Staff guide to Computer Services
This document is aimed specifically at teaching and non-teaching staff using Computer Services systems, office desktop PCs and pooled computer rooms.
You will find many references throughout this guide to the Computer Services web site at www.brookes.ac.uk/computerservices
Two other guides which are particularly useful to staff are:
Who does What in Computer Services, which is a handy A-Z list of services, contacts and telephone numbers for staff. It’s available on the Computer Services web pages;
The
Student Guide to Computer Services, which gives a
useful, general introduction to all the facilities, where
they are and what they can do. Pick up a copy from one of
the IT Service Desks or visit our web pages.
Who are we?
Computer Services is made up of many different support teams. Our role is to manage the University's computer facilities to meet the needs of courses, administration, research, and staff and students generally. We are part of the Learning Resources directorate which also includes the Library.
Making IT work
Effective support is a two-way process. To get the best out your IT support services you need to know about us and we need to know about you (or rather, your PC).
Getting to know your computer
Your computer might operate as a “standalone” PC, without any networking capabilities. Or you might be able to use it to connect to any combination of the following networked facilities:
| the Brookes PC Network |
this is the academic service which serves the pooled room PCs as well as academic desktop users |
| the central mail and web servers |
all staff and students have access to the Brookes mail service and the internet |
| your school network |
only available to members of your particular school |
| the central Unix host (cs3) |
carries a range of specialist Unix software |
| the CIS systems |
administration systems (e.g. Finance, Academic and Student Affairs) |
If you’re unsure what your computer can do, then your
IT support staff (next page) will be able to tell you about
your PC and, where possible, configure it to connect to the
relevant systems.
Getting to know your support services
IT support is provided by school/directorate IT support staff as well as Computer Services staff. If you are new to Brookes, find out if your school or directorate has an assigned member or members of staff. And make friends with them! They are the first port of call for most enquiries.
The Who does What in Computer Services
guide gives a detailed breakdown of the areas of support and
names of people who can support you. You can find it on our
web pages
Computer Services is made up of a number of teams offering
a wide range of IT support. Here’s where to begin:
| Need Help? |
Contact |
| Academic schools (networking, computer problems/set-ups) |
Academic Computing Officers (ACOs) |
| Non-teaching departments (networking, computer problems/set-ups) |
Workgroup Systems |
| Finance, CSMS (see below), Personnel and Accommodation systems |
Corporate Information Systems (CIS) |
| General enquiries (pooled PC rooms, software), graphics and VLE support |
IT Help Desks, Graphics Workshop and Media Workshop |
| Purchase of computer consumables, laptop hire. |
Computer Services Centre |
| Hardware problems, hardware purchases |
Computer Services Centre |
| Staff training |
Computer Services Centre |
Help us to help you
- It's usually best to email non-urgent requests to your
IT staff. If you are planning changes, then let the support
staff know well in advance so they can plan their time accordingly.
- Giving the support teams as much information as possible
about your computer equipment will help them to deal efficiently
with your enquiry. Be familiar with the make of the equipment
and whether you are connected to a departmental network,
the Brookes PC network, or neither.
- If you need help with a software package, give its name
and version number, and any relevant error messages.
- If you are purchasing computer equipment or software,
ask for advice to make sure that that the items are compatible
with our systems and appropriate for the task.
- Although the central file stores are backed up, it might
not always possible to retrieve your data so we recommend
you make your own regular backups of important work (but
be aware of the university’s policies on data security).
- Don't forget that the IT Service Desks are not just for students.
They are familiar with many of the popular applications
used in the pooled computer rooms.
Tell us what you think
We try our best to get things right but problems and difficulties can arise so we welcome your comments or suggestions on how to improve the service we provide. You can do this online via the Suggestions Box on our web pages or by emailing servicedesk@brookes.ac.uk
Training
Short courses covering some of the major applications are available to staff, researchers and postgraduate students. Courses are run all year.
Details are available on our web pages and application forms are available from the Computer Services Centre and the libraries or the following web page only accessible within Brookes. See www2.brookes.ac.uk/services/cs/training/trainhm.html
Staff can study the European Computer Driving Licence®
(ECDL) the European-wide qualification which enables people
to demonstrate their competence in computer skills.
Both the ECDL and ECDL Advanced programmes are available.
| Training on the CIS systems is usually provided by the relevant department, e.g. Finance, Academic and Student Affairs. |
Online help
Don’t forget that most software applications provide their own online help – a quick check might save you valuable time.
Documentation
There's plenty of documentation to help staff and students to make the best use of the computer facilities at Brookes. The Information Office provides over 100 documents on the PC and Unix systems and the major software applications. Some of the documents are available from the racks outside the IT Service Desk and all of them are available online via the Computer Services web pages.
The free guides are designed to take users through their first steps of using computers and networks, from logging on, to getting started with an application and then to more technical procedures. Although many of the documents refer to the pooled room network, much of the information is useful to the desktop user, whether using a networked or standalone PC.
A range of self-teach workbooks and more in-depth guides are on sale at the Computer Services Centre and the libraries.
A large number of programs are also
installed by schools for their own teaching purposes and for
which they provide documentation.
Graphics Workshop
The Graphics Workshop provides a range
of facilities for staff and students with specialist requirements,
e.g. digital video editing, 3D modelling, image creation &
editing, vector & web graphics, animation, multimedia
and desktop publishing, CAD visualisation software, high resolution
scanning up to A3 format and slide scanning, as well as access
to Computer Services colour printing.
The workshop is located on the first floor of the Media Centre
building on the Gipsy Lane Campus and is open Monday to Friday
from 9am to 5pm (please note it is closed for lunch between
1pm and 2pm in vacation). If you wish you can book your session
in advance: just telephone ext 4474. For more information
see www.brookes.ac.uk/graphics
Brookes Virtual - online learning environment
A key component of e-learning at Brookes is Brookes Virtual, the University's integrated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), currently powered by Blackboard and associated technologies.
Brookes Virtual is accessed using a standard internet browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari) and is available both on and off campus. Online help and documentation can be found at:
https://mw.brookes.ac.uk/display/ce6/Home
Where to find information
On-Line
Every month in semester we publish On-Line, a staff news bulletin which provides information on changes, forthcoming developments, best practice guidelines, tips and tricks. It is emailed in text format to those staff who request it. If you would like to receive the fortnightly issue, simply subscribe to the On-Line subscription list. To do this, send an email to majordomo@brookes.ac.uk and type the following in the body of the message: subscribe on_line. Do not add any other text or signature. If you have any problems with this, please email servicedesk@brookes.ac.uk
Message of the Day
Services news including planned system interruptions are given in the Message of the Day which appears on the pooled room PCs. You can also view it (and bookmark it!) on the Computer Services web pages.
Computer Services web pages
The Computer Services web pages contain a wealth of useful
information and online documentation - they might just save
you a call to the IT Service Desks.
To find them go to: www.brookes.ac.uk/computerservices
Here are a few links:
| Over 100 documents produced by Computer Services are available on-line. Included are: Getting started with Thunderbird Mail and How to access your files off-campus. |
|
| Information regarding malicious software and how to combat it. |
|
| All the On-Line news bulletins collected together in one place. |
|
See Google@Brookes email documentation |
|
| Excellent prices on hardware and consumables as well as educational discounts on software and information about software licence agreements operating within the university. |
Computer facilities
Wireless (Eduroam)
Wireless connectivity is available across the Brookes campuses with ongoing deployment extending the coverage. The service is available to all Brookes staff and students (registration required) and is available free of charge. Authorised visitors (and members of other universities who are registered with their home site's Eduroam service) can also use the service. See www.brookes.ac.uk/wireless for more information.
Out-of-hours service
Many Computer Services staff are available
outside the normal working hours during term.
On weekdays during semester, the Gipsy Lane IT Service Desk is open until 8pm, the Computer Services Centre is open until 5.30pm and Operations until 9pm.
If you are teaching in the evenings, you should ensure you have a list of the contact numbers. Refer to the Who does What in Computer Services guide. This also gives details of the services that are available during vacations.
“At risk” times
System maintenance is required to ensure
the smooth and secure running of the services. To help with
this we have set aside At Risk periods when such work can
be carried out. These are 7am-1pm on the second and fourth
Wednesdays of each month for Windows-based systems and the
second and fourth Tuesdays of each month for all other systems.
On approximately one day per year for each server, this period
will be extended and may involve the whole day in order to
accommodate full operating system upgrades. Please be aware
of this if you are planning vacation projects or courses that
require IT facilities.
Critical operating system or application updates which are
essential for security or data integrity may be carried out
immediately and outside an at risk period if the software
supplier indicates that this is essential. Exact details will
normally be publicised in the system Message
of the Day.
For more details, see the system maintenance calendar and
policy which are published on our web pages.
Malware & Virus vigilance
Be aware of the origin of any disks
you are using. The University uses Sophos anti-virus software;
seek advice from your support staff for details of how to
install it on your office PC. (Pooled room computers and staff
desktop computers which are maintained by Computer Services,
are protected by the latest version of Sophos, which is updated
automatically.)
Brookes staff and students can use Sophos anti-virus at home
free of charge. If you have a computer running Windows with
an internet connection you can obtain Sophos AutoUpdate from
http://sophos.brookes.ac.uk along with instructions for its
use. Sophos AutoUpdate takes care of downloading and installing
Sophos anti-virus and ensures that it is kept up to date by
periodically downloading files as required.
If you think you have received a virus or a virus alert appears
on your PC, seek assistance from your IT support staff.
Beware of opening any emails
or file attachments from unknown sources (especially attachments
with a double extension e.g. file1.scr.exe) and be suspicious
of hoaxes such as “send to everyone in your address
book”. You can check the validity of such emails by
going to the Sophos hoax site and searching for a key word.
Also, be aware of ‘phishing’ emails. These are
the ones which appear to emanate from your bank or such like
and ask you for your password or card details but which are
in fact, fraudulent. You can also set up filters for messages
which have been identified as virus threats by the central
email system (see Setting up spam filters, below).
One further type of software to look out for is Spyware. This
can sit on your computer and track your actions and send such
information to an external site. Sometimes this is for advertising
purposes and sometimes it’s for something more devious.
We find that people install it accidentally from the internet,
on the way to getting something else. See the Computer Services
documentation page for the guide How to Deal with Spyware.
The Internet
The University is connected to the internet
by a fast SuperJANET link. You have access to World Wide Web
browsers and to other tools for using the news, information
and communications services of the internet.
Use of the internet can incur charges to the University from
its Internet Service Provider. Users may be held personally
liable for any costs arising from excessive use of the internet.
Excessive in this context means use that bears no relation
to his or her position (e.g. as student or staff) within the
University.
Google@Brookes Mail is a web based email system powered by Google and used for accessing Oxford Brookes University email. Its main function is to provide simple and fast access to email for Brookes offering the same interface on any computer, including off-campus access. All you need is a connection to the Internet and a web browser; no configuration is necessary.
Every member of staff is automatically given a university email account, eg. (p0012345@brookes.ac.uk). For more details see: www.brookes.ac.uk/go/google
Policy on staff use of email
The following policy has been approved
by the Learning Resources Committee. Further information,
copies of the relevant regulations, and copies of a newsletter
from the University’s solicitors covering these issues
can be obtained from the Head of IT Services. The newsletter
discusses the implications of a court case in which WPA sued
Norwich Union for libel committed by email by their staff.
There was a substantial out-of-court settlement.
1. All staff must understand the legal status of email messages
whether sent internally or externally. Email messages can
form legally binding contracts and can have the same status
as paper documents.
2. Email systems are not the most secure means of communication.
Do not send information that is particularly sensitive.
3. Do not send copyright material without permission.
4. Use of email for personal rather than work-related purposes
is allowed but only subject to the above and to the University’s
regulations on the use of IT facilities within the University.
Information security details can be found at: www.brookes.ac.uk/infosec
The Online Telephone Directory
To access the University's internal
telephone directory go to: https://kmis.brookes.ac.uk/csms/wtel_dir.query?
You can log in and use this system from outside Brookes.
Equipment hire
Staff and students are able to hire laptops at competitive rates from the Computer Services Centre. See our web pages: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/cs/about_us/cscentre.html
Home directories
Staff and students have access to a
central file store and all the PC Network applications are
set to use this. This is called your home directory
and in the pooled rooms it is located on the networked H:
drive. Where possible, it is backed up every night. Academic
staff desktops can also be set up to connect to this - see
your IT staff. The default quota is currently 100MB for staff
and 50MB for students.
It is possible for staff and students to access their home
directory from outside the University. See the How to
access your files off-campus guide on our web pages.
Account amendments
Staff can make changes to their computer
accounts (change personal quota, sign up for a different system),
by completing an Account Amendment form available from the Forms page or Computer
Services Centre or the IT Service Desks at Wheatley and Harcourt
Hill. Teaching staff can also request extra quota for their
courses as well as group registration for the Unix services.
Individual students can also request changes to their personal
quota as long as the Account Amendment form is completed by
their tutors.
Regulation and guidelines
The regulation and guidelines for the
use of the IT facilities at Brookes are published in the Student
Guide to Computer Services and on the Computer Services
web pages, and apply to all staff as well
as students. Misuse of the facilities can lead to disciplinary
action. The guidelines can be found at: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/cs/about_us/rules.html
Your networked facilities are protected by your password.
You are responsible for your computer account so please ensure
that you keep your passwords secure and change them regularly.
eCSIS & PIP
The electronic Course and Student Information System (eCSIS) is useful to anyone who needs to find out information on students, applicants or courses. It is of benefit to a wide range of staff such as Field Chairs, Admissions Tutors, Administrators and Personal Tutors. eCSIS can provide a multitude of information. You can look up individual applicant details (e.g. offer made, course applied for and address) or student details (e.g. current stage of course, enrolment status, address and student programme).
You can produce reports, usually both on screen and on paper, for groups of students or applicants, (e.g. all applicants or students on a particular field, course or module). Information in eCSIS can also be viewed via the University's 'Staff & Students' web pages. Your Personal Information Portal (PIP) lets you look at your own personal details such as salary, address details, training courses attended and your absence record.
Where applicable, you can view your personal tutees and any course, module or field responsibilities, search on and view room bookings, and view statistics.
| The hardware is looked after by Computer Services but access and training are dealt with by the Academic Management Office & Systems Office (Directorate of Academic and Student Affairs). |
Who to contact in Academic and Student Affairs
- If you've forgotten your eCSIS password please call Data Services on ext 3372.
- If you want access to or training for eCSIS or PIP contact Sebastian Bertram (ext 4074 ).
- If you have a problem using eCSIS contact Jennifer Hollis (ext 3078).
- If you have a problem using PIP contact Neil Mcconaghy (ext 4072).
Software installation and licensing
Offices
The University has entered into a number of software licensing agreements. Details of these are given on the Computer Services web pages. Your IT support staff will also be able to advise you.
PC Network
If you wish to purchase software to use on the PC Network, please discuss your requirements with us and allow plenty of time for its installation and testing. In the first instance, contact Ruth Ross on ext 3310.
Installation of data files (U: drive)
Teaching staff can install data files
(course notes, lecture material, and assignment details) from
their own desktop PC on to the U: drive on the PC Network
which appears as the Data folder on the desktop. Students
are then able to access the files from any pooled room or
home PC (but they cannot store their own files there; they
must use their own home directory for that).
The application form for write access is on our web pages
and available from the Computer Services Centre. The folder
is accessible off-site (although staff can only delete or
edit data when they are on-site); see the guide,
How to access files off-campus on our web pages.
.
Buying and disposing of equipment
Purchasing
Schools and directorates purchase their own computer equipment so if you need to change or add to your equipment you should to talk to your line manager. IT support staff are on hand to offer advice. The Computer Services web pages carry details of equipment that is available for personal purchase (most with educational discounts) as well as a wide range of hardware peripherals
Recycling
The following facilities are available:
• Brookes computers, printers, scanners
- contact Campus Services (ext 3060).
• Toner cartridges - send to Stores
(Gipsy Lane campus).
• CDs/DVDs - send to Harriet Waters,
Gatehouse, Headington Hill campus.
• Personal home computers - you can
take your personal computer equipment to Redbridge Recycling
Centre in Oxford.
For further details see the Environment web pages:
Staff computer accounts and passwords
The following table shows the various computer accounts that exist for Brookes staff. Your line manager will be able to advise which accounts you will need to use. Note that the information is accurate at the time of printing, but is subject to change. Note: by default the initial email, brookesf and portal passwords are all set to be the same.
| Computer Account |
What is it? |
How do I get an account? |
|
BrookesF
|
Provides access to the central academic network from staff desktop PCs, as well as breakfast bar and pooled computer room PCs. |
Automatic |
|
| |
All staff (and students) have their own email account. |
Automatic |
|
Portal Password for :
|
Brookes Virtual is the University's online learning environment. PIP, the Personal Information Portal on the web, allows staff to see their personal details, room bookings information and intranet pages from off site. In addition, teaching and administration staff can use PIP to access their students' details once permission has been granted. Athens is a security system which controls access to most (but not all) of the Library's electronic resources. |
Automatic account on standard PIP plus automatic access to intranet pages and Athens. For access to Brookes Virtual design and web-based eCSIS information via PIP (Academic users), contact Academic & Student Affairs Systems Office ext: 4074 |
Note if you are an existing member of staff using PIP for the first time, it’s likely that your password will be the same as your email password. |
cs3 |
This is the Unix host which provides access to GIS and the academic (not Corporate) Oracle software and allows staff to transfer web pages on to the University's corporate web server (once permission has been granted). |
Account Amendment Form from the Computer Services Centre and WC/HHC IT Service Desks |
|
MIS1 (CISApp1)
Cedar |
Provides access to the Personnel and Accommodation systems and character-based eCSIS (using Putty). (Corporate users) Provides access to the Cedar financial system. |
For Putty access to eCSIS, contact Academic & Student Affairs Systems Office ext: 4074 For the other systems, contact Data Services ext: 3372 |
|
BrookesMIS |
Provides access to departmental shared directories. |
Data Services ext: 3372 |
|
School |
Some schools run their own computer network. |
For information on obtaining an account and password contact your school IT staff |
|
* a supporting letter of authorisation by the line manager, together with personal proof, is acceptable in place of a staff card.
Staff passwords
The list on the previous page might appear quite bewildering.
However, what is important is that on the central computer
systems it is likely that your portal password
is the one that will normally give you access to most systems.
To obtain this you will need to visit the Computer Services Centre
or one of the libraries and present your Brookes staff ID
card or your contract or letter from your line manager with
additional photographic proof. As shown in the table, you
are given access to email, the portal facilities and the academic
pooled computer room service (BrookesF).
Restricted systems such as some of the CIS ones require authorisation
from your school or directorate. See www2.brookes.ac.uk/admin/MIS
Since you will probably have access to a wide range of university
data it’s imperative that you keep your password secure
and safe.
Student passwords
Each new student is given a printout of his or her password at enrolment. It is a set of randomly generated letters and numbers. Students should be able to access their PC, email and PIP accounts immediately. Continuing students will use their existing password. Any students who lose their passwords can obtain replacements from one of several locations: the Computer Services Centre, the Academic Management Office or the library at Gipsy Lane; or the libraries at Wheatley or Harcourt Hill.
Changing passwords
Academic staff and students can use
the ‘Change Passwords’ program on the PC Network,
PIP web pages.
Staff users of the corporate (CIS) systems are forced to change
their password when they log on for the first time.
Passwords must be at least eight characters, and a mixture of letters
and numbers.
Unix accounts
Contact the Computer Services Centre if you want block activation for your students to use the Unix systems.
Logging on
Users must have a valid, active user
account before they can use the computer systems. Staff and
student lists are updated nightly but there are sometimes
problems at the beginning of the term when students have enrolled
too late to be included in the latest list. Beware, that the
Unix systems are case sensitive (e.g. enter p
not P in staff user ids). Passwords for all
systems are case sensitive.
See the document Getting
Online at Brookes to see how to log on in a pooled computer
room.
It is possible to set a password for your desktop PC as well
as setting up passwords for the networked resources. However,
this can cause confusion so we do recommend that you contact
your support staff for advice.
Unable to log on?
Here are some of the most common problems encountered at this stage:
| Has the user joined late? |
Name lists are updated nightly. |
| Is there a problem accessing a restricted system (e.g. cs3)? |
Is the user authorised to use the restricted system? |
| Has the users account been closed or deleted? |
Sometimes, there are financial or disciplinary reasons for withholding access to the computers - ask the Computer Services Centre to verify status. |
| Has the user typed their userid and password correctly? |
Students do not use the p prefix shown on their library cards. |
| Is the Num Lock light on above the number keypad? |
Important to those users typing in numbers using the number keypad. |
Teaching in pooled computer rooms
There are 42 open access computer rooms
across the Gipsy Lane, Wheatley and Harcourt Hill campuses
with additional PCs in the lecture theatres and open foyers.
There are also rooms providing specialist Unix software. Some
schools also have their own networks and PC rooms.
A number of the rooms are open 24-hours. Users with active
accounts can access these rooms by swiping their library card
through a bar code reader at the room or building entrance.
The rooms are used very heavily during term and we would ask
teaching staff to help us maintain the service by encouraging
the students to respect the rules.
Simply Use, Don’t Abuse!
No Drinking, No Eating, No Smoking and No Mobile Phones
in any pooled rooms (bottled water is allowed).
Windows operating systems
All pooled computer rooms run Windows XP. The standardised interface and large collection of software is available at all campuses.
Planning ahead
It is important that you check the room and the software you wish to use well in advance of your teaching sessions and report any problems immediately.
Don’t be surprised if you find
that the networked applications load more slowly than the
same applications on your own computer - there might be several
classes loading the same applications at the same time.
Room bookings
Computer room bookings are not the responsibility of Computer Services. They are managed by the Resources Office (ext 3054).
Your rights
When you are teaching in the pooled rooms you have full discretion over who uses the computers during your booked session. However, please consider the students’ needs to use the computers during busy periods and wherever possible, allow students to use any unoccupied PCs. We recommend that you put a notice on the door for the duration of your session informing students that you are using the room for teaching (but do remember to take it down when you’ve finished!)
Reporting problems/exams
The notice boards are kept up to date and the rooms are checked daily. If you find any hardware problems please note them on the report sheet on the wall or email: pc_faults@brookes.ac.uk. If you are using the room for exams, please tell us in advance so that we can ensure any problems are given priority.
Lecturers’ Helpline
There is a lecturers’ helpline, ext 3399, for staff who are having difficulties whilst teaching in the pooled rooms. Restarting the computer will often clear most problems; if the problem continues, note all the details and call the helpline.
| This is a priority number for staff in pooled rooms and it should not be given to students. |
Printing services
There is quite a choice of printing
options to choose from. The PCs will print to the local black
and white laser printer and to the central colour printers.
You can choose matt and gloss output from A3 to A1, as well
as A4 transparencies (acetates).
Each student is allocated a charge account and an initial
printing allowance. For the current year this is £1,
which is equivalent to over 60 free black and white pages.
Once this is used up, they must pay in advance for their printing.
A black and white A4 sheet costs 5p (8p for double-sided duplex)
and A4 colour costs 15p (25p for duplex).
There is heavy demand for the central printers every semester
from about week 6 so please encourage your students to plan
ahead to allow for any delays. We also recommend that you
encourage them to read the Getting Started with Printing
guide which details many of the printing pitfalls and problems
that can be easily avoided.
Printing by staff through Computer Services is charged back
to their school or directorate. Staff wishing to make private
use of Computer Services printing facilities should pay for
that use by paying into their charge account at the Computer Services
Centre or the libraries.
If you are working from your office you might find that you
have a dedicated printer for your computer, or that you are
attached to a shared office printer or are part of a larger
network. It might not be part of the Computer Services chargeable
system. Your local IT staff will provide guidance.
Important note about saving
Saving in a networked application is different to saving in a non-networked application. This is particularly important to those staff teaching in our pooled room PC network.
| When you are using the networked Windows applications, you should save directly to your home directory and use Windows Explorer to copy to a USB memory sticks or burn the file to a CD/DVD. When you are ejecting a USB stick remember to use the 'Safely Remove Hardware' tool located in the system tray at the bottom of the screen. |
Please alert your students and refer to the document, How to save your work safely.