In the event of staff needing to work remotely, it is important that business and administrative activities can continue. Become familiar with the TU technology tools that make remote working possible.
Staff Technology Resources for Remote Working
Prepare in advance
Have this recommended office equipment
- A computer (PC or Mac). TU desktop computers should not be removed from campus as they are configured to work within the University environment.
- Peripherals (headphones and camera).
- Secure, reliable high-speed internet. Research and optimize your home connectivity.
- An Ethernet cable – directly connecting your computer to the Internet is more reliable and stable than Wi-Fi, which is important when participating in online courses, events, meetings and presentations.
- A hotspot – if you don't have reliable, high-speed Internet access, check with your mobile provider to see if you can activate your phone’s hotspot feature. This allows connection of laptops to the Internet, and usually, hotspot data is counted differently than regular phone data use.
See specifics for recommended hardware.
Do these things before leaving campus
- Save your work. Consider saving files you’ll need to your file storage on OneDrive.
- Leave your office computer turned on.
- If you have an individual desk phone line, forward your calls. This must be done from your TU computer.
- Be ready to use DUO Multi-Factor Authentication so you can log into TU resources.
Follow these basic recommendations
- Use Remote Desktop whenever possible.
- Store non-confidential files on your OneDrive.
- Store confidential data on your existing SecureShare (available through Remote Desktop).
- Visit the Self-Help Learning Resources webpage for PDFs and videos that help explain how to use TU technologies.
- Connect your TU laptop to VPN once every two weeks for a few hours to ensure you continue your access to TU services and avoid connectivity issues.
Connecting, accessing and storing
These tasks are ordered from basic to more complex.
| Task | Use this service | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Access TU email and calendar | Office 365 Self-Help webpage | |
| Access Office 365 suite (TU email, Word, Excel, SharePoint, PowerPoint, OneDrive) | Office 365
|
Office 365 Self-Help webpage |
| Work as if at your TU Desktop (including email and your drives). *You can remote in from a Mac or PC to your TU PC, but not into a TU Mac. If remoting into an office Mac, use Office 365 to access your email and drives. | Remote Desktop | Self-Help from Mac (PDF) and Self-Help from PC (PDF) |
|
Reset or change an expired password before leaving your office |
NetID Tools | Self-Help (PDF) |
| Change your password remotely while working on a TU computer | NetID Tools | Follow directions on the webpage |
| Store non-confidential files and share documents | OneDrive (Office 365) | Office 365 Self-Help webpage |
| Store confidential data | Your existing Secureshare | Available through Remote Desktop |
| Access online university items like network shares such as DeptShare, JumboShare, CustomShare, O: and H: drives, etc. | Virtual Private Network | Self-Help Mac (PDF), Self-Help PC (PDF) |
Online meetings and collaboration
To determine which option best fits your needs, see an overview or watch this video.
| Task | Use this Service | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule and attend meetings remotely using voice and video | Webex Meetings or Zoom |
Webex: You'll first need to activate your account. Zoom: Follow steps on webpage. Make sure to use your TU account (PDF). |
| Create online spaces for your team to quickly collaborate, chat, and meet | Webex (formerly Webex Teams) |
Follow directions on the webpage |
Phones and voicemail
| Task | use this service | how to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Check your desk phone voicemail | See it in your Outlook inbox, call into your desk phone from off campus | Self-Help (PDF) |
| Forward desk phone calls |
Set up call forwarding through the Phone Self-Care Portal. *This must be done before you leave the office. | Self-Help (PDF) |
| Call another Webex user with your computer or mobile device (use just audio or audio and video) | Webex (formerly Webex Teams) | Cisco Support |
Security
- Be aware of suspicious email (a phish) and internet scams. Report phishing by using the Report Phish button in Outlook when working from a desktop or laptop, or forward it to phishing AT_TOWSON if on a mobile device.
- Make sure your personal computers are protected with up-to-date antivirus software-especially if you're using it for TU business. Learn more.
- Be sure you have the latest updates installed for your personal computer's operating system.
- Use secure Wi-Fi. Don’t access TU resources on free Wi-Fi.
- For resources and more info, including guidelines for hosting secure online meetings, visit TU's Office of Information Security website
Support
For help with technology-related issues like connectivity, service, or login issues, contact the OTS Faculty/Staff Help Center during business hours. You can also submit a TechHelp service request at any time.
