Information Technology

The Information Systems (IS) department is responsible for providing design, installation, and support for all information technology projects for the College-Institute. The IS department promotes IT solutions that improve the teaching, learning, research, and administrative environment of the College-Institute.

IT Staff

Cincinnati

Shane Sampson

New York

T.J. Williams

Los Angeles

Andrew Durbin

National

Andrew Durbin

 

Website Updates

When submitting updates for the website, please include a direct link to the page in question, the content you want to update, and how you want to update it. Please make sure that your edits are clear to our team. Send us an email with your updates.

Technology Usage Policy

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is committed to encouraging our students and staff to embrace the world of technology, exploring its uses and benefits to achieve our shared and individual goals. As an institution of higher education, we have a responsibility to provide these essential resources; as users, you have an obligation to operate and manage this equipment in an efficient, ethical, and legal manner. Users of the HUC-JIR computer facilities are expected to abide by the following policies, which are intended to preserve the utility and flexibility of the computer system, protect the work of students, staff, and faculty, and preserve the right to access networks to which HUC-JIR is connected. Read more.

Website Accessibility

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is committed to ensuring that its website is accessible to people with disabilities. Have an issue you would like to report? Please email our webmaster.

Read our Website Accessibility Policy Here

Submitting IT Support Tickets

We support Canvas, Office 365, SSO, and other technical and internet-related issues at HUC. Please submit a ticket to our Help Desk for assistance. Link to ticket: https://hucassist.freshdesk.com or send us an email.

To log into our Help Desk, please create a Freshdesk account or log in using your existing Gmail, Twitter, or Facebook account. Your HUC email will not work to log in. You will be asked what you need help with and how we can contact you. Please fill in as much information as you can including which campus you are affiliated with and what operating system you are using so that we can help you quickly. After you submit a ticket, you will get an email to notify you that we have received your request. If you are logged in, you can track updates on your case.

HUC Email Policy

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and students who are assigned (or given access to) a campus email. If you are employed by the College, you will be given an HUC email address to use for all College communication. Emeriti faculty may use their HUC email accounts.

Appropriate Use of Company Email

Employees are allowed to use their campus email for work-related purposes without limitations. All faculty email addresses published on our website are HUC email addresses.

Inappropriate Use of Company Email

Our employees represent HUC whenever they use their campus email addresses. They must not:

  • Sign up for illegal, disreputable, or suspect websites and services.
  • Send insulting or discriminatory content.
  • Intentionally spam other people’s emails, including their coworkers.

HUC has the right to monitor and archive campus emails, cloud storage, and subscribed cloud services.

Personal Use of HUC Email

Employees are allowed to use their campus email for some personal reasons such as:

  • Register for classes
  • Download guides and books for personal use

HUC Email Security

Email is our first line of defense against hacker attacks, confidentiality breaches, viruses, and other malware. These breaches can compromise our reputation and the legality and security of our data. HUC takes email security very seriously.

Tips for safe emailing:

  • Select strong passwords with at least twelve characters (capital and lower-case letters, symbols, and numbers) without using personal information (e.g., birthdays, dog names) or common phrases (e.g., password, qwerty)
  • Use a password manager
  • Use a unique password for each website.
  • If you’re asked to create answers to security questions, provide an unrelated answer. For example, if the question is “Where were you born?” you might answer “Cabbage” to prevent hackers from guessing the answer.
  • IT or HUC will never ask you for your password.
  • Do not be tricked by phishing emails asking you to input your name and password.
  • Forward the email to us at techsupport@huc.edu
  • Use MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) See more below.
  •  Use anti-malware software on your personal devices
  • Do not auto-forward email to your personal account. Email messages can be individually forwarded as necessary. If you are sick, you can auto-forward your email to an HUC coworker.

Employees should be vigilant to catch emails that carry malware or phishing attempts. We instruct employees to: 

  • Avoid opening attachments and clicking on links when content is not explained (e.g., “I Can’t believe you are in this video.”)
  • Be suspicious of emails that need you to urgently do something
  • Check the email and names of unknown senders to ensure legitimacy.
  • Look for inconsistencies or style red flags (e.g., grammar mistakes)
  • Contact the person who sent you the email to double-check the authenticity.
  • Non-HUC emails are marked “External”

If you aren’t sure that an email is safe, forward the email to techsupport@huc.edu.

If Your Account Has Been Compromised

If you suspect that you have clicked on or succumbed to a hacking attempt, change your password right away and contact techsupport@huc.edu .

How to Reset Your Password

Please email tech support to set your access to the Fischer Identity Tool to reset your password.

If you have set up your Fischer ID and claimed your account, reset your PIN Password here 

Additional Tips

  • Clear your cache in your browser at least once a week
  • If you have logged in to Office 365 portal ( https://portal.office.com ) with your HUC account on one browser, you won’t be able to access another Office 365 account on the same browser. You should either use a different browser or Private mode. You can add multiple accounts to the Outlook Desktop App.

Enabling MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

We encourage members of the HUC community to use Multi-Factor Authentication.
Log into your HUC Office 365 account. Follow this link to turn on MFA (link: https://aka.ms/mfasetup). You will have to choose which “factor” to contact you. When you log in with your email and password, Microsoft will contact you via a phone call, a 6-digit text message, or the mobile authenticator app. The mobile app is the preferred method.  Watch the video from Microsoft (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWbkLuI4g30).

After you have set up MFA, email tech support with the Subject “MFA Setup”. We will then enable MFA for your account.You may have to reboot your phone or PC to sign in. If you are setting up a security key, please contact us to enable it on your account. If you have issues – email tech support with the subject

“Need MFA Help.” Helpful hint: if you are setting it up in one geographic country, your phone SMS may not work when you travel to another country. Set up a second method of MFA as a backup. 

Accessing Online Resources at Portal.HUC.edu

Visit https://portal.huc.edu to access the SSO (Single Sign On) Service.
Log in with your username minus the “@huc.edu” and your password.

Internet Access on Campus Acceptable Use Policy

HUC provides wired and wireless internet access for the use of faculty, staff, students, and other authorized individuals in support of the research, educational, and administrative purposes of HUC. HUC-JIR is not liable for the actions of anyone connecting to the Internet through HUC facilities. All users assume liability for their own actions.

Users are responsible for complying with laws protecting software or other accessed information. Downloading programs and files may violate the United States copyright laws that protect information and software. All files downloaded from external sources must be scanned for viruses. All users must comply with all relevant policies and procedures of HUC.

WiFi Protocols

  • Do not share the WiFi password; guests are given a temporary password.
  • Information Technology may change the WIFI password to prevent malicious access.
  • Only Access HUC sanctioned WIFI Networks. Do not connect to something called FREE WIFI or other suspicious access point names. They are malicious entities set up to steal data.

Security and Monitoring of Internet Traffic

Users should be aware that the College maintains archived log files for monitoring system performance, malware attacks, and usage patterns concerning computer and telephone equipment. IT reserves the right to take necessary steps to mitigate the impact of improper or disruptive network activity on campus known to cause damage to the network. IT may control other types of traffic that consume too much network capacity or hide criminal activity, such as file-sharing traffic.

Peer to Peer File Sharing is Prohibited on Campus

Due to its use in stealing copyrighted material, Peer to Peer File Sharing is prohibited on Campus.

Only HUC Managed Devices Can Connect to the Wired Network

HUC employees may only connect HUC issued devices to the wired network. All other users must use WIFI.

All users of the internet by way of College facilities must comply with all relevant policies and procedures of the Board of Trustees.

Online Resources

Stay Safe Online

How to spot a fake Phishing Email

How strong is your password?

Have you been compromised? Test your email address. 

Test the link in your email for safety

Phish Tank 

Google Transparency Report 

Safe Wireless Connections While Traveling 

Office 365 Tools Training