Information Technology
Almost every facet of life at Central College is supported by some form of technology. From communicating with future students to keeping in touch with alumni, technology helps students, faculty, and staff learn, teach, work, and play.
A campus portal called my.Central serves as a gateway to campus information and web-based services. Students can access customized campus and course information on-the-go through the DutchConnect mobile app. Faculty and students have electronic access to course materials and related tools through Blackboard Learn, Central’s learning management system. A student information system powered by Ellucian Colleague supports Central’s administrative processes from before admission through graduation and beyond.
Google Workspace and Microsoft Office365 provide email services, cloud storage for files, and collaboration tools for group projects. Technology-enhanced classrooms enrich the face-to-face learning experience, while Zoom videoconferencing enables remote participants to join meetings and classes from anywhere in the world. The Panopto video platform allows faculty to record live classes and student presentations as well as create tutorial videos.
Students are encouraged to bring their own computers and smart devices to campus and may print from their personal computers to multi-function printers located around campus. There are several computer labs where students have access to specialized software. In many cases, license agreements allow that software to be accessed online or installed on student’s personal computers.
The student’s physical ID card is used for many purposes such as check-in at the dining venues, opening residence hall doors, releasing print jobs, and borrowing library materials. A mobile app called CBORD Mobile ID can be used in place of a physical ID card to open residence hall outside doors.
A campus-wide Ethernet network and redundant connections to the Internet underpin all these systems. A robust wi-fi network blankets the campus, including classroom buildings, residence halls, and most outdoor spaces.
Students who bring a television to campus may connect to an all-digital cable TV system in their residence hall rooms. Televisions must have QAM tuners to pull in all the available channels. Channel 4.1 is a Campus Life Channel used to promote activities and events happening on campus.
The ITS Help Desk, located in the lower level of Douwstra Auditorium, is staffed by computer professionals and student workers, and provides technical support to students, faculty, and staff. The friendly experts in IT Services strive to enhance learning and productivity through both proven and innovative technology solutions and support services. They seek to provide reliable and secure communication systems that support current day-to-day operations while keeping an eye to the future by monitoring technology trends and anticipating campus needs.
Information Technology Policies
Additional information regarding Information Technology Policies is available at https://policy.central.edu/student-policies/information-technology-policies/.