Tech Dictionary

onboarding reference

Overview

There are many term's used at CBU that you may not be famillar with. This page lists some of such terms in alphabetical order. You can press "CTRL + F" on your keyboard to search for terms.

If you have another word you would like to learn about, please leave a quick comment and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

Common Terms

Academic Yearbook/Academic Calendar: an information source for students, faculty and staff. It includes information such as important dates, academic regulations, program information and more! You can access it on the CBU webpage, here.

Academic Preparedness: refers to how prepared a student is to engage in the academic demands of CBU. This includes tech know-how.

Artificial Intelligence: refers to machines programmed to "learn" and complete tasks (such as analysis or prediction) in a way that simulates how humans can accomplish tasks with their brainpower.

Clipboard: the storage on your device that stores copied items.

Compass Student System/Compass: refers to CBU’s student portal. It provides students with access to functions such as booking advising appointments, registration, degree progress, timetables, exam schedules, finance information and more!

Computer Labs: are spaces with computers that are designated for students to use.

Cookies: information that websites gather from you as you use their website. This includes when you accessed the website, what buttons you clicked, etc.

Cybersecurity: how to protect computers, phones, laptops, etc, from threats such as data theft, identity fraud, and damage.

EDUROAM: a service that provides free internet to educational institutions such as CBU.

Emergency Access Service (EAS): a system that allows CBU to send out important alerts to linked devices in the case of an emergency.

Flagging: marking an email as high importance.

FOIPOP (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy): is a law in Nova Scotia that states that information stored in public records (such as CBU) can be accessed by the owner, and others in extenuating circumstances.

Fob: a small hardware device that can be used to unlock devices and doors.

Firewall: a software that monitors traffic between networks (such as between Gmail and Outlook).

Generative AI: a type of AI that can "create" new things. For example, ChatGPT.

Help Desk: a person (or people) who can help you with various technical issues. The first point of contact after you try to get help.

IT Services: delivers technical support and services to students, faculty, and staff at CBU.

Knowledge Base: a curated section of knowledge that can answer your questions on demand.

LockDown Browser: a custom browser that is designed specially for taking tests an exams. It temporarily disables access to normal actions on a computer.

Moodle: the online platform used for your courses. When classes begin, you will be able to access all of your course information through your CBU Moodle Account.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) also known as two-factor authentication (2FA): a way of increasing the security of your account by requiring another device in order to log in (such as you phone).

Microsoft (MS) Office/Office365: the collection of software you will be using while at CBU (for example, Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

myCBUcard also know as student ID: verifies your identity as a student and allows you to access many student services across campus (and exams!).

PaperCut: the network used for student printing.

PDF (Portable Document Format): a type of file format often used (alongside word) for send documents online.

Phishing: a way people may try to illicitly access your username and/or passwords via email or phone.

Onedrive: a cloud that allows you to share files between computers.

Qualitrics: an online tool that is often used to build and distribute surveys.

Tuition: the price charged for your attendance at CBU (or another post-secondary institution).

ServiceHub: a map of the numerous services provided at CBU.

Spoof: an illegitimate/malicious email that is posing as a legitimate source.

Spam: an unwanted email.

Student Account: usually refers to the combination of your CBU email and password, but can also refer to your Compass Account, Financial Account, and more, depending on the circumstance.

Syllabus: a document that contains information and policies about a specific academic course.

Usage Policy: guidelines that mandate the requirements of a user of the technology at CBU, and the requirements are of the IT service department at CBU.

Viewbook: a promotional booklet that provides you with various information from CBU (or another post-secondary institution).

Virtual Tour: a simulation of an environment, such as CBU's library, or Courtyard.

Virus: computer software that can perform harmful actions on your computer, such s corrupting or stealing data.

Zip: a way of making a file smaller without removing information.

Common Software

You can find paid licensed software on the IT Service Portal, here. A CBU Account is required for access. All software present here are available in computer labs.

7-Zip File Manager: allows you to make and extract Zips.

Adobe Acrobat Reader: allows you to edit and create PDFs.

Atlas Ti: helps you perform analysis on qualitative research.

AutoCAD: a software for designing, drafting, and architecture.

Blender 3D sculpting: allows you to edit and create meshes for animation and 3d printing.

IBM SPSS & AMOS v29: for statistical analyses and models.

JASP: for statistical analysis.

Java Development Tool Kit: a software for working with Java applications.

Maple v2024: software for modeling, exploring, and visualizing mathematical problems.

Matlab v2024: a computing platform to help you visualize and navigate data.

Microsoft OneDrive: a cloud tat allows you to share data between computers.

Microsoft Teams: a collaborative platform that allows you to attend online classes and talk to peers/team members.

Microsoft Office: the umbrella program that allows you to access other microsoft programs, such as Teams, Onedrive, and Word.

Notepadd ++: a source code and text editor.

PrusaSlicer: a software dedicated to making 3D prints.

R Statistical Suite: a software for statistical programming and modeling.

Respondus Lockdown Browser: a browser for taking tests and exams that suspends your ability to use your computer for the duration of the test/exam.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2022: a source code editor that supports a variety of coding languages.

Zotero: helps you collect, cite, and annotate research articles.

Common Hardware

Knowing the terms of certain hardware can save you a lot of trouble. Most of these are available in the library or bookstore.

USB Drive: allows you to store a small amount of information to transfer between machines. To use these for 3D printing, you may want to select a smaller size.