I NFORMATION T ECHNOLOGY – FAQ Visit Hofstra University’s Information Technology website for more about campus wide computing services (http://www.hofstra.edu/about/it/index.html) Account/ Login Information What is my Hofstra Username Network ID/ID Card Number? Your Hofstra network ID is your way of accessing Hofstra resources and services such as the My.Hofstra.edu Portal, wireless network, etc. •
If you have been issued a Hofstra ID card number (beginning with 700# or 701#), have this information ready when contacting the Help Desk at 516-­‐463-­‐7777 to retrieve your User ID. •
If you are new faculty and do not have a Hofstra ID card number or a network ID, please send an email to somfaculty@hofstra.edu, and you will be contacted with this information. If you have your Username/Network ID but have issues logging in with your password, please be sure to activate your account if you haven't already, by visiting http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/it_activate.html. I am having trouble logging in with my Hofstra User ID / Network ID. How do I get my password? •
If you have your Username/Network ID but have issues logging in with your password, please be sure to activate your account if you haven't already, by visiting http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/it_activate.html •
If your account has been activated and you continue to have login issues, try resetting your account password. •
For further assistance with getting your password contact the Help Desk at 516-­‐463-­‐7777. You may also send an email to help@hofstra.edu describing your issue. Note: For security purposes, password reset assistance will only be provided to the account owner. Passwords will not be shared with secretaries or assistants. •
You may visit for walk-­‐in service during office hours. For location and hours visit http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/HelpDesk/index.html I forgot my password, how do I reset it? •
Use the self-­‐help password reset system https://my.hofstra.edu/password/index.jsp which will lead you through each step of the process. Note to Faculty: Do not enter your social security number and your date of birth in the password reset page when prompted. If you are unable to reset your password via the online system: •
Contact the Help Desk at 516-­‐463-­‐7777. You may also send an email to help@hofstra.edu describing your issue. •
You may visit for walk-­‐in service during office hours. For location and hours visit http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/HelpDesk/index.html I can’t login to my Hofstra email (Outlook) or I have forgotten my email password. Email is a hosted solution. Only the Help Desk can assist with resolving technical issues related to email. •
The quickest way to solve ANY and ALL email related issues is to contact the Help Desk at 516-­‐
463-­‐7777. You may also send an email to help@hofstra.edu describing your issue. •
You may visit for walk-­‐in service during office hours. For location and hours visit http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/HelpDesk/index.html Printing I am a student. How can I print from my laptop to the printers in the building and on campus? •
Students using PC or Mac computers can print from the wireless network via PridePrint, which is accessible via the myHofstra Portal. For instructions on how to set up and use PridePrint, visit http://hofstra.edu/prideprint I am a visiting faculty. How can I print from my laptop to the printers in the building and on campus? •
Presently, there is no service available that allows non-­‐students to print from personal laptops to Hofstra campus printers. However, you may use any dedicated public workstation available in the School of Medicine to print documents. Mobile and Wireless How do I access HU Preferred (Wireless Internet) on my laptop or mobile device? •
Please click here for specific directions on how to connect to Hofstra University's wireless network. < http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/itscs/itscs_wireless.html> I do not have a network ID with Hofstra. How do I access wireless while I’m on campus? If you are not an employee of Hofstra, you can use the unsecured Guest Network. •
HU Guest – will require you to register with a valid email address. A confirmation is sent to that email, and you must enter the code received in that email to access the Guest network. How can I add my Hofstra email to my mobile device? Click the following links for instructions on setting up email on your mobile device: Students: http://medicine.hofstra.edu/pdf/library/somlib_mobile_email.pdf Staff/ Faculty: http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/Office365/index.html Computer Hardware/Software Issues My office workstation (desktop PC/Mac) is not working or it won’t turn on. •
For any hardware failure issues, you must call the Help Desk. They will open a ticket for you and dispatch a technician within 72hrs. •
You do not need to be present for them to fix the issue, but it would be ideal if you notify the department secretary so that someone can let the technician into your office in your absence. My computer is slow; I think there is something wrong with it. •
All windows machines slow down if left on continuously for more than a day or so. Restart your computer every night as you prepare to leave. Some machines may take 10-­‐12 minutes to load, so it is HIGHLY recommended that you “RESTART” your computer every night when you are getting ready to leave. That way it is ready for you to log into when you arrive in the morning. •
If the above step does not resolve the issue, contact the Help Desk at 516-­‐463-­‐7777. You may also send an email to help@hofstra.edu describing your issue. •
You may visit for walk-­‐in service during office hours. For location and hours visit http://www.hofstra.edu/About/IT/HelpDesk/index.html Where can I get can help with repairs for my personal (non-­‐Hofstra) computer/mobile devices? The Computer Repair Center provides full repair services to the entire Hofstra community. The Computer Repair Center services computers running Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Linux (hardware only), and Mac OS (10.3 or greater). *Please note that some services are billable. For more information, visit http://www.hofstra.edu/about/it/itscs/index.html Blackboard How do I log in to Blackboard? •
You log in to the portal (www.my.hofstra.edu ) with your network ID / Password. A Blackboard icon appears along the top. Click on it, and you will reach the home page of Blackboard. Your courses will be listed on the right hand side. I am teaching a course but I don’t see it listed on the right hand side in my Blackboard. There are a few options for this: •
Contact the Course Manager for the course if you know who he/she is. The Course Manager can tell you if you are in the course and how to access it, and also add you if you are missing from the course. •
Don’t know the Course Manager? No problem. You can call the Curriculum Support Office at 516-­‐463-­‐7575 and, if all else fails, contact Carol Bates, Director of Curriculum Support, at Carole.Bates@Hofstra.edu. Can’t locate Carole or a Course Manager? Contact Dhanya Madhu, Web Application Architect, via email at Dhanya.Madhu@Hofstra.edu and include your last name, the name of the course you should be in, and any other details related to your problem. I cannot log in to Blackboard. This can happen for a variety of reasons. •
You are a new faculty member, and your application is still in process. In this case there is not much we can do until you have your 700# and / network ID. After you have that, contact Dhanya Madhu, Web Application Architect, at Dhanya.Madhu@Hofstra.edu and a request will be placed, which will take 24-­‐48hrs to complete. You are not a faculty member, but are hired as an administrator or staff member and •
require access to Blackboard, but are not actively “teaching” in any courses. If this is the case, please send your network ID to Dhanya.Madhu@Hofstra.edu. You will be added to the course with permission from the Course Director and Carole Bates, Director of Curriculum Support. I am a Course Director / Faculty and I would like another faculty/staff member to have access to my course. What do I do? Contact the Office of Curriculum Support at 516-­‐463-­‐7575 or by email at: •
Katie.Frey@hofstra.edu (Course Manager), •
Stephen.Butkus@hofstra.edu (Course Manager), •
Gina.C.Kirschenheiter@hofstra.edu (Course Manager), or •
Carole.Bates@hofstra.edu (Director of Curriculum Support). I would like training in Blackboard, whom do I contact? •
Hofstra’s IT department – Faculty Computing Services offers one-­‐on-­‐one training in its support center. •
Contact the Center at FCSHELP@hofstra.edu or call 516-­‐463-­‐6894 to set up an appointment with Instructional Designers who are Blackboard experts. •
If you have a specific question, call the Office of Curriculum Support at 516-­‐463-­‐7575 or Dhanya Madhu at 516-­‐463-­‐7529. I need additional hardware (Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, etc.) for my desktop/laptop in my office. What do I do? •
Dhanya Madhu, Web Application Architect, can make recommendations on what is compatible and best for your needs. The purchase order must be placed through Ralph Madalena, Budget Director, who will obtain necessary approvals and facilitate the purchase. •
As a rule of thumb, any device that has student / patient data must be password protected and encrypted. Software I am student and need specialized software. How can I get this? •
Hofstra University does not provide free licenses to students for specialized software (only what is available in the portal or pre-­‐installed in Open Access labs across campus). •
Students currently have access to the following in the My Apps section of the portal: 1. Microsoft Office (2010 for Windows, 2011 for Mac) 2. SAP7 (Mac and Windows) 3. VirtualBox 4.1 (Mac) 4. PridePrint client •
If you require access to special software for research purposes, discuss the need and rationale with the Office of Student Affairs. I am a faculty member and need access to software for research purposes. Where can I get this? •
Depending on the software that is needed, the university has limited licenses it can provide to faculty for research purposes. For more information, please contact Faculty Computing Services at fcshelp@hofstra.edu, or call 516-­‐463-­‐6894 for assistance. I am an administrator and need specialized software that will assist with the duties associated with my job. Where can I get this? •
All specialized software for administrators are bought through the School of Medicine with department funds. Hofstra University does not purchase software for administrators. Ralph Madalena, Budget Director, can assist in contacting the vendor, negotiating and acquiring a quote, and processing paper work through Hofstra University. I am interested in acquiring a software application for the School of Medicine because I believe it supports a need that does not exist currently. Where do I begin? •
Please contact Nikia Lubin, Assistant Director of Information Services, at 516-­‐463-­‐7558 or via email at Nikia.Lubin@hofstra.edu to discuss the software and possibly setting up an initial demo where the product can be evaluated. •
The Dean’s Office would then be contacted for further input and approval.