COVID-19 Adjustments

Due COVID-19, we are offering adjusted IT services that will enable a more remote work environment. Look for these yellow boxes for all temporary adjustments.

Remote Work and Teaching Technology Services

Information Technology offers a variety of services that enable a remote work environment as part of the My Digital Workspace initiative. This range of services allows you to use your own digital workspace for a more fluid and agile work environment.

Use this guide to see all available technology services for remote work and telecommuting.

Preparing for Remote Work and Teaching

To-Dos On-Campus Prior to Beginning a Remote Work Routine

Prior to beginning a remote work routine, there are things that you may need to do on your office computer to be ready for working remotely.

Save Files in Advance
If there are files that you need on your New School office computer, we suggest saving these files to Google Drive in a designated folder in order to easily access them from off-campus. We suggest naming the designated folder “COVID19” so you are aware that this is a temporary folder with essential documents or files that you can access in Google Drive. Follow these instructions to learn how to upload folders and files to Google Drive.

Please follow these instructions for working remotely on a New School provisioned device or a personal device.

There are many technology services available to enable the continuation of work or teaching in a remote setting. In order to use these resources, you will need access to the following equipment in your remote location.

Laptops and Home Computers

If you do not have access to a New School laptop or a computer at home in which to conduct New School teaching and business remotely, please reach out to your departmental leadership who in turn be able to connect with Information Technology (IT) to see what options exist.

Additional peripherals or accessories such as external monitors, connectors, keyboard, mouse, mobile hotspot (Verizon Wireless Jetpack) etc. are the department’s responsibility to purchase. Please see the list of recommended peripherals and accessories. All requesters can order computer peripherals and other business-related items for remote working and teaching through MyNewSource and have them delivered to their home address.

If any users have questions they can contact Procurement (Jeffrey Schlesinger and Gopi Jawaji) directly or send an email to eprocurement@newschool.edu.

Using Desktop Computers from Your Office at Home

In response to COVID-19, departments or individuals wishing to take office equipment home for use, please read through these instructions.

    • Microphone - Microphones are useful for those who wish to utilize audio conferencing or audio capture services. The microphone can be built into your laptop or computer or you can use an external device like a USB microphone or headset.

    • Webcam - Webcams are useful for those who wish to utilize video conferencing or video capture services. Your laptop or computer may already have a built-in camera for video conferencing purposes but external cameras can be used as well.

    • Internet - All services mentioned on this page require an internet connection of some sort. This can be provided by an Internet Service Provider (i.e. FiOS, Comcast, Spectrum, etc.) or through a cellular service using a wireless hotspot through your mobile phone. If using cellular service, please be aware that connection could be slower and have less bandwidth.

      • Please note that Internet services off campus are not provided by Information Technology and must be accessed alternatively.

Internet Access Off Campus

DecisionData.org offers a breakdown of internet service providers. To begin, go to the website and enter your zip code (U.S. only) to find internet deals in your area.

Need help with at-home wifi troubleshooting? Try following this at-home wifi troubleshooting guide

  • FCC agreement stating that providers will waive late fees, not cutoff service for lack of payment, and open hot-spots.
  • Comcast COVID-19 response: offers free WiFi for 2 months to low income families plus all Xfinity hot-spots are free to the public during this time
  • Charter Free Internet offer for 2 months.
  • AT&T COVID-19 response: offers open hot-spots, unlimited data to existing customers, and $10/month plans to low income families.
  • Verizon COVID-19 response: no special offers, but following the FCC agreement.
  • Sprint COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, provides unlimited data to existing customers, and, starting Tuesday, 3/17/2020, will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
  • T-Mobile COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, plus unlimited data to existing customers, and, coming soon, will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
  • Optimum COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, have also launched several programs to help ensure people stay connected to the internet.

It is best to test out your equipment prior to the need arising, however, if you have any questions or issues connecting to the services mentioned below you can contact IT Central for support.

For Faculty

To help prepare for the possibility of shifting to a virtual teaching environment, we are focusing our efforts on helping faculty access and leverage technology resources for effective and engaging teaching and learning. We recognize that we have a unique variety of teaching needs across our university, from studios to seminars, and we look forward to expanding this support and our library of resources in the coming days.

Distributed Education at The New School has created several tools to support faculty during this time.

In addition, we will be offering webinar-style workshops at 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday to maximize faculty readiness to teach in a remote scenario with Canvas or Zoom. Please follow this link to participate in one of these comprehensive orientation sessions that will include Q&A with our team’s instructional designers.

Support

If you have any questions about the remote work technology services offered or need assistance, please email IT Central at itcentral@newschool.edu or call 646.909.4357.