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One of the side effects of our remote work environment is a different understanding of how online documents and signatures work.

I personally have been living in the electronic document world for a while now–a standard workflow for me is receiving an electronic invoice, opening it in Acrobat (either Acrobat Pro or Reader) and signing it:

This usually works well. However, there are documents that faculty and staff need to sign that are PDF forms. PDF forms are specially formatted to allow users to enter data into specific form fields. For whatever reason Acrobat does not allow documents designed as PDF forms to be signed in Acrobat.

Fortunately, there is a simple workaround (at least on Windows, see below for the issue on a Mac): You can fill out the form in Acrobat (again, either Reader or Pro) and then “Print” the document, but print it to a PDF instead of a normal printer:

“Microsoft Print to PDF” is available on any computer with Microsoft Office installed. Users with Acrobat Pro may also see an “Adobe PDF” virtual printer in your printer list. Either will work.

When you print to PDF you will get a file dialog asking you to name the file to save. I recommend using a different name than the original form.

When you print the PDF you will get a new PDF with the form fields filled out that you then can use the “Sign” functionality in Acrobat Reader or Pro to sign normally, and then email or send the file to the appropriate offices. As always, remember that email cannot be used to send information (such as social security numbers, bank account information, etc.) classified as “Confidential” by the University’s Data Classification Standard. Offices who request such data will provide you another mechanism to share that data with them.

Unfortunately Adobe Acrobat on a Mac does not allow you to print to PDF, asking you to save the PDF instead, which will not make the document editable. We are exploring options for determining the best way to handle this. For now the option of printing to paper, signing the paper, and scanning the signed form back into a PDF is probably the best option (and I believe the option most commonly used when we were working on campus.)

Please be advised that as of September 27th, all Zoom meetings will either require a passcode or a waiting room. There are more details available at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-ushttps://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360045009111.

Please note that according to the CUNY Zoom Security Protocol, all CUNY Zoom meetings should have a password as per CUNY policy. Having a password or a waiting room are two important ways to reduce the possibility of Zoombombing in your meeting.

Baruch College students who do not have Internet access at home may request to borrow one of the MiFi hotspots that the University has provided. The units use a T-mobile plan that is covered by the University.  There is no cost to students.  The loan period is the semester.

The supply is very limited.  Priority will be given to students based on financial need.

To Submit a Request

Complete the request form.  Note (if no hotspots are available at the moment, the choice will not appear on the request form.)

To Connect to Wi-Fi

The T-Mobile hotspot has been pre-configured and is ready to use. When you receive the device please do the following to start using it.

1. Press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds to turn on device.
2. Power LED light settings:
   a. Light off –power is off.
   b. Light on, solid – power is off, device is charging.
   c. Light on, blinking – power on, operating normally.
3. When the device is on, press the Power button quickly to go through device menu and information. This will toggle the display to show Home screen, data usage, Wi-Fi name, Wi-Fi password, Web Admin URL, and back to Home screen.
4. You will need the Wi-Fi name and Wi-Fi password to connect to the hotspot.
5. On the device you want to connect to the Hotspot; find the Wi-Fi name (FranklinT9####). Click connect and enter the Wi-Fi password from your hotspot display.

To Change the Password

1. Connect your Wi-Fi-capable device to the T9 Wi-Fi.
2. Open a web browser and navigate to http://mobile.hotspot or http://192.168.0.1
3. Click Settings in the navigation area.
4. Select the Wi-Fi Settings tab.
5. Change the password that appears in the Password field.

Resources

• CUNY Loaner Support Website, which includes the full User Manual for the T-9 Franklin Mobile Hotspot, including more on getting started and using your T-9
• T-Mobile Mobile Support
• Student direct dial for basic troubleshooting- 844-341-4834

Equipment loans are handled at the technology loan desk in the Newman Library.  Loans will be transacted on site in the Library.  The items available for loan and the associated loan periods are listed on the Library’s technology loan services page.  A few items are available for semester-long loan while supplies last.  They may be requested using the equipment loan form. 

The College’s main student computing lab, the Kaplan Computing & Technology Center, will be open by appointment.  

The procedures listed below were used while the Library was not open for students to borrow from the technology loan desk.  Those procedures no longer apply.

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Baruch College’s equipment loan program provides students with Chromebooks, iPads, laptops, and other devices that support online learning.   At this time the equipment is being mailed to requesters.  There is no cost to borrow equipment and the loan period is for the semester. 

To Submit a Request:

1. Log into CUNYFirst.
2. On the CUNYfirst entry screen look for the section headed “Tell Us Your Tech Needs”.
3. Click on the link to the “CUNY Technology Needs Form.”
4. When the Survey Portal appears click on “Tell Us Your Tech Needs”.
5. Answer the questions and submit the form.

Here is a video of the request process.

What Happens After You Submit the Request?

The technology loan staff review the request to make sure that the item is in stock.  If there is a problem with the request, you will be notified by email.  Otherwise, the information you submitted on the form will be used to produce the shipping label to get the device to you via UPS.  Shipments are done twice per week.  As soon as the item is ready to be shipped, you will receive an email message that will provide the information you need to track the delivery.  If you do not hear anything in a few days, it means that you submitted the request just after a shipment batch was prepared.  Your device will be included in the next shipment batch.  Please do not resubmit a request, because a duplicate order will cause a delay in shipping the item in the original request.

Baruch students can now remotely access the software on the computers in the main student lab (Kaplan Center) using BCTC’s new Online Labs application (https://onlinelabs.baruch.cuny.edu).

This is especially helpful for students who are working with devices that cannot support the installation of software that is required for their courses.

This remote access service is designed for the use of software that is installed on the lab computers.  It should not be used for software that is delivered via the CUNY Virtual Desktop (https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/cis/virtual-desktop):  SPSS, SAS, ArcGIS, Mathematica, Maplesoft and Matlab).  Also, it should not be used for access to Adobe Creative Cloud in classes that require its use.

Access is limited to Baruch students.  Faculty and staff should continue to use VPN to access the software on office computers.

Arthur Downing
Vice President for Information Services and Dean of the Library

At this time there are several accounts you might use at Baruch to access College and University resources. For more information on the different types of accounts, we have another blog post that describes what they are and how to access them. This page will tell you which account you use for which service.

As of December 29, 2021, Baruch has switched to using the CUNY Login for SSO login to Zoom.  Please follow the instructions on the BCTC Website for how to configure your client for SSO and how to log in to Zoom.

Please note that we’re increasingly requiring Zoom authentication for meetings for increased security and to decrease disruptions.  It is important to log into Zoom every time for Baruch/CUNY activities. The documentation above wil ensure you’re able to use Zoom as a Baruch/CUNY user.

Please see below for the link to the BCTC slide presentation for the 2020 New Faculty Orientation:  https://cuny907-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/michael_richichi95_login_cuny_edu/EegURWOeqxVIh0Z-QJeiX_YBN0hAw4oAh9eqXlSlSwpfjA?e=FFO3Hk

Whether you’re a new faculty, staff, or student joining us (virtually) at Baruch this fall, BCTC would like to welcome you to the College.

You will need access to your accounts to be successful.  There are two or three accounts you need to log into all your services at Baruch and CUNY depending on whether you’re faculty/staff or a student.

Types of accounts

Baruch username:  This account is for access for Baruch resources, such as network file shares, wireless access, and is the login used for Baruch desktop computers on campus, as well as access to, AdvisorTrac, and other services provided by Baruch.  For faculty and staff the Baruch username is the first initial and last name; for students it is the first initial, a period, and then the last name (for me “mrichichi” or “m.richichi”).  For faculty and staff this also provides access to your Baruch email account ([email protected]).

CUNY Login:  This is an account provided by CUNY Central for access to services that everyone at CUNY has access to.  This is used for CUNYfirst, Blackboard, Dropbox, Zoom, and Microsoft 365 access for faculty and staff.

Baruchmail:  All student email is provided through Baruchmail access at baruchmail.cuny.edu.  While the initial password for the account is the same as the Baruch username, the accounts are not otherwise linked and can have different passwords.  Baruchmail is also what students use to access OneDrive and online Microsoft 365 apps (such as Office apps.)  Student email addresses are of the format [email protected].

How to Claim Your Accounts

Faculty/staff

Baruch Username: As of July 1st, we have automated the creation of faculty and staff  Baruch accounts with our Account Management System (AMS).  New faculty and staff will receive an email with instructions to claim their account within 24 hours after personnel data is entered into CUNYfirst by HR.  It is critical that you complete all paperwork and provide all data that HR asks for in a timely fashion, as we cannot enable accounts without that information and verification of employment eligibility.

Once you follow the instructions sent to your email, and your account is created, you can start using your Baruch email address for all official Baruch business.

CUNYfirst:  You an go to https://managelogin.cuny.edu/ to claim your CUNYfirst account.  You will need your EMPLID which should have been in the mails to claim your Baruch username that you received from AMS above.  You will also need other personal information.  Your CUNY Login will be of the form [email protected], where XX are the last two digits of your EMPLID.  Please note that this CUNYfirst login is NOT an email address.  Most services now dependent on the CUNY Login do know your Baruch email address and will use that as the email address for those services.  (Note, however, that some Microsoft 365 functionality that is dependent on using it for email instead of another system may not work properly.)

Students

Baruch username:  Student account creation has some automated parts, but we do not have an automated email notification system to enable students to claim their account.  (We are working on this service.)  For now, Baruch usernames can be claimed at https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bctc/baruchusername/student.html.  After entering in the required information you will receive both your Baruch username and Baruchmail email address.

Once you claim your account, it is highly recommended you go to https://mypassword.baruch.cuny.edu/, click “Edit Profile”, log in, and create challenge questions for if you need to reset your password.  Please make sure you pick answers you will remember (and are also not too easy for someone to figure out.)  This will also allow you to make sure your password is working correctly.

Baruchmail:  https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bctc/baruchmail/    has information on how to access your Baruchmail account.  To log in you use your email address ([email protected]) and your inital password as shown at the Baruch Username page.  You will then be asked to change your password, and to set up password recovery information.

Common issues with passwords

For students, while the initial passwords for Baruchmail and Baruch username are the same, they are not linked.  It is possible you changed one or the other and the passwords are different.

If you can’t claim your account, you may need to check with the appropriate Admissions office or the Registrar to ensure that your personal information is correct.

The Helpdesk will reset passwords to the default initial password.

In the future we hope to have more password reset options available.  We need to balance user convenience with security.

Why so many accounts?

CUNY is a big place.  We have multiple areas providing IT services for our community, and historically we have had different levels of coordination and different needs for the colleges and the central organization.  As we look to improve IT services across the College and University we are seeking to unify accounts under a single login, but such a process takes time and resources.  We are hoping to use the CUNY Login to authenticate to services that are both by CUNY and by Baruch College, and are actively working with CUNY CIS to make that happen.  Any such changes to user authentication will be planned and provided with as much warning and help as possible to ensure a smooth migration.

BCTC is providing drop-in support sessions for faculty who need assistance with using Zoom in their courses.  Four full-time BCTC staff members will be available during each two-hour session that will be delivered via Zoom.

Schedule

• Monday, August 24 (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) – Session Held Already
• Wednesday, August 26 (1:00 p.m. – 3:00  p.m.) Meeting URL: https://baruch.zoom.us/j/97644705075
• Friday, August 28 (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) Meeting URL: https://baruch.zoom.us/j/91787186988