Faculty and Staff Orientation/Onboarding

Shortcuts: https://behrend.psu.edu/fso / https://behrend.psu.edu/nfo / https://behrend.psu.edu/onboarding

The information below is a brief overview of BITS services.  Click on the button within each area to learn more details about a topic.

BITS

More about BITS  >>

Get Help

  • Service Now (Snow) - This is the University-wide, online help system to request IT help. To submit a SNOW ticket (also called an IT ticket), visit IT Help.
  • Urgent Matters - Call BITS Service Desk at 814-217-HELP (4357), Monday-Thursday: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm, and Fridays, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Outside of these hours, please call 814-865-4357.
  • BITS Service/Help Desks - The help desks are staffed by student consultants at various campus locations.

Get Help  >>

Technology for Your Office

OneDrive

  • Your personal work files are saved to the Microsoft cloud.
  • What you need to do:  Please follow the instructions to set up OneDrive (PDF | Word) or view the OneDrive video (at Bits & Tips).
    • After OneDrive is set up, your Desktop, Favorites, and Documents are redirected to OneDrive.
    • Files may be synced for easy access via Windows File Explorer.

Department File Access

  • Department files are located in Teams. 
  • What you need to do:  Please:  a) contact your department and request that they add you as a Team member and 2) follow the instructions to sync the Team files (PDF | Word) or view the "Sync a Team Channel" video.
    • After the above has been done, you'll be able to access the Team files via Windows File Explorer (in addition to using the Teams app).

Office 365 Desktop Apps

Email and Calendars

  • Outlook is the email and calendar system used within the University.
  • What you need to do:  If you want use email on your phone, we recommend that you use the Outlook app for the best experience; please refer to the Outlook Mobile Setup guide (PDF | Word)
  • If you need assistance to set up your personal device for email or calendaring, please make an appointment with the Service Desk in Hammermill or submit an IT Ticket.

Phone

  • Microsoft Teams Phone is enabled on your office computer.  Simply equip yourself with a microphone and speakers to start making external calls from your computer or any compatible device. Your office computer will come equipped with a headset for this purpose.
  • What you need to do:  Please follow the instructions here to use Teams Phone.

Other Software

  • Office 365 and G-Suite may be used for communication and collaboration. Both suites have applications for creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations, web forms, etc. as well as features for sharing documents with others.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud is a collection of software which includes Acrobat, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, etc.  What you need to do:  1) obtain an Adobe Software License and 2) install the desired software from the Software Center.  >> Instructions coming soon, but in the meantime, please submit an IT Ticket for assistance. <<

Research

Resources Available – Assist in Connecting

  • Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS)
    • Provides high-performance computing solutions through the Roar supercomputer. The Roar supercomputer is Penn State’s high-performance research cloud.
  • Cloud Services
    • Setup
    • Configurations
    • Assist in cost management\monitoring
  • Artificial Intelligence
    • Azure AI Service
      • Playgrounds (Testing Areas)
      • Dashboards/Reporting
  • Virtual/Augmented Reality at Behrend
    • Director - Christopher R. Shelton, Ph.D.
      • VAR Lab
        • Leveraging cutting-edge technology to study several areas of focus and to implement immersive solutions by engaging with students and academic/community/industry partners through Penn State’s “Open Lab” model of collaboration
      • VAR Edu
        • This space is dedicated to facilitating immersive experiences at a classroom scale. It is outfitted with all the infrastructure needed for an individual or a group to check out a program(s) of interest.

Integration/Customization

  • Initial system consultation and setup
  • Network consultation and setup
  • Hardware instrumentation/peripheral setups
  • Integration to PSU resources
  • Vendor integration
  • Data Management and Reporting Technologies
    • Data migration and manipulation
    • Assist in custom data collection and presentation processes
  • Optimizing workflow

More information about phones (physical and virtual), software, videoconferencing, and other resources are available; click the green "Tech for Your Office (Campus or Remote)" button.

Tech for Your Office (Campus or Remote)  >>

Technology For Teaching

Labs: Reservations

  • Public labs are reserved via the Registrar's Office for semester-long requests.
  • Ad-hoc reservations are made via CollegeNet and approved by BITS.

Labs: Systems and Software

Classrooms

  • For more information about available technology in classrooms, please submit an IT ticket or call 814-217-4357.
More information about the public labs, software, and other resources are available at Technology for Teaching.

Tech for Teaching  >>

Training Resources

  • All newly hired University faculty and staff are required to take the Information Security Awareness training within 30 days of receiving your Penn State Account. 
  • The University provides various opportunities to learn or to expand your knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas, including business, IT, and creative applications.
  • Behrend's Bits and Tips site provides short video clips and/or step-by-step guides for podium controls and Office 365, including OneDrive, Teams, and Outlook.  Additional topics are added each semester.

Training & Learning  >>

Remote Working/Teaching/Learning

Security

Other Resources