Technology Services
Technology is increasingly at the center of academic life: for teaching, learning, administration and research. However, we realize that technology is a tool to be used by the faculty, student or staff members and is not the reason you are here at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Our purpose here in the Office of Information Technology Services is to ensure that the use of technology is a routine part of life for the School of Pharmacy community. The ITS office staff is a group of highly trained, experienced professionals dedicated to providing you with the kind of service that you deserve and expect. We are constantly seeking ways to improve both our technical knowledge and our professionalism and welcome your comments and suggestions.
Laptop Specifications
- Intel Core i3, i5, i7, or i9 processor (other Intel or AMD Athlon processors of equivalent performance are acceptable)
- 256 Gb hard drive (or more)
- 8 Gb RAM
- Audio (via motherboard or SoundBlaster 16 equivalent)
- 802.11ac wireless network interface (NIC)
- Inkjet or laser printer for home use (a portable printer is not required)
Chromebooks, iPads, Android tablets, "netbooks" and other devices that cannot run the full version of Windows or Mac OS X may be useful but are not at the present time considered to be acceptable substitutes for a laptop computer meeting the above specifications.
Software
- Operating system:
WINDOWS: Windows 10 Build 1909 or later*
APPLE: Mac OS X 10.13 or later (10.15 Catalina recommended). - An internet service provider (25Mbps download/2Mbps upload; broadband recommended)
- Productivity Software:
Microsoft Office365** - Internet web browser:
Google Chrome is required for the Proctorio exam proctoring system.
You may also run other current web browsers, such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge, etc. - Adobe Acrobat Reader (may be downloaded at no charge from Adobe)
- Current antivirus and antispyware software
* Windows 10 can be upgraded by going to “settings” “security and updates” at no charge.
** The university offers Microsoft's Office 365 Pro Plus subscriptions to all enrolled students. As part of that subscription, students may download Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook on up to five devices at no charge and may use those applications while they are enrolled in good standing at the university. Students who wish to purchase permanent licenses for Microsoft Office may do so when they graduate or otherwise leave the university. Follow instructions on installing the Office applications. You will not be able to connect and download the applications until your UCD account has been activated and you have claimed it. Office 365 also includes 5TB of OneDrive storage.
When a computer is stolen, malfunctions or becomes damaged, data loss can be a huge setback. As such, beginning even prior to the first day of school, all students in educational programs in the SSPPS are required to make regular back-ups of documents and data related to their program and courses. Students are strongly advised against relying on a separate hard drive, thumb drive or local sources as backup; cloud-based backup (see below) is preferred. For assignments requiring submission via E*Value, students are encouraged to load information into E*Value as soon as possible, not allowing it to accumulate for uploading at a later date. Please note that loss of data due to computer difficulties will not be considered a valid excuse for failure to meet requirements such as completing an assignment, meeting a deadline or performing on an exam.
Backup options:
Software:
These options can be used to backup data locally to a removable hard drive or large flash drive.
WINDOWS
- Windows Backup (included with your computer)
- NovaBACKUP
- Backup4All
APPLE
- Time Machine (included with Mac OS X)
- Carbon Copy Cloner
- SuperDuper!
Your computer may come with other backup software. Consult your documentation or computer vendor.
Cloud-based:
These services store your data remotely on the service provider’s servers, keeping it safe in the event of an unforeseen event, such as fire or theft. Many such services allow you to access your data from other computers anywhere in the world and automatically backup your computer at regular intervals (e.g. every 10 minutes). These include:
Microsoft OneDrive, which provides 5TB storage and is free to all students, can also be used as backup service. For instruction on automatically backing up folders to OneDrive please see OneDrive Backup.
The SSPPS does not endorse any particular service or software. You are encouraged to evaluate the services and costs and select the one that best fits your needs. If you have any questions, please contact the SSPPS IT Office.
Students must ensure that reliable, fast internet connection is readily available for successful delivery of the curriculum. Required speeds and supplemental education technology requirements are provided below:
| Required Connection Speeds | Minimum Requirements |
| Internet Download Speed | 1Mbps or more |
| Internet Upload Speed | 1Mbps or more |
| Educational Supplements | |
| Webcam | 1280x720 image resolution |
| USB Headset | Must be hands-free, can connect to your computer via a USB port, and feature a microphone |
Students will check their internet connection at http://www.speedtest.net/ to confirm their upload and download speeds. If the connection does not allow the student to connect with the minimum speeds listed above, the student will contact their internet service provider to explore more options.
Faculty use the University approved platform Zoom to conduct online didactic curriculum assignments and to complete student services-based activities. Students with tight bandwidth are encouraged to set Zoom to “speaker view” instead of “gallery view” to reduce internet connectivity interferences.
We strongly recommend all students secure a “backup” internet connection, such as a mobile phone WIFI hotspot, 3G dongle or other mobile internet solution, which meets the above requirements.
Students in the CU SSPPS take exams and certain quizzes on their own computers. Some of these are based on campus and some of them you will take at home (or a site of your choosing). To ensure academic integrity on these, you will use a web camera (“webcam”) attached to your computer to share your environment. All students are required to have their own webcam that meets the following specifications:
- Must be an external camera (ie, not the camera embedded in your laptop)
- Must be either a gooseneck camera, a camera that sits on a tri-pod, or on a camera stand (see examples below)
- The camera’s resolution should be at least 1080 pixels.
If you have any questions about this, please consult sop.iDesign@cuanschutz.edu with the subject line “webcam question” for advice.
Examples:
All programs offered by the Distance Degrees and Programs office (DDP) are distance-based programs where students attend classes online and participate in activities in an online synchronous manner. As such, a reliable computer and internet connection are essential for students to be successful in their academic studies.
Computer and Data Back-Up Requirements
All students will own a computer that meets or exceeds the specifications as outlined in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) Technical Requirements policy. In addition, students are required to make regular backs-ups of documents and data related to their programs and courses. Students will follow the data back-up requirements as provided in the SSPPS Technical Requirements policy.
NOTE: Loss of data due to computer difficulties will not be considered a valid excuse for failure to meet requirements, such as completing an assignment, meeting a deadline or performing on an exam.
Internet Connection Speeds
Students must ensure that reliable, fast internet connection is readily available for successful delivery of the curriculum. Required speeds and supplemental education technology requirements are provided below:
| Required Connection Speeds | Minimum Requirements |
| Internet Download Speed | 1Mbps or more |
| Internet Upload Speed | 1Mbps or more |
| Educational Supplements | |
| Webcam | 1280x720 image resolution |
| USB Headset | Must be hands-free, can connect to your computer via a USB port, and feature a microphone |
Students will check their internet connection at http://www.speedtest.net/ to confirm their upload and download speeds. If the connection does not allow the student to connect with the minimum speeds listed above, the student will contact their internet service provider to explore more options.
The DDP office uses the University approved platform Zoom to conduct online didactic curriculum assignments and to complete student services-based activities. Students with tight bandwidth are encouraged to set Zoom to “speaker view” instead of “gallery view” to reduce internet connectivity interferences.
The DDP office strongly recommends all students secure a “backup” internet connection, such as a mobile phone WIFI hotspot, 3G dongle or other mobile internet solution, which meets the above requirements.