Working Remotely/Returning to Campus Guide

To avoid potentially losing important files, please move any files you need to access to your VIU OneDrive or U Drive prior to returning to campus.

Where you should save your files:

OneDrive

OneDrive allows you to access, share, and collaborate on your files from anywhere. Employees get 5 TB of space in their VIU OneDrive.

• Find out more about OneDrive

U Drive

All VIU employee have 10 GB of free private storage that's accessible from anywhere. To access your U drive on a VIU computer: Click on the folder icon in the Windows taskbar. In the left margin, select "Computer" or "This PC". The U drive should be listed here.

• Find out more about your U Drive

Shared Network Drives

Share drives are spaces set up on the server whose intent is to provide an easy method for sharing files. In this way files can be shared by a department, by a small group of users, between an instructor and their students, or between students.

When you map a drive, you associate a drive letter with a path. It enables you to instantly jump to this shared location without having to go through a series of time-consuming steps.

• Find out more about shared network drives

Where you shouldn't save your files:

Desktop and My Documents

Files saved to your computer's desktop or documents folder may not be accessible on other computers, and may not be backed up. Don't save important work files here. It is always best to save your documents to your OneDrive, U drive, or a share drive.

Although reconnecting computer equipment has gotten easier over time, you might desire some assistance.  If so please send in a ticket to the IT Service Desk.  We will reach out to you to arrange a time to meet and ensure everything is hooked up. Book ahead to beat the rush!

If you are using a teleworker phone and have recently brought it back to campus, you will need to follow some steps in order for the phone to work at VIU. 

Where can I find help with this?

Mitel 6930 Teleworker Switching from Home to Office and Back

• If your device has been off campus for a while, it may be behind on updates. There may be some slowness for the first two days and you may be asked to restart your computer.
• If you continue to experience slowness for more than two days, please contact the IT Service Desk for support.
• If you have difficulty with your computer, please restart it prior to contacting IT Service Desk.

IT will only be reviewing requests for computer moves to address COVID-19 social distancing requirements for people returning on campus. Email your request to ithelp@viu.ca.

Please submit your COVID-related computer move requests as soon as possible, as these requests have a minimum 2 week expected response time once it has been confirmed proper connections are active and available.

VIU email remains available to employees on and off campus.

Please note VPN access is not required to access email.

Where can I find help with this?

How do I access my VIU email?

You can access generic mailboxes from Outlook or Webmail on campus or off campus. VPN access is not required.

Where can I find help with this?

How do I access shared mailboxes?

Due to current capacity limitations, please only connect to the VPN when using a service that requires VPN and be sure to disconnect from the VPN when you are no longer using that service.

What do I need the VIU VPN for?

• Provide access to your U: drive
• Provide access to shared network drives
• Provide access to restricted VIU websites

What do I not need the VIU VPN for?

• VIU Email
• Microsoft 365
• VIULearn (D2L)
• FRS/SRS
• Unit4 Business World
• InViu
• VIUTube

Please note: in order to help protect VIU assets and data, if you are connecting from a personal computer, ensure your operating system has the latest updates applied and that you are running an updated malware/virus protection application.

Where can I find help with this?

• How do I connect to the VPN on Windows?
• How do I connect to the VPN on macOS?

The U drive is file storage space attached to your VIU employee computer account. Employees can access their U drives from on campus or off campus. The U drive is the safest place for storing your files.

Please note that accessing U drives off campus will require a VPN connection. See the "VPN Access" section above.

Where can I find help with this?

How do I use my U Drive?

You can access share drives you have access to on or off campus.

Please note that accessing share drives off campus will require a VPN connection. See the "VPN Access - Employees" section above.

Where can I find help with this?

How do I map to a shared network drive?

You can store files on USB sticks as long as data privacy is not a concern. Examples of files that are probably okay to put on USB sticks: course PowerPoint presentations, course assignments.

Please avoid downloading files to thumb drives or local computer drives if data privacy is of a concern.  Furthermore, please remember cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive do not meet Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) requirements. Please refer to the privacy officer for more information or guidance.

Employees will need to use VPN to access files that are in department share drives or employee U drives. See the "VPN Access - Employees" section above.

Need a computer?

Please work with your manager on options to address the situation. If your manager has approved the purchase of a computer, email ithelp@viu.ca with your purchase request. Include your managers approval in the email.

Need a headset or webcam?

You can order headsets and webcams through the VIU Campus Store or other VIU suppliers. Ask your department's administrative assistant or the Procurement department for assistance.

Phone Forwarding

Some newer VIU phones can be forwarded to external phone numbers. For more information, view Instructions for Forwarding Mitel Phones. 

VIU has a very limited number of phone lines, please do not forward phones unless no other option is available.  Email ithelp@viu.ca if you need more information on options.

Voicemail

Voicemail is available from off campus. For more information, view How do I use voicemail?