Computer Systems, Email, and Social Media Policies

Students are assigned individual e-mail accounts upon admission to the College. All courses utilize Canvas as the online learning platform. Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.) is used exclusively in all programs. Support services are available to students for technical issues related to course work.

Laptops and smart phones have become a must-have tool in today’s academic environment. They enhance the student experience and promote the creation of an academic learner-centered environment by bringing more options and resources to the student. Goldfarb School of Nursing requires that all students own a laptop and a smart phone. Both the laptop and the smart phone must have access to the Internet at the school, and outside the school. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure proper Internet access outside GSON, that their phone and laptop are functional and, always capable to connect to the Internet through the appropriate network

We recommend laptops instead of notebooks, Chromebooks or tablets. Some notebooks may work but they could make the access to some resources challenging if not impossible. Any laptop that was purchased in the last two years should be good enough but check the MINIMUM recommended hardware below for a better experience:

Hardware	Recommendation
Processor	Intel i5 7^th Gen or better
RAM	16 GB or more
Hard Drive	256 GB (larger capacity and/or solid state preferred)
Operating System	Windows 10 or OS X Sierra (10.11) with the latest patches
Software	Up to date Antivirus (Windows Defender minimum) Google Chrome PDF reader
Network	Wireless card or USB
Min Screen Size	14”
Battery life (laptops)	More than 4 hours
Camera and Microphone	Built-in or external webcam with microphone required for certain online exams
Backup	GSON will provide MS OneDrive license during the active enrollment of the student

All enrolled students have a Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College email account. It is imperative that all students utilize this account. This is the primary means by which the College will communicate with you outside of the classroom. As such, students are responsible for checking this account and for any information distributed by this means.

All students should have completed a “BJC Confidentiality Statement” form at the time of admission to the College. The College Registration Department retains the completed form as a part of the student’s permanent file. Please read, understand, and adhere to all guidelines set forth in the BJC Confidentiality Statement. It is suggested that you keep a copy of this document for your personal records.

Sharing your password or failing to log out of the computer when finished will allow others to access the computer systems through your account. You can be held accountable for any inappropriate activity on your account. Any printing charges incurred as a result of failure to log off will not be refunded.

As a student, you will have access to real patient records and other sensitive information. Do not share, copy, print, download, upload, take notes etc. of any personal or health information. The civil and criminal penalties for HIPAA violations can be severe so you will be trained on HIPAA regulations before accessing the hospital systems. You will be expected to follow the law as any doctor, nurse or staff member of the hospital.

Approximately two weeks prior to the beginning of your first term, you will receive access to the College’s computing resources, as well as several BJC HealthCare systems. Below, you will find information about each system, how to access them, how to formulate your usernames and passwords and how to reach out for help when necessary. Before accessing any of the applications, you need to change your password but first, read about our systems and how to get your username and default password.