Information and Educational Technology

IT Express
182 Shields Library
(530) 754-HELP (4357); ithelp@ucdavis.edu; http://scg.ucdavis.edu

Information and Educational Technology (IET) provides computing, communications and digital media services to the campus in support of research and instruction. IET provides the following range of service and support to students.

Computing Help and Information. IT Express, the campus computing help desk, provides assistance with many topics, including Internet software, campus Internet access, and activating and accessing your UC Davis e-mail and computing accounts. A comprehensive source for student computing information, the Student Computing Guide Web site (http://scg.ucdavis.edu), provides campus-related computing and technology news, computer room locations and hours, IT Express hours and much more. Students can also visit the TechNews Web site (http://technews.ucdavis.edu) and sign up to receive a weekly e-mail that includes links to the latest information on computer security, campus wireless and other important service changes and upgrades. MyUCDavis, the campus personalized Web portal (http://my.ucdavis.edu) provides students with access to e-mail, academic information (including grades and class Web sites) and MySpace, a file-storage tool that provides up to 100 MB of storage space for class-related files.

Computer Hardware and Software Needs. Every entering undergraduate student is expected to own a computer that meets certain minimum performance standards and can connect effectively to the Internet. Rather than require a specific system, the campus is stating its expectation in terms of a minimum set of functional requirements. Students should have a computer that will run a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, an e-mail program, an Internet browser and is equipped with a CD-ROM drive; a printer is also recommended. Equipment feature suggestions for desktop and laptop computers are available at http://computerownership.ucdavis.edu. Desktop systems and laptops that meet or exceed the campus recommended specifications can be purchased at competitive prices at the UC Davis Bookstore Computer Shop. Students who are eligible for need-based financial aid can apply for additional funding to pay for these systems through the Financial Aid Office.

Connecting to the Internet. Students living on campus can connect directly to the Internet from their rooms using ResNet, the high-speed residence hall network. Wireless access to the
campus network is also available in many areas on campus, including Shields Library and the Memorial Union; visit http://wireless.ucdavis.edu for more information. Students living off campus need a modem to access the 56K Student Modem Pool.

Campus Computer Rooms. Open-access computer rooms are available on campus for drop-in use and provide access to the Internet and a range of software programs used in UC Davis courses. Many computer classrooms are also available on a drop-in basis when not being used for instruction and two “media” computer labs are available that specialize in the viewing, editing and distribution of various types of media.

Computer Security. Guarding against computer viruses and hacker intrusions has become an important part of campus computing life. The campus IT security group maintains a comprehensive Web site (http://security.ucdavis.edu) that provides information on the latest campus security efforts and helpful instructions on how to prevent a wide range of security issues, including compromised passwords and identity theft.

File-Sharing. Copyright issues surrounding file-sharing and the downloading of music and other digital media are popular topics of discussion at universities nationwide. To help you better understand your rights and responsibilities as a UC Davis student, the Student Computing Guide Web site provides a number of resources on file-sharing; see http://scg.ucdavis.edu/downloading.cfm.