Welcome to new students, and welcome back to returning students! We are so excited to have you at SPU. Know that the CIS HelpDesk is here to support you as you begin a new quarter.

Need a Computer?

The CIS HelpDesk has a limited supply of refurbished computers available for SPU students to purchase. For information on pricing and how to inquire about purchasing, see here: Affordable Laptop Program for Students.

Accessing Campus WiFi

Connection to WiFi is available all across campus. For complete instructions, see here: Network and Internet

• Students will follow these instructions
• Campus guests will follow these instructions

Microsoft Office 365 for Education

There are many Microsoft Office products available to you as an SPU student, including:

SPU Email

Check your SPU email frequently for important campus-wide communications and information from your professors about your classes. SPU users get 50 GB (gigabytes) of email storage space. See here for help with configuring your SPU email across all your devices (computers, tablets, phones, etc).

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams (the replacement for Skype) is another great collaboration tool that all SPU students have access to. Instant message your classmates, set up a study group online, share files, and more. See here for more information: Study Groups In-Person and Online.

OneDrive for Business

As an SPU student you receive 1 TB (terabyte) of storage space in OneDrive for Business, which is tied to your SPU account and uses your SPU credentials (username and password). Your documents can be stored securely here and your account is accessible from any of your devices, on or off-campus. Documents can also be shared with others for group collaboration. Learn more here.

Microsoft Office Suite

Current students may obtain the latest version of Microsoft Office for Windows or Mac through the Microsoft Student Advantage Program. There is no cost to install the software on up to 5 personal devices, including your computer (PC or Mac), tablet (iPad or Android), or mobile phone (iPhone or Android). The Office Suite provides powerful productivity tools including: Word, Excel, Power Point, OneDrive, and Outlook. Learn more here.

Minecraft for Education

You have access to play Minecraft at no additional cost through your SPU account. See here for more information.

Virtual Computer Labs Online

As of spring quarter 2020, the academic software programs you may need for some of your classes (such as MATLAB, Food Processor, and more) are now available via Amazon AppStream.

AppStream is intended for use from your personal computer so you do not have to visit an on-campus computer lab to complete your homework assignments. See the complete list of software available and more information here: Amazon AppStream Apps.

Banner

Use the SPU Banner system to access your financial aid, academic records, and class registration information. To access Banner, go to the mySPU menu and log in with your SPU username and password.

Canvas

Canvas is the SPU Learning Management System. The Educational Technology and Media (ETM) department has a wealth of content to help you use this system. You can learn more here .

Please contact your professor if you are experiencing any issue with Canvas, such as a course not appearing or not seeing your course content. If the issue then still hasn't resolved, contact the Educational Technology & Media office at etmhelp@spu.edu or at 206-281-2170.

Printing and Copying

SPU provides a campus-wide printing/copying program for students. There are Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) located across campus for your use.

• Students are granted free print credit at the beginning of each quarter that accumulates through the academic school year.
  • Students enrolled in 12 or more credits get $5.00 per quarter
  • Students enrolled in 11 credits or less get $2.50 per quarter.
• When print credit has been used up, you can load Falcon Funds  on your SPU ID Card for additional printing.
• You can print black and white OR full color prints on paper sizes from 8 1/2" x 11" up to 12" x 18".
  • The costs are  $0.05 per page for black & white and  $0.10 per page for color.
• You may print directly from your computer or a USB flash-drive, copy, and scan to email.
• Document scanning on the MFPs is free and does not require print credit.
• You can submit print jobs via the web from on or off campus and print them from any MFP once arriving on campus. 

Instructions are posted at each MFP and on the CIS website: MFP Student Printing.

Watch Out for Scams

While many illegitimate messages are filtered out of your inbox some may still get through. SPU will NEVER ask you to send or verify your login credentials or other personal/confidential information via email. Your account credentials should not be shared with anyone!

Phishing

Phishing scams often come in the form of email messages attempting to steal your username and password. PLEASE DO NOT reply to these messages or follow web links where you must confirm or enter your username and password.  

If you have questions about the legitimacy of a message, please forward it to help@spu.edu and we can assist. See last year's CyberSecurity Awareness Month blog post about phishing for additional information.

Job Scams

Occasionally you may receive an email scam offering an employment opportunity from someone who appears to be associated with SPU. Please delete these messages and do not respond. To safely search for a job, check out SPU's Handshake platform. All employers on Handshake are vetted to guarantee their trustworthiness.

Here is a blog post with more information to help you identify and avoid employment scammers. If you have any questions about the legitimacy of an email message please forward it to help@spu.edu. 

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Copyright Compliance

File sharing software that copies and distributes songs, movies, videos, games, and software applications without the permission of the owner is a Copyright Law violation that can subject you to criminal and civil liability. Content owners use technological means to track the file sharing of their intellectual property on the Internet. SPU is required by law to inform you if we are aware you have violated copyright law and must provide your information to copyright owners for legal action if you do not cease illegal activity. 

You are still responsible for the activities of your computer when connected to the campus network. See here for more information about copyright compliance.

Update Your Emergency Contacts and SPU Alert Info

It is important to be made aware of campus emergencies in real-time, as information is available. SPU-Alert is the system used to notify you of campus emergencies via text, email, and voice calls. We need your current contact information so that we can send you alerts during a campus emergency.

The beginning of the school year is a great time to review and update your information. Log into the Banner Information System, go to the Personal Menu, update your information on the Emergency Alert System, and also your Emergency Contact Information.

CIS HelpDesk Support

Need help with Banner or logging in to Canvas? Computer running slowly or might have a virus? We're here to help!

Due to COVID-19 the HelpDesk is restricting in-person support to appointment-only. Phone and email support are available during our normal business hours. Please submit a ticket to request an appointment.