Telework for Staff

Telework Toolkit

• Duo Multi-Factor Authentication

  As a reminder, Duo is a convenient way to increase the security of your work and information. Additionally, Duo protects all campus users by limiting the ability for a cybercriminal to use your account for malicious activity.

  Prior to working remotely, confirm that you have Duo Push set up. If you have your office phone set up as your contact to authenticate, you will not be able to access various SHSU sites that you may use, such as Banner.

• Speedtest

  If you are unsure that your internet connection is fast enough to telework, you can use the Speedtest tool. This tool will use your internet connection to run diagnostics and will report back what your upload and download speeds are. As a reminder, you must have a minimum of 20 mbps to work successfully from off campus.

• File Management

  You will want to use OneDrive as much as possible. This service allows you to store up to 1TB of data (that's a lot!). The best part is that these files are available anywhere you are from any device with an internet connection.

• Cisco Jabber Phone

  You may not want to give your personal phone number out to just anyone. Use Cisco Jabber to make your office extension portable and available anywhere you are. You can download Cisco Jabber to your computer or smart device and answer calls to and place calls from your campus extension.

  Disable automatically starting calls with video when using Jabber. To do so, click on Settings (gear icon), select Options, then select Calls. Once there, select, Never start calls with video. You will still have the ability to turn on video as you wish.

• Virtual Backgrounds

  You may not want to show your home or location while using video in a Zoom or Teams meeting. No problem! You can set a virtual background.

• MyWorkspace

  MyWorkspace proves you access to a campus workstation from anywhere with an internet connection. MyWorkspace is a good way to access S and T drive resources.

Remote Work

• What software is available for teaching remotely? (i.e. Conferencing, Office, Adobe, Phone, MatLab)
  • Office 365 Online (download Microsoft Office software)
  • Adobe Creative Cloud (download Adobe Creative Cloud software)
  • SPSS Statistics (download and use at home for faculty)
  • Zoom (instant messaging and online meetings)
  • Cisco Jabber (phone mobility, answer your office phone from anywhere)
  • Qualtrics (request feedback and more through this survey resource)
  • StataMP 
  • MatLab
  • Mathematica
  • Respondus (for faculty)

  NOTE: You do not have to use MyWorkspace to access this software.

• Tools for Off-Site Resources

  Educause

  EDUCAUSE® is a higher education technology association focused on advancing higher education with research, professional development, and collaboration. To login, point your web browser to https://www.educause.edu/ and click on Login. Then search for and select Sam Houston State University from the Federated Login section to continue logging in.

  SHSU Newton Gresham Library

  • Full text books are available online
  • Access to Citation tools such as EndNote and EasyBib are available through the Newton Gresham Library. Visit their Citing Sources website for additional information.

Telework FAQs

• How do I enroll or confirm I am enrolled in Katsafe?

  Katsafe is SHSU’s emergency notification system. For instructions on how to enroll, confirm enrollment, or change your contact information, view the Katsafe Communications Instructions.

• Where can I find Department/Division contacts?

  Your supervisor should have this information. In the event they do not, you can look up contacts in SamWeb under the SHSU Directory.

  If your department does not have a contact sheet, it is recommended that one is created containing staff names, personal and work phone numbers and emails addresses.

• What do I do with my managed device when it is not in use?

  You should treat your managed device just like your desktop computer. Any time it is not in use, lock or log out of it. Keep it on and charging.

  This will ensure that your device receives necessary feature and security updates.

  For additional questions regarding this process, contact the IT@Sam Service Desk.

• Is there a way to access my S:\ drive and the T:\ drive when working remotely?

  Yes, you can connect to remote.shsu.edu to access SHSU networks along with WebCMS and additional software. For step-by-step instructions on how to use this feature, review the Remote Desktop Connection technology tutorials.

  For additional help, contact the IT@Sam Service Desk.
• How do I access my emails when I am out of the office?

  We understand access emails when you are out of the office is important. If you do not have the Microsoft Outlook application installed on your phone, you can use login on to the Outlook Web App online.

  For additional information on how to use the Outlook Web App, take a look at our technology tutorials.

  In addition you can download Microsoft Office to install Outlook. We have a tutorial on how to connect Outlook to your email account.

  NOTE: You do not have to use Remote Desktop Connection to access this. 

• What software is available to schedule 1-on-1 or multi-person meetings?

  - Teams is the preferred method of video conferencing for non-academic uses. Take a look at our tutorials to get started.

  - Zoom provides remote conferencing services for 1-on-1 or mutli-person meetings (up to 300 participants). Take a look at the Zoom Tech Tutorials to get started!

  - Cisco Jabber is available for 1-on-1 meetings. Take a look at this Quick Start Guide.

• How can I access my documents from home?

  If you use Microsoft OneDrive, you can access your documents from anywhere and collaborate remotely from any device. You also have 1TB of storage (that's a lot!). 

  Review this brief Security Tip to ensure you are using OneDrive securely. Once you have reviewed the article, go to the Office 365 Online technology tutorial to get started!

  Additionally, you use Remote Desktop Connection to access network drives such as the T:\ and S:\ drives.

• What is “My Access” and “VPN” and how do I get approved?

  My Access is SHSU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) system. This system allows you to access network drives such as your S:\ and T:\ drives from a device that is not on the SHSU network.

  To be approved for this access, you must submit a Katalyst Request.

  Once you are approved, you can use the SHSU MyAccess VPN technology tutorial for additional information about how to login, view and manage your files.

• How do I connect to my phone’s mobile hotspot (internet)?

  If you do not have internet service, you can connect to your phone’s hotspot if it is provided by your phone service provider.

  To use mobile hotspot for Apple or Android devices, use the technology tutorial How To Connect To Mobile Hotspot.