1.  What technology should I bring to campus?  What should I buy?

• Every residence hall room is provided with a high speed network port for each bed, and satellite television service. Freshmen residence hall rooms also have a wall phone with voicemail.
• With computer labs and network laser printers in the union, library, academic buildings, and residence halls, it is easy to find an available computer or printer to use. If you are bringing your own equipment to campus, you will want to review the following: valpo.edu/it/techsvc/recommendations.php
  It's up to you to decide whether you want a more powerful desktop computer or a more portable laptop computer. The IT department doesn’t recommend one over the other – both can successfully connect to our network. If you are curious about specific needs for your major, check with your academic adviser or the department chair.
• It's up to you to decide whether you want to bring your own printer. All computer labs on campus offer laser printers with network print queues. Color printing is available on the first floor of the Christopher Center. You are given a quota of pages each semester to use on the network printers (see below for further information). It is very easy to save your files onto your storage space on the network file server; this allows you to login to any computer on campus and print to the network printers. Some people do appreciate the convenience of having their own printer in their room; remember that you will need to provide your own paper and toner for your personal printer.
• Many students like to take a break from their studies and play video games. Our network is configured to allow gaming consoles to connect to the internet.
• Local phone service is available in residence hall rooms. Instructions are available on how to setup your voice mailbox message. Making a long distance call from a campus phone requires a calling card.

2.  Will I have internet access?  Is there a charge?

• All residence hall rooms have ports which allow you to plug into our high speed network. You will need an ethernet cable with an RJ-45 connector.
• There is no additional charge for using the campus network. The cost of this access is part of your tuition fees.

3.  Is wireless internet access available on campus?

• Free wireless access is available throughout campus in all buildings on campus, as well as some outdoor connectivity in certain areas.

4.  Does Valpo require or provide anti-virus software?

• IT strongly recommends that you obtain and install anti-virus software on your computer. Many good free options (such as AVG, Avast, Avira, Kaspersky, Windows Security Essentials) are available. Valpo does not currently provide anti-virus software to student-owned computers. Setup the program to automatically update virus definitions and scan your computer. Use anti-malware programs (such as Ad-Aware, Malwarebytes, Spybot Search & Destroy, Windows Defender) to protect your computer against malware and spyware.

5.  When do I get my username, password, and email address?  When do I need to start checking email?

• During FOCUS you will receive your ValpoNet login information. At first, your password will be your ID number (found on the front of your OneCard ID) but you can change your password anytime through the Identity Manager system at valpo.edu/it/valponet. For your convenience, you will be able to setup challenge questions in case you forget your password. For additional assistance, please contact the IT Help Desk.
• We partner with Google to provide Google Apps for Education services to Valpo students, including mail, contacts, calendar, docs, and instant messaging. For more information, see valpo.edu/googleapps.
• Since email is an official form of communication, announcements from professors and staff regarding course activities or other official university business may come through email. It is a good idea to check messages regularly.

6.  What if I have trouble with…?

• The IT Help Desk is your first point of contact for any technology related issues or questions you may have. The IT Help Desk can assist with most challenges you may encounter on your personal computer, either Mac or PC. They can solve many different connectivity and software related problems, and can help you get connected with the right people if you are experiencing trouble with campus technology. The IT Help Desk is open 7 days a week during the academic year, and is located on the first floor of the Christopher Center across from Grinders Cyber Café. You can call them at 219.464.5678 or email them at it.helpdesk@valpo.edu. You can also enter your own service ticket at webhelpdesk.valpo.edu.

7.  Are there any discounts available for me to purchase software or equipment?

• Through an arrangement with Bell Technologies, Valparaiso University students, faculty, and staff may purchase software for personal use at a discounted price through Kivuto Solutions. A valid ValpoNet login is required to access the store, located at https://apps.valpo.edu/authentication/kivuto/. The products available through Kivuto are for use on personally-owned equipment only.  Currently Kivuto offers products from Microsoft and Adobe. Once purchased, software cannot be returned and refunds cannot be given. The purchase of one software license of each product is available to each authorized person. For more information, see valpo.edu/it/current/kivuto/.
• Most equipment vendors offer educational discounts to students. The IT department has worked with several vendors to simplify taking advantage of these discounts. You are not required to use these vendors; you may purchase any equipment you prefer. To purchase equipment at a discount, follow the links below to shop online. For more information on discounts, see valpo.edu/it/help/discounts.php.
  • Apple: apple.com/edu/valpo
  • Dell: dell.com/valpo
  • HP Academy: hpdirect.com/academy/valpo
  • Lenovo: lenovo.com/valpo

  8.  Is there cable or satellite TV?  What channels are available?

  • Satellite television is provided to campus residents as a convenience of occupancy by the university. The cost of this service is part of your room & board fees. Valpo receives a customized channel line-up with more than 75 different channels of entertainment, sports, news, local broadcast and educational content. All that is necessary to receive the service is a cable-ready television set and a coaxial cable to connect the television to the outlet in the wall.
  • To see a complete listing of available channels, go to www.zap2it.com and enter the zip code 46383. Select “Valparaiso University – Cable” at the end of the cable providers for our area to see the Valpo channel listing.

  9.  Will I have to pay for printing? Is wireless printing available?

  • IT uses a system called PaperCut to manage print quotas. Each student is allotted a print quota of $15 each term, which is used when printing in the labs. A single-sided black & white printed document counts as $0.05 against your quota; if you print double-sided, you will get a 20% discount on printing, or $0.04 per side. Color pages count as $0.25 against your quota. Print quotas are reset twice annual: once in May after spring classes end, and again in August before Fall classes begin. If you run out of pages, you can purchase additional pages by visiting the Help Desk in the Christopher Center. For more information on quotas, see valpo.edu/it/current/quotas/.
  • By adopting the new PaperCut system, we are now able to offer wireless printing. Students will be able to upload Microsoft Office files and PDF's from any computer to a website and print them to a lab laser printer. For more information, see valpo.edu/it/current/papercut/.

  10.  Are there any student employment opportunities in the IT department?

  • The Office of Information Technology is always looking for talented students to hire in areas like the Help Desk, Tech Support, the OneCard office, and Programming. Current job listings are available at the Financial Aid website.