Smith College Technology And Resource Adviser

INTRODUCING THE SMITH PORTAL

What is the Smith Portal?
Important security information
Other important points
Navigation and use
Customizing the portal
Reporting problems
Comments and suggestions

What is the Smith Portal?

The Smith Portal is a customized web site from which Smith students, faculty, and staff can access many Smith web-based services and information sources from a single sign-on. The portal can be used in any location on- or off-campus with a working Internet connection.

When a user goes to the portal log-in page (http://portal.smith.edu) and enters a valid Smith network username and password, the portal software:

Authenticates their sign-on credentials
Retrieves information about their role (student, staff, or faculty), software access rights, and display settings from the portal database
Displays a customized version of the portal for that user.

From the portal, authenticated users can access web-based services, such as BannerWeb, Moodle, Box cloud storage, and Lynda.com training courses, without having to sign on to each of these services separately. This reduces the need to remember multiple links, software start-up protocols, and passwords, so users can work more efficiently.

Note that users always have the option to access these services from outside the portal if they prefer. The only exception is Lynda.com online training, which can be accessed only via the portal.

Important Security Information

Please read the following security information before you begin using the portal:

Remember to always SIGN OUT of the portal when you're done!

To sign out, click the Sign Out link at the top right of the portal window. This step is essential for protecting your privacy and the security of the Smith network.

Be sure to click the Sign Out link whenever you finish using the portal, especially if you are accessing it on a public computer.
We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to access the Smith portal on a Windows computer, and Chrome or Safari on a Mac.

However, Chrome or Firefox may currently be set to automatically store your portal username and password, which is a serious security risk.
Please follow the steps below to check your browser settings and change them if necessary:

In Firefox:
1. Open the Tools menu and choose Options.
2. In the Options window, click the General tab.
3. In the Startup area, make sure that When Firefox starts is set to Show my home page or Show a blank page.
In Chrome:
1. Open the Chrome menu by clicking the 3-bar icon in the upper right corner of the Chrome window (shown below) and choose Settings.
2. In the Settings window, scroll to the bottom and click Show advanced settings to see more settings.
3. Under Privacy, click the Content settings button.
4. Make sure that Cookies is set to Keep local data only until I quit my browser, then click OK.

Other Important Points

Please note the following important points about using the portal:

A few services accessible via the portal, including Smith Mail, Banner INB, Cognos, 25Live, and Teamworks, still require an additional log-on. These systems may eventually be converted to single-sign-on access.
Your portal session will time out after 8 hours. If your session times out, simply log on to the portal again.
If you connect to BannerWeb through the portal, note that your BannerWeb session will time out after 45 minutes. If your BannerWeb session times out, close the portal and sign on again to begin a new session.
Your Lynda.com online training account can be accessed only via the portal.
Banner INB users: If your browser tells you your Java plug-in is out of date, DO NOT install a new version. Instead, click Continue and accept any alerts that follow.
Remember to always SIGN OUT of the portal when you're done!

Navigation and Use

Begin at the portal log-in page: http://portal.smith.edu

After signing on with your Smith network username and password, the portal checks Banner, assigns you one or more roles (student, faculty, or staff), and displays the portal tabs for your particular role(s).

Each tab contains rectangular areas called portlets that are used to organize and display related information. Click on any tab to see its contents:

The General Info tab displays for all users. It contains links that are relevant to all people in the Smith community.
The My Info tab displays only for Smith staff and faculty. It contains work-related links, Human Resources links, and links to personal information pages within BannerWeb.
The My Student Info tab displays for all Smith students. It contains portlets for Academics, Student Employees, and an index of Student Resources available at Smith.
The Teaching and Advising tab contains links for Academics, Faculty Resources, and Faculty Information.

Remember, always click on the Sign Out link at the top right of the portal window to sign out when you're done!

Customizing the Portal

To add a new tab: Click the white +Add Tab link on the far right of the tab bar. Note that your new tab will eventually disappear unless you add content to it.

To add a new portlet to a tab:

Click on the tab to which you wish to add a portlet.
Click on the CUSTOMIZE button directly below the General Info tab.
The Add Stuff menu will open showing a list of available portlets. You can scroll through all portlets or click on a particular category to view only that category.
To add a portlet, hold your cursor over it until the cursor becomes a four-pointed arrow, then drag the portlet to the preferred location on your page.

To edit your portlet configuration: The available editing options for each portlet appear as icons on the right side of the portlet title bar.

To remove a portlet, click the X icon and confirm the deletion.
To make a portlet full-width, click the right-pointing arrow. (To return to regular width, click Return to dashboard.)
To minimize a portlet, click the barely visible arrow to the left of the portlet name. (To return to regular size, click the arrow again.)
To move a portlet to a new position, drag the title frame.

To change the color palette for the entire portal:

From any tab, click the CUSTOMIZE button directly below the General Info tab.
Click the Colors option.
Choose the color palette you prefer. Note that the change takes effect immediately, so you can try as many different palettes as you want.

To change the number of columns displayed on a tab:

Open the tab of interest.
Click the CUSTOMIZE button directly below the General Info tab.
Click the Layouts option.
Choose the layout you prefer for the current tab.
When finished, click the I'm Done button.

Reporting Problems

To report a problem or error, contact the User Support Center at extension 4487 or send email to 4its@smith.edu.

Submitting Suggestions

To submit a suggestion for the portal, send email to portal-suggestions@smith.edu.

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