USC Computer Account
As a USC student, you receive a USC user name and password that provide you with access to the following information services:
- Free email
- Internet connection
- Personal Web-page space
- High-speed wireless network
- High-speed public computers
- popular software for download
- extensive digital research resources
- online course materials (Blackboard)
- hands-on software skills workshops
- computing and library research help
To take advantage of these services, you need to have a USCard, the standard ID for all USC students. You should have your USCard by the end of orientation; if you do not, you may obtain one at the USCard Customer Service Office located in the lobby of the Commons Building. Once you obtain your USCard, you need to activate your USC computer account. For instructions, call (213) 740-5555 or visit www.usc.edu/firstlogin. If you do not have access to a personal computer, visit one of ISD's public computing centers, listed below, and present your USCard at the service desk. You will be directed to one of the center's computers; go to www.usc.edu/firstlogin and follow the instructions.
USC Library Card
To begin using your USC library privileges, present your USCard to the circulation desk of any USC library. Library staff will ask for contact information and activate your library account. Your USCard will then serve as your library card.
Public Computing Centers
Information Services provides free access to nearly 1,000 networked machines on campus, all of which feature high-speed Internet connections and many popular software applications. You will find machines in the following Information Services public computing centers:
- Leavey Library's Information Commons (lower level and second floor)
- Waite Phillips Hall of Education (WPH B34)
- King Olympic Hall (KOH 200)
- Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL 125)
These public computing centers provide unlimited use of the latest-generation Macintosh, Windows and UNIX workstations, as well as zip drives, scanners and laser printers. There is a charge for printing, but all other services are free. USCard discretionary funds are the only method of payment accepted in public computing centers.
For an updated list of ISD computing center hours, visit www.usc.edu/isd/it/pcc. In addition to Information Services public computing centers, many academic units run their own computer labs. Check with academic departments for specifics.
USC Libraries
USC has more than a 20 libraries and specialized collections. If you are not sure where to start, USC's gateway library, Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Library, is the place to go. The staff at Leavey Library can help you with your research needs and provide referrals to the other libraries on campus.
For information and links to each library, refer to the "Libraries at USC" Web page, www.usc.edu/isd/libraries. A current list of library hours is available at "Hours and Locations," www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/hours/matrix.
The USC library catalogue, library.usc.edu, will help you locate books, periodicals, government documents and dissertations held in libraries on the University Park campus.
For digital library resources, visit USC's "Subject Resources" page, www.usc.edu/isd/elecresources, a vast collection of article indexes, catalogues, dictionaries, encyclopedias, electronic journals, visual materials and much more.
Course Web Pages and Materials
TOTALe (also known as Blackboard) is the online learning portal through which many USC professors provide electronic copies of their course materials, including syllabuses, readings and handouts. You may also participate, through TOTALe, in an online discussion or take a quiz with automatic grading and immediate feedback. You can access TOTALe at totale.usc.edu and use your USC computer user name and password to access your “MyUSC” portal page. Each course in which you are enrolled that uses TOTALe will appear on your page as a link. Simply follow the link to access your online course materials.
Home Connection
All of the rooms in USC residence halls, as well as some areas of Leavey Library and the Marshall School of Business, are hooked up to ResNet, a high-speed computer network. ResNet allows you to bypass your modem and enjoy free, high-speed (10 megabits per second) Internet access. To link up with ResNet, you need a network interface card, which may come installed in your computer or, if not, may be purchased at the TrojanBookstore. To register your network interface card, go to www.usc.edu/isd/it/resnet and link to the secure online form. For help or information regarding ResNet in residence halls, call the TrojanHousing maintenance office at (213) 740-4646.
If you live off-campus, Internet access is just a phone call away. With a computer, modem and the right point-to-point protocol settings, you can place a call to one of USC’s more than 1,000 modems and access the Internet, free of charge. Visit www.usc.edu/isd/doc/dialup for computer settings and dial-up numbers.
If you already use another Internet service provider and wish to access restricted USC resources, you may use USC’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) Client. The VPN Client and a variety of popular software applications can be downloaded from the "Software at USC" Web page, www.usc.edu/isd/it/software.
Wireless Network
USC students, faculty and staff can surf the Web or check email without cables using USC’s high-speed wireless network. Most outdoor common areas, libraries, auditoriums and eateries -- including the University Village Food Court -- are configured with wireless technology. New locations are being added regularly.
To take advantage of wireless access, you must obtain a wireless Ethernet card, register it with Information Services and configure it. Further instructions may be found at www.usc.edu/isd/it/wireless.
Help: Documentation and User Guides
Information Services' "Help" page, www.usc.edu/isd/it/contact, offers online computing documentation and library user guides on a variety of topics. Printed guides are also available in all library and public computing centers.
Personal Assistance
Personal assistance with computing applications, connectivity or research questions is readily available. Experienced librarians can assist you in person at all library reference desks or online at the Ask-A-Librarian Web site (www.usc.edu/isd/askalibrarian). For help with computer connectivity and software, contact the consultants at the Customer Support Center by calling (213) 740-5555 or by email, consult@usc.edu.
During the academic year, library and computing assistance is available 24 hours a day in the Leavey Library Lower Commons.
Free Computer Workshops
Adventures in Information, an ongoing series of non-credit workshops on computer software and operating systems, is offered throughout the academic year. These free, two-hour, hands-on training sessions, which require no advance sign-up, cover popular topics, including Web page creation, image editing, statistics software and the UNIX operating system. For a list of upcoming workshops, or to request new workshop topics, visit the “Adventures” Web site, www.usc.edu/isd/adventures, which is updated throughout the academic year.