Student Technology and Learning Guide

Guilford College offers many free or low-cost technology-based resources for students. Browse the sections below to learn more about your computing accounts, discount technology purchasing, available hardware and software, printing on campus, course information, academic resources, and more.  

Library and Learning Technologies and Information Technology Services (ITS) work together with other academic support and services colleagues in the Hege Academic Commons to provide you with the technology-based resources, tools, and support for your readiness for learning and academic success.  For more detailed information, this orientation presentation will get you started.  We're here for you, so don't hesitate to reach out! 

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Accounts

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Incoming students receive an email with the subject “Guilford Login Information” which provides initial login information for the accounts listed below. Please note that we use Google SAML as our single-sign on (SSO) solution. This means that you must be logged in to your Guilford Google account to access things like Canvas, Zoom, and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Guilford College uses Okta as its multi-factor authentication service. You are required to install the Okta app on your mobile phone to ensure access to your Guilford accounts. To set up your Okta account, please follow these instructions (last updated: Summer 2023). It is vitally important, from a network security standpoint, that you set up your Okta account as quickly as possible.

Network account

Your network account is your primary account to access both the campus WiFi and campus services; please seen below for the few exceptions to this general rule.

Your network account login is the first part of your Guilford email address. For example, if your email address is jdoe@guilford.edu, your network account login is "jdoe" (without the quotation marks).

You will use your network account to access the Guilford WiFi (GC-Secure), login to public computers on campus, access Library resources while off-campus, and login in to your Microsoft Office account.

Guilford students keep their email accounts and Banner Web access following graduation, but the Network account is available only to currently enrolled students.

Google Workspace account

Google Workspace is your home for communication and collaboration while at Guilford College. Through Workspace, you have access to your Guilford email, your Drive for document storage, your Calendar for keeping track of classes and appointments, and many other services.

To start, you must set up your Guilford College email account. Go to http://mail.guilford.edu and enter your network account username (the first part of your Guilford email address) and your email password.

We encourage you to look around your Google Workspace to familiarize yourself with the various apps. The Learning Design and Development Team is more than happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with resources to optimize your Workspace apps.

Banner Web

Banner Web is the system used for class registration, viewing Financial Aid awards, accessing the TouchNet bill payment system, and other important college functions.

To access Banner Web via a web browser:

1. Go to the Banner Web site

2. Choose Logon to Banner Web

3. Enter your G# as your User ID and your PIN, then select Login

Resetting passwords

For more information on how to reset your password, please see Resetting Guilford College Account Passwords.

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Quaker Card

All students receive a Quaker (ID) Card used for meal plans, building door access, printing to campus printers, and spending “Quaker Cash.” Incoming students are encouraged to submit a photo for an ID card prior to the “check in” date for their first semester on campus. For instructions see Photo Submission for Quaker ID Card.

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Software

Microsoft Office

Guilford offers students the entire suite of Microsoft Office 365, including the option to install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote on students’ personal computers and mobile devices. To obtain the software for your computer, free of charge, follow the instructions for Installing Microsoft Office. 

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Laptop Purchasing

Guilford highly recommends that students to invest in their own laptops to support their academic journeys. Detailed purchasing information with special pricing for Guilford students is available in the Guilford College Laptop Purchase guide.

If you choose to purchase a laptop from a source other than Guilford’s discount program, be sure to review the recommended specifications prior to making a purchase. We know that your mobile devices help you perform many valuable tasks. However, not all mobile devices will enable you to complete your assignments successfully. At this time, Chromebooks, tablets (e.g. iPads, Androids), and smartphones are not recommended for coursework at Guilford. Their use for class assignments may result in limited functionality, loss of work, and inability to access some of your course materials. The best mobile device to use in fulfilling your academic requirements is a laptop with the minimum requirements stated above. 

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Technology Lending in Hege ACADEMIC COMMONS

Computing devices

Library and Learning Technologies works with faculty to provide devices on extended loan, through the Mobile Edge Initiative, to enable students in need to engage in their coursework. This includes Mac and PC laptops and tablets. A limited number of laptops with Adobe Creative Cloud are available for students enrolled in courses where Adobe CC is a requirement. All device requests must come through faculty via the Mobile Edge request form. 

Further information on device lending through the Mobile Edge is available online through Library and Learning Technologies.

Note: This extended device loaning service is intended to support students in need for up to one academic year. Beyond that, we encourage students to invest in their own laptop computing devices to support their academic journeys because a laptop is an essential tool for academic success. Please consider discount purchasing options through the college as mentioned above.

Cameras, microphones, and recorders

Do you need to record research interviews, take photos, or record video for a digital project? Library and Learning Technologies circulates the following digital cameras to current students, faculty, and staff. Cameras are available for a 5-day loan period.

• Canon Vixia HF R400-video recorder

• Fujifilm FinePix S4800-camera

• Nikon CoolPix L820

• Canon Powershot SX160

• FujiFilm FinePix JX650

The following items and accessories are also available:

• Samson XPD1 Lavalier USB Digital Wireless System

• Kimafun wireless microphone system with Lavalier Lapel mics

• Olympus Digital Voice Recorder

• 50 inch and 42 inch tripods 

• Octopus tripods

Visit our page on information on technology lending.

Please note: due to popular demand, these items must be requested 48 hours prior to intended use.

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Learning and Technology Resources

Canvas

Guilford College's learning management system (LMS) is Canvas. While all courses are automatically created in Canvas, and students are automatically added to their courses, not all instructors use Canvas for their courses. Be sure to confirm Canvas's use with your instructor in the first couple of days of class.

To login to Canvas, you will use Google SAML. The first thing you need to do is login to your Guilford email. The second step is to navigate to the Current Students page and click the Canvas link under Utilities (in the far right column). Canvas should open to your Dashboard in a new tab.

Canvas Student Guides are a great place to start if you have any questions. If the answers cannot be found there, please submit a ticket to ITS with as much detail as possible (including screenshots where relevant; we especially need screenshots of error messages).

Canvas Student ePortfolios (formerly Portfolium)

An ePortfolio tells a holistic story about all of your experiences, including your academic career (class projects, conference presentations, etc.), your extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, etc.), and your employment (internships, jobs, etc.). Maintaining your ePortfolio within Canvas Student ePortfolios (formerly known as Portfolium) helps facilitate collaboration with fellow students and connections with professionals in your future field. Most importantly, it allows you to present your work to the world in the ways that best suit you, including essays, videos, still images, and more.

Guilford College creates a Canvas Student ePortfolio account for each incoming freshman, although your ePortfolio is yours and will remain yours after graduation.

The Folio Studio is located in the Commons Ground and offers support in developing your ePortfolio. Please check the website and keep an eye on What’s the G? for drop-in hours and updates throughout the academic year.

Student Technology and Research Support (STARS) Desk

The STARS Desk offers drop-in technical assistance with a variety of applications, including Google Workspace, the Microsoft Office Suite, the Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, video editing, and more. The STARS Desk also offers advice and assistance on non-technical matters, such as locating materials for your projects and some research assistance.

Student Research Assistants are available to help with any stage of the research process, from the very beginning (choosing your topic) to the very end (managing your citations) to everything in between (finding your sources, creating good notes, helping with outlines, etc.). If you need more advanced help, please contact the Learning and Writing Center (tlwc@guilford.edu) or William Kelly (wkelly@guilford.edu).

STARS Desk hours and Learning and Writing Center services vary by semester. The STARS Desk and the Learning and Writing Center are located on the second floor of the Hege Academic Commons.

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Databases and e-Resources

Databases

Library and Learning Technologies provides access to over 150 databases ranging from virtual reference  to news  to scholarly journal articles. Visit our A-Z list for more information.

Access to these resources is available both on and off-campus. When accessing from off-campus, simply go to the A-Z list and choose your database. You will be asked to sign-in using your network username and password (the same one you use for WiFi or to login to any campus computers). If you encounter errors, please consult our Information for Off-Campus Access to Library Databases guide or contact a librarian (library@guilford.edu).

eBooks

Hege Library and Learning Technologies provides access to over 350,000 electronic books in the humanities, sciences, social sciences.  Some collections are available in our A-Z list of databases and others are discoverable through a catalogue search.

Streaming media

Hege Library and Learning Technologies provides access to over 100,000 streaming video and audio titles.  These titles include documentaries, feature films, ethnographies, primary source material, and much more. Check the Streaming Media Guide on the Hege Academic Commons website for links to streaming media partners.

The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal

Free online access to the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal is available to Guilford students. You must register using your Guilford email address and renew once a year, but after you do that, you will be able to access the NYT and WSJ from anywhere, at any time, and on any device! 

NYT:  http://library.guilford.edu/newyorktimes

WSJ:  http://library.guilford.edu/wsj

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Open Access Computers

Computer lab locations

• Bauman 102 (mixed Mac & Windows lab – open 24/7, when no class scheduled; card access required)

• Bauman 201 (Windows lab – open 8am to 5pm when no class ongoing)

• Hege Academic Commons, Ideation Lab (5 Macs and 5 Windows; available only via reservation; Commons Ground Level is closed for renovations)

• Hege Academic Commons, Amoeba on the second floor (4 Mac and 4 Windows PCs) 

• Hege Academic Commons, Learning and Writing Center, Room 210 (4 Windows PCs)

• Hege Academic Commons, Learning and Writing Center, Room 213 (2 Windows PCs available 6pm to 10m Monday-Friday and 24/7 on weekends)

• Hege Academic Commons, Accessibility Resource Center, Room 214

• Duke 309 (Windows Lab; open 8am to 5pm when no class scheduled)

• King 223 (mixed Mac and Windows lab; open 8am to 5pm when no class scheduled; Adobe Creative Cloud on all machines; Automator and Maxon Cinema 4D on Macs)

Software available on open access computers

• Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

• ArcGIS (Windows PCs only)

• Audacity

• Adobe Reader

• Microsoft Project (Windows PCs only)

• Microsoft Visual C++ (Windows PCs only)

• Skype

• Google Chrome

• Firefox

• Safari (Macs only)

• Zotero

• Apple Pages, Numbers and Keynote (Macs only)

• iMovie (Macs only)

• Windows MovieMaker (Windows PCs only)

• VLC Media Player

Additional software on select computers

• Adobe Creative Cloud – Bauman L020, King 223, Hege Academic Commons Amoeba (2nd floor), Hege Commons Ground Ideation Lab

• Camtasia – Hege Academic Commons 2nd floor “Amoeba” lab

• Java, Visual Studio Code, Git - Bauman L024, Bauman 104, and Bauman 201

• Apple Pro Apps (Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor 4, MainStage 3) – Select computers in Bauman L020

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Printing

Students are provided $12 per semester for printing.  Printing costs $.07 per sheet for black and white and $.15 per sheet for color. You can add money to your Quaker Card for additional printing as needed.

WebPrint

If you would like to print to Guilford printers from your own personal computer, you can use the web print option. Go to http://gcprint.guilford.edu and log in with your Network Account.

Printer locations

You can print your documents from any available campus computer. You can also scan documents to your Google Drive or your email, or you can make copies of documents at all Guilford printers available to students.

Printers available to students include:

• Alumni Gym, 2nd Level Hallways

• Bauman Hall, 1st Level Lobby(2 printers)

• Duke Hall, 2nd Level, Math Study Room

• Duke Hall, 3rd Level, Foreign Language Study Room

• Founders’ Hall, 1st Level, OSLE

• Founders Hall, Lower Level Theatre Studies Office

• Frank Family Science Center, Lower Level, Faculty Suite

• Frank Family Science Center, 1st Level, Biology Suite

• Frank Family Science Center, 2nd Level, Geology Suite

• Frank Family Science Center, 3rd Level, Chemistry Suite

• Hege Academic Commons, 1st Level, Guided Discovery Area

• Hege Academic Commons, 2nd Level, Collaboratory Area

• Hege Academic Commons, 2nd Level, Learning and Writing Center

• Hege Academic Commons, Ground Level, Commons Ground Lobby

• Hege-Cox Hall, 1st Level, Elevator Area

• King Hall, 1st Level, Break Room by Elevator

• Mary Hobbs, Lower Level, Student Lounge (access currently restricted due to COVID)

If you have questions about printing, scanning and copying, contact ITS for more information at its@guilford.edu or  336-316-2020.

Please note: your Quaker Card is required to release your documents to print at the printer.

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Residence Hall Technology

Students need not bring printers to Guilford as printers are available across campus. If you do bring a printer, we ask you to not use the wireless option, but connect via cable instead. Wireless printer connections can interfere with the operation of Guilford’s wireless network.

Consumer electronics such as gaming consoles can be plugged in via a wired network (ethernet) connection or attached via GC-Resnet WiFi. Single rooms have one ethernet port; double rooms have two ports. You must bring your own ethernet cable. These can be purchased for a low cost at local stores such as Best Buy or online. 

TVs with streaming capabilities are available in common lounges in Residence Halls, though students must use their own accounts to access content.

To use the GC-Resnet WiFi, your device must be compatible with a type of wireless network login called WPA PSK. Each student who lives on campus is assigned a special password to use with GC-Resnet. You will receive the password via email from ITS during campus move-in. The password works for an unlimited number of devices.

Note: Students who move in after the beginning of the academic year (e.g., mid-year transfers) may need to contact the Help Desk to request a password for GC-Resnet.

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