Fall 2021 Welcome Back to SPU!

Welcome to new students, and welcome back to returning students! We are so excited to have you at SPU. Know that the CIS HelpDesk is here to support you as you begin a new quarter.

The CIS HelpDesk


Need help with Banner or logging in to Canvas? Computer running slowly or might have a virus? We're here to help!

In-Person Support (By Appointment Only)

Unfortunately COVID-19 restrictions and resource constraints necessitate closing the CIS HelpDesk to unscheduled in-person support.   Please submit a ticket or call the CIS Helpdesk  to request an in-person appointment.

CIS HelpDesk Contact 

Submit a CIS HelpDesk Ticket
Email the CIS HelpDesk
Call the CIS HelpDesk: 206-281-2982

Office Hours

Monday-Friday: 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Lower Marston Hall

Campus WiFi


WiFi is available all across campus for students and their guests. For detailed instructions see Network and Internet .

New Outdoor Wifi Locations!

Outdoor WiFi locations have been added in Tiffany Loop, Martin Square, and in front of the C-Store.

SPU Online Services 


All of your online services can be found by clicking on the   icon in the top right corner of of any SPU webpage and navigating to the  Students tab.

Microsoft Office 365 for Education


There are many Microsoft Office products available to you as an SPU student, including:

Your SPU Email

Check your SPU email frequently for important campus-wide communications and information from your professors about your classes.   See here  for help with configuring your  SPU email across all your devices (computers, tablets, phones, etc).

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a great collaboration tool that all SPU students have access to. Instant message your classmates, host a study group online, share files, and more. See here for more information:   Study Groups In-Person and Online .

OneDrive for Business

As an SPU student you receive 1 TB (terabyte) of storage space in OneDrive for Business. Your documents can be stored securely here and your account is accessible from any of your devices, on or off-campus. Documents can also be shared with others for group collaboration.   Learn more here .

Microsoft Office Suite

Current students may obtain the latest version of Microsoft Office for Windows or Mac through the Microsoft Student Advantage Program. There is no cost to install the software on up to 5 personal devices, including your computer (PC or Mac), tablet (iPad or Android), or mobile phone (iPhone or Android). The Office Suite provides powerful productivity tools including: Word, Excel, Power Point, OneDrive, and Outlook. Learn more here .

Minecraft for Education

You have access to Minecraft at no additional cost through your SPU account. See here for more information.



Printing and Copying

SPU provides a campus-wide printing/copying program for students. There are Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) located across campus for your use. You can submit print jobs via the web from on or off campus and print them from any MFP once arriving on campus.   You can also print directly from your computer or a USB flash-drive, copy, and scan to email.  Document scanning on the MFPs is free and does not require print credit.  Detailed instructions are posted at each MFP and on the CIS website: MFP Student Printing.


Free Print Credits!

Students are granted free print credit at the beginning of each quarter that accumulates through the academic school year.

  • Students enrolled in 12 or more credits get $5.00 per quarter
  • Students enrolled in 11 credits or less get $2.50 per quarter.
  • When print credit has been used up, you can load Falcon Funds on your SPU ID Card for additional printing.

Watch Out for Scams!

While many illegitimate messages are filtered out of your inbox some may still get through. SPU will NEVER ask you to send or verify your login credentials or other personal/confidential information via email. Your account credentials should not be shared with anyone!

Job Scams

Occasionally you may receive an email scam offering an employment opportunity from someone who appears to be associated with SPU. Please delete these messages and do not respond. All legitimate job at the university are posted on  SPU's Handshake platform . Employers on Handshake are vetted to guarantee their trustworthiness.  Here is a blog post with more information to help you identify and avoid employment scammers. If you have any questions about the legitimacy of an email message please forward it to  help@spu.edu.  

Phishing

Phishing scams often come in the form of email messages attempting to steal your username and password. PLEASE DO NOT reply to these messages or follow web links where you must confirm or enter your username and password.   If you have questions about the legitimacy of a message, please forward it to help@spu.edu and we can assist. See last year's CyberSecurity Awareness Month blog post about phishing for additional information.

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Copyright Compliance

File sharing software that copies and distributes songs, movies, videos, games, and software applications without the permission of the owner is a Copyright Law violation that can subject you to criminal and civil liability. Content owners use technological means to track the file sharing of their intellectual property on the Internet. SPU is required by law to inform you if we are aware you have violated copyright law and must provide your information to copyright owners for legal action if you do not cease illegal activity.  You are responsible for the activities of your computer when connected to the campus network. See  here for more information about copyright compliance.

Update Your Emergency Contacts and SPU Alert Info

It is important to be made aware of campus emergencies in real-time, as information is available.

  • SPU-Alert is the emergency alert system used to notify you of campus emergencies via text, email, and voice calls. We need your current contact information so that we can send you alerts during a campus emergency.
  • Emergency Contact Information includes the contact details SPU should use in the event that an emergency situation happens to you.

The beginning of the school year is a great time to review and update your information. Log into the  Banner Information System , go to the  Personal Menu , update your information on the   Emergency Alert System  and  Emergency Contact Information pages.

SPU will  NEVER  ask you to send your login credentials or other personal/confidential information via email.  Your account credentials should never be shared with anyone.