Since the start of the pandemic in 2020,聽many of you may have taken home equipment from the office (laptops, monitors and even desktops) and some may have borrowed laptops from IT Services. What is the expectation regarding IT equipment now that we have returned to campus, but are now working in a "hybrid mode" - some days in the office and others working remotely?
Questions & answers
Will I have to return the computer / equipment I borrowed?
Laptops
If you borrowed a laptop from IT Services, aka an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) loaner, the default expectation is that this computer will become your main computer and we will need to recuperate other PCs you may have (as the rule is 1 PC per user). If you are an eligible admin staff member covered under 1A funding, you can request a Dell P2422HE (USB-C) monitor that will act as a docking station to connect your monitors, mouse, keyboard, and headset.
Desktops, monitors. etc.
Staff who were permitted to take home desktops, monitors, and other peripherals during the shutdown should have already returned their equipment by now. The safe return and reconnection of this equipment is the responsibility of the employee / local unit, though IT Services can assist with this if problems arise. See (login required).
Can I use my own personal computer on the days when I鈥檓 working from home?
If you have your own personal computer, that meets 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 minimum specifications, you may use it to conduct work activities from home. However, please ensure you follow these guidelines:
- Ensure that your operating system is up to date. See聽.
- Protect your computer and other devices with .
- (Word, PPT, Excel, etc.) on your personal or non-managed computer to facilitate working on documents stored in MS Teams, OneDrive and other Microsoft 365 cloud services.
- Refer to聽聽to know聽which software is available for use at 捆绑SM社区.聽 This article includes who is eligible to use it, how to get it and support information.
- Do not sync 捆绑SM社区 files from OneDrive or SharePoint to your personal device; access those files directly from the or from MS Teams.
- Delete all 捆绑SM社区 files from your computer and empty the Trash or Recycle bin once you are finished working with them. To comply with 捆绑SM社区's 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Cloud Directive, files that contain Regulated and Protected Enterprise and Research Data may only be stored on 捆绑SM社区-managed聽devices (computers, tablets, Smartphones) or "Cloud Services for Enterprise Data" and 鈥淐loud Services for Research Data鈥� including OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint and D2.
- Find more details about the use of personal devices to access 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Administrative systems in the Secure Use of Administrative Systems Directive.
As virtual and hybrid meetings become more prevalent, will there be changes to our IT equipment (i.e., headsets, telephones, audio visual equipment)?
Telephones: mobile vs. landlines
捆绑SM社区 is currently undergoing a significant transformation with the Telephone Evolution project, replacing the traditional phone system with an Internet-based system powered by Cisco Webex. This initiative brings modern connectivity to your fingertips, enabling you to stay connected from anywhere 鈥� be it the office, home, or mobile device. With the new system, you can seamlessly make and receive calls across devices, ensuring you're always reachable in today's flexible work environment.
What is the best tool to use when holding virtual/hybrid meetings?
MS Teams is the recommended tool for communication and collaboration within 捆绑SM社区 internal employees.
Is VPN required when accessing IT systems on campus?
In most cases, if you are logged into a computer on the campus network, you will not need a VPN connection to access 捆绑SM社区 systems.
Have more questions?
Visit the IT Support site and submit a request.
