School of Journalism
Student Handbook: Stuff You Need
You'll need the basics all Ryerson students need, as well as all the bits and pieces which come with studying journalism. The sooner you get the stuff, the faster you'll be able to get to work.
Card stuff:
- Your Ryerson student card (also known as the Ryerson One Card) is the key to the library, most student services, and is also used to operate printers, photocopy and vending machines on campus. After paying your tuition fees, line-up, say cheese and keep your new card close to your heart.
Computer stuff:
Every student gets a Ryerson e-mail address (RMail) and must use it when communicating with instructors and staff. The Ryerson e-mail policy says instructors can only respond to you if you use a Ryerson e-mail address. As well as e-mail, your Ryerson ID is necessary to login to the my.ryerson.ca portal to access things like the student online registration system (RAMSS), and use the computers in Ryerson's central computer labs (for example in the Library and KHW71) as well as the Journalism classrooms.
This same user name for your RMail will be used to operate the computers in the labs in the Rogers Communications Centre. The first time you log on to the system in the labs, you'll need to enter the userID. But your password will be your student number the first time you log on. It will NOT be the password given to you when you activated your RMail account. Once you've entered your student number, the computer will ask you immediately to choose a new password. (You might want to make this the same password as for your RMail account to make things easier for you). If you forget your user name or password, please see Jaclyn Mika (RCC 145A).
As well as the student lounge, there are three computer labs on the first floor of the Rogers Communications Centre in the Toronto Star wing which you can use to access the Net, and do basic processing. When these are not being used for classes, students have access to them. Be considerate of your fellow classmates, and keep food and drink out of the labs... there's nothing worse than a sticky mouse!
There are also a number of computer labs open to students university-wide. Some are set up for standard computer processing, while others have special software on them. You may have a class which uses software (like Dreamweaver) which is found only in certain labs; your teacher will give you a doorcode to access these rooms. Check the CCS site for information on the hardware and software found in each lab.
Some of your courses may make use of Blackboard. These are pages accessible from any computer online, and can contain course notes, online chatrooms for you and your classmates, private e-mail communication to keep in touch with peers and professors, and supplementary materials and links. You can access Blackboard by going to: http://my.ryerson.ca. (Note: there is no www in the address.) Once again, your RMail user name and password is the key to accessing Blackboard (outside of the Rogers computer labs).
**For e-mail, using the Rogers computer labs, and Blackboard, you will need the same userID.
However, each password will be different unless/until you set them up to be the same one.**
- Rules for the use of Journalism computing labs:
- We reserve the right to monitor the activity on any workstation in the FCAD domain.
- Anyone found to have given his or her account name and password to anyone else may be suspended from the lab.
- Anyone found attempting to hack into the server may be expelled from the program and will be suspended from the lab.
- Anyone found attempting to hack into the workstations may be expelled from the program and will be suspended from the lab.
- Anyone found moving, tampering or damaging the workstations will be suspended from the lab.
- Anyone found loading illegal software, data, or any other material onto the server or the workstations will be suspended from the lab.
- Taking data and software is theft. Anyone found downloading software, data, or any other material from the server or the workstations may be expelled from the program, may be charged under the Criminal Code of Canada and will be suspended from the lab.
- Anyone found using the computer facilities for tasks other than those assigned during a course will be suspended from the lab and may be expelled from the program.
- Anyone found using the lab for non-Journalism program coursework will be suspended from the lab.
- Failure to obey requests of faculty, the system administrator or the lab assistants on matters pertaining to lab operation will result in suspension from the lab.
- The rights of all lab users must be respected. All Ryerson students, staff and faculty have the legal right to work and study free of harassment based on gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, or religion. There is to be no boisterous behavior, no excessive noise and absolutely no obscene or profane file names are to be used. Violation of this rule will result in suspension from the lab.
- Do not bring food or beverages into the lab. Violation of this rule will result in your being asked to leave the lab and dispose of the offending victuals.
- Attempting in any way to hack into sites on or off campus from the labs will result in suspension from the lab in addition to any other applicable charges.
Lockers: A place to put your stuff
All students can sign out a locker. Yours will be found in the basement of the Rogers Communications Centre. Please see reception at RCC 141 for details.
A/V Stuff
Any equipment you need for class assignments is provided by the School of Journalism, but it's not available for projects that aren't class-related.
Equipment Policy
You will be held responsible if you damage equipment you are using in the studio, edit suites or classrooms. Please note that you will be trained before you handle the equipment.
Some of your courses may require you to borrow equipment overnight to complete assignments. You will be held responsible for this equipment until it has been returned and examined.
TV cameras, battery belts, etc., are kept in the equipment cage on the second floor. You may sign out that equipment with any of the broadcast technicians. Digital cameras are also available, with preference given to students in JRN100. Broadcast students also have access to the School of Radio and Television Arts Audio Library.
Liability Waivers
Any student who wishes to use any portable equipment must sign a waiver form accepting responsibility for that equipment. The broadcast technicians will hand out the waivers on the first day of any television or radio course. You may not borrow equipment unless you sign the waiver. There is also a waiver for the digital cameras.
Late fees
Equipment must be returned on the date and at the time to which you have agreed. If delay is unavoidable, you must notify the broadcast technicians immediately. The fine for portable equipment is $10 for every half-hour, up to a limit of $100 a day.
The charge for lost or broken equipment will be the cost of replacement or repair.
Non-payment of fines will result in loss of borrowing and studio privileges, notification of professor or instructor and the School, and withholding of grades. Fines should be paid to the broadcast technicians.
The library offers some A/V equipment for use within the library. Audio visual playback equipment (VHS videocassette players, CD-players, audio cassette players, and slide-tape carousels) is located on the 2nd floor of the Library in an area adjacent to the reference collection. Assistance with operating the equipment is available during AV office hours. One 16 mm film projector is located in the AV screening room (L653) and has to be booked 24 hours in advance from the AV booking office on the 2nd floor. The screening room is not available after 5 p.m. weekdays or on weekends.
Six computers with DVD drives are available in the Reference area on the 2nd floor. DVD disks are not supplied at this time. Please ask at the Reference Desk/AV Desk for assistance.
Student Lounge and Phones:
There are a few phones in the Student Lounge, along with computers that you can use.
The centre also contains such general reference books as dictionaries, almanacs, phone books and directories, including the bi-annual journalists' guide Sources. It is arranged to allow students to meet in small groups to discuss projects and assignments - quietly, please.
The centre is a joint project of the School of Radio and Television Arts and the School of Journalism. Its official name is the Anne Bartley Smith Research Lab, after the journalist and editor who bequeathed $300,000 in 1995 to upgrade it.
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