In the event that routine work or academic functions are disrupted due to prolonged campus or building closures, you may find it necessary to work or teach a class from off campus. We provide a variety of services to connect you with colleagues and students remotely so that work and learning can continue uninterrupted.

In preparation, you should make sure you have tested your access to the following equipment at home:

• Laptop or desktop computer.
• Microphone – this may be built into your laptop or computer, or you may use an external device such as a USB microphone or headset. Using a headset will help to eliminate feedback will often result in clearer communications.
• Webcam – a camera may already be built into your laptop, but you can also use an external USB camera for video conferencing. 
• Internet – either commercially provided (e.g., Spectrum, AT&T Uverse), or a wireless hotspot through your mobile phone.
• Ensure you have antivirus software installed and have ran scans regularly.

Be prepared! It’s best to know these options will work for you before you actually need them. Test access to your equipment and resources at home before the need arises and contact us if you have any questions or issues.

We temporarily have a very limited supply of computers that can be borrowed.  If you are in need of a laptop, please send an email expressing your needs along with your supervisor's contact information to support@uakron.edu  A ticket will be opened and we can make arrangements to get you the equipment as soon as possible. 

If you do not have internet access at home, please contact Human Resources.

Meet & Chat Online

Microsoft Teams combines modern online meeting technology with persistent chat (similar to Slack), file storage, and collaboration. The full functionality of teams is available to faculty and staff, but anyone you invite can join a Teams meeting. To get started you can log in to Microsoft Teams from your web browser or download the Teams app from Microsoft.

Access Your UA Voicemail

To access the University of Akron’s voicemail system, click on the Calls button on the left hand side of Teams and then select the Voicemail button in the top right. 

Call Forwarding

The Call Forwarding feature temporarily forwards all your calls to another extension or to an outside number.  

To temporarily redirect all calls to another number of your choice:

• While in Teams, select the 3 dots near your profile picture and select Settings.
• In the Settings window, click on Calls in the list on the left and configure your Call answering rules to the right. 

Two Factor Authentication

As always, you are encouraged to setup two factor authentication to help secure your account.

Please visit the Microsoft MFA Security page to learn more and enable two factor authentication.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Please note that most UA and cloud resources, such as Brightspace, MyAkron, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Teams do not require the use of VPN.

Services that do require the use of VPN include: Nolij and PeopleSoft.

UA’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a “tunnel” between your computer and the campus network that identifies you as a member of our university when you are not connected directly to the campus network, allowing you access to restricted networked resources. Again, most UA and cloud resources don’t require connecting to the VPN. If you need to access resources that require connecting to VPN, please see our support page for setting up the VPN connection.

Store Files in the Cloud

When you save your files in OneDrive, you can always access the latest version of your files no matter where you’re located with any device as long as you’re connected to the internet.

"Work from Home" Security Considerations

Working from home can come with some unique security challenges. Below are some training materials that will help you become more aware of your new working environment.  Please continue to refer to the IT Security Page for general guidance.  

Teaching Remotely:

For additional information on Teaching Remotely and academic continuity during a disruption, please visit the Office of Academic Affairs page.