Jefferson Information Technologies
Jeff IT Incoming Student Letter

Dear Student:

Jefferson Information Technologies (Jeff IT) welcome to Thomas Jefferson University (TJU).

In order to assist new students with orientation and to orient you to the computing environment at Jefferson, several areas of importance are summarized below. Incoming and current students may visit a specialized student information center on our website, http://jeffit.jefferson.edu. The site contains up-to-date information on the computing environment at Jefferson, as well as links for student support. For those that require it, live assistance is also available at the Computer Support Center on the twentieth floor of the Edison building.  Please call the Student Help Desk (215-503-7600) to speak to a support staff member or to make an appointment to have a technician assist you.

Campus Key

The Campus Key is your universal login credential and personal identifier that allows access to information resources on campus.

If you don't know your Campus Key, you can find it by visiting the Campus Key Lookup page. Your initial password is usually your first initial and last initial in lower case, last four digits of your social security number, and your first and last initial in upper case. Example: (ms1234MS) This change will take effect on September 9, 2012. You will be notified if a different password was created for you. Always change your initial password using the Campus Key Help under Quicklinks at http://jeffit.jefferson.edu.

The Campus Key is used to authenticate your identity and grant you access to TJU computing services, such as the Jefferson Pulse Portal, the JeffMail email system, JEFFLINE, the Banner student information system, wireless network, public/lab computers and support services. Please review Jeffmail password guidelines.

Please be advised: No University group, including Jeff IT, will ever ask you for account information such as Username, Campus Key, or Password via email. If you receive an email requesting this information or that links to a website that requests this information, do not respond. If you reply to such an unauthorized email (known as “phishing”) your Jefferson accounts may need to be disabled. Please remember that Jeff IT will NEVER ask for your Social Security Number, password, or account data via email.

Jefferson Pulse Portal

Jefferson Pulse Portal (http://pulse.jefferson.edu), a part of Blackboard course management system, is the official University web portal. Log-in to the Pulse portal is accomplished by using the Campus Key and password. Once logged in, Single Sign-On allows quick access to JeffMail, Banner and JEFFLINE, without logging-in to each application. Simply click the tab of the desired application, and that application will automatically open.

Pulse allows access to calendars, announcements and links to all of your courses and student organizations in one convenient place. Students can also customize 'My Pulse' by adding or deleting various modules including access to news, sports, and weather. Please note: Pulse is a tool for providing information to students, faculty, and staff. It is important that all students log-in to Pulse regularly as numerous important notices are updated frequently.

Email

Your Jefferson e-mail address is easy to remember. The address is generally represented as firstname.lastname@jefferson.edu. This is the e-mail address that students should provide to others as their official e-mail address at TJU. While the Campus Key is used to authenticate to systems on campus, the e-mail address is used for official communications. E-mail can be accessed by visiting JeffMail (https://jeffmail.jefferson.edu) and logging-in with your Campus Key and password. Access to this web based e-mail is available from any Internet or campus connected computer that uses Microsoft Internet Explorer.  Other browsers are also supported but with a different interface.

Please note: JeffMail is the university’s official correspondence method and is the only formal method of electronic communications between TJU and students, faculty and staff. It’s also the primary way in which advisors, instructors, and other faculty and staff will communicate with students. It’s very important that all students check their JeffMail e-mail account at least once per day; this will ensure no important emails are overlooked. In addition, important information will be sent periodically leading up to Orientation.

Learn about JeffMail here.  

Banner Web

Banner Web is the student information system. Students can access grades, general financial aid information, unofficial transcripts, tuition information, class schedules, final grades and much more.

To access Banner Web, go to http://banner.jefferson.edu.

JEFFLINE

JEFFLINE is the online center for knowledge-based information, brought to you by Academic & Instructional Support & Resources (AISR). Scott Memorial Library provides databases, full-text collections, and almost all library services via JEFFLINE. AISR Education Services offers distance learning and computer based learning courses, educational software packages for students and other customized curriculum support. The AISR News blog, available from any JEFFLINE page or directly at http://jeffline.jefferson.edu/aisrnews, is a good source of news about academic resources.

To access JEFFLINE, go to http://jeffline.jefferson.edu directly or login to Pulse (http://pulse.jefferson.edu) using your Campus Key and password and click on the "JEFFLINE" tab.

JeffShare

JeffShare is a document management suite offered by Jefferson to students and faculty. It allows for secure storage and collaboration of documents. Students are provided 500 mg of storage for academic and university purposes. JeffShare is accessible from any browser with Internet access. JeffShare can be accessed through the web at https://jeffshare.jefferson.edu.

Learn more about JeffShare here.

JeffWireless Network

Jefferson maintains a wireless network providing connectivity in the residence halls (Barringer, Orlowitz and Martin buildings), Scott Memorial Library and Hamilton Building. The wireless network also covers most, if not all, of the classroom areas in the Edison, College, Curtis, Bluemle and Jefferson Alumni Hall. This network provides students with high-speed network connectivity within these areas to academic resources and the Internet. Jefferson is committed to increasing wireless availability across the campus.

PC Network Registration

All students will need to register their PCs and laptop computers in order to access the TJU network. Just enter your campus key and password in the Web page that will be automatically redirected to once you start your browser.

If you are considering a computer purchase, TJU recommends a laptop system rather than a desktop. Laptops should have a wireless network card in order to take full advantage of the TJU wireless network service. Wireless cards should be compatible with the 802.11G standard. It is necessary to use WPA/WPA2 ENTERPRISE authentication protocol as the personal version does not allow for user authentication. While wireless network cards come pre-installed in most new laptop computers, if needed, they can be purchased from most reputable computer/electronics re-sellers, as well as from the Jefferson Medical and Health Science Bookstore on-campus. The Bookstore is located at 1009 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA, 19107. Ti contact the Bookstore call (215) 955-7922, or toll-free at 1-888-TJU-BOOK.The Bookstore sells miscellaneous computer accessories and supplies and is also the on-campus source for the Microsoft Student Select software licensing program. This program enables you to purchase software titles, including Office 2010/2011 Standard and Windows 7, at a significantly discounted rate.

Below are the minimum and the recommended laptop configurations for students to access the TJU wireless network and to provide adequate computing performance for software applications used on campus.

Please Note: There is a documented issue with Windows 8 Clients not being able to connect to wireless networks. Please refer to the Jeff IT home page for further updates.

If you decide to purchase a new computer, a discount is available on Dell and Apple PCs. It is available to all TJU students if ordered through a special web page. Click here to access TJU Dell Premier access page. You will then be directed to the personal purchase website. For Apple purchases you can go directly to Apple.com, click on Store, and scroll down to the bottom of the page and select education. From there you can select TJU as your university.

Again, welcome to Jefferson!

Sincerely,
Jefferson Information Technologies

Maintained by Jefferson Information Technologies
Copyright© Thomas Jefferson University. All Rights Reserved.

The Thomas Jefferson University web site, its contents and programs, is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice nor is it intended to create any physician-patient relationship. Please remember that this information should not substitute for a visit or a consultation with a health care provider. The views or opinions expressed in the resources provided do not necessarily reflect those of Thomas Jefferson University, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, or the Jefferson Health System or staff.
Please read our Privacy Statement