Technology Resources and Support
Technology Resources and Support
Sacred Heart University is committed to providing a state-of-the-art technology environment that supports academic excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Through significant investments in infrastructure, instructional tools, and support services, the University ensures that students, faculty, and staff have access to the digital resources they need to succeed.
Network Infrastructure and Connectivity
The University’s campus-wide network is powered by a high-speed, multi-gigabit fiber-optic Ethernet backbone, ensuring fast and reliable internet access across all academic, administrative, and residential facilities. Our wireless network, supported by over 3,300 enterprise-grade access points—including the latest Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 models—delivers secure, high-performance connectivity for students, faculty, and staff. Users enjoy 24/7 access to University resources such as the library, email, and academic systems. Off-campus access is supported through Virtual Private Network (VPN) services and virtual desktop platforms, enabling seamless use of even the most advanced applications from any location.
Instructional Technology and Learning Tools
Sacred Heart continues to enhance its learning environments by upgrading classrooms with fixed multimedia capabilities, including large screen displays, classroom computers, laptop connections, and audio systems. All general-purpose classrooms are equipped for full technology integration, and computing labs across campus support both general and specialized instruction. One lab remains open 24/7/365 for student, faculty, and staff use.
The University’s Learning Management System, Blackboard Ultra, enables faculty to deliver content, foster collaboration, and administer assessments both in-person and online. Faculty and students also have access to a suite of video collaboration tools, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as asynchronous lecture capture through Echo360.
Sacred Heart is committed to supporting a technology-rich academic environment. All students are encouraged to have a personal laptop to support their studies, both in and out of the classroom. The University supports a range of devices from Lenovo, Apple, and Dell to ensure compatibility with our systems and services.
Full-time faculty are issued a university-standard Windows laptop, refreshed every four years. Higher-performance Windows models or Apple devices are available upon request based on instructional or academic needs. Adjunct faculty are also issued supported devices when teaching. All university-provided laptops are pre-configured with Microsoft Office and other essential academic software to ensure a seamless teaching and learning experience.
Support Services: PioTech Center
To support the University’s technology ecosystem, PioTech Center (formerly known as The Factory) serves as a centralized technology support center. Staffed by certified technicians, it offers in-person and remote assistance for hardware and software issues. During the Fall and Spring terms, PioTech Center operates extended hours (Monday-Thursday: 12 hours/day; Friday: 9 hours; Saturday: 4 hours). Support is available via campus phone, toll-free hotline, email, and self-service portal.
PioTech Center also houses the laptop service center and call center, providing troubleshooting, repairs, and remote diagnostics. In addition, our training team offers monthly workshops and on-on-one training sessions to help the community build proficiency in supported software and digital tools.
Collaboration and Productivity Tools
Through the Microsoft 365 portal, students and employees can access a suite of collaboration tools including OneNote for digital note-taking, Sway for presentations, Teams for meetings, and real-time document sharing and editing. Email services are hosted on Microsoft 365 and accessible from any internet-connected device.