Help for Students
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Academic Computing Services provides technical support to TC students. Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions and their answers, which may help you resolve some of your computing and network problems.
If you have a question whose answer is not posted on our site, please email studenthelpdesk@tc.columbia.edu with your question, or call our lab consultants in 242 Horace Mann at 212-678-3304.
MyTC, TC Gmail & TC Apps
Your Courses at TC
Getting Connected Student Computer Labs
Computer Purchases and Software
Cable TV and Phones
Support and Training
MyTC, TC Gmail & TC Apps
MyTC is the Teachers College portal. It consolidates information from several TC sources into a central place accessible through a single sign on (your UNI and password). MyTC comes with a variety of "information channels" that are target to your role at TC.It also provides a customizable message center, access to TC Gmail, library resources, employee self service, room assignments, software downloads, list of courses, TC Search directory and more.
How do I access MyTC? To access myTC, click onthe myTC link at the top right corner of the TC homepage. MyTC requires a UNI and a password. This password can only be obtained by activating your UNI
What is my UNI?
UNI stands for University Network ID. You need a UNI to access most resources at TC How do I create/activate my UNI?
Activate your UNI using your TC ID and birth date by going to: MyUNI website (http://uni.columbia.edu). You can look up your UNI and create your email account on this page. Students are responsible for being aware of official messages sent to their TC Gmail accounts. Teachers College expects that every student will receive email at his or her TC Gmail address and will read email on a frequent and consistent basis. If you have a CubMail account you must forward your Columbia email to your TC Gmail. To set up email forwarding visit uni.columbia.edu
What do I do if I forget my UNI password?
You can reset the password online (http://uni.columbia.edu) using the 9-digit number on the back of your TC ID card.
How do I change my UNI password?
Go to myUni website and click on "Log in to Manage your Uni account."
What is TC Gmail?
TC Gmail is the new email at TC. Your TC Gmail address has the following format : UNI@tc.columbia.edu or firstname.lastname@tc.columbia.edu. You need to ACTIVATE your TC Gmail in order to start using it.
Your TC Gmail address is your DEFAULT address in Moodle and will be used for sending official notices, including those on your account statement.
How do I activate my TC Gmail?
You need to log into MYTC and click on the Gmail icon at the top right corner of the page. For more information visit our TCApps website at www.tc.edu/tcapps.
How do I access my TC Gmail with my phone/android?
You need to follow the instructions on the TCApps website at www.tc.edu/tcapps under mobile setup
How do I forward my CubMail to my TC Gmail?
To forward your CubMail to your TC Gmail account you need to go to http://cuit.columbia.edu/email-forwarding. The College discourages forwarding TC Gmail to a personal Gmail account, because while your TC Gmail is protected, your personal Gmail is not.
What is TC Apps?
TC Apps is a collection of integrated applications at. They include Google Apps for email and collaboration, Moodle for managing courses, Mahara for e-portfolios, Adobe Connect for web conferencing, iTunes for podcasts and TC Educator for experiencing the Second Life virtual environment. For more information please visit our TC Apps website at
www.tc.edu/tcapps.____________________________________________________________________
Your Courses at TC How do I access my courses? You can access your courses by clicking on the Courses Tab in MyTC. You will see the list of courses you have registered for. The TC platform for course are in Moodle. Some courses are hell in BlackBoard. Click on your course link and you will be in the course management system chosen for your course by your instructor.
What are Moodle and Blackboard? The default TC course management system is Moodle, although some courses use Blackboard. Moodle and Blackboard are course management systems where you can find information such as syllabi, announcements, and course material. You may also use them to participate in on-line discussions and chat sessions.
How do I access the eReserve readings? eReserve readings are detached from Moodle or Blackboard. The ONLY way you can access them is through the library website at http://library.tc.columbia.edu/course.php
Getting Connected
How do I connect to the TC network/Internet on campus?
Wireless network access is available throughout most of the Teachers College campus, with total wireless coverage in: All academic buildings Harlem Campus (Theresa Tower) Interchurch Center (TC suite) Whittier Hall (common areas on floors 1 and 10) New Residence Hall (common area on floor 1) How do I connect in Whittier, New Residence Hall, Grant, or Sarasota?
Every room in Whittier Hall, New Residence Hall , Bancroft, Grant & Sarasota has a high speed Ethernet jack. Any resident with a personal computer (PC/Apple) can connect to the Internet at high-speed using an Ethernet cable connection to this jack. All computers connected to ResNet are expected to have up-to-date virus protection software installed. For more information, including support information, please visit the Residential Communication site
How do I connect in Bancroft? Wireless network access has been installed in the Bancroft residence hall. Due to security concerns, the new wireless network uses WPA-PSK encryption with the 802.11g standard to ensure privacy. An 802.11g wireless card that supports WPA-PSK encryption is required. An encryption key has been provided to all residents at move in. All computers connected to ResNet are expected to have up-to-date virus protection software installed. For more information, including support information, please visit the Residential Communication site How do I connect off campus? In order to access your email and other Internet resource from off campus, you need an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Columbia provides a free dial-up service. However, we strongly recommend broadband (DSL or cable-modem) because students have reported dissatisfaction with slower access when using resources such as TC Apps. How do I protect my computer from viruses? For those who will be using the campus network, for example in Whittier or New Residence Hall or through wireless connections, we require that you maintain your computer with current virus protection and operating system patches. For others with home computers we strongly encourage you to follow the same recommendations. The College has site licensed virus protection software for both Windows and Mac. You can download it free of charge from MyTC> TC Bookmarks>Software & Tools. For operating system patches, those with Windows may point their internet browser to http://www.windowsupdate.com; those with Mac OS X can click on Apple>System Preference>Software updates to configure automatic updates. For more more information, please see the TC Computer Security guide (Computing & Technology Home > TC Computer Security Guide). Student Computer Labs Where are the student computers labs on campus and what are their hours? Windows and Macintosh computers, printers, and scanners are available for student use in the Student Computing Support Center in 242 Horace Mann and in the 345 Macy Computer Classrooms. The 242 Horace Mann computer lab is open every day and its hours are:
Monday - Thursday: 9:30 A.M. - 11:30 P.M. Friday: 9:30 A.M. - 10:00 P.M. Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M.
345 Macy is a computer classroom available as a lab to students when no classes are in session (the class schedule is posted in 345 Macy) and its hours are:
Monday-Friday, 1:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. Saturday, 12:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. Sunday, CLOSED
Remember that eating, drinking or use of cell-phones is NOT allowed in the labs. You can ask for help about printing, saving and the use of labs from the consultant on duty at the front desk. The labs also sell media including CD-R ($1). See the consultant for details. Additionally, the Instructional Media Lab (IML) in 265 Macy provides students with video and sound recording and editing, DVD burning and other multimedia development resources. IML is open Monday - Thursday 1:00 PM -6:00 PM Saturdays.1:00 PM -6:00 PM
For more information about the labs, including a list of available software, please visit the Classrooms & Labs website (Classrooms & Labs > General Information). **Please check the Computing & Technology homepage (http://www.tc.edu/computing) for special holiday lab hours. How do I log in and print in the computer labs? For 242 Horace Mann and 345 Macy, your username is your UNI. Your default password is your UNI followed by the last 4 digits of your TC ID number. After initial login, the system will require you to create your own password. The domain to log onto is TC-ACS. "color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; ">This semester Teachers College is offering discount bulk pricing on printing"color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; ">. For $35, students can purchase 100 pages per week for the length of the current semester. For $17.50, students can purchase 50 pages per week for the length of the semester. "color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; ">We still offer the option to purchase printing as needed, and have dubbed that option "Pay as you go". "color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; ">More information on GOPRINT"color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; "> .Support can be obtained from the lab consultants or writing to studenthelpdesk@tc.columbia.edu Computer Purchases and Software What are the recommended requirements for a personal computer? The answer depends on what tasks you will perform on your computer. Most computers at Teachers College are used for the following: - Word processing
- Internet browsing
- Accessing TC online resources (TC Apps, TC Gmail, Moodle, library journals, etc.)
- Programming/Data analysis (e.g., SPSS, SAS)
- Creating multimedia content (e.g., Photoshop, Final Cut, iMovie)
- Recreation/games
"font-weight: normal; ">We offer the following minimum system requirements for your computer, but you might want to keep in mind that programming/data analysis, multimedia creation, and some gaming require significantly more computing power
"font-weight: normal; ">Recommended requirements :
At least 1GB of RAM At least an 80GB hard drive (even more for video editing) DVD-RW drive for large data storage and DVD authoring For Macs, G5 or Intel processors USB memory key (aka flash or thumb drives) for easy file storage Are there student discounts available for new computers?
Yes, TC students can get discounts on personal computers from Dell and from Apple. Please check here (Getting Computers & Software > Purchasing New Equipment > Personal Purchases) for more information. What free software is available for TC students?
Students can download McAfee antivirus software, secure telnet and FTP programs, Firefox, and Endnote from the "Software & Tools" section of MyTC>TC Bookmarks . Students enrolled in the CCTE program can obtain most Microsoft applications, languages, and server programs by visitng Academic Computing Services in 234 Horace Mann. Other TC students are not included in TC campus licenses, but many software vendors provide student copies at a discount. Please contact Academic Computing for more information. Cable TV and Phones
Where can I find out about cable TV and phones for the residence halls?
There is a basic phone service charge which is included in your monthly rent. Request for an additonal phone line is not permitted. All new students should fill out a telephone work request formTelecommunication FAQ (Telephone & Cable TC > Information for Students > Frequently Asked Questions). (http://www.tc.columbia.edu/cis/telecomm/forms/requestform.pdf) to indicate whether they would like voice mail and call waiting service (these are provided at no additional charge). Cable TV service is available in all rooms; the cost will be included in your communications package. For more information, please see the
Support and Training
Who can I call for technical support?
Please direct all general questions to studenthelpdesk@tc.columbia.edu, call 212-678-3304 or visit our consultants on duty in 242 Horace Mann.
If you need help with your Internet connection in the residence halls or using TC's wireless network, please email resnet@tc.columbia.edu
Where can I sign up for computer technology workshops?
Academic Computing Services offers free and fee-based workshops for students on topics such as GoogleDocs, Web design, Multimedia, TcApps and Moodle. Please visit 234 Horace Mann or consult our schedule at (http://www.tc.edu/computing/workshops) for the current semester.
You can also take advantage of the Lynda.com online tutorials, free to TC Students. All you need to do is to log in with your UNI and password.
