UCS Toolkit - Getting Started

MSSG | UCS Toolkit |

GETTING STARTED IN IT AT RUTGERS

This website will help you, the new computing professional, get started in Information Technology at Rutgers.

The first items you'll want to take care of are:

Create a NetID
Determine your responsibilities
Find resources for further information

NetID

The first thing you should do is get a NetID. The NetID is a username/password combination used for many University-wide resources. It is required for all University personnel.

There is a delay between your hire date and your first paycheck; however, NetID creation relies on issuance of your first paycheck for verification that you are a Rutgers employee. Due to the nature of your work, a new UCS will need a NetID sooner than most employees. You'll want to have your department submit a special request for on. Campus-specific information on NetID is available on our NetID information page.

Determine your responsibility

If you are your deparmtment's only IT staff, you might have difficulty knowing all your responsibilities unless your predecessor documented the department's IT operations.

You can start by sending email to the Telecommunications Division (TD) and request information on your networks. Tell them:

Who you are
Who your predecessor was
Which buildings your department is in
The IP address of at least one of your systems

Ask them to identify your networks and who is currently listed as the "Network Liaison" (NL) and the "Responsible Party" (RP) for those networks. You will need an official request from your department head, dean, or director for you to be listed as the new NL or RP.

You can also contact Information Protection and Security and ask them if they have an existing security interview or plan on file for your department. The security plan will provide you with a lot of information.

One of the first things you may be asked to do is set up new computers. See "From Box to the Net" for a quick start guide to putting a computer on the Rutgers Network (RUNET).

You'll also need to know where to get antivirus and other software for that new computer. The University Software Portal should be your first stop when looking for software. There you'll find many titles, some of which are available for free use, such as McAfee VirusScan, and some which are available at greatly reduced academic pricing.

Find Resources for further information

Taking a look at the rest of the UCS Toolkit (this site) documentation is a good way to start familiarizing yourself with resources available to you at the University.

Rutgers also has a number of email lists for those involved with IT. These are intended for discussion of specific technology areas. Some are peer discussion lists, while others are strictly for announcements. You'll find these lists and their members can be an invaluable resource.