IT Services
A Department of Learner Support Services
We have about 520 IT Services-supported public cluster PCs on campus, including some quiet PC clusters. These PCs are part of an annual rolling replacement program which means that some are always brand new at the start of each academic year. The maximum age of any supported PC is 4 years old. Some Academic Schools have additional cluster rooms for use by their students.
All the cluster rooms in the main library are open 24 hours a day Monday to Friday (limited hours over the weekend) during term time, and some computers are available 24 hours a day throughout the year. We have a Web page running real time information about which PCs are free to use and you can also access this information via your mobile phone. Room F42 in Richmond Building is a leading-edge 100-seat PC cluster for teaching, learning and computer-based assessment, and is available 24 hours a day, all year round.
If you have your own laptop you can use RoamNet, our FREE roaming network that offers cabled or wireless Internet access, to connect to the University network from all the libraries, foyers and social spaces of all major buildings.
As we have public cluster PCs on campus, it is not necessary for you to purchase your own. However, should you wish to, we would recommend a device with this minimum hardware specification.
Also, see our list of Software Availability and Support Levels.
We run PC clinics, where a member of IT staff will help with any hardware problems you may have with your own computer.
See our list of Software Availability and Support Levels. Students can get discounts on some software from educational software suppliers.
The Library and IT Help Desk in the Library advises on any IT queries via email, telephone, or face-to-face. In addition, we have a 24 hour IT support service.
IT workshops and clinics are available during term time, and we also have self paced materials for you to improve your IT skills and to help you develop the skills you feel less confident in.
If you have your own laptop or PC, clinics are available for hardware problems.
We have a vast range of documentation and user guides that you can download and print off.
Printing and photocopying are done on the same multifunction machines.
The University of Bradford is bound by the 1998 Data Protection Act.
It is very important (and against regulations) that students do not give out their user account details to anyone, for security reasons.
Each student is allocated a personal file space which is backed up regularly. However we recommend that students also save a copy of their work - on a USB stick for example - so that they always have two copies.
All email accounts have a spam filter, which greatly reduces the amount of spam delivered to University email accounts.
All PCs on campus are protected against viruses and students who have their own PC are reminded of the importance to protect theirs. A free antivirus CDROM is available from the Library.
Many of our services are Web-based (eg, email, the virtual learning environment, the e-portfolio system, online payments and the student portal), so you are able to access these from anywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection.
We have a dedicated mobile Web site, so you can access useful information via your phone if it is connected to the Internet, eg, find a PC on campus, search the library catalogue, search for staff contact details and view the status of IT services.
We are committed to providing an equal learning experience for all students, and have a dedicated IT Officer for Disabled People (Disability Service).
There are some adjustable-height workstations in the Library / IT Services building, and all PCs have the standard Windows Accessibility features enabled. In addition, a number of useful software packages can be found in the Disabled Users folder on the start menu of PCs. We also have documentation to help you.
We continue to ensure that our Web site meets the requirement defined by the W3C. This concerns the accessibility of information and services provided via the Web. You are also able to customise colours on the Web site to suit your preference.
As a student, you will need to be aware of, and comply with, the University Regulation on Use of Computer Facilities and the Campus Network (Regulation 21).
