Upon admission to the university, new students are invited to attend an orientation that will familiarize you with the University Resources and computing technologies available to you. This orientation will introduce students to the campus network, the Blackboard online course management system, the Banner Information System, and software applications required in university programs. New students are also required to complete the Campus Policies tutorials in our University Online Resource Center, available on Blackboard. To access this course, you'll need to log into the Blackboard system using your WesternU username and password.
If you would like to review a video introduction to the orientation by our Executive Director of Information Technology, Denise Wilcox, click on the link provided below.
Welcome: Introduction to WesternU Information Technologies (17MB Flash video file)
Essential information covered in the computing technologies orientation is available in the Support area here as well as on the Technical Support website at techsupport.westernu.edu.
Computer Requirements for Specific Programs
So we can better serve you, please make sure that your computer meets the minimum specifications required by your College.
- Laptop computer requirements
- College of Osteopathic Medicine (& Northwest)
- College of Podiatric Medicine
- College of Dental Medicine
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Allied Health Professions
- College of Graduate Nursing (MSN-E only)
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
- Laptop computer requirements (College of Optometry)
- Laptop computer requirements (College of Veterinary Medicine)
- Computer requirements (College of Graduate Nursing) NOTE: Graduate Nursing students are required to have a computer, not necessarily a laptop (with the exception of MSN-E, which requires a laptop). Students who are planning to purchase a laptop for their studies should refer to the laptop specifications for the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, et al. above.
Windows 8 Compatibility: WesternU TechSupport is working towards full Windows 8 compatibility, however some applications are beyond the control of WesternU TechSupport. Windows 8 compatibility is dependent upon each software vendor’s support and will vary by product. WesternU TechSupport recommends running Windows 7 for best support.
Getting Started
The following tutorials will help you quickly learn how to access the information systems critical to your success as a WesternU student, and safeguard your computer against loss of important data. For additional information and resources, go to our Student Techsupport site.
- How to change your WesternU e-mail password (131K pdf file)
- How to use Outlook's Web browser (530K pdf file)
Student Printing
Self-Service (Banweb)
- How to access the Self-Service (Banweb) system (810K pdf file)
Blackboard
- Bb9 for Students (276K pdf file). If you are new to Blackboard, you will also find some useful information on our Blackboard Support page.
Computer Security
- How to avoid computer viruses (170K pdf file)
- How to deal with spyware
If you need additional assistance with computing resources, please see our Support menu.