Online Orientation Script – Information Technology Intro: Hello, my name is Melvin Fenner. I am the Director of Technology Support Services within the Office of Information Technology at Winston Salem State University. I will briefly explain some of the technology available to you at WSSU, as well as how to safely navigate your way through the digital world called technology. Slide 2: Today we will discuss what: 





Blackboard is and how to login how to find your email address what features are available within your Microsoft 365 email account how to safely use your email account and other campus technology how to get free or extremely reduced software who to call when a technical issues arises So let’s dive in… Slide 3: Blackboard is a web‐based tool used for conducting technology‐enhanced teaching. Essentially, blackboard is your classroom or an extension of your classroom. This tool allows instructors and students to interact online through discussions, quizzes, tests, and more. Slide 4: To access your Blackboard account, navigate in your web browser to https://blackboard.wssu.edu. Login using your username which is the first half of your university email address and your Banner ID as your password. We provide 24/7 technical support for Blackboard because we understand that 2am might be the best time you can complete an assignment. The number to call is 1‐877‐730‐6238. Slide 5: Email is the primary form of communication at WSSU. To find your email address, navigate your web browser to the WSSU home page by going to www.wssu.edu, then click on Current Students at the top of the page. Next click on Banner Rams Online under the Technology @ WSSU tab. Click Enter Secure Area and login using your Banner ID and PIN number. Click Personal Information. Then click View Email Addresses. You will then see your University Assigned email address. Check this email address often as you will receive campus notifications and blackboard messages at this email address. Slide 6: Now that you know what your email address is, let’s talk a little bit about what your email account provides. Student email accounts are hosted by Microsoft through the Office 365 program. Your account is equipped with 10GB of mailbox storage, Microsoft Web Apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, as well as a 15GB OneDrive for cloud storage of all your important documents. Most of your schoolwork will be electronic. OneDrive offers a safe, reliable, and mobile‐friendly way to keep up with this work. Slide 7: To login to your email account, open a web browser and navigate to outlook.com/rams.wssu.edu. Type your full university email address and Banner ID as your password. Slide 8: To maintain a safe technology environment, we strongly advise that you do not share your password with anyone. Additionally, the Office of Information Technology will never ask for your password. Slide 9: As technology grows, so do the scammers. A very popular scam is called Phishing. Simply put, it’s an attempt to acquire your sensitive information by throwing out bait such as phony emails stating that your email box is full or that you need to accept a student loan. These emails will often come from illegitimate email addresses that have no relation to the University. Any time you receive a suspicious email, please forward it to spamincidents@wssu.edu. Slide 10‐11: Other ways to safely use the technology we provide at WSSU is to avoid illegally downloading music and movies while on campus. It is against the Acceptable use policy and can lead to hefty fines from government agencies such as the FBI. Slide 12‐13: As a student at WSSU, we provide many software packages for reduced prices or free. However, we do ask that your laptop or desktop meet these minimum requirements to ensure the best user experience. Any laptop or desktop purchased within the last 2‐3 years will likely meet these very basic requirements. Slide 14: So what software titles do we offer students? WSSU provides access to RAMware, our Online Academic Software Store. In the online store, we provide many Microsoft titles absolutely free, including Office 2013 or Office 2011 for Mac, Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, as well as Microsoft Project and Microsoft Visio. We also provide McAfee Enterprise Antivirus Protection free of charge. More advanced applications such as IBM SPSS Statistics and Wolfram Mathematica are available at over 90% off retail value. Slide 15: I certainly hope this information was useful. If you need additional technical assistance or have any technology related questions, here is our contact information. For Blackboard related issues, you can call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1‐877‐730‐6238. For all other technical issues, you can call us at 336‐750‐3431 Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm. If you are ever on campus, feel free to stop by our Technology Support Center. We are located in the Student Success Center at Hill Hall, room 119. Our doors are open for students Monday – Thursday, 8:30am – 4pm. Outro: Again, my name is Melvin Fenner, Director of Technology Support Services, and I wish you the best of luck with your educational journey here at Winston‐Salem State University!