Information Technology

Software & Resources

• eSoftware Online Store
  Kivuto.com offers discounted pricing for some software. Various Microsoft, Adobe, and other products are offered. You must log in using your campus credentials. Although MSUM does not endorse any computer vendor for personal purchases, we do pass on offers that we believe will be advantageous to the campus community.
• lynda.com
  Lynda.com offers a wide variety of on-demand courses on a wide assortment of topics, including software tools (e.g., Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.), and soft skills training.
• Office 365
  Office 365 provides you online access to Microsoft Office and your own ‘cloud’ storage called OneDrive. The campus license for Office 365 is available to all current MSUM students, faculty, and staff.
• OneDrive
  OneDrive for Business is a personal library intended for storing and organizing your school and work documents. As an integral part of Office 365, OneDrive for Business lets you work within the context of your organization, with features such as direct access to your organization’s address book.
• Read&Write Gold
  Read&Write Gold offers a suite of tools to help individuals of all ages, abilities and learning styles to access digital content. Some features include text-to-speech, screenshot reader, phonetic spell checker, and research.

Educational Discounts

Didn’t find what you want using the options above? Check whether the publisher offers an Educational Discount. Deep discounts are often available to students and employees of an educational institution.

Hardware

MSUM does not have any specific minimum requirements for student-owned computers at this time. It is generally recommended that you set a budget and then do some comparison shopping to get the best computer available for the price. Since promotions frequently change pricing, it is difficult to give an accurate price/model at any given time. The following are some basic recommendations. MSUM also offers a variety of computer labs across the campus.

System Recommendations

Windows Computers

• Any currently available Intel processor
• Minimum of 4 GB of memory (RAM), but 8 GB is better
• 250 GB hard drive (500 GB or more for graphic or video work)
• CD/DVD writer
• The video card should have at least 512 MB dedicated memory - 1GB is better
• Wireless - campus currently has 802.11g or 802.11b access points
• A USB removable flash memory drive for transferring files
• Consider adding Accidental Damage Warranty on laptops

Note: These requirements have recently increased to meet the specifications of the new versions of Windows and Microsoft Office that are due out later this year.

Macintosh Computers

• Any currently available Intel processor
• Minimum of 4 GB of memory (RAM), but 8 GB is better
• Wireless - campus currently has 802.11g or 802.11b access points
• Video graphics with at least 256 MB video memory
• 250 GB hard drive (500 GB or more for graphic or video work)
• Combo Drive will write CDs, SuperDrive will write CDs and DVDs
• A USB removable external drive for transferring files
• Consider adding Accidental Damage Warranty on laptops

Vendors

Although we don't endorse any computer vendor for personal purchases, we do pass on offers that believe will be advantageous to the campus community.

• MSUM Bookstore
  MSUM students and employees who wish to purchase a Macintosh computer for personal use may receive an educational discount through the MSUM Bookstore. Visit the MSUM Bookstore website for more information.
• ByteSpeed
  ByteSpeed has created several basic laptop and desktop configurations with upgrade options. They are a local company with local support. Visit the Bytespeed website to check out the MSUM offers on their web site.
• Dell
  Dell has a discount program for MSUM faculty, staff and students. Visit the Dell website and use Member ID: US8706005. Check out the Dell Special Student Deal flyer for more discount opportunities.

Computer Lab Information

MSUM offers you access to more than 75 software programs available on computers in our general access labs. Some academic programs require program specific software which are available in certain labs. For a comprehensive list of software provided in each lab please refer to the software PDF listed under each lab list. You can reserve labs for instructional purposes through VirtualEMS.

Emergency Call List

Medical Emergency

For any medical emergency always call 9-911 from campus phone or 911 from your cell. Once the emergency responders are on the way, call Campus Security at 2449.

Security Emergency

If you feel there is a serious threat to safety while working in the lab, you should call Campus Security at 2449.

Routine Security Contact

If you would like routine security assistance or an escort to your car or dorm, call Campus Security at 2449.

Computer System Emergency

You should consider it a computer system emergency only if a problem affects all the computers in the lab. For example, no one in the lab can print, or no one can log into their email account, or none of the computers can browse the Internet. If you encounter one of these problems, call Campus Security at 2449.