Before you get to campus…
Setup your Louisiana Tech user ID
Your user ID is the key you will use to access information services at Louisiana Tech. Faculty and staff user IDs are requested and assigned during the hiring and on-boarding process by human resources. Once your account has been created, you can activate your account by setting a new password. To do this, you will need your campus-wide ID (CWID) and BOSS PIN. These should have been provided to you as part of hiring and on-boarding.
Setup your Louisiana Tech e-mail
E-mail is provided for all faculty, and can be accessed at any time from https://webmail.latech.edu.
Your Louisiana Tech e-mail account is the University’s official method of communicating with you. Due to FERPA and record retention rules, it should also be your official method for conducting university business, including communicating with students. As a result, it is important that you ensure that your e-mail is working as soon as possible.
Recommendations for computing devices
We do not make firm recommendations regarding the brands or vendors students or faculty should use for personal purchases. Any new Windows or Mac computer with a webcam and microphone that is capable of running Microsoft Office should be sufficient for most use cases.
Please note that if your department will be purchasing a new computing device for you as part of your employment, then the device purchased must meet the established minimum standards set by the university and comply with all applicable purchasing regulations.
When you arrive on campus…
Pick up your Tech Express card
If you haven’t already received it during the hiring process, make sure you pick up your Tech Express card as soon as possible. Your card can be required by for identification for certain transactions. It also serves as your library card and key to the exterior of buildings equipped with electronic access control. Cards can be picked up from the Tech Express office in the Student Center (enter from Centennial Plaza).
Setup campus WiFi
Louisiana Tech provides access to WiFi in all academic buildings with some outdoor availability and with expanding availability in on-campus housing. We provide access to three networks across campus – Eduroam, LaTechWPA2, and LaTech OpenAir. In most cases, we recommend using the Eduroam network because it provides the same security as LaTechWPA2 but allows for WiFi access at other participating institutions in the United States and abroad. We do not recommend using LaTech Open Air unless it is needed for backwards compatibility with a device that does not support WPA2 Enterprise authentication
Check out Canvas
Before the quarter starts, you will want to get acquainted with Canvas. Canvas is Louisiana Tech’s learning management system, and it is where instructors are expected to upload a syllabus and basic course information and conduct the majority of any online portions of their classes. Logging in early will help you get comfortable with the system for the first time, and be better prepared for when classes start. Do not be alarmed if you do not see your students. Most student enrollments are not processed until at least noon the day before classes start. Keep calm, and your students should appear by the start of classes. If they do not, contact the Help Desk.
Install Louisiana Tech provided software
As a member of the Louisiana Tech faculty and staff, you are provided a Microsoft 365 subscription at no cost to you. This includes entitlement to download and install Microsoft Office on up to five personal computers (Windows or Mac) and mobile devices (Android/ iOS/ iPadOS). You do not need to purchase it from a third-party or subscribe on your own. Open and login to the Microsoft 365 portal using your Tech user id and password and the click the “Install Office” link to get started. You may find our knowledge base article on Installing Office 365 Apps helpful, if you encounter trouble.
Check out campus computing resources
Information Services provides access to computer labs in the Student Center as well as access to short term and long term equipment checkout from Prescott Memorial Library. We also provide access to a campus-wide network of print stations, supported by the Student Government Association and Student Technology Fee Board, for student use. We recommend you get to know the resources that are available to students so that you can leverage them in your your courses.