Helping Students Find Their Technology Edge

Technology is moving at a crazy pace! We are here to help our students keep up and use technology to their advantage. You've come to the University to launch the career of your dreams. Technology will have a big part in achieving those goals. Whatever questions you might have about the various technologies being used on campus, just turn to the Service Desk. Call, come by, or chat online for help. You may also reference AskTom; for self-help articles that can provide solutions to your questions.

YOU@Memphis

The University of Memphis has launched YOU@Memphis (YOU). It is a personalized and free web portal dedicated to student health, happiness and success. YOU@Memphis portal emphasizes individual well-being and self-awareness. This helps connect students to information, online tools, campus resources and opportunities.

YOU Portal has expertise in three main areas—succeed, thrive and matter. With this expertise, it helps students assess and improve their health, sense of purpose and life trajectory. YOU works best when students’ answers are honest and open. For that reason, all personal information that students provide on YOU is kept private.

1. Step 1: Visit you.memphis.edu. On the homepage, students can get a breakdown of the portal or just jump right in.
2. Students, faculty and staff can sign up using their myMemphis email account. As an extension of campus, YOU keeps all personal information that students provide on the portal private.
3. Discover. Once inside, students can start to customize their profile or take one of three reality checks. Both features are designed to cater content like tips, quizzes, videos and campus resources. These are based on general needs and interests of individual students.
4. Revisit. The YOU portal is intended to be used throughout a student’s college life. With changing content and dynamic tools, there’s a use for YOU from move-in day to landing that first job.

If you have questions about You@Memphis, please contact counseling@memphis.edu. If you would like to meet with the Counseling Center team, please visit their website or call 901.678.2068 to schedule an appointment.

Important Announcement: Change in Password Reset Process

To enhance password security and protect University data, ITS implemented a change in its Password Reset service. The ITS Service Desk (Tier 1) will no longer change passwords administratively. All UofM affiliates (faculty, staff, students, alumni, former students, etc.) are encouraged to visit the University's self-service Identity Management website iAM. Here, you can initialize your account. You can also: reset your password, retrieve your UUID, and answer your security questions to regain access to your account.

Note: If you have recently changed your password, forget and re-add all UoM wireless networks on your all devices.

In addition, remember these important tips to ensure your data is secure:
• Never share your password with anyone. This includes a UofM employee, friend, or relative.
• Beware of phishing emails that attempt to lure you to malicious websites.
• Watch for email notifications about your password changing. If you did not change your password, please contact the Service Desk immediately.
• Never respond to an email request for your username and password, or any other request to "verify" your account.

For more information about IT security, please visit the ITS security website.

What technology is my instructor using or asking me to use?

• Canvas is our current learning management system. This technology is commonly used to store information, documents, and communication for your registered course(s). Look here to find your course syllabus, to email the instructor, submit an assignment, and much more.

• MediaSite, and Ensemble are all media services used for posting digital media content for instructional purposes. Your instructor may direct you to one of these to access MP3, MP4, flash content, videos, licensed movies, etc. Information on how to access and/or use these services may be found in your course syllabus. The Service Desk and AskTom can also help with questions.

• Do you need to create a survey as an assignment for one of your courses? We use Qualtrics to create, distribute, and analyze surveys. Information on how to access and use this software can be found on the find solution page.

• Zoom is used for web conferencing. Blended, hybrid, and fully online courses also require collaboration sometimes. Therefore, you may be directed to use one of these services for virtual meetings or collaborations. More information on this service can be found on the umMedia Services page.

• Blogging anyone? The UofM provides a blog development solution through EduBlogs. There's a finesse to effective blogging. Check out the helpful tips on getting started and maintaining your blog.

• Cheating hurts everyone. Technology can help your instructor with discernment and concerns of academic integrity, through the use of products like Turnitin.

Will I have to purchase any of the software listed above while I'm in school?

No. The software titles listed and referenced above are fully supported by the University. This means we help you learn how to use it. We also provide access to it while you're a currently enrolled student with the UofM.

What hardware or software might my instructor ask me to use or buy?

Trying to determine if your current device/software will work, or if you should buy new, can be tough. Here are a few helpful tips to guide you in making your choice:

• Most modern (<7 years old) computers, laptops, tablets, or mobile devices will perform sufficiently on our network. Older devices should be well maintained and free from viruses, spyware, adware, malware, and extra toolbars or search engines.

• Is a clicker required for your course? Clickers are audience response tools used during your class. Instructors may use it to take attendance, capture in-class survey responses and more. Clickers should be purchased at the on-campus bookstore.

• Depending on your program of study, you may be required to purchase specific hardware/software for course/program requirements. These are normally communicated through your instructor.

• You can find more information about recommendations on the Recommended Hardware/Software for Students page.

Are there places on (or off) campus I can use to access hardware and software?

Yes. The University provides access to over 1,300 computers to its students, using TAF funded, general purpose labs. These labs can be found in several buildings at each UofM campus and center.

In addition, we provide access to a variety of software packages that can be accessed using our umApps software service. To use this service, you need a computer, Internet access, and an active account. Before using umApps from off-campus, you will need to install VPN. NOTE: When using Adobe Products, you will be asked to sign in using your UofM email and credentials. An Adobe agreement provides the University agreement with Adobe Acrobat DC and Creative Cloud. 

How can I stay "plugged in" to new and trending technologies?

Getting connected with us can help you stay informed about software updates and new and trending technologies. We have several ways to stay connected:

• Facebook (Service Desk page)

• Twitter (SD feed)

• Browsing websites like this and the Service Desk 

Microsoft Teams is Here!

That’s correct. Microsoft Teams is available to all faculty, staff and students. Microsoft Teams is the hub for group collaboration in Microsoft 365 that integrates people, content, and applications. Teams brings simplicity to teamwork by joining collaboration, sharing, and communication all under one platform. See our page about Microsoft Teams for more information.