Technology

Student Technology Guidelines and Policies

The OHSU School of Nursing relies on the use of computer technologies for student learning activities and testing, both in the classroom and online using the Internet.

As a general rule, all students are required to have a laptop and bring them to class for use in electronic examinations and other course related activities. Students must be comfortable with the condition of their laptops and its ability to maintain battery power for four hours.

NOTE: Program directors and Campus Associate Deans may modify the laptop requirement for their program or campus. Students should check with their specific program or campus for any exceptions to the laptop requirement. Currently, students in the following programs may elect a desktop computer instead of a laptop if a desktop better suits their needs. 

  • RNBS
  • MNE
  • HSOL

OHSU Policies

Acceptable Use of Computing and Telecommunications Resources

All users with OHSU network and e-mail accounts must read and abide by the OHSU Acceptable Use of Computing and Telecommunications Resources policy. A link to the policy is provided. Please take a moment to read and understand the policy.

View Acceptable Computer Use Policy

Social Media Guidelines

OHSU School of Nursing student posts, tweets and photos need to follow the code of conduct, HIPAA and the rights and responsibilities outlined in the student handbook. Violations of the social media guidelines or code of conduct may be grounds for disciplinary action and or dismissal.

Students should know:

  • Posting information referencing a patient's name or specific clinical site may violate HIPAA.
  • Posting photos from a clinical site may be a violation.
  • The OHSU Code of Conduct requires that students report violators to School of Nursing faculty/ administrators.

The OHSU Code of Conduct (www.ohsu.edu/xd/ education/schools/school-of-nursing/students/resources/student-forms.cfm)

 

Hardware Requirements

These are minimum requirements for all students and meeting these minimum requirements is essential for successful learning. Most new computers exceed these requirements.

Operating System:        
Windows: Windows 7, Windows 8 (Windows RT not acceptable), or Windows 10
MAC OSX: 10.12, 10.13 or  10.14

Processor:
Intel Core i5 or Core i7

Memory:
4 GB minimum, 8 GB or more recommended

Hard Drive:
128 GB or larger

Windows versus Mac - The School of Nursing is currently a Microsoft Windows environment. Software required for some courses may not come in a MAC version or there may be differences in functionality between the two versions. Students choosing to use a MAC need to be prepared to deal with any issues that may arise when using a MAC and will be responsible for meeting all course assignments and requirements. Newer MACs with the Intel processor can run a Windows environment through Boot Camp, Parallels or Fusion VMWare.

Netbooks and Chromebooks are not acceptable. While they provide access to the Internet and keep a person connected to the web and email, they are underpowered to run Microsoft Office and are not supported by our online testing platform.

Other Devices: There are a number of portable devices on the market which provide easy and instant access to the information, digital media and the Internet. Such devices include, eReaders/Kindles, Apple iOS devices (iPod touch, iPad, and iPhone) and Android devices (tablets & phones). Warning IconWhile the School of Nursing encourages innovation and the use of these devices where possible, they are not an acceptable alternative to the requisite laptop.

Software Requirements

The software requirements listed in this document are mandatory for all students. If you find that your software has not been updated in a number of years, this is the time to invest in getting it updated so that a student can participate in all the required activities. Academic versions of software packages commonly used by the school are available to students at a discount.

Microsoft Office

All Students are required to own and use the Microsoft Office suite which includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, Outlook, OneNote and Access.

  • If you do not already own one of the versions of Office Professional listed below, we recommend the 4yr subscription to Microsoft Office 365 University (currently $79.99).
  • Office 2013 or Office 2016 for Windows
  • Office 2011 or Office 2016 for MAC

Microsoft Works, Apple iWorks (pages, keynote and numbers), OpenOffice, and Corel WordPerfect are not acceptable alternatives.

Web Browser

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 10.0 or higher
  •  Mozilla Firefox 27.0 or higher
  • Google Chrome 22.0 or higher
  • Apple Safari

Additional Software:

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader X (or newer)
  • Adobe Flash and Shockwave media players
  • Apple QuickTime

Internet Security and Antivirus Software

With all of the Internet threats to personal computers, virus protection is a must. Some campuses and internet providers offer virus protection software for free. Students should check with their campus or provider to see what might be available.

Email and Calendar (Microsoft Exchange)

OHSU provides an e-mail and network account for all currently enrolled students. Microsoft Exchange is the product we use for e-mail and calendar.

Students are expected to maintain and regularly check the OHSU provided e-mail account to receive critical student updates.

Cohort-specific e-mails lists are created and utilized to communicate specifically with OHSU students and student groups within the School of Nursing. OHSU units like financial aid, billing and registrar, along with program faculty and staff will communicate important student information to the OHSU e-mail address only.

OHSU e-mail may be accessed through the Internet at www.ohsu.edu/mail using a standard Web browser

By policy, Outlook software should not be used on a computer without an encrypted hard drive.

OHSU does allow email to be accessed on mobile devices such as Apple iPhones and iPads or Android-based phones and tablets. In order to get email on a mobile device, Either the Airwatch Container or the Airwatch Agent application must be downloaded from the device's App Store.

  •  Airwatch Container
    • Keeps OHSU data separated from personal data
    • Can only use apps provided by OHSU to view/use OHSU protected data
    • OHSU can remotely remove OHSU data and apps when reported lost, stolen, upgraded, or when the network account is closed.
  • Airwatch Agent
    • Controls entire device
    • More flexible and allows mixing of personal and OHSU data within apps
    • OHSU wipes entire devices when reported lost, stolen, upgraded, or when the network account is closed.
  • Visit ITG's O2 webpage for more detailed information and instructions.
    https://o2.ohsu.edu/information-technology-group/information-privacy-security-ips/secure-mobile-device/personally-owned.cfm

NOTE: Creating rules to forward e-mail to a personal account is prohibited by policy. All students are expected to log in and use their OHSU Outlook account

 

Distance Delivery

The School delivers many of our courses to a distance over the internet using synchronous and asynchronous delivery technologies. Students participating in courses from a distance are required to have the following;

  • Web cameras
  • USB headsets with microphones
  • Internet connection speeds greater than 5 mb/s.

For blended courses where some students are face to face with the instructor in a classroom and some are online, OHSU Nexus is the product used most often. Traditional or VOIP/Internet telephone services are highly recommended over the use of cell phones for classroom audio if there are issues with internet.

Students participating in a courses delivered via web conferencing should plan to join the conference 7 to 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. This allows everyone time to test the audio/video connection and resolve any issues that may arise so classes may start on time.

Technology Resources

SON AV Support

Call 503-312-9546 to receive live support during a video conference.
Email for information when not in a live video conference.

SAKAI

The School of Nursing uses Sakai to deliver online course content to its students. An updated browser is required to access Sakai.

Sakai is supported by OHSU's Teaching and Learning Center. Students who need help with Sakai can contact the Sakai Helpdesk at 877 972-5249 or at sakai@ohsu.edu

Cisco Meeting

https://o2.ohsu.edu/information-technology-group/software/nexus-meeting-video-conference.cfm

OHSU Helpdesk

The OHSU ITG Helpdesk is available to assist students with e-mail account or account access issues between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday at 503 494-2222.

Airwatch: https://o2.ohsu.edu/information-technology-group/information-privacy-security-ips/secure-mobile-device/personally-owned.cfm