Telework Information and Resources

Information Technology Services (ITS) is providing recommendations on tools and settings to assist with working remotely. For the best experience you should setup and test your system before solely relying on it.

At all times, consider SWOSU’s User Policies as well as state and federal laws like FERPA and HIPAA.

Before Leaving the Office

This list of common tasks will help you prepare for transitioning to Teleworking. Your needs may differ depending on the nature of your work.

• Ensure your contact information is up to date so you can receive campus-wide notifications in case of emergency or disruption, this would include ensuring you are signed up for the Emergency Notification System.
• Confirm that your department and other frequent contacts have your contact information, such as a phone number where you can be reached.
• Save a local copy of your documents from your department's Network Share drive.
• Email yourself a copy of important links and bookmarks used for work.
• When you are away from the office, there are a couple of options for accessing your calls and voicemail:
  • Access Voicemail from Off Campus
  • Set Call Forwarding
• Ensure your home computer is up-to-date and working properly. Some steps include:
  • Confirming your internet connectivity. When possible, please use one of the following network options to access SWOSU resources:
    • Wired Home Internet
    • Password-protected home Wi-Fi
    • Personal, password-protected mobile hotspot
  • Enable antivirus software. (Windows 10 comes with one automatically.)
  • Check for and apply any software updates to your computer.
  • If you are using Remote Desktop access, test connecting to your office computer.

Maintain Security

Be cautious of emails received while working from home. Confirm that messages from SWOSU members do NOT contain the "External Email" notification. Also be wary of clicking any links contained in unsolicited emails. Here is a reference on How to Spot A Phishing E-mail. If you are still unsure if an email is legitimate, please forward a copy to helpdesk@swosu.edu.  We will check the email and respond as soon as possible.

Services

VPN

The SWOSU VPN (Virtual Private Network) offers a secure connection between any remote site and assets on the SWOSU network, such as file servers, data stores, enterprise applications, etc. We recommend that users who require VPN connect through the GlobalProtect VPN to ensure we are able to support additional needs for off-campus access to these critical tools.

VPN Installation Instructions

You DO NOT need VPN if you are only accessing web-based services like Zoom, Dropbox, or Single Sign On (Self Service, Email, Canvas, LinkedIn Learning, etc.).

You DO need VPN if you are connecting to a protected system such as Colleague UI.

COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION

Various tools may be used to enable enhanced communications and collaboration. Here are a few to consider as you work to supplement your remote work experience.

By Phone

• Access Voicemail from Off Campus
• Set Call Forwarding (Call Forwarding and Cancelling must be done from your office phone)

Email and Calendar

Remember, SWOSU email, including your calendar, may be accessed through the Single-Sign On application.

Sending a Fax

Faxes will be sent via email through Outlook. The document you are wanting to fax will be sent as an email attachment. These attachments can be one of the following document types: Microsoft Office, PDF, JPG or TIF.

To send a fax:

1. Create a new email
2. In the TO: field, type the fax number of the recipient followed by @fax.swosu.edu
   On campus: example - 7080@fax.swosu.edu
   Local: example - 7745278@fax.swosu.edu
   Long Distance: example - 14051234567@fax.swosu.edu
3. In the Subject field, type the subject of your fax
4. The body of the email can be used to type any information you need to add or it can be the only information you send. The information typed in the body of the email will be shown in the “Comments” section on the cover page.
5. If you have a document to send, attach it to the email
6. Click Send

Digital Meeting

Zoom, the primary recommend tool for meetings and collaboration, is a communications software that combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, screen sharing, and mobile collaboration.

For assistance with Zoom, contact CETL.

Canvas

Canvas, SWOSU’s learning management system, will work as normal. For assistance with Canvas, please contact CETL.

Data Storage

Individual Online File Storage for Employees is available through “Dropbox”. If you need a campus Dropbox account, please contact ITS.

Network Share Drive

(VPN Required) Departments have online group file storage- storage area on file servers that is assigned to departments. This storage allows for members of the departments to conveniently share files among themselves.

Training for Remote Work

All SWOSU faculty and staff have access to LinkedIn Learning resources. LinkedIn offers numerous training courses to support remote work. LinkedIn Learning can be access from the Single Sign On landing page

The following articles should help you get started. 

• Working Remotely
• Managing Virtual Teams
• Time Management: Working from Home

Need Help?

CONTACT THE SWOSU HELPDESK

Phone: 580-774-7070

Email: helpdesk@swosu.edu

Student Helpdesk Ticket

Faculty Helpdesk Ticket

Open Monday – Friday 8AM to 5PM. Currently, no walk-in hours.