Computer Services

IV. FACULTY SUPPORT SERVICES

B. COMPUTER SERVICES

Available Services

The Instructional Technology Services department (ITS) helps provide and maintain computers and computer-related technologies on campus. The office is located in the Ryan Learning Annex, on the top floor opposite the Center for Teaching and Learning. The department also supports faculty by providing appropriate academic software and helping faculty learn how to use these technologies effectively in the classroom. This training is done through regular training sessions run by ITS and through occasional (usually twice a semester) CTL sessions, co-organized by a faculty member, the CTL director and ITS.

Specific questions about the pedagogical use of a particular technology should be addressed to Kathy Potter (x2399) or to Barbara Rutledge (x2347).

Contact Protocol

If a particular computer application is not functioning, or your school computer itself is not working, you should call the Help Desk. From on-campus, simply dial 4357. From off-campus, dial 619-849-7070; when the greeting begins, dial 4357. The Help Desk is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you experience a problem after business hours, call the Help Desk and leave a message, indicating whether the issue in question is an emergency . For emergencies, a technician will be paged automatically and will return your call as soon as possible. For non-emergency situations, a technician will return your call the following business day. After hours support is available Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Emergencies would include any of the following:

Unable to access the Internet
Unable to connect to a file share (e.g. Socrates, Zeus, etc.)
Trouble logging on to the PLNU network
Difficulty printing to a departmental printer or a library printer

The Help Desk will not help a faculty member resolve problems with a home computer.

Word Capabilities

Typing of standard text
Creating of tables
Creating of text boxes for coordination with pictures
Creating of text boxes for arrangement of short squibs
Typing in a variety of foreign languages, with special characters
Formatting of a wide variety of text features

Excel Capabilities

Sorting of data by name, age, scores, or any other category
Calculation of average, median, mode
Calculation of sums, percentages, and formulae
Calculation of grades
Dropping of low scores before grade calculation
Counting of items (number of scores above or below a certain number, e.g.)
Creation of pivot tables from selected data in a larger data file
Automatically select certain data (e.g. highlight all test scores below a certain percentage)

Outlook Capabilities

Send and receive e-mail
Sort e-mail into an individualized set of folders
Pre-sort e-mail into certain folders (e.g. a spam folder, a departmental one, etc.)
Create group e-mail lists that allow you to e-mail one message automatically to everyone in the group
E-mail a whole class, a whole department, etc.
Merge with an Excel file in order to easily inform each student of mid-semester grades
Keep your calendar and remind you of events
Make your calendar accessible to the department assistant

PLNU Network

The internal PLNU network offers shared folders for common faculty use. You can reach these folders by clicking on the My Computer Places icon. Select either Socrates or Zeus and then Shared Faculty Folders. You will find a CTL folder at this site as well as agendas and minutes from faculty meetings. You may also find a shared folder for your particular department.

Another important file to access is “Forms Central”. Again you click on the “My Computer” icon. Then select Shared on Socrates, then Forms Central and then Faculty. Here you will find a variety of forms that faculty need to use, including forms for peer review and self/chair review.

I n Forms Central you will also find a “De-Enrollment Notice”, “Change of Grade”, “Alumni Faculty Grant Application”, “Authorized Driver Application” and “Alert Announcement Form”.

I f you do not see a Shared on Socrates option, you will need to map it the first time you wish to use it.

Close the “My Computer” window.
Right click on “My Computer”
Choose “Map Network Drive”
Type \\socrates\shared
Click “Finish”

Training Sessions

Training sessions are regularly scheduled and the schedule can be accessed from the PLNU website ( Faculty and Staff Technology Training Site ). Since the training schedule is continuously changing, you should check the site regularly. Invitations to Center for Teaching and Learning Tech Time sessions arrive through campus e-mail and you should watch for them.