best efforts, we need every member of the campus community to learn how to stay safe online and help maintain a secure virtual environment. The most critical component of online security is YOU. Your knowledge about scams, phishing, and other internet security issues help keep your information safe from malicious hackers.

Avoid scams

Scams and phishing are the most common security threats on campus. To help you avoid scams, the Security team posts a list of current scams. You can also follow our Security feed on Twitter @SIU_InfoSec to receive tweets when the Security team becomes aware of a new scam or security threat.

If you receive what you believe to be a scam email, notify the Security team and forward the email to us. You can also send questions to the team, or get help if you think you have fallen for a scam. If you are worried that you have been scammed, and need help or reassurance contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155.

Is my device protected?

If you are not a technical person, you may not know if your device is safe for malicious intrusion. The SalukiTech Solution Center technicians can evaluate your computer, laptop, or tablet to determine if it is secure. Available services include evaluating devices, checking for and removing viruses and malware, and installing/updating software at a very reasonable price.

Do not use illegal software

Many people download unlicensed software to save money. What you may not realize is that you cannot get “patches” and “updates” for illegal software. These updates help keep your system secure as hackers develop new and more sophisticated techniques. Using unlicensed software is illegal! You cannot load any unlicensed software to University equipment. Moreover, you are strongly advised by OIT Security to use licensed software on your personal devices. SIU offers students access to FREE Microsoft Office tools. Other software may be available to you at a student discount. Check out available software at the SIU OnTheHub website.

SIU and the State of Illinois are serious about minimizing the impact of all waste on our state. The University relies on the Sustainability Office to lead this effort on campus. If you do not know how or where to recycle or dispose of technology waste, you can contact the Sustainability Office at (618) 453-2846 or by email at sustainability@siu.edu. You can also contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or by email at salukitech@siu.edu.

Here are the instructions on recycling or disposing or specific kinds of “tech trash”:

Electronic equipment

Electronic waste (e-waste) should be disposed of properly—it should not be sent to a landfill—which means it cannot go in the trash. All electronic devices and “trash,” except for ink/toner cartridges, should be sent to Surplus Property. Surplus Property will work with the Office of Information Technology to strip them of all data and evaluate their potential re-use on campus. 

Recycling toner cartridges

All used or empty ink/toner cartridges should be labeled USED-RECYCLE and sent to the Sustainability Office through Campus Mail at MC 4418. Cartridges can also be dropped off at the Innovation and Sustainability Hub (first floor of Student Center).

Recycling used paper

There are blue plastic bins located all over campus for recycling used paper. If you have paper that you want to trash—please recycle it rather than put it in the garbage. Any documents with personal information such as social security, driver’s license, and account numbers should be shredded before placing them in a recycling container.

If you need help with technology questions, SalukiTech is the most convenient and quick way to resolve the issue. SalukiTech’s mission is to help with technology issues related to your employment or work at SIU. Nonetheless, they are willing to answer general questions if the question is within their knowledge base and skill set.

How do I report an outage?

Outages should be reported to SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu. You can also submit a help ticket through the SalukiTech Portal.

 

Phone issues should be reported to SIU Telecommunications at (618) 453-2484 or telecomtsr@siu.edu. 

How to access Microsoft Office tools on any device

All SIU students can access Microsoft Office tools from the cloud, on any device that allows you to access your Office 365 email in a browser. Once in your browser, click Office 365 (at the top left of the screen); you will see all of the FREE Microsoft Office tools that are available to you. Click on any tool to use it. What you need to remember is that these tools reside in the cloud and not on your device. If you do not have access to Wi-Fi, you will not have access to the tool—you will not be able to open or work on your file. However, so long as you have been saving your files to your machine, your file is saved to your machine, even if you cannot access the tool.

Students also receive five FREE downloads of Microsoft Office to load onto personal devices. If you down load Office, it resides on your machine and is accessible anywhere, regardless of access to the Internet.

Free Software

SIU provides select software for your educational needs for free. View the complete list of software and submit a request.

Purchasing software at a discount

As a student, you can purchase many software products at a dramatically reduced price through the SIU OnTheHub website. You will need your network ID and password to access the Academic Software Center and purchase products at the discounted rate.

Illegal/Unlicensed software is prohibited on University-equipment

Illegal/unlicensed software cannot be installed on University-owned equipment! Do not install any unlicensed software on a University-owned device! Additionally, OIT, LAN Administrators, lab associates, and service center employees are prohibited from installing illegal software for you—whether on a University-owned or personal device.

Storing your work in the cloud—OneDrive

Theoretically information stored on your desktop or laptop is saved. But…this does not mean that information is secure. What if your desktop computer stops working—the hard-drive simply dies? What about a fire or water damage? What if your laptop is lost, stolen, or damaged? What if you get a virus or your information is held for ransom? All of these things can happen! It is critical that any information that you deem to have value is backed up in a secure location (other than on your device) on a daily or weekly basis. SIU has provided all students with 1TB of storage space on OneDrive

Storing files on OneDrive provides all the space you will need, and provides redundancy in your work. It also gives you convenient access to files when you are off-campus as well as the ability to share files easily with others.

SIU does not recommend or support other cloud storage providers. Any use of cloud storage providers, other than OneDrive is at your own risk and we highly recommend you use multifactor authentication whenever possible. For more information on accessing and using OneDrive contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu.

What is “sensitive” information?

Sensitive information includes personal information and records—like social security numbers, student numbers, driver’s license numbers, passwords, PIN numbers, IDs, grades, health information, and financial information. Be very careful who your share this kind of information with, especially if asked in an email by someone you do not know—this is likely an attempt to steal this information from you. You must be equally careful where and how you store sensitive information. To learn how to protect sensitive information or contact SalukiTech at (618) 453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu.

SIU’s campus alert system notifies you of potentially dangerous situations on campus. Sign up for SIU emergency alerts using these instructions. For general information about SIU emergency situations visit the SIU emergency notification page.

People Finder is SIU’s online directory. Use People Finder to get email contact information for other students. People Finder provides more detailed information, like campus phone number and location, for faculty and staff. You can also find information for campus departments, offices, and units using this tool.

Use the A to Z index to see a list of all departments on campus, and to link to the home page for that department.

D2L or SIUonline provides you with access to course content, an assignment dropbox, quizzes, discussions, chat, and other useful features. The Center for Teaching Excellence provides support and assistance for SIUonline. You can contact CTE at (618) 453-2258 or by email at teach@siu.edu. Log into SIUonline here.

Degree Works helps you plan and manage your courses so you can graduate on time. Before attending SIU you can start planning and look at your college career path—what courses are in your major, when you need to take them, and any options that might be particularly interesting to you. As a student, you can look at the classes you have taken and see which classes should be taken next—you can also see when classes that you must have are offered, so you don’t miss an upcoming opportunity to enroll in a required class. And, Degree Works can help you understand what happens if you change your major—what new courses will be required of you, and how this change impacts your graduation date. With Degree Works, you can do all of this online, yourself, but you should also consult with an advisor to verify what you learn as you plan or make changes.

HireTouch allows you to enter your application for student employments online. If you want to apply for a job, ask your department for access to HireTouch.

Can I reserve a technology space to work on a group project?

Morris Library is a technology-rich building. There are countless spaces throughout the Library for collaborative work. You don’t need to reserve the space—just find one large enough for your group and take a seat. Mediascapes are available on almost every floor; these spaces seat up to eight people, have one or two video screens, and provide power and connectivity for all participants. There are also smaller venues that have the same technology equipment, just fewer seats.

What if I need a technology space for a presentation?

Morris library has a large number of well-equipped rooms that may be reserved for intermittent use. These rooms are managed by the library; availability depends on previous obligations. To learn more or request a room, submit the Event Space Application found on Morris Library’s Public Space page. All library computers have Windows Professional Suite installed, as well as common browsers and internet access. Specific, legal software may be installed with prior authorization from the library. The library will work with you to install, test, and confirm application functionality and connectivity prior to the class or event. All extraneous software and participant work is removed immediately after the session. Look on the library spaces page to find the location of the labs.

We have many technology tools to promote online collaboration including Microsoft Teams, Office 365 and Desire2Learn (D2L).

Get involved and join a technology organization for students. Find out more from the computer science department.

If you are interested in and comfortable with technology, we encourage you to explore what it takes to be part of our team. Some areas of OIT require technical knowledge, others require people skills, but each of our areas has a unique way of making technology easy, understandable, and accessible for the SIU community.

Thoughtful policies and comprehensive procedures ensure that technology is and remains reliable and secure. We encourage you to review these policies. All students, faculty, staff, and university affiliates are required to follow these policies and procedures.