Services Offered

The Directorate provides both hardware and software services to all our clients E.g. computer re-imaging, printer installation and configuration, Software installation and configuration e.tc Our staff members are in charge of our computer laboratories ensure that all computers in the laboratories are functioning properly and are installed with genuine software to assist students to carry out their research. In the laboratories students are assisted to access online services and systems by our staff. ICT Directorate also administers Anti-Virus System which protects all university computers and servers from viruses. Facilitation of major university functions, presentations & meetings, video-conferencing and graduation are other support services offered by the Directorate.

MANAGING HELP DESK SUPPORT

Our ICT support section acts as a hub for all requests from our clients’. All queries related to ICT are pointed to this section and they are responded within a period of 24 hours. Our online ICT Support Help Desk system that can be accessed here: http://support.ku.ac.ke/ Other queries that are received through ICT Secretariat are directed to ICT Help Desk for necessary action. Apart from receiving queries, ICT Secretariat offers excellent customer care services to all clients. ICT secretariat can be reached via: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Any feedback from our clients can be communicated via: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ADMINISTRATION OF CORPORATE EMAIL ACCOUNTS

Our Directorate creates and manages University corporate email account. Corporate email accounts are mail accounts that have been customised for KU community. These emails are for official communication within the University by staff and students. Furthermore we also create emails for executive offices, School and departments, directors, chairpersons, sections etc.

The student’s corporate emails are created using our secondary domain name (@students.ku.ac.ke) while staff members and other emails stated above are created on our primary domain name (@ku.ac.ke). Once our students graduate, we convert their email accounts into alumni accounts (@alumni.ku.ac.ke), this ensures our students continue to use their emails even after they graduate from the University. The corporate email account login page can be accessed here: https://accounts.google.com

Students email accounts can be retrieved the link below;

http://studentmails.ku.ac.ke/

 TRAINING

The Directorate is involved in training of students on online ICT Support Help Desk system, Students online services, Google apps for education and KU corporate email services. Students’ online services include students’ portal which is available on: https://portal.ku.ac.ke/ and online hostel application system which is available on: http://hostel.ku.ac.ke/

Examples of Google apps for education that are important to our students are Google classroom, Google group, Google drive etc which can be accessed through:

https://www.google.com/edu/products/productivity-tools/

Staff members are also trained on our online ICT Support Help Desk system so as to equip them on necessary skills on how to raise any queries that they have.

 SMARTCARD SERVICES

The Directorate issues smart card to all students and staff in the University. Smart cards are used to access the University, borrow books from the library, purchase food in restaurants and food outlets and biometric class attendance and biometric job attendance.

ACQUISITION OF SYSTEMS

The Directorate facilitates acquiring of systems so as to automate all manual operations in the University. In order to come up with software specifications the Directorate conducts user requirements survey. Systems that are in use in the University are either outsourced or developed in-house

CAMPUSVUE ERP SERVICES

STUDENTS’ PORTAL SERVICES

These services include online registration of students, online accessing of results, academic progress reports and viewing of fees statement. In every intake all new students are trained on these services.

TRAINING ON CAMPUSVUE SYSTEM AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

In our system there is students’ portal and faculty portal. Faculty portal is used by lecturers for online entry of marks. The Directorate is involved in training of lecturers on how to access faculty portal and posting of marks. Again, deans, chairpersons of departments, examination coordinators, school administrators, registration clerks and finance staff are also trained on CampusVue System back-end.

REPORTING

The Directorate provides reports on student data to the University management and other government institutions such as Higher Education Loans Board and Commission for University Education.

 ERP SUPPORT SERVICES

ICT Directorate through CampusVue System supports Academic Division and Finance Section. The Academic Division includes the following sections; Admissions, Examination, Transcripts, Time Tabling, Library, E-learning, Digital School, Graduate school, Schools and Departments.

ACQUISITION OF ICT EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE

The Directorate facilitates the university to acquire computers, printers, scanners, projectors software and all other ICT equipment for use by students and staff. All these equipment and software facilitates in teaching, learning, research and administration. The Directorate prepares technical specifications for all ICT equipment and software. We run fully furnished computer laboratories which are used by students and staff to do their online reading and research.

PROVISION OF BROADBAND/ INTERNET

The Directorate facilitates acquiring of bandwidth, laying of fiber, structured cabling and installation of access points across the University. We are actively involved in network design, network security, preparation of bills of quantities for networking and provision of technical specifications for network equipment. All this is geared towards making internet available at every corner of the University.

Eduroam (Education on roaming) is a WIFI service that can be accessed all over the University by staff and Students using their login credentials.

 SYSTEMS AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION

ICT Directorate is responsible for user administration (setup and maintaining account), systems maintenance, monitoring system performance, creating system files, software installation and upgrade and creation of backups and recovery policy. We also set up security policies for users, password and identity management, creation of new users, resetting of passwords and lock/unlock user accounts

USER TRAINING AND PREPARATION OF USER MANUALS

The Directorate gives user support for all systems; part of this is done through training and development of user manuals that are highly customized to make it easy for users to understand.