Newsletters

NoteWelcome to the newsletters webpage! Here you will find helpful newsletters jam packed with information to get you started at GWU written by our director, Dr. Joann Weiner.

1 Newsletter Information

Students have access to software provided to all current GW students and to CCAS students in particular. CCAS stands for the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, which is where the Economics Department and the Applied Economics master’s program are located.

For reference, here are links to the various technology websites. The first link below provides all the information you need to get started! - Technology Services: https://it.gwu.edu/students - All Software: https://it.gwu.edu/software - Student Software: https://it.gwu.edu/software-students

1.1 GET STARTED

Click on this link to get started in setting up your GW system. https://it.gwu.edu/get-started

  1. Download the GW Mobile App: myGW provides access to many GW systems, GWeb and Gmail, as well as role-based, personalized resources like Student Accounts or HR systems.
  2. Which GW Network is right for you: eduroam is the primary GW wireless network. Other wireless networks are available for smart devices and GW guests.
  3. Explore IT Tools and Services: IT provides access to free software and training. Also find how to set up services like Office 365 and Zoom Phone.

1.2 VPN

The Virtual Private Network, or VPN, allows remote access to many university systems and resources that are otherwise protected from off-campus access. It does this by creating a virtual encrypted channel from your remote location back to GW’s network. The GW VPN allows remote access to university systems and resources using your UserID credentials. To access the GW VPN, you will need to download, install, and configure the Palo Alto GlobalProtect Client.

• The Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPN is available for GW managed devices and personal devices. Follow the guidance in this article to download and install it. Portal Address: gwvpn.gwu.edu

1.3 Software

All GW students have access to the software and business apps listed here. The software includes Adobe Creative Cloud, GW Github, LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft 365, SAS, and Zoom, among others. When you go to that page, you should also click on the link for CCAS students to see the software that’s available to you as a CCAS student.

1.4 Online Conference Options

GW offers many online conference options, including Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom. Go to this link to explore the options. That website has links to lots of other useful sites, including a link to an IT help database

1.4.1 Zoom

GW uses Zoom Workplace as the primary communication platform for phones, web conferencing, and more. You can log in to Zoom and schedule meetings at this link

Students and faculty have their own “personal room” for zoom meetings. For example, my Zoom personal room is: https://gwu-edu.zoom.us/my/joannweiner

• GW Zoom Guide • Getting Started with Zoom • Authorizing Zoom in Google Calendar

1.5 Microsoft Office 365

All current GW students may obtain a free subscription to Microsoft Office 365. Your subscription gives you access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on five PCs or Macs and five mobile devices. Here’s the link: https://it.gwu.edu/microsoft-office-365-free-gw-community-0

To find the training programs on how to use Microsoft 365 programs, including Teams, Excel, OneDrive, and PowerPoint, see this link.

1.6 Microsoft Teams

Teams provides a centralized platform for faculty, staff, and students to communicate in real-time through text chat, audio and video calls, fostering efficient and instant communication across the campus community. • Access Microsoft Teams • Get Started with Teams • Web Conferencing Storage Guidelines

1.7 Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot (formerly known as Bing Chat) is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered chat assistant designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and data accessibility. It can answer both simple and complex queries, assist with research, and provide summaries of various content such as articles, books, or events. It can also offer product comparisons, find comprehensive answers, provide inspiration, generate images, and much more.
• Sign into Microsoft Copilot

1.8 Google

1.9 Adobe Creative Cloud

Install Adobe Creative Cloud to access Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Illustrator and more on your university-owned or personal device. Click here.

1.10 Network storage space

GW Box is a backup and storage services for GW students. Click here for information.

1.11 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

1.11.1 Academic Commons

Browse the Academic Commons to find resources that will help you succeed in your studies. Get writing help through the University Writing Center.

1.11.2 Data consultations

The staff at Gelman provides programming & software development consultation services to support digital scholarship. GW offers workshops throughout the academic year to help you develop your coding and programming skills. You can find a list of workshops offered by the technological team at Gelman Library by searching for keywords, e.g., Python, via the LAI Events calendar.

1.11.3 Github

Github allows students to share code and is a great way for you to work collaboratively on your coding projects. It provides tools for teams to work together on projects, review code, discuss changes through features like pull requests and discussions, and efficiently merge changes into the main codebase. You can get Github from the GW site. Find an introduction on how to use Github here and some courses here, here GW GitHub - Getting Started, and here GitHub Learning Resources

1.11.4 Blackboard

GW uses Blackboard as the course management tool so it’s important for you to learn how to use it. Here are some steps to follow to get started with Blackboard: • Download the Blackboard app to your mobile device. • Make sure you have a recommended browser installed to use Blackboard. • Check your GWU email for important updates from your instructors.

• The library offers a series of workshops to help you learn how to use Blackboard. Start with the workshop “Getting Started in Blackboard in 45 Minutes.” To see the full list of upcoming workshops, click here.

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