Buildings and services

As a rule, all university buildings are closed for visitors. Students can make limited use of certain services and facilities, but advance reservation is required. 

Study places

There are a limited number of study places available in the library and certain faculty buildings. To make use of these, you have to reserve a time slot in advance. Reserve a study place.

University library

Visit the library website for the latest information on the library's adapted services.

University Sports Centre

Take a look at the current information on adapted services on the USC website. 

Student information and guidance

The Student Affairs Front Office and guidance and advice services can still be reached by email and telephone. 

IT facilities

IT Facilities you will need at home

To follow online education, you will need the following IT facilities at home:

• A laptop or desktop computer (Windows/Mac/Linux), preferably not more than two years old, with a modern and updated operating system and browser (preferably Chrome or Firefox).
• Plenty of storage space, either on your computer or via OneDrive.
• A stable internet connection that is not shared with too many housemates.
• A good camera and microphone, either integrated in your computer or a separate webcam and headset.
• If you are using a small laptop, an additional screen is also a good idea.

Borrow a Chromebook

If you don't have a suitable computer you can, in exceptional circumstances, borrow a Chromebook from the university for an assessment or a longer period of time.

For an assessment
If you need a laptop to do an online assessment, you can borrow one for a short period from Plexus Student Centre in Leiden or the Wijnhaven service desk in The Hague. Reserve a Chromebook for an assessment. 

For a longer period
If you need a Chromebook to follow online courses for a longer period, speak to your study adviser.

Collection and return
When collecting a Chromebook you must take along ID (passport or driving licence) and your student card. You will be asked to sign the terms of agreement. 

• Plexus: By appointment only, Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 12:00. Contact the caretaker to make an appointment, tel. 071 527 3010.
• Wijnhaven: at the service desk, Monday to Friday between 8:30 and 17:00. 

IT facilities via the university

To aid you in your online studies, the following IT facilities are available via the university. 

Office 365 and OneDrive

As a student, you can make free use of Office 365 ProPlus and OneDrive cloud storage.

• Via Office 365 you can access programmes such as Word and Excel on your computer and mobile device.
• Via OneDrive you can safely store and share up to 1024 GB of files in the cloud.

Getting started with Office 365 and OneDrive

Microsoft Teams: safely working together online

With Microsoft Teams you can remotely work together with fellow students. Teams is best suited for use with small groups. You can use Teams for:

• Video calling
• Audio calling
• Online chat
• Sharing, editing and storing documents

Do not use Teams to make recordings or to store sensitive documents or data. Teams is also not a suitable tool for long-term file storage. Instead use other options such as OneDrive.

Getting started with Teams

Microsoft also offers several Teams training videos.

Accessing files from your P-drive

The University Library has set up workstations so that students can access files on their P-drive. You will need to call the UB in advance to book a time slot. For more information and to book a slot see the UB website.

Printing

You can make an appointment to print documents at the university library. 

Education applications

Kaltura Live Room

Many of your lecturers will use Kaltura Live Room to provide interactive online classes. To improve functionality when using Live Room we recommend that you:

• only use your camera if strictly necessary,
• close other browsers and applications,
• use a wired internet connection if available,
• if using wifi, sit near the router and if necessary, ask housemates not to use the internet or applications such as Netflix,
• restart your computer regularly to free up temporary memory,
• if necessary, invest in additional memory.

Education applications for use at home

Several applications that were previously only available via the university network can now be used at home. Find out which applications are available and how you can access them.

Security and online study

Cyber criminals are very active at present. They are trying to exploit the current unprecedented situation. It is therefore even more important than usual that you work securely.

• Make sure that your home computer, mobile phone and tablet are updated and have good security software. Find out how. 
• Use a trusted and secure (wifi) network.
• Be alert for phishing and fake emails about the corona virus. If you receive an unexpected email or an email from an unfamiliar sender, do not click on any links, open any attachments or enter any details. The university will never ask you for your passwords by email. If you think you have received a phishing email, report it in the helpdesk portal.
• Use OneDrive to save and share files safely.
• Close the browser completely after having been logged in. Do not save your passwords in your browser.

Privacy and recorded lectures
Some of your lecturers may wish to record online lectures so that students can re-watch them later. Before doing so, your lecturer will ask your permission and let you know the purpose of the recording, how and to whom it will be made available and how it will be stored. If you do not wish to be visible in the recording, make sure your camera is switched off. Note that the unauthorised photographing, recording, use or distribution of materials from online classes is prohibited.