Information Technologies (IT)

The Office for University Information Technologies (UNIT) partners with the Villanova Community to deliver IT Solutions and Services. UNIT delivers innovative technology offerings for wide and varied needs ranging from academic related technology, IT computing, network services, web development and support services to the entire campus community. UNIT also provides a campus-wide network for data, voice, and video communication for students, faculty, and staff. Wireless network connectivity and Xfinity Cable services are extended to all residence hall rooms.

Virtual and VPN technologies facilitate access to network and campus technology resources from off-campus locations.

In addition to many college and department-specific student computing labs, UNIT manages public student labs located Tolentine hall as well as computer print stations throughout campus that are open 18-24 hours a day. Computer workstations in these locations feature Virtual Desktop (vDesktop) technology and support general- purpose applications such as the Microsoft Office suite and Adobe. Additionally, multiple Apple iMac are available in Tolentine Lab areas for student use.

The Villanova TechZone is a walk-up IT support center with multiple locations in Falvey Library, Charles Widger School of Law and The Commons in Cannon Hall. The TechZone provides assistance to students and Villanova Employees with University issued laptop computers, issues with BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) equipment, and general technical support issues from 9am to 7pm M-Th and 9am to 5pm F. Technical support is complemented by Web based documentation, IT Service Catalog, and UNIT’s Facebook site. In addition to the TechZone, UNIT operates the University Help Desk and provides technical support and service from 8am to 7pm M-Th and 8am to 5pm F, via phone by calling 610-519-7777.

Technical service and support is also provided by:

The Center for Instructional Technologies (CIT) provides many resources and services to promote the use of technology in the teaching and learning environment. Included in these services are multimedia development, online teaching and learning resources, instructional design consultation, training/support for the campus Learning Management System (Blackboard), video and audio streaming studios, classroom lecture capture utilizing Mediasite, video and web conferencing, access to Internet 2, workshops offered on a variety of technologies utilized on campus, and classroom AV integration and support.

All 200 classrooms are equipped with high-end AV systems that feature widescreen LCD projectors, large format projection screens, intuitive control systems, various AV connectivity options, (wireless) internet access, multimedia teaching technologies and are fully supported by our Classroom Technologies Support Hotline (610-519-5631).

The Villanova User-ID is assigned to each student to access many Villanova systems and services throughout campus such as myNova, wifi, Blackboard and email. All undergraduate students receive a Gmail email account with access to Google aps. Cloud services and storage are offered via Google Drive and Microsoft Office 365 - OneDrive at office.villanova.edu.

All students have a personalized portal called myNova that provides access to their course schedules and course related materials and allows them to perform most administrative functions, such as registration or grade lookup.

The University Card Office provides the “Wildcard”, a photo identification card that is required for all Villanova students, faculty, and staff. The Wildcard allows convenient and secure access to all card related services, including personal identification, facility access and access monitoring, debit transactions processing (NovaBucks), meal plan administration, banking relationship management, student printing allowance, and web- based transaction processing. The Wildcard is universally accepted on campus and at selected off-campus locations.

Nova Alert is Villanova’s Emergency Communication system that uses text and phone messaging features that enables campus public safety and university officials to send targeted alerts to students and faculty members in a matter of seconds. Nova Alert is designed to communicate an emergency, which could jeopardize the physical safety of the members of the University community. The alert is also used to notify the Villanova community about weather issues, such as snow-related campus closures. The alert may contain instructions on where to go, what to do or not do, as well as instructions on where to find additional information. Depending on the recipient’s preference, the Nova Alert may be sent to cell phones, e-mail accounts, smart phones and PDA devices. Nova Alert sign-up allows for current students, faculty, and staff to enter multiple devices, enabling alerts to be sent to parents or other family members.