New Student FAQ

How do I get an email account?
We set up an account for all students who register for courses before the start of the semester. Therefore, enrolled students should already have an email account. If you cannot get your username and password to work in e-mail, call the Helpdesk at x7777 from on campus and 362-6538 from off campus.

How do I access my email?
You access your mail by logging into https://my.hollins.edu and clicking on the e-mail tab.

What is my email address?
Your email address is username@hollins.edu where username is usually your first initial followed by your last name. (Ex. jdoe@hollins.edu for jane doe). To prevent duplicate addresses, some email addresses are slightly different. All students should receive a letter with their email address before they start class.

Can I use my hotmail (or yahoo or AOL or other) account as my email account?
Your Hollins email account is your official email account for campus communications. Faculty members, staff, administrators, the Library and other university groups will use this address to communicate with you. Even if you choose to continue to use another account for personal mail, you should check your Hollins email regularly for messages.

I have forgotten my Hollins password? How can I get find out what it is?
Call the Help Desk at x7777 (362-6538 from off campus). They cannot tell you your current password but they will turn in a request to have Computer Services reset your password. Please allow 1 working day for the password to be changed.

Several people have told me that they are getting messages returned when they send mail to my Hollins email account. Why is this happening?
Each mail account is limited in storage space. No individual message (including attachments) can be larger than 5mb or it is rejected. If your mailbox becomes full, new messages will not be accepted. Messages will be returned to the senders. You should regularly delete messages that you no longer need.

Username/Password - Network
Network Username: This is formed by combining your lastname with your first and middle initial. If you don’t have a middle initial, we used the first 2 characters of your first name. Usernames do not include characters such as ‘ or -. Example: miltonkp for Kelly P. Milton or wilsonka for Kathy Wilson with no middle initial.

Network passwords are in the format: your 3 initials followed by the last 4 digits of your Hollins university ID. For example, if Jenny K. Harper had the Hollins University ID A64660887, her password would be jkh0887. If we did not have your middle initial, your password is your 2 initials followed by the last 4 digits of your Hollins University ID. (If your username and password don't work, call the help desk for assistance with your account. The number is listed below).

Username/Password - Email - students

To access Student e-mail, open your internet browser and enter the following address: https://my.hollins.edu
Click on the E-Mail tab.

You can also go to E-mail using the following address:
https://exch2k7.hollinsnt.hollins.edu/owa

Username/Password - Hollins Information System

The web-based Hollins Information System will assist you with information about your courses and give you access to your transcript on line. The system will also provide easy access to the course catalog and semester class schedules. You will use it to register for courses.

To logon to this system, open Internet Explorer and enter the following address:
https://selfserv7-2.hollins.edu. When you enter the Secure Area, enter your Hollins University ID and PIN (personal ID number). Your initial PIN is your birth-date in the format mmddyy. For example, if your birth-date is February 5, 1952, your PIN will be 020552.
If your birth-date in not in our records, your PIN will be the last 6 digits of your Hollins University ID.

If you are a student and forget your password, please contact the Registrar's Office.

Username/Password - Blackboard

A number of professors use the Blackboard course management system in their courses. Your username and password to login to Blackboard are the same as your network username and password supplied above. To access Blackboard, open your browser and enter the following address: http://bb.hollins.edu. There are also links to Blackboard on the main tab and the Academics tab of the my.hollins.portal.

Where are there student accessible computer labs?
The following rooms have computers available for student use:
Dana 110, 110A, 111, and 236
Pleasants 204
Dana 2nd floor lounge - several PCs and a printer
Dorms - Common Areas - several computers
The library has computers for students use on the 2nd floor and several other areas.
The Wetherill Visual Arts Center has a lab in the central area of the main floor

A new media lab is located on the ground floor of the Library in the media services area. It has several Macs, 2 PCs, a flatbed scanner, a slide scanner, and 2 color printers.

Several departments such as art, chemistry, film, psychology, and biology have additional computers with specialized software for use by their students. Consult faculty in these departments for further information.

If I am having problems with the computers in the labs, where do I report it?
Call the helpdesk at x7777 to report hardware problems. Please give the specific computer location to the help desk personal.

If I have problems with supported software, who can I call?
Call the helpdesk at x7777 to request help.

What software is on the lab computers?
All PCs use Windows XP operating system. Office 2007, Front Page XP, Internet Explorer, Java, Maple, and Norton Antivirus are on all PCs.

Must I pay for printing?
Currently all printing is free except for color printing which is $.40 per page (single-sided) and $.55 per page (double-sided).

Can I store my files on the hard drive of the lab computers?
No. Each time the PC reboots, it is restored to its original state. Changes made to the hard drive (such as saving files on it) are deleted. This keeps the PCs from having their software corrupted. Each student has been assigned a limited amount of a network storage area. When you connect to the network, you automatically connect to this area, which is assigned to the H: drive. You an access the H: drive from any computer on the Hollins network. To work on files off campus, store your files on a CD or a flash drive.

Can I add software/plugins to the lab PCs?
No. Each time the PC reboots, the PC is restored to its original state. Changes made to the hard drive (such as adding software) are deleted. This keeps the PCs from having their software corrupted by software incompatibilities.

When are printers located?
Dana: Printers are located in Dana 236 , Dana 117, and the second floor lounge.
Pleasants: A printer is located in the Pleasants 204 lab.
Library: A printer is located on the 2nd floor in the East wing and in the basement of the Library

What software programs are supported by the helpdesk?
The helpdesk supports Office XP/2007, Windows XP, and Internet Explorer. For help with class specific software such as Maple, Minitab, Java, please consult the faculty who use them in their classes.

If I have problems with supported software, who can I call?
The helpdesk at x7777 from campus. (362-6538 from off campus).

I am having problems with my personal PC that I brought to campus?
Whom should I contact?
If you are having a problem connecting to the network and you feel the problem might be a problem with network service or the wall jack, call the help desk. If the problem appears to be with the PC itself, and it is under warranty, contact the manufacturer. If it is no longer under warranty, the Yellow Pages in the phone book list a number of companies who do computer repair under Computers-Svce. & Repair

If I have problems with my phone service, who should I call?
STC services at 362-6567

What is my H: drive and how do I use it:
Each student is assigned a storage area on a network server. This storage area is available as long as you are a student. It is accessible from any computer that is a part of the Hollins network (This includes all computers in labs as well as networked computers in dorm rooms.) Each time you login to the network, you are automatically connected to this drive. If you open My Computer on a PC, you will see your drive connections. The H: drive will show up under the heading Network Drives. You can save a file to the H: in the same way you save to the C: drive.

To save a document on the H: drive, in your application, open the File menu and select Save As.
Click on the down arrow to the right of the Save In: dialog box. From the drop down list of drives, select the H: drive. It will read something like username$ on 'folders' (H:).

One advantage of storing files on the H: drive on the network server is that they are backed up nightly to tape.

A second advantage is that you can get to them from a lab computer as well as your room computer.

What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a course management system that allows faculty to provide course content to their students over the internet. It enables faculty to post course information, administer quizzes, setup threaded discussions, run a chat room, send email to a group and perform other course related activities.

Updated 4/29/09


Academics Student Life Computing Library Registrar
Blackboard Campus Map Directories Hollins.edu My.Hollins.edu