Services and Fees
What you pay for and what you get
There is a strong connection between the quality of technology services and the associated costs. There is also a wide variation in the ways campuses charge for these services. Find out how the benefits compare to the costs.
Fees and expenses
What, if any, technology fee is charged by the campus? What does it cover?
Students pay a technology fee, which provides a range of services to all students. Services provided by the fee include site licenses for basic productivity software, Support Desk services, network storage space, campus-wide wireless network service, discipline-specific software for use while enrolled in a course, and a fund for technology innovation. Detailed information on the technology fee is available on the IT Services website.
Are students required to purchase their own computer equipment and hardware?
In general, students are strongly encouraged—but not required—to bring a computer to campus. Miami also strongly recommends that students have Microsoft Office. Registered students can take advantage of Miami's Microsoft Campus Agreement to purchase select software products at greatly reduced prices.
Some academic disciplines do have more specific computer/software requirements. Students should check with the department of their major for advice.
Most students do bring their own computers, and the vast majority choose laptops over desktops.
If you’re buying a new computer for college, consider purchasing a laptop through the Miami Notebook program. These laptops are designed and configured to make the most of your Miami experience and include unbeatable service and support. New models are announced each spring, and confirmed students receive updated information before the June Orientation dates. For more information, visit the Miami Notebook website.
Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment?
Miami works to make computing and network access affordable in the following ways:
- Students purchasing a new computer are encouraged to take advantage of the Miami Notebook program.
- In addition to selling Miami Notebooks, the Miami University Bookstore provides educational and/or special contract pricing for peripherals and software.
- Miami's contract with Microsoft allows students to purchase many Microsoft products at significantly reduced prices. See How to obtain Microsoft, Apple and Adobe Software.
- Students living on campus have high-speed Internet access through the University network.
- Miami provides access to more than 1,000 computers through general and departmental labs, many of which include specialized, discipline-specific software.
Technical support
What hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support?
Miami recommends that incoming students who are purchasing a new computer purchase a laptop through the Miami Notebook student laptop program. Students who wish to purchase or bring another computer should check the recommended and minimum supported configurations.
Full network access in the residence halls on a Microsoft Windows computer requires Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8. Additionally, anti-virus and anti-spyware software should be installed on Windows computers.
Miami recommends that students have Microsoft Office.
What kinds of support services (e.g., help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and when are they available?
IT Services provides a variety of support services for students. For hours of operation, please view the IT Help article IT Services Support Desk.
- IT Help—This information source offers a searchable online knowledge base of answers to common technology questions, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From IT Help, you can also open a ticket to report a problem to the Support Desk or chat with a Support Desk representative. With your permission, a technician can view your desktop remotely to troubleshoot problems.
- Telephone (513-529-7900)
- Email (ithelp@MiamiOH.edu)
- Walk-in (IT Service Center, 317 Hughes Hall, west wing)
- Technology training—Miami University training opportunities include a number of offerings, such as online tutorials, instructor-led workshops, and for-credit courses. Lynda.com's large and rapidly growing Online Training Library is available free of charge to Miami students, faculty, and staff for online software/IT training.
Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement cycle?
IT Services at Miami engages the entire campus in an ongoing strategic planning process, ensuring that students, faculty, and staff have the appropriate technology resources. Miami's commitment to providing an up-to-date computing environment that supports the educational process is demonstrated in the following ways:
- All classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, and residence hall rooms at Miami have 100 Mb/s network connections. Currently, Miami offers a total of 1.6 Gbps supplied by two Internet Service Providers with failover capabilities to ensure service availability to faculty, students, and staff.
- Network infrastructure is upgraded every three to five years.
- All Miami University buildings have wireless network service. Wireless network equipment is being continually upgraded, with most hardware changed out every three to five years.
What kind of technical support does the campus offer for students who bring their own computers to school?
The IT Services Support Desk provides telephone, email, chat and walk-in support for MUnet software installation and use, virus removal, installation of virus protection software, and use of all Miami-supported technologies. Fees charged for these services can be found at the IT Services web site.
Solutions to network connectivity problems require different approaches, depending upon the complexity of the problem. Support is available through the following means:
- The Support Desk can offer assistance over the telephone or via chat.
- Walk-in assistance is available at the IT Service Center, 317 Hughes Hall, west wing. No appointment is necessary.
Miami also offers warranty hardware repair services for all Miami Notebooks and Apple computers.
Other services
How does the campus support printing for students? Is there a charge for this service?
Both black and white and color printers are available in the academic division labs and in all University Libraries. The IT Services Print Center also provides color and high-volume black and white printing services. There is a per-page fee for printing in the labs and at the Print Center.
How much of the campus has wireless connectivity?
Wireless access is available in all buildings as well as many outdoor common areas.
In response to an ever-increasing need for more Internet bandwidth, the residence halls offer an optional fee-based service, ResNet Turbo, which provides up to an average of 5-10 Mbps, with a guaranteed minimum bandwidth of 1.5 Mbps,. Students can sign up for ResNet Turbo on the Housing and Dining MyCard website.
