CAEN > Staff Computing at Michigan Engineering

Staff Computing at Michigan Engineering

Welcome to Michigan Engineering! Several computing and information technology (IT) services are provided to you as a Michigan Engineering staff member, designed to support your productivity. There are three main campus IT providers you may work with:

  • Your Departmental IT Support Staff are available to assist you with the daily desktop and IT support needs within your department.
  • Information and Technology Services (ITS) is the University of Michigan’s central IT organization, which offers a standard set of computing services to all U-M staff.
  • CAEN – Michigan Engineering’s central IT group, providing a set of tools for the College’s administrative and research computing needs.

Click a link below to jump to a particular topic, and find out more about the services offered on campus:

Staff member using CAEN's Engineering Base Desktop
 

Your Computing Access

As a Michigan Engineering staff member, you are automatically enrolled for CAEN Access, which provides a set of Engineering-specific computing services, such as the ability to log in at CAEN computer labs or access your CAEN online file storage allocation.

Your CAEN Access should be active within a week after your start date. If you require access prior to that date, your departmental IT support staff may submit an early access request on your behalf. If you arrive on campus and have any problems logging in, contact CAEN for immediate assistance.

All U-M staff receive access to a standard set of computing services from ITS, including your University login ID (also known as your U-M uniqname). You will use your uniqname and corresponding UMICH password to log in and access the majority of computing and online services at U-M.

Connecting to the Network

Wi-Fi network access is available to all faculty in University buildings. MWireless allows you to securely connect your devices to the Internet. Eduroam is also available on the University of Michigan campus. Eduroam allows students, faculty, and staff from other participating institutions to connect to the internet securely when visiting other institutions. It requires credentials from either the institution you are visiting or alternately the University of Michigan. If you have visitors or guests on campus, a network called MGuest allows them to easily connect and receive basic internet connectivity.

Wired (Ethernet) access is also available in all Michigan Engineering buildings, which is especially important if you work from a desktop computer. Your departmental IT support staff can assist you with connecting your office and research lab computers to the wired network.

The University also offers a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to all Michigan Engineering staff which will make sure you have a secure computing experience when accessing a U-M network from a remote location.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) Access

The U-M Virtual Private Network (VPN) is available to all Michigan Engineering students, faculty, and staff. It provides a secure computing experience when accessing a U-M network from a remote location, and may be required to access certain campus services that are restricted by location. Information on using the U-M VPN service can be found at:

Online File Storage & Backups

As an Engineering staff, you have multiple online file storage options, including a large amount of cloud storage from U-M DropBox and U-M Google Drive. CAEN also provides you with an additional allocation that can be easily accessed for storing and working with files on CAEN lab computers.

There are other campus storage/backup services available to faculty, including MiStorage which provides an option for storing large amounts of data. These options are backed up regularly to protect your important files and are recommended over using external media which can be broken, lost, or stolen. Faculty should speak with their departmental IT support staff, or contact CAEN, for assistance with determining the best option for their work.

Presentation & Event Recording

CAEN provides a lecture capture service to faculty for recording lectures in Michigan Engineering classrooms and auditoriums. Staff may also request access to this service for recording departmental presentations, seminars, and events.

Telecommuting

Michigan Engineering established a telecommuting policy for staff who are eligible to work from home, or otherwise from off-campus. CAEN is available to assist staff with concerns about accessing and using technology while telecommuting.

Information Technology Security

IT security is a shared responsibility, and every member of the U-M community has an important role to play. It can be especially important for staff who work with research data. CAEN works with representatives from across the University to coordinate and leverage information technology activities to meet unit requirements and support College’s mission.

Questions or Problems?

Additional details on the topics described above, and more, are available via the CAEN Knowledge Base. Consultants are also available to answer specific questions about all CAEN services, or your local departmental IT resources.

 

Other Resources for New Staff