Campus Email Account and Other Computer Services

Minot State University has created a campus email account for you to receive official campus information throughout the semester. If you are a current MSU student, an email account has been created for you. Instructions on how to access it are attached below. If you are a new student, you will need to set up your account. Instructions on how to set up a new account are attached below. It is mandatory that you use this account. Your account is free of charge and remains active as long as you are enrolled at the University. Increasingly, email is becoming the primary mode of communication between students and the University. You can expect to receive information regarding:

• Access to WebCT (online courses)
• Add/Drop Deadlines
• Registration Information
• Academic Advising
• New Course Offerings
• Changes in Degree Requirements
• Athletic Events
• Campus Events
• Emergency Notices

Check your email on a frequent and consistent basis. The University recommends checking email daily.

To Access Your Account:

1. Go to www.minotstateu.edu
2. Click on Current Students
3. Under Student Services, Click on E-Mail (Web Based)
   • Name: Enter your name in this format: firstname.lastname (i.e., sally.smith)
   • Password: Enter your User ID number without the ‘W’.
4. If you need assistance with your email login and/or password, stop by IT Central located at 108 Old Main, contact the Help Desk or send an email to: helpdesk@minotstateu.edu

The MSU campus email policy is in compliance with SBHE Procedure 1901.2 Computer and Network Usage.

To Set Up Your Email Account (for new MSU students):

Contact the IT Central with the following information:
• Full Name (as it appeared on your application)
• User ID number (your student ID number to access CampusConnection)
Email at helpdesk@minotstateu.edu or stop by Old Main 108.

Virus, Worms, Spambots-are you protected?
Computer viruses share some of the traits of biological viruses. A computer virus passes from computer to computer like a virus passes from person to person. A virus must piggyback on top of some other program (e.g. email) or document (e.g. attachment) in order to get executed. Once it is running, it is then able to infect other programs, documents and computers on the network. A computer worm is a program that replicates itself over a computer network. This can have significant impact on computer and network resources. A spambot is a program designed to collect (harvest) e-mail addresses from the Internet in order to build mailing lists for sending unsolicited e-mail, also known as SPAM.

If you answer "NO" to any of the following, your computer may be vulnerable to attack:

• Is your antivirus software up to date?
• Have you installed the most recent Windows updates?
• Did you know hijacker software (spyware, adware) can monitor user activity on the Internet, gather personal information (passwords, credit card numbers), cause your computer to run slow and flood you with popup messages?
• Did you know you could be sending out large amounts of SPAM from your computer?
• We can help...Contact the MSU HELP DESK

A campus site license provides for the free installation of McAfee anti-virus software on all faculty, staff and student-owned computers.

Additional Support Services

Software Licensing
Discounted software is available for purchase from the campus Bookstore located in the Student Union. Available titles include Windows XP, Microsoft Office Pro (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher), PageMaker 7.0, etc.

Internet Access
Internet access is available to all students in the residence halls. You will need a computer with an Ethernet adapter. You will be required to login to the campus network. Just use your email login and password. If you live off campus, dial-up services are available on a limited basis. 24/7 access is not guaranteed. The dial-up number is 858-3800. Again, use your email login and password to authenticate.

File Storage and Web Publishing
To store files on the server, in any Web browser, type ftp://mail.misu.nodak.edu Then enter your email login and password. You can then create folders and drag and drop files into the folders to store them. To publish a Web page, create a “public” folder (if it does not already exist). Copy your Web files into the public folder. The file name for your home page should be index.htm or index.html. To view your Website, go to the following URL and enter your name where firstname.lastname is indicated: http://mail.misu.nodak.edu/~firstname.lastname

Help Desk
There is an MSU Help Desk and a NDUS Help Desk available if you have trouble with online courses, your email account, etc.