Remote work resources
University Systems supports a number of services that enable faculty, staff, and students to perform some tasks from off-campus locations. All members of the university community are responsible to ensure that any remote work is conducted in accordance with university policies on privacy and information security to ensure that university data is used, transmitted, stored, and accessed appropriately for its information classification.
Faculty and staff should review the configuration of computing devices used for remote work with their Desktop Support Services staff, the Computer Help Desk, or IT support persons to ensure they meet the UVic Information Security Standards.
University staff require approval from your supervisor to work remotely. Please discuss any remote work arrangement with your supervisor.
Services available for all without additional charges
| Service | Potential use | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Private Network (VPN) | Securely access UVic resources when connected to remote networks. This service is required to access resources such as FAST or UVic file shares. | Install and configure the VPN client on your computer or iOS device prior to travel. Connect to VPN when using an untrusted network or when you require access to a restricted UVic service. Please limit your use of the VPN service to one device at a time and disconnect from the service when it is not required. The VPN service should not be used for non-UVic activities such as streaming media, video conferencing, or other bandwidth-intensive applications. |
| Zoom Video Conferencing Service | Zoom lets you have online real-time sessions with your colleagues. You can share your presentations or desktop, collaborate with others, conduct small group activities, use polling to ask questions and more, all from virtually any device. | All current University of Victoria faculty, staff and students are automatically provisioned with access. The service can be accessed by logging in with your primary Netlink ID at uvic.zoom.us |
| Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based service that provides cloud services like OneDrive, Microsoft Stream, and Microsoft Teams. Microsoft 365 lets University of Victoria faculty, staff, and students to create, share, and collaborate securely on any device. | Details on the Microsoft 365 products that are available to the UVic community through this service can be found on our Microsoft 365 microsite. |
| Video Conferencing | University Systems provides a number of on-campus video conferencing facilities that can be used to connect with a remote attendee for a meeting, presentation, or other event. | Book a video conferencing room in advance by contacting Media Services. |
| Departmental file shares | Faculty and staff can access shared files remotely after connecting to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. | Departmental file shares provide a secure method to transfer files between faculty and staff working on campus with those working remotely without the need to rely on potentially insecure transmission or storage of data. |
| Personal home file storage | Faculty and staff can access their files stored on their desktop computer or home.uvic.ca remotely after connecting to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. | Personal home file storage provides a secure method to access your files remotely; however, this file share cannot be shared with your colleagues. To share with colleagues, use a departmental file share or Connect. |
| Connect (SharePoint 2013) | Departmental Connect sites can be accessed remotely to securely share files with UVic faculty, staff, and committees. | Connect sites can be used to collaborate on documents with remote UVic workers without the need to rely on potentially insecure transmission or storage of data. Contact your department's Connect site administrator to have a site provisioned. |
| Online Academic Community (OAC) | Wordpress-based blogging platform that can be used to easily create and share web content and documents with the broad UVic community on and off campus. | Sign up for an OAC site that can be used to quickly and easily upload public content to the Internet. |
| Web hosting for faculty and staff | The web hosting service provides a blank canvas to upload web content, documents, and post large files online. Accessible both on and off campus. | Sign up for the web hosting service to be provisioned with a web space. Without additional configuration, all content is posted publicly and available to everyone on the Internet. |
Services available for all with additional charges
| Service | Potential use | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Desktop | Use a remote desktop client to connect to a standard UVic workstation on-campus to securely access restricted resources such as FAST from off-campus. | Sign up for the remote desktop service in advance to have your primary NetLink ID provisioned. Please note that there is a monthly charge for this service. |
| Cell phones and plans | UVic recommends Apple iPhones for all faculty and staff. Additional travel packages may be required when working remotely. | Review your mobile plan and assess the need for additional travel packages if planning to work remotely to incuring overage charges. Contact cell@uvic.ca or your Desktop Support Services staff with any questions related to UVic-owned devices. |
| Mobile computing devices | UVic recommends a number of standard laptops, tablets, and mobile devices to support secure remote work through the Technology Solutions Centre. | Due to global supply shortages, stock of all devices is constrained. If you require a device, please place your order as soon as possible to minimize the time to arrive. |