Programmes & systems for students

SRUC takes a blended learning approach to delivery of its programme of study. This means our programmes follow a mix of on campus and online activities. This allows us to focus on campus activities on active and interactive learning.

The online component of your studies will take place via our online virtual teaching platform – Moodle. We also use Teams, Kaltura and Microsoft Outlook (Office 365). You will be introduced to any platform used at the beginning of your studies.

Once you have completed your online enrolment you should work through the training materials for our IT systems and Moodle. This will get you up and running to participate in both your Induction activities and your studies.

In this section

This section focuses on the IT programmes and systems you will need to study with us at SRUC. For information about induction and getting ready for your studies, or to return to them, visit the Induction and Course Start page.

Setting up your accounts
Multi-factor authentication
Student Desktop
Virtual PC
Moodle and Mahara
Office 365
Microsoft Teams and Kaltura
MySRUC app
Getting IT help
Induction and other info for new students

Setting up your accounts

Student account

The first thing you will need to do is access your student account. You will need your password and student number. Your username to access SRUC systems is the same as your student number and your password will have been emailed to you previously. Read more about staying safe and managing your password in our IT account guide.

Your email account

Everyone at SRUC is provided with an Outlook email account, which is an application in Office 365. Your student email account will be valid for the duration of your study. By using Office365 you are able to access your emails from any device at any time. Here's a guide on how to access your email account.

Email addresses are formatted as studentnumber@student.sruc.ac.uk.

Saving your files

At SRUC, we use OneDrive as part of Office 365 to save files securely and easily. You can access these files at any time from any device, without a need to connect to the SRUC network. You will also have access to network drives to store information on, but this will only be available when you are on campus or using the Student Desktop. Read more about it in our guide about saving files.

Working off campus

You can access all services needed anywhere, any time, as long as you have an internet connection. Some services, such as specific software, can only be accessed by connecting to the college network via the Student Desktop or Virtual PC. Here's a guide about working off campus with more information.

Printing

While you are studying at SRUC, there's a high chance that you'll need to print out some of your work at some point. To help with this, there are large multi-function printers (which can also scan and photocopy) situated on each campus. Here you will be able to print out your work in black and white or colour onto A4 and A3 paper.

The guide on getting set up to print will tell you more.

Mobile apps

You can access many of the systems you will use at college from a mobile device, such as Outlook, One Drive and MYSRUC. We have a guide about mobile apps available for you.

WiFi

At SRUC you will have access to WiFi through Eduroam, a WiFi service that is used by educational and research institutions all over the world. It allows students and staff to log in with the same details at any of them.  Find out more in our Wifi guide.

Which device and how to connect

Our guidance on devices and connectivity will provide you with suggestions around the minimum requirements for a laptop or desktop, what your connectivity should be and some pointers should you wish to purchase a new device.

If you need a hand you can contact Shared Service Delivery and they will help you out.

Student Desktop

The Student Desktop is available to all students from home or from your own laptop on campus to allow you to have the same experience as working on SRUC desktop machines.

To access Student Desktop, log in via your web browser.

MFA (multifactor authentication) is used to secure logins to SRUC systems. You can view the MFA guide here. The web desktop can be used with all types of MFA (text message, Authenticator app and so on). It's compatible with Apple and Microsoft systems, without the need for any additional downloads.

Log on using the format studentnumber@sruc.ac.uk and your password.

Download the Student Desktop (alternative option)

Should you have issues with the web version you can also download an RDP (Remote Desktop) file to your machine. This method should only be used if you are unable to use the Student Desktop via the web browser.

The downloaded version of Student Desktop will not work with all versions of MFA authentication – You will have to use the Authenticator app on your mobile phone or request a phone call. MFA options can be changed by logging in with your student account details.

Disclaimer: We assume that your home PC/laptop is in working order, with the latest software updates, licenses and virus protection. If, during the course of the attached guide, a physical/hardware fault develops in the device, SRUC cannot be held responsible for the fault.

Download the Student Desktop – Windows

Download the student desktop and find the Student Desktop file to your machine. The file often lands in the Downloads folder, unless you specified another location for it save, such as your desktop
Double-click on the file to open it. If you get an 'unknown publisher' error just ignore it, go ahead and connect anyway
It'll then ask for your username and password. Your username is org\studentnumber and your password is the same one you use for logging into other student services. Your computer should remember your username for the next time you login

Download the Student Desktop – Apple (incl MAC) / Android

Go to App Store for Apple devices or Play Store for Android devices and download the 'Microsoft remote Desktop' app
Then download the student desktop and find the Student Desktop file on your device. The file often lands in the Downloads folder, unless you specified another location for it save, such as your desktop
Once downloaded, this should give you the option to 'open'/'open with'. Choose RD client/Remote Desktop. If you are met with a permission pop-up, choose yes/ok to proceed
It'll then ask for your username and password. Your username is org\studentnumber and your password is the same one you use for logging into other student services. Your computer should remember your username for the next time you login
Depending on your device, you may be able to login straight from the RD Client app after your first login. For Apple devices, you will need to go to the Downloads folder and click on the Student Desktop file to get your login pop-up

Differences between Student Desktop download and web browser method

Student Desktop web:

easy access on the browser, no downloads required
works with all MFA authentication methods, including text message
does not require 4G/WiFi to use the Authenticator app
you don't have to authenticate every time you log in

Student desktop download (alternative option):

requires downloading of files to your personal device
only works with phone call and app MFA authentication
requires 4G/WiFi for the authentication
you have to authenticate every time you log in

Virtual PC

Our Virtual PC for students contains all the software students can access on our physical PC's on campus, but which need too much digital resource to fit on our Student Desktop.

This includes software like ArcGIS, Free Pascal, QGIS, R / R for Windows / R Studio, Sketchup 2020, Audacity, Autocad Lt 2016, Gimp 2, HEC-RAS 5.0.7, Ndicea Read&Write 10.

For things like standard access to Microsoft Office documents and shared and personal Drive access you should use the Student Desktop instead.

You can download the Virtual PC files and we also have a user guide for you.

Moodle and Mahara - login and training

Moodle is our online learning platform, and both your induction and teaching will be hosted there – meaning it is the main place where you will find information about and materials for your course. For an introduction to Moodle, watch this video.

One of the first things that we would like you to do is check that you can log into Moodle. It’s important to check that you can log on successfully so that you can participate in (and make the most of) all the events happening in induction and your studies.

Firstly, watch a short introductory video from our Digital Learning Team. They will explain how to log on and give you a quick tour of the Moodle Dashboard.

We also offer Mahara to students. This introductory video covers what Mahara is and how it can benefit you.

Using Mahara, students and staff create their personal learning stories by uploading evidence of activities they have participated in, and embedding publicly accessible content they have previously put online. They can write reflections on their experiences that frame this evidence, map it to competencies or registration requirements, and provide necessary context.

Mahara can be used for many different portfolio purposes, such as study, professional development, work-integrated learning, assessment, showcase and presentation, and employability. The Mahara website is also a good resource.

If you need help accessing Moodle or resetting your password, contact IDS on sidssd@sruc.ac.uk

Microsoft Office (Office 365)

When you join us you get a SRUC email address and access to Office 365, for free. This lasts for the duration of your studies at SRUC.

Office 365 is the latest version of Microsoft Office and gives you access all applications including Outlook and Word. Here's an Office 365 access tutorial for you to learn the basics Microsoft Outlook to read and write emails. You can find out more about the layout of Outlook and how to navigate to the different tools by watching the beginner's guide to Microsoft Office.

Microsoft Office 365 tutorial

More programmes

Microsoft Teams

Learn how to sign in for the first time and navigate your teams and channels in this video. And this video will give you an overview of how to communicate with Microsoft Teams using chats, posts, calls, and video.

Kaltura

To participate in a Kaltura meeting room, you do not need to download or install anything. Just connect to the room via the Chrome or Firefox browsers on your computer or Android device. Watch this video for a summary on how to join a session as a student.

MySRUC app

The MySRUC app has been developed to give you a single point of access to all sorts of useful information about SRUC including access to your timetables, email, library, SRUCSA, Moodle sites etc.

You can access My SRUC by going to my.sruc.ac.uk or by searching 'SRUC' in the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).

You can watch the short video below to get more information about the MYSRUC app.