Most of our faculty can access all of the tools they need to securely teach and complete related academic processes (submitting grades, etc.) using MyBelmont. MyBelmont provides browser-based access to other useful tools like Office365 which includes familiar office applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Office365 is a great option if you are working from home on a computer that does not have Microsoft Office installed. MyBelmont provides access to university licensed software and the related information you will need to support your transition to online teaching. Banner Web is accessible from within MyBelmont and can be used to enter student grades.
Our staff team has access to a wide variety of tools including software that will make secure collaboration more convenient for employees working from home. Blackboard Collaborate is our preferred web-based collaboration tool and access will be provided to any staff member who contacts the Service Desk. However, we will also make Microsoft Teams available to all faculty and staff members starting Wednesday March 18, 2020. Microsoft Teams is part of our Office365 licensing and can be used to securely collaborate (video conference, chat, whiteboard, etc.) with team members who are working from home. For faculty or staff members whose job requires access to Banner 9 Admin Pages, Recruit, or other enterprise software, please reach out to the Service Desk to request Virtual Private Network (VPN) access. VPN access uses software to create a secure connection from your home network to our campus network. We have increased the number of client licenses for our VPN solution and are investigating other options to meet an anticipated increase in demand. Forwarding your campus phone to a cell phone or home landline is now possible as well based on functionality added during the recent upgrade of the campus phone system.
Please contact the Service Desk (servicedesk@belmont.edu , ext. 8888) to request access to VPN.
If you require VPN access to work from home, please use a Belmont owned computer whenever possible. This will provide the security, disaster recovery, and business continuity protection necessary while working with institutional data. Using a Belmont owned computer also ensures that your device meets the minimum information security requirements to support VPN access. If you cannot use a Belmont owned device when working at home, please follow the steps outlined below to make sure you are minimizing risk to the university while working remotely.
Use a Separate Login Account
If other members of your household use the same computer, create a separate login account for your Belmont work and data with a strong password that only you know. Using a separate login ensures other users on your computer cannot view or access your work documents.
Encrypt All Confidential Data
If you have confidential data on a computer that is located at home or that comes home with you, that data must be encrypted. Check with Service Desk (servicedesk@belmont.edu, ext. 8888) to find out what encryption options are available.
Keep Your Computer Secure
If you are working on a computer that is not Belmont owned, make sure that your operating system and applications are updated regularly. In addition, activate your computer's firewall and ensure that you have antivirus software installed.
You are responsible for reporting any suspected information security incidents that involve a Belmont owned or personal computer when working from home. You can report an incident directly to Information Security (informationsecurity@belmont.edu) or by contacting the Service Desk (servicedesk@belmont.edu, ext. 8888).
No, you can access your Belmont email by browsing to outlook.belmont.edu and entering your login credentials. You can also access your email using the Outlook link in MyBelmont.
- Dial 615-460-5400.
- When the message comes on hit the # button on your phone.
- When asked for your extension enter the last 4 digits of your Belmont phone number.
- Enter your voicemail passcode when prompted.
You may be exceeding the size limit for email attachments. Email attachments cannot exceed 35 MB.
- Your individual connection to the internet may be affected by others in your home that are working or playing online. If you are planning on having a Collaborate session to coordinate with your team or a lecture to a group of students, please remember that the quality of your experience can be negatively affected if others in your home are participating in bandwidth intensive activities like streaming movies at the same time.
- Students and coworkers may be accessing the internet using a low bandwidth connection. This means you may need to consider alternative methods of communication including text, voice only conferencing, or chat to accommodate them.
- Being flexible is the key. For instance, staff may have to prioritize access to key web-based services depending on bandwidth demands at specific times of day.
As part of our efforts to respect the Mayor’s “Safer at Home” executive order, the library has transitioned to an online service model. More information and updates about this transition can be found on the Online Library Services page.
Blackboard Collaborate is our preferred web-based collaboration tool. Access will be provided to faculty members from their Blackboard courses and can be provided to any staff member who contacts the Service Desk (servicedesk@belmont.edu, ext. 8888). Microsoft Teams is also available to all faculty and staff members and can be accessed from within MyBelmont. Microsoft Teams is part of our Office365 licensing and can be used to securely collaborate (video conference, chat, whiteboard, etc.) with colleagues who are working from home.
In most cases this is a possibility. However, the image on student laptops was not setup to allow you to securely work from home. Please work with the Service Desk (servicedesk@belmont.edu, ext. 8888) to have the laptop configured so that you can securely work from home.