IT Checklist for New Employees

Odin Accounts

All PSU faculty, staff and students automatically receive computer accounts known as Odin accounts. Before you can use your Odin account, you must activate it and create your password. See Activate your Odin account for details. Many PSU resources require you to sign in using your Odin account credentials, including the following:

• Wi-Fi - Campus wireless internet for your laptop and mobile devices.
• Banweb - PSU's information system used to access employee information and services, tax information, and more.
• Canvas - Online classes and course content.
• Millar Library - Access a wide variety of online resources from PSU's library, including scholarly articles and journals.
• Computer Labs - General and department-specific Computer Labs are throughout campus.
• G Suite at PSU (Google Apps) - University-sponsored Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Sites, Google Groups, and more.
• Odin Account Manager (OAM) - Change or reset your Odin password, enroll in Duo Two-Factor Authentication, and modify other account settings using OAM. Employees can also use OAM to update their directory information.

Canvas Course Setup

Canvas is the learning management system for providing instruction materials and content delivery via the web. See the Office of Academic Innovation for setup and tutorials.

Research Account

The Research Computing website provides comprehensive information about the systems, software, and services available to the PSU community. There you'll find answers to research computing-related questions, guides to using HPC and general Linux and Windows systems, available software, Globus for large data transfer, and research networking.

• To request access to computational systems, complete the Research computing accounts and access form. 

Special Accounts

If you need one of these accounts listed below, you'll be provided with specific information on how to apply by those who instruct you to get the account. If you have questions, please email CLAS IT Support.

• mysql Account
• Banner/BIQuery Accounts
• Web Content Management System Account

• Phone: If your office phone is absent or inoperable, your department's telecom coordinator (who is often the department administrator) can put in a request to OIT's telecommunications team to resolve the issue.
• Network Connectivity: Test your network port immediately to make sure it's active. Plugging a notebook computer into the wall jack should allow it to the connect to the internet. If not, please email CLAS IT Support for assistance.

New Equipment

Only the computers listed in the PSU Computer Hardware Standards document are supported models.

Email CLAS IT Support to get best pricing and quotes for computer hardware, software, and components. Once you've decided what you want in consultation with CLAS IT, your department coordinator can purchase equipment through the ePSU Marketplace.

• Windows: From the Welcome to the ePSU Marketplace screen, select Dell. A page on Dell's store with the title Standard Configuration will open in a new browser window. Select your desired computer from the list. 
• Mac: From the Welcome to the ePSU Marketplace screen, select Apple, Inc. A page on Apple’s store, with the title Apple Store for Education will open in a new browser window.

Used Equipment

If there's already a machine allocated for your use, login and if there are any performance issues, write clas-support@pdx.edu and request technology staff wipe the computer and reinstall the operating system.

Getting Set Up

Schedule an appointment with the Help Desk for a support technician to install any software you'll need and connect the computer to the campus domain.

• The work generally only takes an hour, but it's best to be present at the end of the technician's visit to verify everything's the way you want it.

Free Software

• Email: To access your PSU email and manage your contacts, visit mail.pdx.edu in your web browser of choice, and sign in using your Odin account username and password.
• Microsoft Office: Students, faculty, and staff can obtain the Microsoft Office suite (including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) for free.
• View PDFs: Two popular applications are Adobe Reader (for Windows and macOS) and Preview (for macOS).
• Create and Edit PDFs: Foxit PhantomPDF is an application that can convert many different types of files into PDFs, and can edit existing PDF files directly. It is available within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at a very modest cost ($10). To find out more about departmental purchases of PhantomPDF, contact CLAS IT Support.
• Web Access to Voicemail: PSU uses a voicemail system called CallXpress. Using the Web PhoneManager program, you can access your CallXpress voicemail from the web. 
• Self-Service Software: A range of software can be installed on PSU-owned computers using the application Self-Service Software. You can find a list of available software at Free software for PSU-owned computers.
• SSH Client: Secure Shell (SSH) is a technology that allows you to securely access your PSU webspace and Unix home directory on Odin.

Fee Software

• PSU faculty, staff and students can purchase selected software for their personal computers or university-owned computers at a discount. Some software is free, and some is available from external vendors at an academic price.

• Remote Desktop: Access your work computer at PSU from off campus by establishing a Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). This will require a VPN connection and assistance from IT staff to set up beforehand.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN): Use this remote access technology to securely connect to PSU's network as if you were on campus. This makes access to restricted services possible, and provides encryption between your computer and the PSU network.
• SSH: Secure Shell (SSH) is a technology that allows you to securely access your PSU webspace and Unix home directory on Odin.
• Access H and I Drives: Visit Use H and I drives on Windows or Use H and I drives on macOS.
• Access PSU administrative systems: To access University enterprise applications without the need to install anything or ensure compatibility, PSU employees can use RemoteApp, a special mode of Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services (RDS), on computers running Windows or macOS. RemoteApp currently supports the following applications:
  • Administrative Banner
  • CampusNexus CRM (formerly Talisma)
  • Cognos (Cognos Report and Query Studio)
  • OnBase Web Client