Tech Info

We want you to be setup for success from your first day at UCI! Our digital tech experts have put together information, resources, and guides about the necessary tools and equipment for new UCI students.  Your learning will take place in a variety of settings: in the classroom, in study groups, in your residential community, and through your participation with campus programs and services.  These experiences use multiple modalities (combining in-person, virtual, and online meetings and materials) and digital tools will be a key part of your student success.  To help you navigate UCI as a digital learner, please review theUCI Learn Anywhere website.

Additional details are available on the UCI Learn Anywhere website, but we have included some key areas below that you should plan to have completed ahead of your summer orientation advising session.

Canvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) to help you digitally organize your educational experience.

This short video will help you quickly understand the basics of your Canvas Dashboard and Global Navigation links, as well as basics about navigating a course:

Canvas Student Guide
The Canvas Student Guide has tutorials on how to use Canvas features as a student.  If you are having technical issues, please click on the “(?) Help” on the bottom of the menu to your left.

Update Canvas Settings and Notifications (Required!)
It is very important you keep your Canvas notifications turned “on” to ensure you receive important messages and announcements from your professors:

• Notifications are automatically sent to your UCI Gmail account
• Your UCI Gmail may not be accessible in certain countries.  You are able to add another email address for Canvas notifications.  Click on “Account” and navigate to “Settings” to add another email address and/or a cell phone number to receive notifications
• Click on “Notifications” to configure how you receive Canvas notifications

UCI has identified the following basic laptop standards for all UCI students:  

• No Chromebooks or tablets
• Operating system: Windows 10 or one of the latest three versions of Mac OS X
• Processor: Core i5 processor or higher
• RAM: 8 Gigabytes or more
• Hard drive: 256 GB Solid State Drive or larger solid-state drive
• Webcam: Built-in
• Graphics card: On board video will work for most use cases, but please consult with your school for any special cases which would require a discrete graphics card. Examples include photo/video editing and CAD software.
• Warranty and accidental damage protection are not required but highly encouraged.

Please note that some schools may have additional minimum requirements.  Visit the Laptop Requirements webpage for more details.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), also known as two-step or 2-factor authentication, adds a second layer of protection to your UCI account in addition to your UCInetID and password. This extra layer prevents anyone but you from logging in to your account.  All secure UCI sites and systems require MFA using your UCInetID credentials plus the DUO app on another device.

Once you enter your UCI login information on the appropriate site, you will be asked to either have a DUO access request sent to your device -OR- to enter a passcode that you have saved to your device if it is offline.  The DUO app is free on the Apple App and Google Play stores.

DUO is required for all students on all UCI systems as of October 2021.

• Duo Enrollment
• Duo MultiFactor Authentication
• Get Help with Duo

In order to access UCI’s network on campus, you will need to register your device(s).  This may include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, and mobile devices.  There are two ways to register your device:

• Express Registration (must be on-campus)
• Manual Registration (using device MAC address)

IMPORTANT: We recommend that you register your devices prior to arriving on campus for your orientation advising session using the Manual Registration process.

• UCI Mobile Access (Wi-Fi)
• Manual Registration Instructions

NameCoach allows individuals to record and share the correct pronunciation of their name, as well as their preferred gender pronouns. Using NameCoach any campus member can create an audio recording of their name, which can be shared in an email signature, on website directories, and any other location where a link can be embedded. NameCoach is also integrated into UCI Canvas for ready access by students and instructors.

• NameCoach Features
• NameCoach in Canvas

UCI students need to use several different online systems and apps to manage their student records and various transactions with the
University.

Please refer to the introductory module in your Navigating the University course to learn more about these systems, such as:

• ZotKey – Your Mobile Student ID Card (Atrium)
• UCI Financial Aid (ZotAid)
• UCI Campus Billing and Payment Services (ZotAccount)
• UCI Student Affairs (CampusGroups)
• UCI Career Pathways (Handshake)