Digital Skills

This page brings together key university systems and information, all in one handy place.

Whether you're just getting started or need a quick refresher, it's here to help you stay on track throughout your studies.

Key Digital Information

 

Username and Email

Your username is linked to your student ID number and is printed onto your student ID card. This will typically be formatted with a letter followed by 6 numbers and ending with a letter, for example, a012345f.

Your email will is the same as your student ID but will end with @student.staffs.ac.uk for example - a01245f@student.staffs.ac.uk linked with this email is two alias to use if you need something that conveys a little bit more professionalism: 

• f.surname@student.staffs.ac.uk
• forename.surname@student.staffs.ac.uk

In the first example above, f would be the first letter of your forename.  If you have the same name as another student, you may find that there is a number just before the @ symbol.

You can view all of your email addresses if you log in with your normal username and password to outlook.

How do I access my email?

You can also access your email from any web browser, by visiting http://www.staffs.ac.uk/email.

Enter your username in the format username@student.staffs.ac.uk, and your normal University password.

Once you are logged in, it should be quite a familiar Outlook interface.  If you have used web-based email before you'll get the hang of it in no time, but if you would like some help you can find Microsoft Office Quick Start Guides.

If you know your current password and wish to change it follow the below instructions.

Off campus or on your own device

• Change password

On campus - University Windows PC

• Log on to any university computer
• Press the Ctrl, Alt and Del keys at the same time
• Select Change Password

On campus - University Apple Mac

• Those who primarily use an Apple Mac on campus are advised to change their password on the Mac if possible to ensure the keychain is updated.
• From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
• Click the Users & Groups icon in the System Preferences window.
• Select your user name from the list of users.
• Click Change Password, then follow the onscreen prompts.
• When you change your user account password, be sure to update the Hint field as well, so that the hint makes sense for your new password.
• After changing the password, users must, if the keychain utility prompts to update the keychain, click “Update” or “Update All”

Advice on password choice and storage

Self Service Password Reset

Register, review, change or delete your contact details

• Visit the My Security Info Page
• You will need to provide your existing password for verification
• You can add contact methods of Email, Phone or Mobile Authenticator app where you will receive a verification code if you need to reset your password. (You can’t use your University e-mail address for this because you won’t have access to it without your password!)
• Important note on security: if you register for this service you must ensure the security of your external e-mail account. Your University password is only as secure as your private e-mail account. You must ensure that you use a secure password on it and do not allow others to share access to it. It is best if you do not use this password for anything else. (You may well already be set up to receive password reminders for other sites on your private e-mail address, so this is good practice anyway)

Reset your password 

• If you forget your password, go to the self-service password reset page
• Here you will first be prompted to enter your username and prove that you aren’t a robot. Provided that you have previously registered for the service (see above), you will be able to choose a registered contact method for verification.
• A unique verification code will then be sent to your chosen contact method
• Once the verification code is correctly entered, you can proceed to choose a new password and get back into your account

Choosing a Strong Password

Choosing a strong, unique password for each important account you have helps to protect against unauthorised access to your sensitive personal information. Using different passwords means that, should one of your accounts be compromised, cybercriminals are unable to use the same credentials on other systems.

Passwords should:

• Be at least 8 characters long
• Use a mixture of uppercase (A-Z), lowercase (a-z), numbers (0-9) and special characters (@ # ? < > ! £ $ % + -)
• Avoid common words or personal details e.g. your name, house/street name, pets' names, favourite sports team, etc.
• Do not use words found in a dictionary, even spelled backwards or in another language

Three Random Words

The recommendation from the Cyber Aware campaign is to use three random words. These can be any three words in any order, and numbers or special characters can still be used, for example 7blueElevat0rRis!ng33, but don't use words or phrases which are easy for other people to guess e.g. TheLionKing.

More information about password security

Connecting to the Wi-Fi

Whether you are living in halls or coming onto campus for your lectures, connecting to the Wi-Fi is crucial for staying connected to the internet, not only socially but academically too. 

To quickly connect to the internet, first you'll need to be on campus and then locate your internet settings which will depend on your device but this is normally indicated by either a cog or a globe.

 

Once in the Wi-Fi setting select the Eduroam option and enter your username and password. 

For a more detailed breakdown, visit the WiFi and Eduroam section on the digital services website. 

Beacon is your smart digital guide designed to support you throughout your university journey. It will continually learn and enhance its skills and knowledge just like you. Here are some things it can do:

• View your timetable

• Check PC/Laptop availability

• Browse news and events

• Get directions to buildings and places on campus

• Get answers to common questions across all our services

You will also be required to use Beacon to enter an attendance code to track your attendance at University. 

Finding a PC on campus

No matter which campus you're on, you have access to numerous PCs. To find available ones, simply open the Beacon app and select "PC Availability." This feature will show you which PCs are free to use in your vicinity.

Short term loan laptops

You can borrow a laptop from our self-service LapSafe cabinets located in the Science Centre, Catalyst Building, Blackheath Lane, and London. To find available laptops and their locations, access the Beacon app and select "Laptop Availability."

Long-term laptop loans

If you do not have a device that you can use for your studies at home, you can apply for a long-term loan of a device. For more information read Access to PC and laptops.

There are multiple ways to print at university depending on what device you are using or the print you are trying to complete. 

MyPrint Portal

Your personalised MyPrint portal can be accessed at https://myprint.staffs.ac.uk. From the MyPrint portal you can:

• View a summary of your activity, transaction history and jobs pending release
• Add print credit onto your account
• Access the Main Portal (our off-site print facility)
• Access our Print Bureau (our specialist on-site print facility)
• Use the Web Print feature on your own device
• Setup Mobility Print

Printing from University PCs and Macs

Don't worry about choosing a specific printer.  If you are working on one of our computers, simply choose MyPrint to print in black & white or colour. You can then go to any printer in any of our buildings to collect your stuff.

1. On your computer go to the File tab, then Print
2. Choose MyPrint on printservice.staffs.ac.uk, then click Print

Printing from your own laptop / device

If you are using your own laptop or mobile device, you can still use our printers.

You can submit print jobs from your web browser using Web Print within your MyPrint portal.

1. Open a web browser and navigate to myprint.staffs.ac.uk  (login with your university credentials)
2. Choose Web Print from the left hand menu
3. Click Submit a job
4. Choose the relevant print queue (E.g. Black & White Double Sided)
5. Select Print Options and Account Selection
6. Choose the number of copies and then select Upload Documents
7. Either drag files onto the webpage or select Upload from computer
   The following file types are allowed: Microsoft Excel xlam, xls, xlsb, xlsm, xlsx, xltm, xltx Microsoft PowerPoint pot, potm, potx, ppam, pps, ppsm, ppsx, ppt, pptm, pptx Microsoft Word doc, docm, docx, dot, dotm, dotx, rtf, txt PDF pdf Picture Files bmp, dib, gif, jfif, jif, jpe, jpeg, jpg, png, tif, tiff XPS xps
8. Select Upload & Complete
9. Your documents will be sent to the printer

When it is done, you will get a 'Complete' message in a green box.  Once you see this, you can collect your printing from any printer.

Print Job Release with ID Card

You can use your student ID card to sign into our MFDs and release your print jobs.

1. Go to any printer
2. Hold your student ID card over the card reader to sign in
3. Swipe your card over the card reader
4. Press Print Release on the home screen
5. Select individual print jobs, and then Release
6. Or to print everything, Select Print All
7. For unwanted documents select the job and press Delete
8. Select Log out when finished

For more information, please visit the printing website.

Blackboard is one of the main platforms you will use to access all for your learning content as well as submitting your assignment. We have compiled a playlist to help walk you through the needs to know of Blackboard. 

During your time at University of Staffordshire, you will have access to the Microsoft Office Suite which includes products like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and teams. To access your office account, head over to Office.com and sign in with your username and password. The next page will allow you to install the office suite to your device with the different apps for you to use.