Teleworking FAQs

THIS GUIDE IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS! Thank you for your patience. : )

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I need to work from home. What do I need to start teleworking?

Talk to your Supervisor. You and your supervisor will need to discuss this option as it relates to your job duties, responsibilities and expectations. Your Supervisor will need to make the request to the Technology Support Center and provide some information about your computing and resource access needs. In general, you’ll need a computer with a web browser and reliable internet access. The internet access that you use should be secure, meaning that you should have to provide a password to connect to the wired or wireless connection that you’re going to use. Never log into a publicly available network, like at a coffee shop or airport.

What productivity tools and resources are available for staff?

• Secure remote desktop access from a browser to your office computer. This will give you access to all the resources you currently use, including Banner.
• Microsoft Office 365 – particularly OneDrive for file sharing, Word and Excel in the cloud
• Zoom for group and individual (video) conference calls, chat and virtual meetings.
• If you require a Zoom Pro license you can request it from the Tech Support Center
• Canvas for teaching and learning

Do I need remote desktop access?

No. Not everyone needs remote desktop access. Most Evergreen staff can already access a lot of resources on various publicly accessible websites. If you are an AdminApps (Banner – formerly Oracle forms) and/or AdminWeb user - you’ll know what these mean - and you will need remote desktop access for sure. If you are going to work with sensitive or confidential college information, particularly personally identifiable data, you will need remote desktop access. If not, chances are that you’ll find everything you need at the locations listed below. You’ll be asked to enter your Evergreen login credentials.

Your “My Evergreen” page (at my.evergreen.edu) is the primary portal for all Evergreen computing resources. These are the resources you’ll find there:

• Help.evergreen.edu is the primary portal for getting technical assistance from the Technology Support Center:
• Office.com is the primary location to work in Word, Excel, etc.
• www.evergreen.edu/webmail is the best location to access your email. Email Help

How do I access my office file shares on Hurricane?

You can access your personal (H) drive and work unit (O) drives at files.evergreen.edu. Please be aware that if you are not doing remote desktop, you will be downloading documents directly to your computer. You should not download anything that contains sensitive or confidential data, particularly personally identifiable data, to your computer.

How do I talk and chat with my colleagues?

Zoom is a great way to communicate with your colleagues. You can hold virtual meetings via a conference call with one or many people. Other options are your college email and telephone calls. Zoom is the official tool for Evergreen. We don't recommend using other tools because we will not be able to help you with them.

What do I do about my office phone? Voicemail?

Please consider turning on auto-reply utilizing the message below if appropriate, or adapting as needed per instructions from your supervisor.  It will help send a consistent message to everyone that tries to reach you.

Example auto-reply:

"Thank you for your message. The Evergreen State College is open with modified operations in an effort to keep our campus community healthy,

and to do our part in reducing the local spread of COVID-19.  I am working remotely until further notice. I am checking my email daily and phone messages

regularly; however due to the high volume, there may be a delay in answering your questions. Please know that I will do my best to answer you in a timely

manner. Evergreen’s website is updated regularly with the latest information on college operations and spring quarter instruction."

For more instructions about using voicemail visit Voicemail.

Zoom tips when in a remote desktop:

• Minimize your remote desktop session.
• Use a browser on your local machine to access email and launch Zoom.
• You can then plug headset and mic into your local machines ports.
• Or use the local machines speakers and integrated mic (on a laptop).

On a cell phone or mobile device (Android or Apple/iOS):

• Download the Zoom app
  • Open the Zoom app
  • Enter the meeting code and click join!
• Or, if you have a college cell phone with the Zoom and Outlook app:
  • Go to the calendar and find the meeting
  • Click the Zoom link in the meeting
  • It will ask if you want to join via browser or Zoom app
  • Join the meeting!