Welcome to RRU!
Congratulations on embarking on this exciting journey of learning! As you step into this new chapter of your academic life, remember that every lesson, every challenge, and every triumph will contribute to your growth.
You may already start feeling overwhelmed because you are being bombarded with new usernames, new passwords and new systems. We don't want technology to be a challenge. We've designed this page to help you navigate the various IT information and RRU resources available at RRU and invite you to contact us at any time if you have questions. Our contact information is found at the bottom on this page.
We are the Computer Services team and we are here to help you succeed in your studies.
Your RRU Login (must read!)
As a student in a credit program, you have one RRU Login that you’ll use to access resources during your studies. You received a notice to set up a passphrase and activate your RRU Login when it was created for you, which may have been early in your application process or near the end, when you accepted a seat.
Depending on which resource you’re using, you may be required to enter your RRU Login in one of two formats. No matter which format you use, the same passphrase should be used.
RRU Login Formats | Use this format to log into sites and services like: |
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Your first initial + (maybe a number) + your last name + @royalroads.ca like: dbrown@royalroads.ca or d1brown@royalroads.ca This is NOT used as an email address at RRU (technically called a User Principle Name (UPN), this is the long form of your RRU Login) | |
Your first initial + (maybe a number) + your last name like: dbrown or d1brown (technically called a Security Accounts Manager (SAM), this is the short form of your RRU Login) | MyAdmin where you can you can pay bills, order transcripts, view grades, order a bus pass, upload documents, manage your email forwarding and update your personal email address. If you need to reset your password RRU Library while you are enrolled in a credit program
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Click for Bonus info: Some Moodle secrets
Why do you have two Moodle Sites? Undergraduate & Graduate Courses Moodle contains all Credit Program courses. Professional & Continuing Studies Moodle contains all other courses, often non-credit but there are exceptions. This includes prerequisite courses like Academic Writing or Accounting Prep. You will always have access to the PCS student portal and can enroll in additional continuing studies courses during your credit program and in the future.
Where are my courses? Your courses will not appear on Moodle until the day they go live. This is usually 9am on the first day of classes. In some cases, the instructor might open up the course on the Friday before, but if this happens you will be notified in advance. If you do not hear otherwise, just expect the courses to appear automagically on day one of your course.
Click for bonus info: How is your RRU Login and email address created?
The RRU Login is created using the first initial of your preferred name + your last name.
(i.e. for a student named Douglas Brown, the username would be dbrown.)
If the username dbrown has been used previously, the last name is preceded with a number. Therefore the username would be d1brown. If that is already used, the system tries d2brown and so on, until it finds an unused username (i.e. d3brown).
The email address is generated based on the username. Using the example above for Douglas Brown, username d1brown, the email address will be: douglas.1brown@royalroads.ca.
We cannot change the username except in very specific circumstances, such as a legal name change.
What is my passphrase?
As mentioned above, you set up a passphrase when you activated your RRU Login.
If you cannot remember your passphrase is, you can reset your passphrase on our web site here.
You MUST know your username (short form) and your student ID number. If you don't know your student ID number, you will need to contact the registrar's office at 1-800-788-8028 x4862. The student number is also on all receipts your received from Royal Roads.
Click for Bonus info: Why does RRU call it a passphrase? What is a Passphrase?
A passphrase is another word for a password however it encourages a sequence of words or other text rather then a single word to control access to a computer system, program or data. A passphrase is similar to a password in usage, but is generally longer for added security. The passphrase at Royal Roads can also contain spaces, numbers and special characters.
Passphrase => Password
Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (must read!)
Royal Roads University has adopted Microsoft 365 MFA for Webmail, and Office 365 (currently only for people outside Canada, but soon coming to all accounts). This means you will eventually need MFA to access any Microsoft resource as well as any resource that use Microsoft to authenticate like Zoom and many others. In the near future MFA will also be required to log into Moodle.
MFA uses a mobile device to “authenticate” your account. The Microsoft Authenticator application uses minimal data (~<2mb over 3 months) and does not access your personal or private information on your device. You may use another authenticator if you would prefer.
You only have to set this up once and it will work for all the applications listed.
As this procedure is a little longer, we have setup a page all it’s own. Please go here for detailed instructions to setup MFA.
Please do not delay setting up MFA.
Email address (must read!)
When you became registered in a credit program, we automatically created an email address for you. Email addresses at RRU are in the format: preferred-name.last-name@royalroads.ca and may contain a number, like “douglas.1brown@royalroads.ca”.
With few exceptions, you rarely use your email address to log in to RRU resources.
This looks similar to your RRU Login except that your name is spelled out. Many people confuse these two.
All RRU official correspondence is sent to your RRU email account. There are a few ways to access your RRU email account. (a couple methods require a mobile device)
Email forwarding (default) - All RRU email is forwarded directly to your personal email account. There is no copy anywhere else including in your RRU webmail account. You can manage your forwarding on the MyAdmin site. If you want to turn forwarding off, please make sure you can log into Webmail first (addressed below).
Webmail access - Once you have MFA setup, you can now log into RRU Webmail. We are in the process of migrating to a new email server. If you have not been migrate then you log into Webmail at https://webmail.royalroads.ca. If you have been migrated then you log into Webmail at https://outlook.office.com/.
In either case you will also use your long format of your RRU Login (d1brown@royalroads.ca) to log in to this account, not your email address) (Forwarding must be turned off to see any email in webmail)
Mobile device - You can setup your email account on a mobile device using the default mail application or using your own email software. You can find instructions to setup this account here. (Forwarding must be turned off to get email on your mobile device)
Please note that the max file size your RRU email account can send/receive is 20mb uncompressed regardless of you access your email. Also note that PDF/JPG/ZIP documents are compressed so anything over 12-15mb (total) of these file types will probably be too big.
Click for Bonus Info: Is your personal email address a Hotmail, Outlook, MSN or Live.ca address?
We are aware that some RRU email going to Hotmail, Outlook, MSN and Live.ca accounts, including RRU passphrase reset and academic account activation emails, are going directly into SPAM folders or not arriving at all for staff/faculty and students that are using Microsoft email accounts like Live.ca, Outlook.com and Hotmail.com among others. If you are concerned you are missing an email, please check your Junk Email folders.
We also strongly suggest that you add “royalroads.ca” domain to the Safe Sender's list in your account.
Please see this page for instructions.
Additional Resources
Is my computer ready?
Is my computer ready?
Since most of your work will be done over the internet and through a browser, your only limits will be your internet speed and availability. Most computers will be able to handle this processing without any difficulties.
Depending on your program, you might be required to record a video, work on documents with Microsoft Office, or install additional software. In those cases, again, most computers should still have no difficulty handling those tasks.
Inevitably, we get the question of Mac vs Windows? RRU supports both options and our only recommendation is not to try something new at RRU. If you are most comfortable with a Mac, then stick with it. Courses, and especially residencies, can be quite intense and busy, so you do not want to be learning a new operating system at the same time as learning at RRU. Both OS will handle what you need to do.
Finally, if you do not already have a copy of Microsoft Office, RRU provides a free subscription to Office 365 that can be used to install on up to 5 computers. So please do not pay for your own license if you do not want to. (RRU Office 365 license not available for Chromebook)
Detailed list of requirements can be found at Computer Requirements for Online Learning
Launchpad: Orientation to RRU
The LaunchPad will provide you with a deeper understanding of the resources, services, and opportunities available to you at RRU. You will also learn about and get comfortable with Moodle, our online learning platform.
Library
Library
Library access is only granted when you are within 60 days from the course start date. You use the short format of your RRU Login (d1brown) to log in.
Please see this page for additional info on Library access.
Office 365
We offer you a copy of Office 365 that you can install on up to 5 computers. This license is subscription based and only works while you have an active account at RRU.
You will also use your long format of your RRU Login (d1brown@royalroads.ca) to access this account.
You can find information to set this up here - About Office 365 for RRU Staff, Faculty and Students
We also offer an online version of Office 365. You can access this online version of Office 365 at https://www.office.com/.
MFA must be setup to access this service outside Canada (and eventually inside Canada as well).
WiFi on campus
WiFi on campus
RRU offers free wifi access on campus. Please see the following page for details on how to connect your mobile device or laptop to the RRU wifi.
You will use the long format of your RRU Login (d1brown@royalroads.ca) to access wifi.
WiFi at RRU
Printing on Campus
Printing on campus
When on campus, you can print from any RRU computer to any RRU printer. (You cannot print from a personal laptop)
To Print:
Log in to any RRU computer with your short format of your RRU Login (d1brown) and password
A printer should be setup by default. (The printer name is the physical location of the printer). If you do not see an printer, you can install with /wiki/spaces/ITKNOW/pages/5837168. Or you can contact Computer Services at the phone number listed below
You have $1 on your account by default. Your print balance will appear in your Papercut window. Cost of printing and how to add funds can be found here.
Photocopying and Scan-to-Email while on campus
Photocopying and scan-to-email while on campus
To use the printer to photocopy or scan-to-email, you must log into the Printer
On the LCD display on the copier, enter your student ID number and your PIN
If you do not have a PIN, click on the button that says No PIN
You'll be asked to enter your PIN once and then again to confirm. Use something you'll remember easily and please do not use your bank PIN or anything else that valuable.
Now, you're set up. Click Log in to access the copier, scan or fax features.
Other Accounts
Other accounts
During your program, it may be necessary for you to register for services that are outside of RRU or managed separately. In these cases, you’ll create accounts that are different from your RRU Login.
For a complete list of all possible logins and other accounts, including those mentioned above, please see /wiki/spaces/ITKNOW/pages/5840838.
Planning ahead- Planning for graduation
Planning ahead - prepare for graduation
It may seem odd to start thinking about graduation when you are just beginning, but we strongly suggest that you organize how you will save and organize the info you might want to keep as you travel this journey. This will remove stress as you near graduation by making it easier for you to download and save any material that would otherwise be removed when you graduate.
FYI - Your account will remain active forever, however 14 days after your degree is conferred (usually Convocation) your access to certain items will be removed:
14 days after convocation your access to your courses and all credit course material is removed
14 days after convocation your access to your email is closed.
If your email is forwarded, email forwarded will cease
If you have email in your email account, the account is deleted and all email is lost (and this cannot be recovered)
You will receive reminders 14 days, 7 days, 3 days, 2 days and 1 day before your Credit Moodle access is removed.
30 days after your last course is complete (this date could occur before convocation) your library access is removed
Please see How to Save Your Coursework - The complete procedure to help you download everything for additional details on what happens when you graduate and how to save your stuff as you go.
Access to your account after it is closed is not possible except in extenuating circumstances and access is only approved after a review by multiple departments.
Computer Services Knowledge base
This site contains a lot of answers to questions you may have during your studies and provides a way for you to open a ticket for technical assistance. You can find this site at https://computerservices.royalroads.ca. You must login to see all the content and we recommend you log in now. You should only have to log in once.
