New Student Guide

Are students required to bring their own computer to campus?
No. Concordia has computers that are widely accessible to all students, however, having a personal computer on campus is much more convenient for most students.


Is there wireless Internet access on campus?

Yes. Concordia has wireless access points in the majority of academic and residence halls. Connection strengths may vary.

What computer hardware and software is recommended for personal computers?

Please check Concordia's Computer Buyer's Guide.

How much computer support do students receive at Concordia College?
The ITS Solution Center assists students with all basic personal computer issues, including virus removal, free of charge. The Solution Center does not provide hardware repair or full operating system installations. For a list of local businesses that provide these services, please click here.

What kind of virus protection is recommended?

Concordia recommends that all Windows computers come equipped with virus protection. We strongly encourage all users to install Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, and SuperAntiSpyware installed on each personal system before coming to campus. This software is all available for free in our downloads page.

Should students purchase a Mac or PC?

Choose between a PC or Mac based on your own comfort level and needs. Academic departments may have specific hardware and software recommendations. For example, the music and art programs primarily use Macs, while the School of Business relies heavily on PCs. The education department uses either platform and most other programs do not have a preference. Both Macs and PCs are available in computer labs across campus.

Does Concordia College provide any free software to students?

Concordia does not provide any free software to students, but recommends many free applications on our downloads page.  Furthermore, Concordia students have access to a wide selection of educational discounts on popular software such as Microsoft Office.

Can personal computers be used in class?

Policy regarding the use of personal technology devices during class periods, lectures, and labs are determined by each faculty member. For specific information regarding technology use, please contact faculty.

Where are files stored on campus?

All students have access to "Space," a network drive accessible from every campus computer. Storage space of 1GB is given to each student to use as a personal storage space. Backups are regularly done on this drive.

Do students need a printer?

Free greyscale and paid color printing is available in many places on campus including all  residence halls. The Uniprint system allows students to print directly from their computer to lab printers. To obtain Uniprint printing instructions, click here (knowledge guide for uniprint). Alternatively, students are allowed to bring their own printer to campus.

Should students get a desktop, laptop or netbook?

Netbook: The most portable and energy efficient computers, ideal for simple Web browsing, E-mail, and word processing. Netbooks should not be considered as a primary computer because of their smaller screen sizes, minimal storage and lack of power.

Laptop: The computer of choice for the vast majority of students because most laptops are portable, but still quite powerful to do most tasks.

Desktop: Provides great functionality, however, portability is difficult. Typically, desktops are the most powerful systems for the lowest price.

Where should I buy a computer?

Purchasing computers from retail stores is the most common way to purchase a computer, however prices may be lower online. For specific recommendations and education discounts, please contact the Solution Center.

Is peer-to-peer file sharing software allowed on campus?

Peer-to-peer connections (Bittorrent, LimeWire, etc.) are blocked on all campus Internet connections. This is a protection for both students and the institution. Sharing music using peer-to-peer technology is stealing.

 

What software is included on campus computers?
Please see our standard campus software information.

Prepared by the ITS Solution Center, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN.

Information For:

current students
faculty and staff		 parents
alumni		 high school students
admitted students