Working Remotely (Best Practices)

Drake ITS supports tools and processes to let you keep working even if you can’t be on campus. Whenever possible, it’s best to work using your Drake-owned computer, but if you need to use a personal device, you can access myDrake and Teams using any Internet browser.

To prepare to work remotely, be sure you have the following:

• Your Drake-owned laptop, or a personally-owned Windows or Mac computer (including power adaptor)
• A reliable Internet connection
• Access to Microsoft Teams (via the desktop app on your computer or from myDrake)
• A headset or headphones with a microphone to use for virtual meetings (a webcam is helpful too, but not required)
• Access to any virtual apps and/or desktops needed for your role
• Individual files backed up to OneDrive cloud storage (see below for more information)

myDrake is Drake's campus portal, a website that serves as a launch pad to access other sites, online tools, and organizational content. You can access myDrake, and all of its connected sites/tools including email, Self Service, Microsoft Teams, Blackboard from anywhere with a web connection by going to my.drake.edu. myDrake can be used on all Internet browsers on computers, tablets, and mobile devices.

• Using myDrake for Faculty & Staff (How-to)

Everyone with a drake.edu email account has access to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is a product that combines tools and resources such as group chat, calendars, and file sharing into one location using the Microsoft 365 platform.

You can access Teams from the My Teams button in the Commonly Used Apps section of myDrake. From there you can access shared files and any personal files backed up to OneDrive. When you use Teams online, you can create, update, work collaboratively on, and save documents directly to the cloud regardless of what device you’re using. Microsoft Teams also has apps for iOS or Android devices.

Additionally, you can use Teams to hold virtual meetings, either as part of a Team or an individual or group chat, no matter where everyone is located.

NOTE: To participate in a Teams meeting you'll need to use the Teams desktop app, the web version of Teams in a Chrome or Edge browser, or the app for your iOS or Android mobile device. Teams meetings don't work in Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer.

• Logging into Microsoft Teams (How-to)
• Getting Started with Microsoft Teams (FAQ)
• Using Chat Functions in Microsoft Teams (How-to)
• Holding Virtual or Hybrid Meetings Using Microsoft Teams (Best Practices)
• Meetings and calls in Teams (from Microsoft)
• Share your screen in a Teams meeting (from Microsoft)

If you haven’t already started using OneDrive to back up your files, follow the instructions below to ensure you have cloud access to your important documents.

• Getting Started with OneDrive (FAQ)
• Configuring OneDrive on a Mac (step 1 of 2)
• Configuring OneDrive on Windows (step 1 of 2)

You can access your email from myDrake by going to the My Email button in the Commonly Used Apps section. You’ll be able to use your email and calendar through the online version of Outlook. Additionally, you can chat and share files individually, or in groups, with anyone at Drake (or who uses Teams) through the chat function in Teams.

• Using Chat Functions in Microsoft Teams (How-to)

In order to protect information you have to use multi-factor authentication to log into key campus systems. You are encouraged to set up multiple methods. See the instructions below to add get started, add back up methods, change your default method or reset your MFA options.

• Getting Started with the Microsoft Authenticator app (How-to)
• Clearing your Multi-Factor Authentication Settings (How-to)
• Setting up Additional MFA Options or Changing your Default Option (How-to)
• Using MFA Without Cellular Service or While Traveling (How-to)

With Teams calling, you can call from your office extension, or receive calls to your extension from your computer or from your cell phone (using the Teams app) no matter where you are.

• Using Microsoft Teams for Phone Calls and Voicemail (How-to)
• Using Advanced Calling Features in Microsoft Teams (How-to)

Virtual apps and desktops provides anytime, anywhere access to academic and administrative services that would normally only be available on the campus network including:

• Banner Admin Pages
• Pyramid Analytics
• Mapped files including those on Z, P, or T drives
• Certain test websites

You can request Citrix access by submitting a Virtual Apps/Desktop (Citrix) Change.

ITS has created a Citrix Workspace application to access Banner 9 Administrative Pages.

All users of Banner 9 Administrative Pages have been given access to the new application. The use of Citrix Workspace allows you to work remotely and removes the requirement of using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), while still maintaining the security of the Banner system. For Citrix Workspace installation instructions, see the guides in this ITS Knowledge Base category.

NOTE: If you have already installed Citrix Workspace, you do not need to reinstall it.

Looking for information on teaching or advising at a distance? See Preparing for Distance Teaching and Advising (Best Practices) .