Faculty FAQ

What is a PODs ID and why is it important? 

• Binghamton University’s official email ID: e.g., jsuny@binghamton.edu
• Login ID for public and multimedia classroom computers:  jsuny is the login ID. There is a companion password. Terminology is PODs ID and password.
• Login ID for BU wireless network. (SSID: BUWIRELESS)
• Login ID for Blackboard http://blackboard.binghamton.edu
• Login ID for BUbrain http://bubrain.binghamton.edu
• Login ID for SSL VPN: You can use a web browser (IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera) to connect to the campus network from home or on the road. The url is https://ssl.binghamton.edu   The PODs ID and password are used to authenticate to this resource.
• Login ID for off-campus access to Library resources: http://library.binghamton.edu/
• Login ID to print via Pharos in public labs and Information Commons locations
• Login ID for access to personal web space and central login servers (bingsuns, etc.)
• Login to sign up to Campus Emergency Alert System: http://www.suny.edu/launchnyalert/index.cfm
• Login for SUNY Employees Portal: https://www2.sysadm.suny.edu/employeeservices/login/login.cfm
• Login for COEUS grant writing system: http://research.binghamton.edu/RDS/coeus.php

Warning: Your PODs password should be STRONG!

• Not contain the user's account name or parts of the user's full name that exceed two consecutive characters
• Be at least six characters in length
• Contain characters from three of the following four categories:
  • English uppercase characters (A through Z)
  • English lowercase characters (a through z)
  • Base 10 digits (0 through 9)
  • Non-alphabetic characters (for example, !, $, #, %)

What is the BGM Domain? 

Some academic departments have their own shared network resources. Faculty in these departments have another login ID and password that authenticates their access to these resources. It is distinct from the more universal PODs domain.

What is Campus Manager? 

Campus Manager is a network tool that is invoked the first time a person connects a computer to the BU wired network in public places and the wireless network. The client validation tool checks to insure that the operating system has installed the current updates and that an anti-virus package is running and has current software and virus signature updates. When both of these tests are passed, the user provides their PODs ID and password to register that computer on our network. Registration is valid for the entire semester. You will have to register again at the beginning of each semester.

What electronic mail environment is used?  

The principal electronic mail environment is a mail appliance from Mirapoint. All mail directed to a binghamton.edu address goes to this device. Every campus member has a mailbox on this device with a default quota of 50 Mb. If a larger quota is needed, contact the Help Desk to increase it.   Users can access their mailbox using Outlook, Thunderbird, MacMail installed on their personal or office computers. Mirapoint also provides a webmail client (http://webmail.binghamton.edu). Users can forward mail to another mail server if they wish. Your binghamton.edu e-mail address is the official means of communication with campus community members. If you prefer another service (gmail, yahoo, aol, roadrunner), you should set up forwarding.

Some departments utilize the Exchange mail server (BGM account required) instead of the Mirapoint server. Exchange has its own web-based client (use the SSL_VPN to link to access the BGM domain and the web Outlook link is prominent ). A few departments run their own mail servers. We recommend that faculty who use these alternate mail servers set up forwarding from Mirapoint to the appropriate server unless they routinely check both servers.

What accounts and resources does each faculty member have? 

• PODs ID and password
• Binghamton University electronic mail address and mailbox
• Bingsuns login account (includes network storage and personal web space, same userid and password as Pods ID)
• Blackboard access

What other resources are available upon request?

• Login on our statistical and computational research server (cruncher)
• Special departmental or course web space
• Space on our streaming media server (for audio and video resources)
• Special network storage space for large or sensitive data
• Certain software packages: MS Office 2007 Professional for Windows, MS Office Professional 2008 for Macs, Mathematica, Maple, Minitab, McAfee anti-virus, Virex anti-virus.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

How do courses and enrollments get set up in Blackboard? 

All faculty, staff and students are automatically defined as Blackboard users. The PODs ID and password are used to log in. The binghamton.edu email address is associated with each user. This address cannot be changed by the user to some other address. 

Courses in the Registrar’s system that have an Instructor of Record other than “Staff” are automatically defined to Blackboard. This definition usually takes place several months prior to the start of a semester. When an instructor logs in to Blackboard, the courses associated with him/her are found in the My Courses tab. All courses shown here are available to enrolled students by default.

If your courses don’t appear under My Courses when you log in to Blackboard, please check with your department office to make sure that you are listed as the Instructor of record and that you have a PODs ID and a valid BU email address associated with you in the Banner system.

A few days prior to the start of the semester (no more than one week) students will be enrolled in each defined Blackboard course and section. Students are not automatically unenrolled in Blackboard. Faculty should disable students who withdraw after the end of the drop/add period.

How do faculty reserve a POD classroom? 

Computer classrooms in Academic A, Science 2, Science 3, Library North Ground (LNG) and at the UDC can be reserved for individual class meeting or for full semester. For information on facilities see http://its.binghamton.edu/facilities/pods. To make a reservation, contact Denise Hawkins (dhawkins@binghamton.edu). 

How do faculty request installation of software in PODs? 

To find out what software is installed in Pods and where it is installed go to http://its.binghamton.edu/files/software/public/query.pl . To request installation of other software go to http://its.binghamton.edu/software/public-request-form .

What data security practices should every faculty member adopt? 

In this day and age we are all more conscious of the need for information security. There are several policy statements that every faculty member should read and understand:

• Guidelines for Data Security (http://its.binghamton.edu/policies/data-security-guidelines)
• Information Security Policy and Procedure (http://its.binghamton.edu/policies/information-security)
• Privacy Policy (http://its.binghamton.edu/policies/privacy)

A quick rule of thumb should be to refrain from maintaining sensitive data on office/lab desktop computers, personal laptops or portable storage media. It is all too easy to mistakenly share, lose, or have such information stolen. 

How do faculty get computers repaired or software installed?  

The first step for both of these situations is to call the Help Desk at 777-6420 (x76420). Information Technology Services can repair or have repaired most University-owned desktop computers and printers. If parts or outside repair services are required, the department is responsible for these costs. Information Technology Services cannot repair personal equipment. Equipment that is to be repaired should be brought to the Help Desk.

ITS staff may be able to install and configure software you acquire for your office/lab systems. Some software is site licensed (http://its.binghamton.edu/files/software/licensed/request.pl) . You must have legitimate licenses for all software ITS installs on your computer. Call the Help Desk to request this service.

What special classroom resources are available? 

Educational Communications provides several levels of technology in general purpose classrooms. Their web site provides details (http://www.ecc.binghamton.edu/classroom.html)

The Collaboratory in Academic A G05 is a flexible environment room with 25 laptop computers and wireless networking available for use in the room. It also features H.323 based videoconferencing over the internet that can be used for synchronous events with other campuses. Contact Denise Hawkins for details and scheduling requests.