Students
Information you need to know as a new student at St. Mary's College.
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Network Services
Students at St. Mary’s College are given access to a wide variety of resources on the school network. The login for these network resources is usually generated using the first initial, middle initial and last name (example: Jane Ann Doe would be jadoe). Students are provided with this login before school begins. As part of the St. Mary’s network, students are given access to several services that require authentication in order to protect sensitive data. To comply with state and college policies, students are required to have a complex network password and change it every 90 days. The password must be at least eight characters long and contain three of the four following types of characters:
- Uppercase letters
- Lowercase letters
- Numbers
- Symbols ( !@#$%^&*()<>?;:\][{}| )
You may change your password on any Windows XP lab machine on campus or from any computer through your SMCM Webmail. Please refer to our password policy for more detailed instructions.
To login to your St. Mary's email account, point your browser to https://webmail.smcm.edu and log on using your network username and password. Students may also set up an email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, to send and receive email. These settings are below:
- Incoming Server: webmail.smcm.edu
- Outgoing Server (SMTP): webmail.smcm.edu
- Username: (network username)
- Password: (network password)
- SMTP Authentication: Password (Use your network login information)
Portal
The Portal is a special collection of customized information services that are provided to current students and faculty. Students can access the Portal by going to https://seahawks.smcm.edu/ics and logging in using their campus network username and password. Through The Portal they have access to tools like academic records, course registration, financial statements, housing information, and the studentdirectory.
Self Service Reset Password Management System (SSRPM)
This system is designed to allow faculty, students, and staff to reset their email/network password at any time and from any place. To access the SSRPM system, please point your browser to https://pwr.smcm.edu and click on Enroll into SSRPM. Then you will answer a few easy questions and be able to reset your password any time you wish.
G:\ Drive
Each St. Mary’s student is provided with 500MB of online storage space that can be accessed from anywhere in the world via FTP (File Transfer Protocol). To access your G:\ Drive from ResNet or off campus, go to https://myfiles.smcm.edu.
When logged into a lab or classroom machine on campus, your G:\ Drive will automatically mount upon login.
Blackboard
Blackboard is an online course management system that is used by some SMCM faculty members to provide additional academic resources in the classroom. You will need your student username and the default Blackboard password. This password is generated using "Abcd" and the last four digits of your Social Security number. For example, if Jane Doe's SSN is 123-45-6789, her password for Blackboard will be "Abcd6789". Once you have logged in for the first time, you may change your password to one of your choosing. To access your Blackboard account, go to http://courses.smcm.edu/ or click on Blackboard at the bottom of the SMCM Web site.
Software Available to Students
Students at St. Mary’s have the ability to purchase several popular software titles with an academic discount. Students may purchase their own personal copy of Microsoft Office 2008 for Macintosh or Microsoft Office 2007 Professional for Windows for a $20.00 media charge each. Students may take the latest versions of these software programs with them when they graduate from the College. Students can also purchase various software titles from the SMCM Campus Store at a reduced price.
Computer Service and Repair
Due to college and state policies, the Student Support Desk cannot offer hardware support or assistance with unsupported personal software with studentowned computers and peripherals. However, we can assist with troubleshooting various problems and providing instruction on usage of SMCM academic resources, as are outlined in this pamphlet, as well as general computer troubleshooting and usage assistance. The Student Support Desk also has contact information for various hardware vendors as well as local businesses for serious problems. Remember, maintaining your computer is your responsibility!
Technology Support
Campus Technology Support Services is responsible for supporting the technological resources on campus and its users. The Student Support Desk is a resource for the students of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The Student Support Desk staff provides assistance with troubleshooting via phone support, as well as email and scheduled walk-in consultations. For after hours support, the Student Support Desk provides voicemail and email support, responding within the next business day. Documentation of all reported problems, questions, and resolutions are maintained and used to provide future direction for training, staffing, and communications.
Connecting to ResNet
Each student living on campus is provided with Internet access through our ResNet (Residential Network). The services that are offered as part of ResNet include the Internet and access to academic resources. Access to SMCM email through Webmail, POP3, and IMAP is also provided. All standard operating systems are supported including Windows, Macintosh, Unix, and Linux. Students can also access their private storage space on the network server (G:\ Drive). Students will need the following computer equipment in order to use ResNet:
- 10/100 Base Ethernet Network Card (NIC)
- Ethernet Cable (Standard RJ45/CAT6)
- Power strip with surge protection
These items may be purchased at any store selling computer items, or at the SMCM Campus Store located in the Campus Center. Students and staff will be available to assist in the setup of these items as well.
Bradford Persistent Agent
To protect students and their machines, as well as the campus network, all computers that are connected to ResNet must pass a security scan and then be registered with the network. This system, called Bradford Persistent Agent, will scan your computer for possible vulnerabilities the first time you connect to ResNet.
Safe and Secure Computing
Today’s Internet can be a dangerous place. We have several recommendations that can help you keep your data and your computer safe and secure.
- Anti-Spyware: If you have a Windows-based operating system, we highly recommend that you keep antispyware and anti-adware software on your computer and up to date at all times. This can ensure that your computer will keep running smoothly and also acts to help prevent future problems. Adware and Spyware are programs that install themselves on your computer without your knowledge and either steal valuable data or cause pop-ups and other annoying occurrences. Three programs that we recommend for finding and deleting spyware and adware on your computer are Ad-Aware SE, Malware Bytes, and Spybot Search & Destroy though there are numerous other programs available. All three are free downloads, and you can find links to both programs on this page.
- Critical Updates: From time to time, critical updates and patches are also released for your system. We require that you keep your computer up to date with the latest patches and updates to ensure that your computer is more secure and continues to function correctly.
- Anti-Virus: As part of the St. Mary's network, students must have up-to-date anti-virus protection software installed and enabled on your computer. This keeps you and your data safe, as well as helping to keep our network, and your Internet connection, in good condition. If you do not have current anti-virus software on your computer, you can install any one of several free anti-virus programs, such as AVG or Avast Anti-Virus. Instructions for obtaining, registering and setting up the software can be found here. If you have a Macintosh computer, please contact the Student Support Desk for further information.
