As most staff are now working from home, we want to ensure that you have access to all of the tools, channels and software you need to continue teaching and working.

This week, IT Services and the Technology Enhanced Learning team have taken some important steps to help staff meet and teach online while remotely accessing the software they need to do their job.

Zoom is now live

The University has now launched Zoom to all students and staff at Sussex. Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with colleagues and students - either by video or audio-only or both. You can do this while conducting live chats and record the sessions to view later.

Individuals may have already set up their own individual Zoom accounts before now. While they are free to continue using these, the University’s institutional account offers some distinct advantages - meetings will no longer be restricted to 40 minutes and up to 300 participants can be included at a time. Unlimited cloud storage will also be available.

Learn how to teach online with Zoom

TEL are offering a new set of ‘Teaching online with Zoom’ webinars to support teaching and assessment. Morning and afternoon sessions are taking place next week from Monday 6 April to Wednesday 8 April. The sessions will cover:

• What Zoom is, and what it can be used for
• How to access your Zoom account
• Key features of Zoom such as audio & video, chat and screen sharing
• Ideas for teaching
• Alternatives to using Zoom
• Where to get more help and support

This and all future sessions will be available to book via the Teaching Online, Learning Anywhere site so please look out for further updates.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) for staff

IT Services have introduced a new Virtual Private Network (VPN) to allow staff to access specific University resources from home. The VPN will make remote working possible for staff who need access to systems and devices that are only available on campus, or special software that can only run on their Sussex PC. It is currently being rolled out by department and allows staff to connect from a Windows or Mac laptop or desktop computer.

When should you use the VPN?

You should only use the VPN in the following situations:

1. If you need to access the central database (Yellow Screens, Yellow Forms, CMS)
2. If you need special software on your Sussex computer that you are unable to install at home
3. If there are other systems that you normally access on campus that you’re unable to access from home

Please don’t use the VPN to access your N, G or T folders. There are better ways to do this from home.

Getting support

If you experience problems setting up the VPN please log a support ticket via the IT Services website.

When logging a support ticket please include your telephone number, and make sure that you tell them if you are setting up the VPN on a Windows PC or an Apple Mac. You can also call the IT Service Desk on 01273 678090 for support but please be patient as IT Services are dealing with large numbers of calls.

This week, IT Services and the Technology Enhanced Learning team have taken some important steps to help staff meet and teach online while remotely accessing the software they need to do their job.