Welcome to Computing Resources
Critical to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s role in providing a high quality education is a dependence upon a robust and reliable computing infrastructure. Access to a wealth of current, accurate information along with an assortment of useful software applications is readily available to students, staff and faculty. In this document we have attempted to compile a complete collection of pertinent information regarding computing at the CVM.
Please familiarize yourself with this document and keep it handy for future reference!
Additional information may be found on the web at:
The CVM Community as part of the University must follow all policies regulations and rules (PRRs) set forth by the university.
Throughout your career with CVM important information will be sent to you via email. It is your responsibility to read and respond to your email in a timely fashion. Failure to do so will result in missed information! As an NC State University student, you now have a Unity email account. This address takes the form of “unityid@ncsu.edu.” Official CVM business will only be sent to your Unity email account.
If you do not intend to use your Unity email account, use the email forwarding tool (https://sysnews.ncsu.edu/tools-bin/usmdb-forwards) to assure that your Unity email will be forwarded to the email provider you intend to use. Remember to update this information should you change internet service providers.
IMAP (or Internet Message Access Protocol) is the default email service for all Unity email accounts. It allows email messages to be stored on an NC State IMAP server so that they can be accessed from any Web browser or compatible email client from anywhere on the Internet. You may use NC State’s Webmail (http://webmail.ncsu.edu/) service at any time and from any location with a web browser and Internet access.
For complete instructions on how to configure your personal computer to access your NC State email account from your residence, visit the IMAP@NC State web page (http://www.ncsu.edu/imap/readers.html).
Email lists (a.k.a.listservs)
Email List use is subject to the NC State University rules and regulations of broadcast email (http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/informationtechnology/REG08.00.2.php). Please use lists for professional matters only. You are urged to avoid using the lists unless you are trying to communicate vital information to the entire CVM or certain CVM groups. Please communicate directly with individuals (faculty, staff, or friends) and make your own address book entries for frequent email partners. Email lists are not to be used for advertising such as for roommates, pet adoptions or items for sale. The CVM Classified Advertising website (http://webapps.cvm.ncsu.edu/academicaffairs/classifieds/) is available for those purposes. A complete list of mailing lists is found on the Computing Resources website (http://cvm.ncsu.edu/cr/cr-cvm/emaillists.html).
Passwords
While sometimes bothersome to create or enter, passwords are the primary method of preserving a secure computing environment. Your Unity account has been created with a default password. As soon as possible, change your password via the NC State “Change Passwords” page (http://www.ncsu.edu/passwords).
A good password is difficult to guess and combines both alpha and numeric characters, along with punctuation. A common technique takes the first or last letter of each in a saying or phrase familiar to the user. For example, by using random capitalization and substituting some punctuation marks and digits for letters, “Friends don’t let friends give tech advice” might become “fD!Fg7a.” Don’t use your address, birthday or spouse’s/pet’s name and please don’t use the example just given.
Do not give your password to anyone, ever, for any reason!
Computer Viruses
If you receive a suspicious email with an attachment, do not open it until you verify that the sender intended to send it. Frequently, viruses will infect a computer and send itself to entries in the computer’s address book. Scan all removable media (flash memory and key drives) with an up-to-date Anti Virus application. A free copy of Symantec Anti Virus is included on the NC State “Computing Essentials” CD for installation on your personal computer. Use it and keep it updated!
CVM Computer Labs
CVM Computing Resources supports the Student Computing Labs located in C260 and the Library A110. There are Unity Windows workstations in C260. A proximity ID card is required to enter C260. A Unity ID and password is required to log onto any Unity workstation, and most of the applications are delivered over the network. Some older applications run locally.
The Windows XP environment looks and feels much like a standard PC running Windows XP. For example, keyboard shortcuts are standard (e.g., Win + E for Windows Explorer), and the desktop My Documents folder automatically maps to your Unity home directory (your k:). Your c:/temp and recycle folders are emptied every time you log off.
Internet Explorer is the default Web browser, although Firefox is available in the Novell Application Launcher (NAL). The CVM Windows XP workstations are equipped with USB ports and CD Burners.
The CVM lab has applications in addition to the standard ones listed above. These include applications such as Balancer, Grower, Cow Calf, Spartan Ration Balancer, and Veterinary Business Management.
Contacting Janice Cofield at 513-6461 reserves C260. Please contact the Office of Academic Affairs if you need the room for more than 4 hours. Notice must be given in advance to students via the email lists and posting a sign on the door. An LCD projector can display from eight of the workstations in the C260 lab.
Please report any problems to 513-6677 or email vethelp@ncsu.edu