Getting Started The Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is an easy to use, multi-platform software VPN Client available for Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android operating systems. It is distributed from the VPN concentrators themselves for ease of deployment and software updates, while iOS and Android users can find it in their app stores. When the installation is complete, launch the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client from wherever the shortcut was saved. In the Ready to Connect Window, enter anyc.vpn.gatech.edu as the server name and click Connect. Next, the credential pop-up will appear. In the Group: dropdown menu, select gatech-2fa-Duo.
Getting accustomed to Georgia Tech’s wired environment takes a little time and patience. We have lots of digital resources for your pedagogical work and your scholarly work.
Sites and Portals
Buzzport – http://buzzport.gatech.edu
This secure hub site provides students, faculty and administrative staff with Intranet and Internet services. Once you login to Buzzport, you can link to TechWorks (the employee site for managing your employment information), see the Georgia Tech catalog, and view class schedules. When you click on the FACULTY tab, you can access your schedule, see your class lists, enter grades, and more. Bookmark the Buzzport link – you won’t want to lose it!
OSCAR – http://oscar.gatech.edu/
The primary use of OSCAR for Brittain Fellows is to enter grades. You can enter OSCAR via Buzzport. To gain access to this secure site, you need to enter your user name and password.
Techworks – http://techworks.gatech.edu/
This site is the “gateway to the Institute’s administrative systems and services.” Once you’ve logged in, you can find your personal employment information, your benefits, and your payroll and compensation information. Checking this site regularly to ensure that your payroll and deduction information is correct is a good idea.
Canvas – https://canvas.gatech.edu/
This is where course sites are located. Here, you can send announcements to students, post assignments, share resources, and more. The Canvas section below includes some additional information on the service.
Registrar’s Office – http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/
The Registrar’s Office is responsible for maintaining the official academic record for students at Georgia Tech. You will find useful information about many topics, including these:
Official Georgia Tech Calendars. This is where you’ll find the school calendars as well as official exam schedules.
http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/home/calendar.php
Grading Information. You can find information about grading policies and changes.
http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/faculty/grading_information.php
Registrar Services and Information. Check this part of the site for a detailed list of services. For example, this is where you’ll find links to exam guidelines, the faculty handbook, FASET Orientation, FERPA, and other official Georgia Tech services and policies.
http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/students/services/index.php
Georgia Tech Rules and Regulations. These regulations set forth the requirements of the faculty so that our large student body may live and work together harmoniously with a minimum of friction and misunderstanding. http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/1.php
Canvas
Canvas is Georgia Tech’s learning management system. It’s up to you on how you’d like to use Canvas – some instructors enjoy posting everything on the site, while others prefer hard copies and in-class announcements. However, Georgia Tech students, especially second-semester Freshmen and above, will have some expectations on how they’ll be able to use Canvas, so it’s important to read the following tips to preserve your (and your students’) sanity.
- Students expect the Gradebook to be updated on a regular basis. To say GT students get anxious about their grades is a severe understatement. “When will grades be posted?” will be a favorite class question, guaranteed. Even if students know what their grades are and have their returned papers in their hands, they will still ask. Therefore, it’s recommended that you keep the Canvas gradebook updated, so they’ll be able to check their progress and plan their celebrations/panic appropriately.
- Contacting your class through Canvas announcements is usually better than email. Canvas will send announcements through every students’ email, as well as leave a record of them in Canvas itself. Students will often lose emails, so this is a good way to keep them available to them when they inevitably go missing.
- Put your syllabus on the syllabus page/tab. It might sound frivolous to mention, but professors sometimes upload their syllabi into the Files tab, rather than the Syllabus tab. This can sometimes confuse and frighten students, who will only check the Syllabus page and assume you did not upload it, particularly if said students did not attend your class for the first week. If you do intend on uploading your syllabus, it is recommended that you upload it to the syllabus page.
If you ever have trouble with Canvas, including any sort of technical issues, contact the 24/7 Canvas Help Desk.
Eduroam
As of summer 2018, Georgia Tech is phasing out GT Wifi and switching to a wireless network service called Eduroam. You may already be familiar with it from other universities – your login credentials for GT will be the login for eduroam wifi, while guests will find free access through the Guest eduroam network. It is very important that you do not share your own login with others. If you are not familar with eduroam and need a place to start, check the GT Local Area Walkup/Wireless Network (LAWN) help page on eduroam.
VPN
Georgia Tech has a Cisco VPN available for all faculty and students to use. If you wish to access your PRISM drive, edit websites hosted on GT servers, or use virtual desks, you’ll first need to download the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client – the instruction page is provided by OIT here. Because campus uses Duo-Factor (dual factor) authentication for all logins, you will sometimes need to change the Group you are logging into to gatech-2fa-Duo. If you are asked to enter a second password, the password will always be “Push” if you are using push notifications, or “phone” if you are receiving phone calls to log in through Duo. Do note that GT’s Computer & Network Usage and Security Policy applies to your internet traffic while using the VPN, so don’t use it for anything your mother would disapprove of.
Vpn Georgia Tech
VLab
Otherwise known at the GT Virtual Desks, VLab gives you access to different desktops based on your associations within the school. As an employee of the LMC, you will be given access to the LMC and Library virtual desktops. VLab allows you to access software, networks, and folders typically found on computers in each department, separate from your own desktop. If you do not wish to download school-licensed software to your own computer, or software you need such as Adobe products are not available for download, virtual desks are a great option. Do note, virtual desktops are most often Windows based, so you will not find Mac-specific software on them. You can access VLab here.
PRISM
Gatech Anyconnect App
Every student and employee has access to online storage folder called PRISM. It will always be available to you on any campus computer you are logged into, but it can also be added to your personal devices to make file transfers between your office and home a breeze. Think of it like Dropbox or Google Drive, with the added function of allowing you to create your own GT PRISM-based website (ask the nearest student taking CS 1371 for details). To mount (download) your PRISM drive to a Windows computer, use these instructions. To mount your PRISM drive to a Mac computer, use these instructions. You will need to be connected to the campus VPN or to the campus wifi network in order to access the folder.