Commuter and Off-Campus Student Questions
If you are having problems accessing our Intranet (https://www3.thomas.edu/intranet), Outlook Web Access (https://outlook.com/owa/thomas.edu), or https://update.thomas.edu from off-campus, please check the following things.
- Make sure you are entering “thomas” (without quotes) for a domain name (if asked) along with your username and password.
- Try typing “yourusername@thomas.edu” (without quotes) instead of just “yourusername” when prompted. [More detail from Microsoft]
- If this is the first time you have tried to log into the Thomas Intranet with your username and password, please note that we require a password change during your initial login. Web browsers don’t support this. You can log into our t18.thomas.edu terminal server instead using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection program. This is in the Accessories, Communications section of Windows 8.1/Windows 10.
- Make sure you have a valid username and password.
- Make sure your password has not expired by logging in using remote desktop and changing your password, if prompted.
- Make sure you are entering the items in all lower case.
- Make sure your web browser security is set to medium (not high).
- If using Internet Explorer, you should NOT have thomas.edu Intranet sites defined
1. Go to “Tools” (or View on older versions), “Intranet Options”
2. Choose the “security” tab
3. Change the zone to “local Intranet zone”
4. Click on “add sites”, then “advanced”
5. Make sure there are no sites listed here
6. Choose OK - If none of the above steps works, please try another web browser.
IT Services – Student Services Offered
Labs, Clusters, and Sign-outs
Five labs are available to all students in classrooms AD-126, AD-225, AL-116, AL-204 and the library. Workstation clusters are available in the various locations and res. halls around campus. The labs are staffed by Services Desk support staff when open. Residence hall clusters and a section of the library are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The library has several dozen notebooks and tablets available for sign-out.
Accounts
Each student receives a Windows/Network computer account ID (username) and password giving them e-mail, individual storage space, a Moodle account for online classes, an Imagine account for course-related Microsoft software downloads, a Google Apps account for e-portfolios and a Microsoft Office365 account.
Internet and Internet2 Access
Each student may access the Internet or Internet2 from any device registered on the Thomas College network.
Off-Campus Access
Students may access the Thomas College network from off-campus through Remote Desktop. Off campus network services include access to the Intranet, myThomas, e-mail, Moodle, networked printers, and personal network drives.
Faxing
Faxes may also be sent out from our front desk for a nominal fee.
Residence Hall Room Network
Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n) and wired network connections are available in all residence hall rooms with speeds up to 155Mbps. Wired connection speeds up to 1Gbps to the campus fiber optic network (1-to-10 Gbps) and up to 300Mbs speeds to the Internet and Internet2. 5Ghz wireless connections are strongly recommended over 2.4Ghz connections since 2.4Ghz interference is common in res. halls causing inconsistent wireless signals.
All rooms have wired network connections as part of the student residential technology fee. A one-time purchase of a network (CAT 5e or higher) cable may be needed for wired connections. For more information, contact IT Services.
Connection instructions are also available at https://update.thomas.edu.
Connection instructions are also available at https://update.thomas.edu.
Residence Hall Room Telephone
On campus VoIP Mitel telephones with direct inward dialing, extension dialing, caller ID, voice mail, and free local and 800 number calling are available in all res. hall rooms upon request for $75 per semester. Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular, AT&T, and T-Mobile telephone connections are also available in all residence hall rooms. Sprint’s network is not available in Waterville.
Residence Hall Room Cable TV
The Spectrum TV service and channels are available from https://watch.spectrum.net or the SpectrumU app. This app is available on most tablets, and smartphones from anywhere on campus (via Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable). You may also connect your device to a TV for viewing on a larger screen. Many Smart TVs can run the Spectrum TV app. If you have a TV that cannot, we recommend buying an infrared-based Roku device like this one for about $30
This service is provided as part of resident student’s residential technology fee.
A channel line-up can be found here.
Background
All students get a private (unshared) network drive in OneDrive (also known as the O: drive).
These locations are automatically backed-up every night and accessible from the OneDrive app on or off campus.
Configuring Microsoft Outlook 365
- Install Outlook 365 (Part of Office 365) on your computer (download here)
- Go to Control Panel on your computer
- Go to the Mail icon
- Go to E-mail Accounts
- Go to Add a New E-mail Account
- Choose Microsoft Exchange Server
- Follow the instructions below:
- For Off-campus and/or On-Campus Use:
- mail1.thomas.edu for the server name
- Type your username for the account name
- Uncheck Use Cached Exchange mode
- Do not click Check Username
- Choose the More Setting Button
- Go to the Connection Tab
- Check the box before Connect to my Exchange Server using HTTP
- Choose the Exchange Proxy Setting button
- Type outlook.office365.com for the URL
- Check the box before Require SSL
- Check the boxes before On fast networks… and On slow networks….
- On the drop-down box, make sure NTLM Authentication is selected
- Choose OK or Finish until you are done. Cancel past any authentication attempts
- For On-campus Use Only:
- Type outlook.office365.com for the server name
- Type your username for the account name
- Check Use Cached Exchange mode
- Click Check Username, both the server name and the username should become underlined
- You may be asked for your username, domain, and password. Enter it here (the domain is THOMAS) If you are only asked for username & password, enter THOMASyourusername for the username
- Choose OK
- For Off-campus and/or On-Campus Use:
- Make sure the option of where to deliver mail to is set to your Mailbox, not your personal folders, or mail will be inaccessible from any other machine
- Close the control panel
- Finish from the Wizard
- You can now use Outlook to check your email at Thomas
Remove Thomas College Software From Your Computer
If you are graduating or otherwise leaving the College, you may need to remove software that was installed on your computer and licensed for your use while you were a student at Thomas. Please review the list of software packages below:
1. Microsoft Campus Agreement software
- Graduates can keep any software purchased through Kivuto or SFS. Every installation of Office installed through the Office365 portal must be removed.
- Non-graduates must remove the software purchased under this agreement (from Kivuto or SFS).
- Former employees must remove the software purchased under this agreement or under the Home Use Program
2. Imagine licensed software
Software must be removed (including Visio, Project, Virtual PC, any Microsoft server). This is software you downloaded from the Imagine web site. Learn more about Imagine .
Email, Fax and Outlook Questions
Thomas College Email Options
To use email, several options are available (in order of recommended use):
- Use Outlook 2016: You can purchase the Office Pro Plus 2016 software for a few dollars from OnTheHub (license is provided by our Microsoft Campus Agreement and your tuition).
- Use Outlook Web Access: Point your web browser to outlook.office365.com
- Use Outlook with ActiveSync on your Smartphone / PDA: [more details]
- Use Secure IMAP: Use the following settings:
1. For incoming: use SSL (port 993) with server name = outlook.office365.com
2. For outgoing: use TLS (port 587) with server name = outlook.office365.com
(Programs using unsecure POP3 and IMAP4 are not supported.)
How to Clean out a Full Mailbox
- Start Microsoft Outlook
- In the Outlook 2016 client, right click on the “Mailbox – [Users Name]” icon on the Mail Folders bar on the left hand side of the screen.
- Go to “Properties”
- Then click “Folder Size”
- It will tell you the size of each folder you have and its size. This will show you which folder is taking up all of your space
- Go to the folder that is causing your mailbox to be full
- Click on “View”, “Arrange By” and then select how you would like to sort the columns
- Make sure that “Messages” or “Messages with Auto Preview” is checked. this will show you all of the messages in the folder
- Click on View –> Current View –> Customize current View –> Fields…
- Select “Size” from the list on the left and click the “Add” button
- Click on the “OK” button
- Click on the “Size” column heading to sort by size. Start at the top or bottom of the list and look for files that have a size with “Mb” (largest) first, then “Kb” (second largest), then “B” (smallest)
- Look for a large message. Each user is allowed a limited Mb of space for email before warning messages are sent. (Hint: Email messages with file attachments like photos, video and audio take up much more space than a simple text-based message)
- If you find a large email message you should:
delete the large message OR create a personal folder on your P or C drive (by going to “File”, “Open”, “Outlook Data File”, “Add”) and moving the message there OR save the message to your P or C drive using “File”, “Save” and then delete the message - If you do not find any large e-mail messages then you should do steps 3-7 again on:
the “Sent Items folder”
the “Deleted Items” folder
any other folder(s) which you have created
If your mailbox is still full then you may have Journal Entries in your Outlook Journal.
Old Calendar Items can also fill up mailbox. Be sure that you have removed all old calendar items. To see a list of all Calendar Items, do the following:
- Start Outlook
- Give to your Calendar
- Click on View –> Current View –> By Category
- This will show you all of the items in your calendar, sorted into their categories
- To go back to the default calendar view click on View –> Current View –> Day/Week/Month.
Journal entries show up in Outlook automatically when using Office 97. This action is the default setting for Outlook, to track what and when you worked on the files that are stored in the Journal. This can quickly fill up your mailbox.
Below are instructions on how to disable this option in Outlook:
- Start Outlook
- Go to the Tools menu
- Select Options
- Click on the Journal tab
- In the “Also record files from:” box uncheck all of the check boxes
- The messages will no longer appear in your journal
You then need to delete your old journal entries with the following procedures:
- Click on the Journal icon
- Go to the View menu
- Select Current View
- Choose Entry List
- Highlight and delete all journal entries
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Start Microsoft Outlook
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Click on the Calendar Icon on the left hand side
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Click on “Actions”, “New Appointment”
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Enter the reason for the meeting in the subject and the room number (or name) in the location
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Click on the “Attendee Availability” or “Scheduling” tab…
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Click where it says “Type Attendee Name Here” and Enter the names of required people or resources (rooms, A/V equipment, etc.) and press enter
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All calendars will be displayed (use legend to determine busy, out of office, etc. times)
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Pick the starting date and ending date or select “Auto Pick” to automatically pick the earliest date and time when all people and resources are available
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Click the “send” button
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An email message is sent to all people or resources on your list
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You will receive an accept or deny message back once the person (or person responsible for the resource) reads your request to meet and clicks on the accept or deny button
Forwarding Email to off campus using Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Web Access
Outlook Web Access Method:
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Open Outlook Web Access from the sidebar on the Thomas website using your Thomas account information. (If possible, use Internet Explorer as other browsers may not provide the same capabilities.) Before continuing, make sure that your second email account is in your contact list: Click on Contacts, then New, add yourself, then click back to Mail
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Click on “Options” at the top right
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Click on “Rules”
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Click on “New Rule” and “Create a new rule for arriving messages”
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A message may come up about compatibility; click “Delete old rules”
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Check on “Forward or redirect…” and click “People or distribution list”
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Click on “People or distribution lists” in the left box
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Click on “Contacts”
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Find the contact with your second email address and double-click it to add it to the “To ->” field
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Click “OK”
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Click “save”
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When you receive the message “this rule will apply to all messages you receive…”, click OK
Outlook Method:
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Open Microsoft Outlook (using your Thomas Account)
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Click on “Tools”
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Click on “Rules Wizard”
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Click on “New”
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Check the box next to “Check when messages arrive” (You can also choose to delete messages. It is recommended that you do not do this until you are sure that they are forwarding to your other account.)
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Click “Next”
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Check “Where my name is in the To box”
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Click “Next”
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Check “forward it to People or Distribution list”
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Click on “people or distribution list”
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Click on “New”, then “New contact”, “OK” and enter “off-campus address” in the full-name field and enter your off-campus email address in the email field
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Choose “OK”, change the “global address list” to “contacts” and add the “off campus address”, then click “OK”
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Click “Next”
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Click “Finish”
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Click “OK”
Intranet / OWA / Update Assistance
If you are having problems accessing our Intranet (https://www3.thomas.edu/intranet), Outlook Web Access (https://outlook.com/owa/thomas.edu), or https://update.thomas.edu from off-campus, please check the following things.
- Make sure you are entering “Thomas” (without quotes) for a domain name (if asked) along with your username and password.
- Try typing “THOMASyourusername” (without quotes) instead of just “yourusername” when prompted. [More detail from Microsoft]
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If this is the first time you have tried to log into the Thomas Intranet with your username and password, please note that we require a password change during your initial login. Web browsers don’t support this. You can log into our acadts.thomas.edu terminal server instead using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection program. This is in the Accessories, Communications section of Windows 7/Windows 8.1/Windows 10.
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Make sure you have a valid username and password.
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Make sure your password has not expired by logging in using remote desktop and changing your password, if prompted.
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Make sure you are entering the items in all lower case.
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Make sure your web browser security is set to medium (not high).
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If using Internet Explorer, you should NOT have thomas.edu Intranet sites defined
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Go to “Tools” (or View on older versions), “Intranet Options”
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Choose the “security” tab
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Change the zone to “local Intranet zone”
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Click on “add sites”, then “advanced”
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Make sure there are no sites listed here
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Choose OK
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If your web browser is older than Internet Explorer 4.01, please try downloading a newer version.
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If you are using an AOL, Safari, or Netscape browser for intranet access, please try Internet Explorer or Google Chrome instead.
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If none of the above steps works, please send your browser name (Chrome, Internet Explorer, etc.) and version number (can be found by going to “help”, “about”) to Chris Rhoda.
Viewing an Email Fax Attachment
Thomas College uses a fax to email program. If a fax is received by the College, our Front Desk staff will forward this to you. If you can not read the email fax attachment by double clicking on the icon, you can open the TIFF-F file in most image viewing applications, including Microsoft Office Picture Manager.
Faxing Policies & Procedures
05/02/01
There are several ways to send and receive faxes at Thomas College. Below are the various methods with pros and cons and suggested use for each method.
Options for receiving a fax:
Shared Fax Service through the Front Desk (207-859-1114)
Pros: No cost to receive a fax. Faxed content is routed to your email inbox by the front desk operator. It is easy to store online, copy and/or forward to other people. The document can be retrieved anywhere that you have access to the web. All offices use the same fax number, and the document can be converted to text using OCR software.
Cons: Front Desk staff must route the fax to your inbox.
Suggested: for most day to day fax activites.
Personal eFax (number varies)
Pros: same as eFax at the Front Desk, more confidential since all email goes directly to your email box, document can only be converted to text (for use in word processors, email, etc.) using OCR software if the person or office subscribes to eFax Plus (see sending section below).
Cons: explanation of 603 area code may be needed, a new fax number needs to be remembered or looked up, each office or person may have a different fax number, a fax viewing program must be installed once on each computer being used to view faxes.
Suggested: For people who require confidential fax receiving capabilities, and having a 207 phone number isn’t important.
Options for sending a fax:
Traditional fax machine at the Front Desk
Pros: easiest method when electronic version of the document doesn’t exist.
Cons: most expensive and slowest method, $1.00-$1.50 per page + time it takes to scan and send each page.
Suggested: when paper is the only available item to fax.
Email Filtering
Viruses and Spam (unsolicited junk email) are two major issues facing email users. Thomas College takes proactive measures to protect users from both email based viruses and spam email messages.
Virus Blocking:
Our email servers are configured to scan all email messages coming through the system and block all incoming viruses that are attached to email. Any email carrying a virus is automatically rejected and discarded. Due to several common viruses that fake (or spoof) the source (or from) address of the sender, the sender and receiver are not notified that these messages have been discarded. Even though we block email-based viruses, we still recommend that users not open attachments from strangers, nor from people they even know if the attachment is not expected.
Attachment Blocking:
Our email servers are configured to block incoming attachments that are considered to be dangerous. These attachments are considered dangerous because they are actually scripts or programs that may contain a virus and should not generally be transferred using email. Though we update our virus protection signatures on a daily basis, we cannot rely 100% on our email virus scanning methods. This is because viruses must be released onto the internet before anti-virus software can be updated to detect it. This often leaves several hours or even days where the virus can infect users who are not protected. Because of this, we also block incoming email attachments that are considered dangerous. Users that need to send these types of attachments should seek alternate delivery methods (web/ftp/etc.)
File attachments that are considered dangerous.
Spam Filtering:
Our email servers are configured to filter out spam (unsolicited junk email) messages. Spam is much harder to stop then a virus and there are many different ways to attempt to filter spam. There is currently no 100% accurate method to block all spam, the technology for this does not yet exist. The spam blocking service we subscribe to analyzes all incoming email for Thomas and a network of many other companies and compares it with signatures of spam messages received by this large network to determine if the message is likely to be spam. Using this service, the amount of spam filtered is generally around 95%.
Outlook allows two types of sharing:
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Delegates: You can designate delegates, who can have different permissions but also the additional ability to send email on your behalf. By default, a delegate has Editor permissions on the Calendar and Tasks folders.
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Folder permissions: This type of sharing allows selected others to view the contents of a specified folder, but does not allow others to send email on your behalf. When setting up folder permissions, you can determine exactly how much access a given person has to your folder. The following roles are available:
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Owner: Allows full rights to the mailbox, including assigning permissions; you should not assign this role to anyone
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Publishing Editor: Create, read, edit, and delete all items; create subfolders
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Editor: Create, read, edit, and delete all items
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Publishing Author: Create and read items; create subfolders; edit and delete items they’ve created
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Author: Create and read items; edit and delete items they’ve created
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Nonediting Author: Create and read items; delete items they’ve created
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Reviewer: Read items
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Contributor: Create items
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None: Gives no permissions for the selected accounts on the specified folder
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Setting folder permissions in Outlook
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Open Outlook, and find the Folder List. In Outlook 2016, Folder List is the default view. In earlier versions of Outlook, if you don’t see the Folder List, from the Go menu, click Folder List. Then, from the Folder List, right-click the folder you wish to share (this could be your mailbox, Inbox, or calendar, or a subfolder)
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From the menu that appears, select Properties, and then click the Permissions tab
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Click Add… , and then select the people to whom you wish to grant permissions. After each selection, click Add-> . When you are done, click OK
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You can now select which permissions to grant. If you wish to grant only the ability to view items in this folder, assign the role of Reviewer. For more on permissions, see the list above. To grant permissions, select a name from the box beneath “Name:” and “Permissions:”, and then from the drop-down menu beside “Permission Level:” or “Role:”, make your selection. You can also create custom permissions by selecting from the options within the “Permissions” area. Once you’ve finished making your selections, click Apply, and then OK
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Important: In the list under “Name:”, the group called “Default” includes everyone at Thomas College. Under normal circumstances, you should not assign permissions to it; leave it set to None. If you grant any permissions or assign a role to it, you are granting those permissions to everyone with a Thomas account
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Those to whom you have granted permissions now need to set up Outlook to view your folders.
In Outlook, you can allow another user at Thomas to send email messages on your behalf. To do so, you must add that user as a delegate to your mailbox. You can give a delegate different permissions for different folders, which allows you to control access to items in your mailbox.
CAUTION: You should make another user a delegate ONLY if you want that user to be able to send email on your behalf. If you only want to allow a user to view the contents of a folder without being able to respond on your behalf, do not make that user a delegate. Instead, use folder permissions to grant access to the folder.
Adding delegate(s) to your Exchange account:
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In Outlook 2019, from the File tab, click Account Settings and then Delegate Access from the drop-down menu
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In the “Delegates Window”, click Add…
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Select the Exchange users you wish to add as delegates. At Thomas College, make your selections from the TC Global Address List. When you’ve finished selecting users, click OK
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In the dialog box that appears, you can set permissions for the users you have selected. If you add just one user, the settings you choose will control the permissions for that user. If you add multiple delegates at the same time, the settings you choose will control the permissions for all of those delegates. By default, Outlook gives delegates “Editor” permissions for the calendar and tasks folders. Editors have the ability to read, create, and modify items in your mailbox. You can modify individual delegate permissions at a later time by selecting a delegate’s name from the Delegates dialog box, and then clicking Permissions
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Once you have made your selections, click OK. The users you selected will now have the privileges you granted them, but will need to set up Outlook to access your folders; refer them to In Microsoft Outlook, how do I view other users’ calendars, or other folders to which I have access?
If you have permission to access any folders in another user’s Exchange mailbox in Outlook, you can open the folders on demand. If you need more frequent access to them, or access to a subfolder, you can add another user’s mailbox to your Outlook Folder List.
How to open one of the primary mailbox folders (Calendar, Contacts, Inbox, Journal, Notes, or Tasks) in a new window which will not re-appear on the next login, using Outlook 365:
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In Outlook, from the File tab, select Open, and then Other User’s Folder…
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In the Open Other User’s Folder window, type the other person’s username, or click Name… to select the person’s name from the Address Book. Note: You can only open the mailbox of another Thomas user
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From the drop-down list, select the folder you wish to open. If that folder is not listed, the only way you can access it is to add the other user’s mailbox to your Outlook Folder List
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Click OK or Open. The folder should open in a new window. If you receive an error message about permissions, check with the mailbox’s owner to ensure that you have permission to access the folder you’re trying to open
How to add another user’s mailbox to your Outlook Folder List in Outlook 365:
Note: Although you can add other users’ mailboxes to your Outlook Folder List without having any permissions for their mailboxes, you will not be able to view them unless you have at least Reviewer permission.
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In Outlook, from the File tab, select Account Settings. From the drop-down list, select Account Settings… . Highlight Microsoft Exchange, and click Change. Then, click More Settings…
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Click the Advanced tab, and then click Add… . This allows you to add mailboxes to your Outlook Folder List
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In the “Add Mailbox” field, enter the username or name (in lastname, firstname format) of the person to whose mailbox you have shared access
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You should now see the additional mailbox in the Folder List. (If you can’t see the Folder List, select View, and then Folder List.) Any folders that a user gives you permission to access should be listed under the other person’s mailbox. If you cannot expand the Folder List, the other person has not given you permission to access the mailbox
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If you like, you can create a shortcut to a folder by dragging it to the Outlook Bar (the leftmost column visible)
Restoring Deleted Emails
- Open Microsoft Office Outlook 365
- Click on the ‘Folder’ tab (on the top left)
- Select the ‘Recover Deleted Items’ icon (in the ribbon)
- When the ‘Recover Deleted Items’ window pops up, select the email(s) you wish to recover
- Click the ‘Recover Selected Items’ button (on the top left–looks like mail with an arrow pointing back)
- Once the recovery is complete the email(s) will be restored to your inbox
First Time or New User Questions
We strongly recommend that all students purchase their own mobile (notebook or tablet) devices.
For the past several years the College has built and maintained a leading-edge network to support the variety of devices used by our students, faculty, and staff. This involves 10G-rated fiber optic cabling, high-density campus-wide 802.11n Wi-Fi, high-speed Internet and Internet2 connections, and web-based apps optimized for mobile devices.
Many faculty class materials are online, and some courses are being delivered entirely over the Internet. We use Moodle as our course management system for online, blended, and traditional courses. We also have over 140 workstations available to students in several labs and clusters as well as dozens of sign-out notebooks and tablets available from our Library.
Why do students need their own mobile devices?
Today’s students, more than ever, are finding that to move into the work force of the next century smart phones, tablets and notebooks are needed as tools for communication, collaboration, and research. Studies have shown that students with mobile devices are more productive and have developed more advanced thinking skills. Many educators feel that creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking are the three key areas which students need to master in order to be productive workers.
Before you can connect your personally owned computer to the Thomas College network you must configure your computer to meet our network specifications. You must use an up to date anti-virus protection program. All of the programs on your computer must have the latest security updates installed and you must be current on all critical and recommended Windows updates.
- Use the following link to connect to instructions, based on your operating system. If you are asked for your credentials enter your user name in the format thomasyourusername – please note that this format uses the backslash symbol which is located beneath the backspace key on a standard keyboard. Use the password that you use for Thomas College network/email access:
- Computer Configuration for Network Access
- The above link also leads to instructions for accessing the network using game consoles, mobile devices (eg., smart phones, tablets) and video devices.
- You must run Updates regularly to maintain access to our network. We recommend that you set updates to run automatically and that you verify that it has run every few days.
You should receive an email informing you that your account has been created and giving you access information including your username and temporary password. You must accept an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) or your account will be disabled. If you would like to read and accept the AUP now please visit the MyThomas site.
The first time you sign-in, you must change your password to something only you know which is at least 8 characters long. We require at least one capital letter, one number and one symbol in your password. This must be done on-campus or by using Remote Desktop Connection on your computer to get to acadts.thomas.edu. To connect to acadts.thomas.edu from your computer, go to Start, Run, type ‘MSTSC’ and click on OK. Then type ‘acadts.thomas.edu’, and click on OK. This will let you remotely log into our Windows terminal server. When you are asked for your credentials enter your user name in the format THOMASyourusername – please note that this format uses the backslash symbol which is located beneath the backspace key on a standard keyboard.
Connect to Moodle here: http://cms.thomas.edu/login/index.php or click on the word moodle on the left side of the Campus Portal web page or the top left column of the Quick Links box.
Your Moodle username is usually your last name and first initial (for example: smithj), matching your Thomas domain/email account username.
Your default Moodle password is usually the last six digits of your SSN.
you can change your password by using the steps below:
This is most easily accomplished on campus on a Thomas College computer. On a campus computer after you log in click Ctrl+ Alt + Del keys and choose “Change a password”. You must enter your current password and then your new password twice to make the change. From off-campus it is best to use a remote desktop connection to change your password. You may also change your Thomas College network/email password using Outlook Web App – in the upper right hand corner of the page (under your name) select options and then choose “change your password” from the drop down menu. The Outlook Web App method does not work well with all internet service providers. If you have trouble with your first log on off campus it is best to use a remote desktop connection. Passwords must be at least six characters long.
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- Before you begin you must have a username and password (if you are using a computer at Thomas College, a valid email address in your student information in the Thomas College computer system, and a PIN number for the myThomas.
- If you don’t have an email address or are not sure if there is one in the computer system for you, please call the Service Desk at 207-859-1204 or email servicedesk@thomas.edu and we will check. If you don’t have an email address we will send the request to have a Thomas email address created for you. This will take 24-48 hours. Once you receive the Thomas email address, or put another one in the computer, you can then get a PIN number for the myThomas. Note: For prospective students and others not currently taking classes: You may use an off-campus email address previously given to the College.
- If you don’t have a PIN number it will only take a couple minutes once you have an email address. The following web address, https://www3.thomas.edu/myThomas , will take you to the Thomas College myThomas page where you will register to get a PIN number and to also login to the myThomas.
- If you have all the above (see 1., first paragraph), you can go to https://www3.thomas.edu/myThomas . To login you will need to know your social security number and your PIN number.
Once you have entered your two identification numbers you get a screen telling you that you have access to the Student Information System (or Alumni Information System or Employee Information System according to your status). Click on the Student Information System link.
- Before you begin you must have a username and password (if you are using a computer at Thomas College, a valid email address in your student information in the Thomas College computer system, and a PIN number for the myThomas.
If you are having problems accessing our Intranet (https://www3.thomas.edu/intranet), Outlook Web Access (https://outlook.com/owa/thomas.edu), or https://update.thomas.edu from off-campus, please check the following things:
- Make sure you are entering “thomas” (without quotes) for a domain name (if asked) along with your username and password.
- Try typing “THOMASyourusername” (without quotes) instead of just “yourusername” when prompted. [More detail from Microsoft]
- If this is the first time you have tried to log into the Thomas Intranet with your username and password, please note that we require a password change during your initial login. Web browsers don’t support this.
- Make sure you have a valid username and password.
- Make sure your password has not expired by logging in using remote desktop and changing your password, if prompted.
- Make sure you are entering the items in all lower case.
- Make sure your web browser security is set to medium (not high).
- If using Internet Explorer, you should NOT have thomas.edu Intranet sites defined
- Go to “Tools” (or View on older versions), “Intranet Options”
- Choose the “security” tab
- Change the zone to “local Intranet zone”
- Click on “add sites”, then “advanced”
- Make sure there are no sites listed here
- Choose OK
If none of the above steps works, please send your browser name (Chrome, Internet Explorer, etc.) and version number (can be found by going to “help”,”about”) to Chris Rhoda.
Passwords for the Thomas College network/email and Moodle use the same credentials your Thomas College user name and password. myThomas is a separate account and has a separate user name and password (pin number). You should have received an email from the college with your user name and instructions when your account was set up.
Your Thomas College network access, email account and Moodle account are controlled by the same credentials. When your account is set up your user name is USUALLY your last name plus your first initial (e.g., John Smith = smithj) and the default password is the last six digits of your social security number. You should change this password at your first log in attempt.
Changing your Thomas College Network/Email password
The first time you log on to your account you should change your password from the default. This is most easily accomplished on campus on a Thomas College computer. On a campus computer after you log in click the CTRL ALT DEL keys and choose “Change a password”. You must enter your current password and then your new password twice to make the change. From off-campus it is best to use self service password reset here. In order to utilize this feature you must register an alternate contact method (either a phone number or an email address.) Then you must verify that alternative contact method. At the end of this process you will be able to reset your password. Passwords must be at least eight characters in length and include at least three of the four following character types: upper case letter, lower case letter, number, special character (!, @, #, etc…).
If you forget your network/email password you can contact the Service Desk and they can reset your password. Follow the procedure above to change your password after a password reset but please note that you will not be able to reset your password for 24 hours after the Service Desk has reset it.
Staff cannot see your social security number – the information is taken by the computer from the registrar’s database.
Changing your Moodle password and editing your Moodle profile
When your account is first set up it uses the same credentials as the network/email system. You can access your Moodle profile by clicking on your name in the upper-right-hand corner of any Moodle page (beside the logout link.)
You can change your password using the method above for network/email passwords. Beginning in 2011 the Moodle account and your network email account are tied together. You currently cannot change your password from inside Moodle.
You can edit your profile (including changing your email address, name, description, photo, etc.) by clicking on the “Edit Profile” tab in your Moodle profile.
If you have forgotten your Moodle password (after changing it from the default): contact the Service Desk to have your password reset.
Use this password to access your Moodle account.
Once you have logged into Moodle, you should change your password (using the instructions above under changing your network/email password) to something that you will remember.
Who can I contact about a personal computer problem?
While the Thomas College IT Services staff would like to provide support to all students and employees for any personal computer they may own, it is not practical for us to do so.
Since we have many faculty/staff and lab tasks that need to be completed, we are not able to help people with personal computer problems (software not working, why a particular card doesn’t work in a particular PC, how to zip files, etc.).
Instead we suggest that personal computer problems be addressed by:
- Contacting the vendor who sold you the hardware or software or
- Contacting a local computer store. A list is available in the yellow pages or by searching online
General Questions
IT Services – Student Services Offered
Labs, Clusters, and Sign-outs
Five labs are available to all students in classrooms AD-126, AD-225, AL-116, AL-204 and the library. Workstation clusters are available in the various locations and res. halls around campus. The labs are staffed by Services Desk support staff when open. Residence hall clusters and a section of the library are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The library has several dozen notebooks and tablets available for sign-out.
Accounts
Each student receives a Windows/Network computer account ID (username) and password giving them e-mail, individual storage space, a Moodle account for online classes, an Imagine account for course-related Microsoft software downloads, a Google Apps account for e-portfolios and a Microsoft Office365 account.
Internet and Internet2 Access
Each student may access the Internet or Internet2 from any device registered on the Thomas College network.
Off-Campus Access
Students may access the Thomas College network from off-campus through Remote Desktop. Off campus network services include access to the Intranet, myThomas, e-mail, Moodle, networked printers, and personal network drives.
Faxing
Faxes may also be sent out from our front desk for a nominal fee.
Residence Hall Room Network
Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n) and wired network connections are available in all residence hall rooms with speeds up to 155Mbps. Wired connection speeds up to 1Gbps to the campus fiber optic network (1-to-10 Gbps) and up to 300Mbs speeds to the Internet and Internet2. 5Ghz wireless connections are strongly recommended over 2.4Ghz connections since 2.4Ghz interference is common in res. halls causing inconsistent wireless signals.
All rooms have wired network connections as part of the student residential technology fee. A one-time purchase of a network (CAT 5e or higher) cable may be needed for wired connections. For more information, contact IT Services.
Connection instructions are also available at https://update.thomas.edu.
Residence Hall Room Telephone
On campus VoIP Mitel telephones with direct inward dialing, extension dialing, caller ID, voice mail, and free local and 800 number calling are available in all res. hall rooms upon request for $75 per semester. Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular, AT&T, and T-Mobile telephone connections are also available in all residence hall rooms. Sprint’s network is not available in Waterville.
Residence Hall Room Cable TV
The Spectrum TV service and channels are available from https://watch.spectrum.net or the SpectrumU app. This app is available on most tablets and smartphones from anywhere on campus (via Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable). You may also connect your device to a TV for viewing on a larger screen. Many Smart TVs can run the Spectrum TV app. If you have a TV that cannot, we recommend buying an infrared-based Roku device like this one for about $30
This service is provided as part of resident student’s residential technology fee.
A channel line-up can be found here.
- Go to the college portal: http://www3.thomas.edu/myThomas/daily.asp
- Click on the “Office 365” link and sign-in by entering using your Thomas College username and password.
- (If you do not know your username or password please contact the Service Desk servicedesk@thomas.edu | (207) 859-1204)
- Go to settings, Office 365 settings, and choose “Software.”
- Select the desired language and click install.
- (The license agreement allows you to install Microsoft Office 365 on up to 5 devices).
- At the bottom of the Screen select “Run.”
- The office Installation wizard will open. Click “Next.”
- You will be asked if you would like to help improve the product, click yes or no. (Your choice)
- Watch a video explaining Office 365 while the software is installing.
- Once the installation is complete, you will find the new software in your Windows 10 or 8.1 start screen, or under programs in Windows 7.
Personal Computer Support
While the Thomas College IT Services staff would like to provide support to all students and employees for any personal computer they may own, it is not practical for us to do so.
Since we have many faculty/staff and lab tasks that need to be completed, we are not able to help people with personal computer problems (software not working, why a particular card doesn’t work in a particular PC, how to zip files, etc.).
Instead we suggest that personal computer problems be addressed by:
- Contacting the vendor who sold you the hardware or software or
- Contacting a local computer store. A list is available in the yellow pages or by searching online
Today’s students, more than ever, are finding that to move into the work force of the next century smart phones, tablets and notebooks are needed as tools for communication, collaboration, and research. Studies have shown that students with mobile devices are more productive and have developed more advanced thinking skills. Many educators feel that creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking are the three key areas which students need to master in order to be productive workers.
Secure Printing:
All major shared printers support secure printing. This is enabled in the driver. When preparing to print your document, enter the printing preferences. Depending on the printer you are printing to, you will find an option labeled “Password” or “Private Print” or “Secure Print” with a username/password entry field. If this option is used, a username and password will be required at the printer before the document will be printed. This ensures that your document prints securely at the printer under your control.
For more information, please visit the Azure Dev Tools for Teaching page.
How to Lower Student Printing Costs
- When collecting information for homework and papers, instead of printing web pages:
- Email the page to yourself (in Internet Explorer, click on “File”, “Send”, “Page by Email”, etc.)
- Save the page to your P: drive since you can put thousands of pages of text in this location (in Internet Explorer, click on “File”, “Save As”, etc.)
- Add the page to your Favorites (this only works on your personal computer–in Internet Explorer, click on “Favorites”, “Add”–you can later go back to Favorites to get back to the same page)
- Copy the information to a MS Word, Excel, or PowerPoint (highlight the information with your mouse, click on “Edit”, “Copy”, then go to Word, Excel or PowerPoint and after opening a new document, click on “Edit”, “Paste”
- For those who don’t have a computer at home or in their room, preview the information to make sure what you would like to print is valuable and that the web page being printed is not dozens of pages in length
- Try to proof read your assignments on the screen using the spell checking and grammar tools in many software products.
- See if your instructor will accept electronic documents. (Some instructors won’t because it is not as portable, convenient, or because it may cause eye strain.)
Printing (via WebPrint) using Computers / tablets / smartphones
Note: This guide assumes that you have already configured your device to use the Web Browser Printing functionality from the instructions at https://update.thomas.edu/.
- Open your Shortcut to the WebAdvantage page, or browse to https://t7.tcnet.thomas.edu:48111/WebAdvantage
- Log in to the WebAdvantage page using your Thomas username and password
- Under ‘1. Selected Document’, click ‘Upload New File…’, browse to / select the file you wish to print, and click ‘Open’
- Fill in printing information requested (Choose a Printer and Printing Options), then click ‘Next’
- Wait for the job to process, then click ‘Print Now
Printing (via WebPrint) using an iPad
Note: This guide assumes that you have already configured your iPad to use the WebPrint application from the instructions at https://update.thomas.edu/.
There are four different ways of printing using WebPrint:
1. Printable Files (if you have any files saved as attachments in your email, you can open them, using web print, and print them out)
- Open the WebPrint App and ‘Log in’ using your Thomas username and password
- Open your email App
- Find the email with the attachment you wish to print
- Verify that the file you are trying to print is in a supported format (these are listed under ‘What Can I Print?’ in the iPad WebPrinting document that comes with the WebPrint App)
- When you go to open the attachment (by holding down on the document for a few seconds), be sure to select ‘Open in WebPrint’
- In WebPrint, click ‘Upload & Print’ and click ‘Print Now in Browser’ when upload is finished
- Log in to the WebAdvantage page using your Thomas account password
- Fill in printing information requested (Choose a Printer and Printing Options), then click ‘Next’
- Wait for the job to process, then click ‘Print Now’
2. Photo Print (Print pictures that you have taken using the ‘Camera’ App)
- Open the WebPrint App and ‘Log in’ using your Thomas username and password
- Under ‘Other Document Sources’, select ‘Photo Print’, ‘Camera Roll, and select the picture you wish to print
- Now click ‘Upload & Print’ and click ‘Print Now in Browser’ when upload is finished
- Log in to the WebAdvantage page using your Thomas account password
- Fill in printing information requested (Choose a Printer and Printing Options), then click ‘Next’
- Wait for the job to process, then click ‘Print Now’
3. Quick Print (Quickly type up some notes and print it out)
- Open the WebPrint App and ‘Log in’ using your Thomas username and password
- Under ‘Other Document Sources’, select ‘Quick Print’
- Type, or paste, in the text you wish to print and click ‘Save’
- Now click ‘Upload & Print’ and click ‘Print Now in Browser’ when upload is finished
- Log in to the WebAdvantage page using your Thomas account password
- Fill in printing information requested (Choose a Printer and Printing Options), then click ‘Next’
- Wait for the job to process, then click ‘Print Now’
4. Website Print (Print the website you currently have open in Safari)
- Open ‘Safari’ and browse to the website you wish to print
- Now open the WebPrint App and ‘Log in’ using your Thomas username and password
- Under ‘Other Document Sources’, select ‘Website Print’
- Choose if you’d like to ‘Print Current View’, ‘Print Entire Page’, or view ‘Page Formatting’
- Now click ‘Upload & Print’ and click ‘Print Now in Browser’ when upload is finished
- Log in to the WebAdvantage page using your Thomas account password
- Fill in printing information requested (Choose a Printer and Printing Options), then click ‘Next’
- Wait for the job to process, then click ‘Print Now’
Creating an ePortfolio with Microsoft PowerPoint (for students starting Fall 2015)
Creating an ePortfolio with Google Apps (for students starting before Fall 2015)
Online/Blended/In Person Course Questions
-
- Go to https://cms.thomas.edu
eCourse Information
Moodle – the Thomas CMS/LMS
Skype – for free video conferencing (guest lectures, online office hours, etc.)
Teams – for off-campus based online classroom experience with recording
Resources for using and supplementing the sytems listed above
CILC (Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration) – an overview of CILC
Changing your Moodle password and editing your Moodle profile
You can access your Moodle profile by clicking on your name in the upper-right-hand corner of any Moodle page (beside the logout link).
You can change your password from your Moodle profile by clicking on the “Change Password” button.
You can edit your profile (including changing your email address, name, description, photo, etc.) by clicking on the “Edit Profile” tab in your Moodle profile.
Moodle Course Content
After logging in to Moodle, you will be presented with a list of your courses.
Clicking on the name of one of your courses will bring you to the course page for that particular course.
Your course can be organized (setup by your instructor) by topic (numbers 1 through X), or week (dates.) Generally, your instructor will post a welcome note and syllabus in the general topic at the top of the course, with weekly topics and assignments organized in the weekly/topic area.
After clicking on a course, you are presented with an outline of topics or weeks. This outline will host any files, assignments, chats, and discussion forums, etc. that your instructor has posted for the class.
You can also use the “Activities” block (usually located on the left-hand side of the course) to locate activities by type (assignments/forums/etc.)
Where do I find more information (including screenshots, etc.) about accessing my Moodle course?
Submitting Assignments using Moodle
Moodle does not have one “drop box” for all assignments. Instead, your instructor can setup file submission activities, through which assignments can be submitted.
To find the assignment and upload your file, follow the steps below.
- Click on the name of the assignment (from the topic/weekly section area or from the Assignments link in the Activities block [typically located on the left hand side of the course])
- Use the browse button to find the file and the upload button to submit the assignment for grading
Moodle forums (aka discussion boards)
Instructors can create separate forums by topic or weekly discussion.
Forums in Moodle can be setup by the course instructor to restrict access to certain functions, allowing (or preventing) the creation of new discussion threads, replies, etc. (For example, in a Q and A forum, reading posts is prevented until you yourself have responded to the question.)
Students have the option (unless the instructor requires subscription) to subscribe to a forum. Subscribing to a forum sends an email to the recipient each time someone posts a new topic or reply to the forum.
Forum discussions in Moodle can be graded by the course instructor to provide feedback to students regarding forum discussions.
To find a forum, follow the instructions below.
- Click on the name of the forum (from the topic/weekly section area or from the Forums link in the Activities block [typically located on the left hand-side of the course])
- Use the links provided to navigate the forum, reply to posts, create new discussions, etc.
Moodle Messaging – How to communicate with course participants via email using Moodle
Moodle has two systems that can be used to send text-based messages to students. The Moodle Messaging tool is commonly misunderstood and confused with the function of the Moodle News Forum tool. Below are descriptions of each and how they can be used to connect with course participants.
Send Message
The Moodle messaging system is internal to Moodle, ie all messages are sent and received within Moodle. Think of it as Moodle instant messaging. By default, when a user receives a message and they are NOT actively online in Moodle, the message is also sent to the recipient via their configured email address. (Please note that the user does have the option of changing this to not receive messages via email.) Recipients who ARE actively online in Moodle at the time the message is sent, receive an alert that they have a new message and can access the message history via the Messages block in Moodle. Drawbacks to using the Moodle messaging system is the inability to handle attachments and the inconsistency in getting the message delivered to the course participants. This is because this system is designed more as an instant messaging medium rather than an email messaging system. For a more robust application, refer to the News Forum.
News Forum
The news forum that is pre-configured in each Moodle course can also be used to email students in a particular course and to post class announcements at the same time. By default, this forum is configured to force everyone to be subscribed. Forced subscription means that everyone in the course will receive an email when new messages are posted to the news forum, they do not have a choice in the matter. They can, however, choose (within their profile) to receive forum messages in digest form (grouped together into one email per day), and where Moodle messages get delivered (by configuring their email address.) The news forum allows attachments. For messages directed to the entire class (especially for those messages containing attachments or messages where email delivery is preferred), the news forum is the tool of choice.
Accessing previous (hidden) course content and/or hiding old course content
Approximately one month after the start of a new semester/trimester, the content from the previous semester/trimester is hidden. There is currently no way to hide old content on a per user basis. Content from previous courses is only available for approximately one year from the start of the semester/trimester. Instructors have access to the previous/hidden content in their My Moodle page, using the grayed-out links below their current courses. Students must access previous/hidden course content manually.
- First, login to the Student myThomas
- Click on the link to see your unofficial transcript
- Notice the ID number and the course number for each course. Use these numbers to craft the URL for the course you are interested in seeing content for using the format: where shortname = “MG556_24034”, for example (MG556 is the course number and 24034 is the ID number), which would look like:
- Login to Moodle with your student account
- Use the URL determined above to access the course content
AirServer
Airserver is a program that allows you to display the content of your iPad or iPhone on a Mac or Windows computer.
The host computer and the iPad or iPhone must be on the same Wi-Fi network to communicate. If the iPad or iPhone is on the ThomasPersonalDevices network you may need to change the host computer to ThomasPersonalDevices as well. If both devices are on ThomasCollegeDevices you do not need to make any changes.
- To change networks, click the wireless network icon on the lower right hand side of the desktop.
- Select ThomasPersonalDevices from the list, click “Connect” and enter the password.
- To start Airserver, click the Windows icon on the lower left hand corner of your desktop to go to the start screen. (You may also hover your mouse over the upper right hand corner of your screen to bring up the search box in the Charms Menu.)
- Type “Airserver.” If Airserver is installed on your computer it will be at the top of the results list. Click the icon to open the program.
- Airserver is now running on your computer.
- To connect an iPad, turn it on and swipe up from the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Click the AirPlay icon.
- Select the name of the computer that you would like to display to. Click the button next to “Mirroring.” The iPad screen will now project to the computer.
If you have any questions please contact the Service Desk. (servicedesk@thomas.edu |
Accessing previous (hidden) course content and/or hiding old course content
Approximately one month after the start of a new semester/trimester, the content from the previous semester/trimester is hidden. There is currently no way to hide old content on a per user basis. Content from previous courses is only available for approximately one year from the start of the semester/trimester. Instructors have access to the previous/hidden content in their My Moodle page, using the grayed-out links below their current courses. Students must access previous/hidden course content manually.
- First, login to the Student myThomas
- Click on the link to see your unofficial transcript
- Notice the ID number and the course number for each course. Use these numbers to craft the URL for the course you are interested in seeing content for using the format: where shortname = “MG556_24034”, for example (MG556 is the course number and 24034 is the ID number), which would look like:
- Login to Moodle with your student account
- Use the URL determined above to access the course content
AirServer
Airserver is a program that allows you to display the content of your iPad or iPhone on a Mac or Windows computer.
The host computer and the iPad or iPhone must be on the same Wi-Fi network to communicate. If the iPad or iPhone is on the ThomasPersonalDevices network you may need to change the host computer to ThomasPersonalDevices as well. If both devices are on ThomasCollegeDevices you do not need to make any changes.
- To change networks, click the wireless network icon on the lower right hand side of the desktop.
- Select ThomasPersonalDevices from the list, click “Connect” and enter the password.
- To start Airserver, click the Windows icon on the lower left hand corner of your desktop to go to the start screen. (You may also hover your mouse over the upper right hand corner of your screen to bring up the search box in the Charms Menu.)
- Type “Airserver.” If Airserver is installed on your computer it will be at the top of the results list. Click the icon to open the program.
- Airserver is now running on your computer.
- To connect an iPad, turn it on and swipe up from the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Click the AirPlay icon.
- Select the name of the computer that you would like to display to. Click the button next to “Mirroring.” The iPad screen will now project to the computer.
If you have any questions please contact the Service Desk. (servicedesk@thomas.edu | x114)
What are my video conference/recording options?
Platforms:
Tandberg | Skype | Google Hangouts | U-stream | |
Description | Video conferencing platform designed for real time distance communication. | Video conferencing service and software designed for real time distance communication. | Web based video conferencing service designed for real time distance communication. | Web based video streaming service. |
Pro | Features a large screen television monitor and a high quality connection. | Works on computers, smartphones, and tablets. Supports Instant Messaging (IM), file sharing, and VoIP calling. | Presentations are streamed live and can be publically accessed and simultaneously recorded on YouTube. Supports Instant Messaging (IM) and file sharing. | Broadcast and record to your own channel on the Ustream website.Participate in the Social Stream with your audience.Create instant polls during your broadcast for your audience. Android and iOS mobile apps are available.Video can be saved for future viewing. |
Con | All parties must have compatible software. Setup is required and must be scheduled in advance. | Requires Skype account. Software must be installed on all participating computers. Quality varies. | Requires a Google+ account for all participating parties. Quality varies. | Ad sponsored. Unlike the other options, Ustream is a broadcast medium and not designed for two-way communication. |
Application | Guest lecturers, distance education, co-presenters working from different locations. | Guest lecturers, distance education, co-presenters working from different locations. | Guest lecturers, distance education, co-presenters working from different locations. | For streaming web based presentations and playback. |
*Taking the time to setup and test the system before your presentation is highly recommended. Please contact the Service
Desk (207-859-1204 | servicedesk@thomas.edu) for assistance.*
Equipment (available at Thomas):
Flip Video Camera | Samsung Pocket Camcorder | Sony Handycam | Canon Vixia HV40 | JVC Camcorder | iPad | Panasonic HC-V720P/PC | |
Description | Small digital camcorder. | Small digital camcorder. | Small digital camcorder. | High quality camcorder for livestreaming. | Small analog camcorder for livestreaming. | Tablet device with built in video recorder. | Small high definition video camera. |
Pro | Records in high definition. | Captures video and still photographs. | Best choice for editing video content. | Highest quality livestreaming option. | Functions like a high quality webcam. | Works well with U-stream. | Small high definition camcorder with wi-fi capabilities, external microphone available. |
Con | Production halted in 2011. | Not all models record in high definition. | Standard definition recording. | Used for streaming video in the Summit Room. | Library does not provide mini-DV tapes. | Device does not have a USB or memory card port. | Low battery efficiency. |
Storage and connections. | Internal memory. Built in USB and HDMI ports. | Features built in USB and mini HDMI ports. Use with Micro-USB memory card. (available in the library). | Records to miniDV or Sony Memorystick Pro cards. (Memory sticks available in the library) | Features built in USB and mini HDMI ports. | Features built in USB and mini HDMI ports. Records to mini-DV or Micro-USB card. (Micro-USB cards available in the library) | Use with a storage site. (iCloud, Dropbox, Skydrive, etc…) | Features internal built in memory of 16GB. Built in USB and mini HDMI ports. Records to SDXC UHS-I Memory Card (memory cards available in the library) |
Video Production Facilities at Thomas College
Room | Equipment | ||
AL235 Media Lab |
(available for check out at the Service Desk)
|
||
AL234 Green Screen Room |
(Camera and tripod available for check out at the Service Desk)
|
||
AL236 and AL237 Media Studio Rooms |
Each studio contains:
|
Scenarios / Questions:
How do I record a lecture for future use?
Ustream and Google Hangouts are the best methods for recording class lectures. Ustream is a one way (broadcast) medium and Google Hangouts supports two way (conversational) communication. Ustream videos may be stored and accessed via the Ustream website (ustream.tv) and Google hangouts can be viewed live and archived on YouTube.
How do I co-teach or involve an instructor or presenter from another location?
Tandberg, Skype, and Google Hangouts allow co-presenters to create a dynamic, interactive learning environment that supports two way communication. The Tandberg system generally requires more time for testing and setup but has the highest quality and features a large screen monitor that works well for large groups.
How can I teach a class for an audience at two or more locations?
Tandberg, Skype, and Google Hangouts allow instructors to create a dynamic, interactive learning environment that supports two way communication with audiences in more than one location. The Tandberg system generally requires more time for testing and setup but has the highest quality and features a large screen monitor that works well for large groups.
How can I broadcast / create a webcast for a live event?
Ustream and Google Hangouts are the best methods for broadcasting live events. Ustream videos may be stored and accessed via the Ustream website (ustream.tv) and Google hangouts can be viewed live and archived on YouTube.
What is the best option for recording a lecture and saving it to YouTube?
Google Hangouts is the best option for saving a lecture to YouTube. Lectures can be streamed live and are available on YouTube immediately following the presentation.
Residential Student Questions
IT Services – Student Services Offered
Labs, Clusters, and Sign-outs
Five labs are available to all students in classrooms AD-126, AD-225, AL-116, AL-204 and the library. Workstation clusters are available in the various locations and res. halls around campus. The labs are staffed by Services Desk support staff when open. Residence hall clusters and a section of the library are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The library has several dozen notebooks and tablets available for sign-out.
Accounts
Each student receives a Windows/Network computer account ID (username) and password giving them e-mail, individual storage space, a Moodle account for online classes, an Imagine account for course-related Microsoft software downloads, a Google Apps account for e-portfolios and a Microsoft Office365 account.
Internet and Internet2 Access
Each student may access the Internet or Internet2 from any device registered on the Thomas College network.
Off-Campus Access
Students may access the Thomas College network from off-campus through Remote Desktop. Off campus network services include access to the Intranet, myThomas, e-mail, Moodle, networked printers, and personal network drives.
Faxing
Faxes may also be sent out from our front desk for a nominal fee.
Residence Hall Room Network
Wireless and wired network connections are available in all buildings. Any device with appropriate hardware should work with our network. 5 GHz wireless network connections are strongly recommended for the best experience. 2.4 GHz wireless is also provided but may not work in all areas due to limitations with this older technology. Wireless connections need to be 802.11ac, n, g, or a capable. Wired connections need a 10/100/1000 network card and a 6-to-20 foot CAT 5e or better cable. Depending on which side of the room you are on you will need a longer cord. A telephone cable will not work.
Each room has Wi-Fi coverage and one or two computer network ports. If you have trouble getting a port to work, please visit our IT request page at https://www3.thomas.edu/intranet/itreq-enter.asp and include your name, phone number and room number.
All rooms have a wireless network connection, but for the best speed and most secure connection, use of the wired connection is recommended.
Residence Hall Room Telephone
1. Your personal cell phone
- favored by most students
- you may want to change your phone number to a local number for the next four years
- both CDMA and GSM networks (used by most carriers) work well on our campus
Verizon wireless seems to have the best signal and highest speed data service - AT&T and U.S. Cellular systems seem to work well too
- Sprint phone users roam since their network doesn’t go above Portland
2. House phones
- available in many lounges, halls, or common spaces
Residence Hall Room Cable TV
The Spectrum TV service and channels are available from https://watch.spectrum.net or the SpectrumU app. This app is available on most tablets and smartphones from anywhere on campus (via Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable). You may also connect your device to a TV for viewing on a larger screen. Many Smart TVs can run the Spectrum TV app. If you have a TV that cannot, we recommend buying an infrared-based Roku device like this one for about $30
This service is provided as part of resident student’s residential technology fee.
A channel line-up can be found here.
The Spectrum TV service and channels are available from https://watch.spectrum.net or the SpectrumU app. This app is available on most tablets and smartphones from anywhere on campus (via Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable). You may also connect your device to a TV for viewing on a larger screen. Many Smart TVs can run the Spectrum TV app. If you have a TV that cannot, we recommend buying an infrared-based Roku device like this one for about $30
This service is provided as part of resident student’s residential technology fee.
A channel line-up can be found here.
Background
All students get a private (unshared), cloud-based network drive known as the O: drive, with up to 1TB of storage space. A shared drive called the S: drive is also available for sharing documents with other students and/or faculty if necessary.
Some students (if requested by faculty) will also receive a public (shared) network drive known as the I: drive (for internet documents).
All of these locations are automatically backed-up every night and accessible from any computer on-campus, HTTP, FTP, or Remote Desktop from off-campus.
If you will be accessing from on campus only:
Creating an O: drive on Windows 10/8.1/8
Add https://alumnithomas-my.sharepoint.com to your trusted sites in Internet Explorer.
- Click the small gear icon in the upper right hand corner of the Internet Explorer window and select “Internet Options.”
- Choose the “Security” tab, click the green arrow that says “Trusted sites,” and click the “Sites” button.
- Under the heading “Add this website to the zone:” make sure “https://alumnithomas-my.sharepoint.com” is listed in the box and click the “Add” button.
Click on one of the URLs below and check the “Keep me logged in” box after entering your email address: (NOTE: You will only have a second or two to check the box before the next page asking for your password appears)
- S drive URL: https://alumnithomas-my.sharepoint.com/personal/admin_alumnithomas_onmicrosoft_com/Documents/Shared/
- O drive URL:
Open Windows Explorer, right-click on “This PC” and select “Map Network Drive”
Choose the correct drive letter and paste the appropriate URL from the list above
- NOTE: if O: drive, replace (username) with your Thomas username.
Please note that you will have to create a separate O: and S: drive on each computer that you would like to access your OneDrive account from. This includes remote desktop sessions like AcadTS and AdminTS.
If you have difficulty creating your O:/S: drive please contact the Service Desk: (servicedesk@thomas.edu | 207-859-1204).
- Creating an O: drive on Windows 10/8.1/8
- Open Internet Explorer and log on to Office 365 (login.microsoftonline.com) with your Thomas College username and password and check the box that says “Keep me signed in.”
- Click on the Sites menu choice.
- Click the small gear icon in the upper right hand corner of the Internet Explorer window and select “Internet Options.”
- Choose the “Security” tab, click the green arrow that says “Trusted sites,” and click the “Sites” button.
- Under the heading “Add this website to the zone:” make sure “https://alumnithomas-my.sharepoint.com” is listed in the box and click the “Add” button.
- Open File Explorer and double click on the “X:” drive
- In this folder, please run the file called “MapODrive.bat”
- This drive should now be synced to your Microsoft OneDrive account. You can store up to one terabyte of data on your OneDrive account. This amount of space is ideal for storing larger projects like photos and videos. Please DO NOT use OneDrive for storing sensitive information (student or employee ID numbers, contact information, etc…Note: this operation will only work with Internet Explorer and you must be logged in to Office 365 to access your O: / OneDrive account.Note: you will have to create a separate O: drive on each computer that you would like to access your OneDrive account from. This includes remote desktop sessions like AcadTS and AdminTS. If you have difficulty creating your O: drive please contact the Service Desk: (servicedesk@thomas.edu | 207-859-1204).
File-Sharing Etiquette
Peer-to-peer file-sharing utilities such as BearShare, Morpheus, and KaZaA may seem like harmless fun, but they can quickly and easily create a tremendous strain on a high-speed network, resulting in slower internet speeds and interfering with other users’ ability to connect to file servers, email, and the Internet for academic priorities. Installing a file-sharing utility on your computer not only enables you to download files from other computers across the Internet, but also sets up your computer as a server from which other people all over the world can download files from your computer.Many file-sharing utilities also receive a continuous stream of advertisements whenever they are open, degrading your computer’s performance and taking up additional network bandwidth. If you must use a peer-to-peer file-sharing utility, please minimize your network traffic:
- Disable the server function of your file-sharing utility
- Configure bandwidth settings as low as possible
- Download only one file at a time
- Limit downloads to periods of low network usage (early mornings, evenings, and weekends)
- Exit your file-sharing utility whenever you are not actively using it
- Make sure your file-sharing utility does not automatically launch when you start up your computer
Please be aware that if your use of a file-sharing utility impedes network performance or interferes with other users’ access to the network, you will receive a warning and your network connection may be blocked until the problem is corrected.
By listing these instructions, Thomas College does not condone or promote the use of these applications in any way.
Ares
You cannot easily disable the sharing component of this software.
Audiogalaxy
To minimize the amount of bandwidth Audiogalaxy Satellite uses to transfer files:
- Launch Audiogalaxy Satellite
- From Audiogalaxy Satellite’s Options menu, choose Bandwidth Throttle
- Slide the indicator as far to the left as possible. Click OK
- When you are asked if you are sure you want to change your bandwidth settings, click OK
- Click the Go! button to open the Audiogalaxy member home page
- In the limit simultaneous transfers to field on the Audiogalaxy member home page, select 1. Click change
To prevent Audiogalaxy Satellite from automatically launching when you start up your computer:
- From the Start menu, choose Settings, then Taskbar & Start Menu
- Click the Start Menu Programs tab
- Click the Remove button
- Click the “+” next to StartUp (you may need to scroll down to find the StartUp folder)
- Select AGSatellite. Click Remove
- Click Close
- In the Taskbar Properties window, click OK
To exit Audiogalaxy Satellite:
- From Audiogalaxy Satellite’s File menu, choose Exit File Agent
- When you are asked if you are sure you want to close your agent, click Yes
BearShare
To disable BearShare’s server function, restrict the amount of bandwidth BearShare uses, limit simultaneous downloads, and prevent BearShare from launching automatically at startup:
- Launch BearShare
- Click the Uploads button
- Click Sharing Is On. The text should become “Sharing Is Off”
- From the Setup menu, choose Sharing
- In the Share the files in these directories and their subdirectories field, highlight a directory, then click Remove. Repeat until the field is empty
- Click the Uploads tab
- In the field labeled No more than . . . connections per person, type 0. In the field labeled Allow up to . . . total simultaneous uploads, type 0. Uncheck Enable Upload Queuing
- Click the Downloads tab
- In the field labeled Get up to . . . files at a time, type 1
- Click the Connection tab
- Under Network Interface, select Modem
- Click the Options tab
- Uncheck Launch BearShare on System Startup. From the When I click close menu, choose Close Immediately
- Click OK
Please exit BearShare whenever you are not actively using it. To exit, from the File menu choose Exit.
BearShare automatically installs WeatherCast, which constantly displays weather information in your system tray. Since WeatherCast creates unnecessary network traffic even when BearShare is not running, you should uninstall WeatherCast if you do not use it. To uninstall WeatherCast:
- Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on Control Panel
- Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
- Select WeatherCast. Click Add/Remove
- Follow the instructions on your screen to remove WeatherCast
Installing BearShare also installs SaveNow, which monitors your on-line purchases and may redirect sales commissions from other referring sites to BearShare; previous versions of BearShare include other advertising and monitoring software. Uninstalling BearShare does not completely remove SaveNow or other advertising and/or monitoring software.
BitTorrent, BitLord, BitComet, etc
You cannot easily disable the sharing component of this software.
eDonkey2000
To disable eDonkey2000’s server function and restrict the amount of bandwidth the application uses:
- Launch eDonkey
- Click the Options button
- In the Max Connections field, type 3
- Uncheck Always stay connected
- Click OK
- Click Shared
- Click the “+” next to each shaded box. Click on each red check mark to remove it (you may need to click twice on each check mark). When no more shaded boxes or red check marks (indicating shared folders) remain, click Ok
Please exit eDonkey2000 whenever you are not actively using it. Clicking the “x” in the upper right corner of the eDonkey2000 window will not completely close eDonkey2000. To exit:
- Right-click on the eDonkey2000 icon in the lower right corner of your screen
- From the menu which appears, choose Exit
eDonkey2000 automatically installs TopText iLookup and UCmore, which monitor your Internet usage and display advertisements. Uninstalling eDonkey2000 will not automatically uninstall these applications. To uninstall TopText iLookup and UCmore:
- Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on Control Panel
- Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
- Select TopText iLookup. Click Add/Remove
- Follow the instructions on your screen to remove TopText iLookup
- In the Add/Remove Programs Properties window, select UCmore. Click Add/Remove
- Follow the instructions on your screen to remove UCmore. When you are asked to reboot your computer, click OK. Note: If your computer does not automatically restart after you click OK, restart your computer
- When your computer has restarted, double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on the icon for your hard drive
- Open the Program Files folder
- Right-click on the UCmore folder. From the menu which appears, choose Delete
- When you are asked if you are sure you want to remove the folder, click Yes
Uninstallation does not remove certain components of UCmore and TopText iLookup, and eDonkey2000 may also install other advertising and/or monitoring software.
Gnucleus
To disable Gnucleus’s server function and limit simultaneous downloads:
- Launch Gnucleus
- From the Edit menu, choose Preferences
- In the left pane of the window, select Local
- Under Display Window, uncheck Send Gnucleus to tray when closed
- In the left pane of the window, select Network. Note: If Network is not listed, click the “+” next to Local, then select Network
- Uncheck Able to become Ultrapeer
- In the left pane of the window, select Share
- In the Shared Directories field, highlight the first directory listed. Click Remove. Repeat until all shared directories have been removed
- Uncheck Sub-Directories
- In the left pane of the window, select Transfer
- In the Maximum simultaneous downloads field, type 1. In the Maximum simultaneous uploads field, type 0
- Click OK
To prevent Gnucleus from launching automatically at startup:
- From the Start menu, choose Programs, then Startup.
- Right-click on Gnucleus
- From the menu which appears, choose Delete
- When you are asked if you are sure you want to delete the shortcut to Gnucleus, click Yes
Please exit Gnucleus when you are not actively using it. To exit Gnucleus, from the File menu choose Exit.
iMesh
You cannot easily disable the sharing component of this software.
KaZaA
To disable Kazaa’s server function, limit simultaneous downloads, close Kazaa when not using it, and remove Kazaa adware and spyware:
- Launch Kazaa
- From the Tools menu, choose Options
- Click the My Kazaa tab
- Uncheck Launch Kazaa Media Desktop automatically
- Click the Traffic tab
- In the field labeled You can define the number of simultaneous downloads here, type 1. In the field labeled You can define the number of simultaneous uploads here, type 0
- Check Disable sharing of files with other Kazaa Media Desktop users
- Click the Advanced tab
- In the field labeled Maximum bandwidth in kilobits to be used . . ., type 24
- Check Do not function as Supernode
- Click OK
Please disconnect from the Kazaa network whenever you are not actively downloading files. To disconnect, choose File > Disconnect. You can still use the Kazaa Theater to play files you have downloaded while you are disconnected.
When you are not actively using Kazaa, please exit the Kazaa Media Desktop. Choosing File > Exit or clicking the “x” in the upper right corner of the screen will not fully exit the Kazaa Media Desktop. To exit:
- Right-click on the Kazaa icon in the lower right corner of your screen
- From the menu which appears, choose Close Kazaa Media Desktop
Kazaa automatically installs applications which monitor your Internet usage and display advertisements. These may include DelFin Media Viewer, MediaLoads, b3d Projector, New.net, FirstLook Portal, and other applications. Kazaa also installs SaveNow, which monitors your on-line purchases and redirects sales commissions belonging to other referring sites to Kazaa. Uninstalling Kazaa does not automatically remove these applications. To uninstall some of these programs:
- Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on Control Panel
- Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
- Remove each of the following items by selecting its name, then clicking Add/Remove and following the instructions on your screen
- b3d Projector
- DelFin Media Viewer
- FirstLook Portal Note: When you are asked whether you are sure you want to stop receiving news and other information, click Yes
- MediaLoads
- MediaLoads Installer
- SaveNow
- New.net Domains 4.50
- Close all open windows
- Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on the icon for your hard drive
- Open the Program Files folder
- Delete the following folders
- SaveNow
- DelFin
- FirstLook
- NewDotNet
LimeWire
To disable LimeWire’s server function, restrict simultaneous downloads, and prevent LimeWire from launching automatically when you start up your computer:
- Launch LimeWire
- From the Tools menu, choose Options
- In the left pane of the window, click Sharing
- In the Shared Directories field, remove each shared directory by selecting it and clicking Remove
- In the Extensions field, delete all the text
- In the left pane of the window, click Speed
- Check Disable Ultrapeer Capabilities
- In the left pane of the window, click Downloads
- In the Maximum Downloads field, type 1
- In the left pane of the window, click Slots. Note: If Slots is not listed, click the triangle next to Uploads, then click Slots
- In the Uploads Per Person field, type 0. In the Start Upload Slots field, type 0. In the Max Upload Slots field, type 0
- In the left pane of the window, click Shutdown
- Select Shutdown Immediately
- Click OK
When you are not actively using LimeWire, please exit LimeWire. To exit, from the File menu choose Close.
LimeWire automatically installs LimeShop, which monitors your on-line purchases and redirects sales commissions belonging to other referring sites to LimeWire. Uninstalling LimeWire does not automatically remove LimeShop. To uninstall LimeShop:
- Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on Control Panel
- Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
- Select LimeShop. Click Add/Remove
- Click OK
- Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
- Double-click on the icon for your hard drive
- Open the Program Files folder
- Right-click on the LimeShop folder. From the menu which appears, choose Delete
- When you are asked if you are sure you want to remove the folder, click Yes
LimeWire may also install BonziBuddy and other advertising and monitoring programs.
Morpheus
You cannot easily disable the sharing component of this software.
Phex
To disable Phex’s server function, restrict Phex’s bandwidth usage, and limit simultaneous downloads:
- Launch Phex
- From the Setting menu, choose Phex Options
- In the left pane of the window, click Bandwidth
- Slide each bandwidth indicator to 25%
- In the left pane of the window, click Download
- In the Total parallel downloads field, type 1. In the Max parallel downloads per file field, type 1
- In the left pane of the window, click Sharing
- In the Max Simultaneous Uploads field, type 0. In the Max Uploads per host field, type 0
- In the left pane of the window, click Directories
- In the Shared Directories field, remove each shared directory by selecting it, then clicking Remove
- Click OK
Scour Exchange
You cannot easily disable the sharing component of this software.
Shareaza
You cannot easily disable the sharing component of this software.
XoloX
To disable XoloX’s server function and minimize bandwidth usage:
- Launch XoloX
- From Xolox’s Tools menu, choose Preferences
- Click the Network tab. In the Upload speed field, select 1. Uncheck Use maximum download and upload settings . . .
- Click the Sharing tab. Remove all directories from the Share the files in these directories field
- Click Apply
- Click Close
To exilt XoloX:
- From XoloX’s File menu, choose Close
- Right-click on the XoloX icon in the system tray near the lower right corner of your screen. Choose Exit
Remove Thomas College Software From Your Computer
If you are graduating or otherwise leaving the College, you may need to remove software that was installed on your computer and licensed for your use while you were a student at Thomas. Please review the list of software packages below:
1. Microsoft Campus Agreement software
- Graduates can keep any software purchased through Kivuto or SFS. Every installation of Office installed through the Office365 portal must be removed.
- Non-graduates must remove the software purchased under this agreement (from Kivuto or SFS).
- Former employees must remove the software purchased under this agreement or under the Home Use Program
2. Imagine licensed software
Software must be removed (including Visio, Project, Virtual PC, any Microsoft server). This is software you downloaded from the Imagine web site. Read more about Imagine.
Telephone Questions
1. Your personal cell phone
- favored by most students
- you may want to change your phone number to a local number for the next four years
- both CDMA and GSM networks (used by most carriers) work well on our campus
Verizon wireless seems to have the best signal and highest speed data service - AT&T and U.S. Cellular systems seem to work well too
- Sprint phone users roam since their network doesn’t go above Portland
2. Microsoft Teams (part of Office 365)
- for $30 per academic year, Cloud PBX can be added to provide voice-mail and phone services (voice messages are delivered to Outlook)
- for $145 per academic year, unlimited U.S. phone calls may be made to/from Skype-for-Business installed on your computer or smartphone (requires Cloud PBX)
- for $290 per academic year, unlimited international and U.S. phone calls may be made to/from Skype-for-Business installed on your computer or smartphone (requires Cloud PBX)
- for $15 per academic year, PSTN Conferencing can be added (allowing students to host phone-based conference calls) (requires Cloud PBX)
Using Mitel Connect / Office Anywhere
Office Anywhere is a feature of the Mitel system that allows a user to quickly and easily re-assign his or her extension to any telephone on the system or off the system. The user’s communications profile is reassigned to that telephone, and calls placed to the user will be routed to that telephone, while calls placed from that telephone will reflect proper caller ID information.
To set up your home telephone to be used as your extension when placing and receiving calls:
- Remote Desktop into terminal server AcadTS and AdminTS
- Start Mitel Connect
Server Name: T15
Enter your Windows or Voice Mail username and password - Go to the Circle, External Assignment, Configure Office Anywhere
- Check Enable Office Anywhere
- Choose (or enter) your off-campus phone number
- Choose OK
For incoming calls: also go to Options, Configure Call Handling and set Edit Destination to 4 or more rings. 3 is too low to give you time to answer off-campus).
For outgoing calls: Choose Dial, Enter the number to dial, then click on Make Call. It grabs a line from the Mitel phone system and rings the telephone at your location. You pick it up and you have the call.
Also see, the Mitel Connect User Guide.
Using Mitel Soft Phone
To use your Windows desktop/laptop as a phone, you must have a Mitel soft phone license assigned to your extension. (See Chris Rhoda, cost is about $95)
- To use, start Mitel Connect
Server Name: T15
Enter your Windows or Voice Mail username and password - Go to the Circle, Extension Assignment, Select Soft Phone (instead of Primary Phone)
- Choose OK
To place outgoing calls: Choose Dial, Enter the number to dial, then click on Make Call.
Also see, the Mitel Connect User Manual.
Additional Phones Feature in Mitel Connect
This feature allows you to specify a 10 digit off-campus number that rings anytime your Mitel phone rings. When you answer either the Mitel phone or your additional phone, the other phone stops ringing.
To enable this capability:
- Go to the College Portal page
- Click on Mitel Connect
- Log in
- Choose Primary Phone
- Configure Extension Assignment
- Choose Additional Phones
If your second phone is not listed;
Enter a label (like Cell Phone) and the 10 digit phone number (like 2075551111) at the bottom
Choose Add - In the First Phone field (at the top), choose your phone label or number
- Go to Standard Mode (under Call Handling Mode) and make sure Enable Calling Additional Phones is checked
- Choose Save
- Try it by having someone call your extension
Re-Route No-Caller ID Calls
If you want to screen blocked caller ID incoming calls on our phone system, please do the following:
- Start Mitel Connect client (web client does not have this)
- Choose Standard, Configure Call Handling
- Choose Personalized Call Handling
- Choose New Rule
- Choose Phone Number Match
- Add Out of Area / Unknown and Private, then choose OK
- Choose Next
- Choose Forward Call to Voicemail
- Choose Next
- Enter Rule Name (example: No Caller ID)
- Choose Finish
- Choose OK
Calls coming into your phone that are Out of Area, Unknown or Private will now go directly to voice-mail.