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Getting Started
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IT Notices and Policies
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IT notices, including various policies and rules can be found in :ref:`IT Policies <userguides/it-policies/index:IT Policies>`. In particular, see:

* `Information security policy <../it-policies/docs/infosec_policy.pdf>`_
* `Account Closure Policy <../it-policies/docs/account_closure_policy.pdf>`_
* `University guidance on the use of generative AI systems such as ChatGPT <https://infosec.ox.ac.uk/use-generative-ai-services-such-as-chatgpt-safely>`_



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Which Account To Use
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Your :ref:`Statistics (or Stats) IT account <userguides/computing-essentials/accounts-passwords:Statistics IT Account>` (normally a variant of your names) is used to log into:

* :ref:`Department of Statistics HPC <userguides/hpc/index:High-Performance Computing (HPC)>`
* :ref:`Department of Statistics hallway printers <userguides/computing-essentials/print-scan:Printing & Scanning>`
* Managed departmental PCs (including Windows and Linux)
* :ref:`Remote Desktop Gateway (wingate.stats.ox.ac.uk) <userguides/communication-and-collaboration/wifi-remote:Remote Desktop Gateway>`
* :ref:`SSH Gateway (gate.stats.ox.ac.uk) <userguides/communication-and-collaboration/wifi-remote:SSH Gateway>`

To get a Stats IT Account, please fill out the `New Computer Account Request Form <docs/Statistics-IT-Account-Request-Form.pdf>`_ and submit it to Statistics HR at hr@stats.ox.ac.uk.

Your :ref:`Oxford University SSO account <userguides/computing-essentials/accounts-passwords:Oxford SSO>` (usually in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK) is used to log into:

* :ref:`Nexus365 email (Outlook) <userguides/communication-and-collaboration/email:Email>`
* :ref:`Oxford Cisco VPN <userguides/communication-and-collaboration/wifi-remote:Virtual Private Network (VPN)>`
* :ref:`Stats FortiClient VPN <forticlient-vpn>`

Your `Remote Access account <https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/it-services-accounts#collapse2213036>`_ (also in the format abcd1234@OX.AC.UK, but with a different password) is used to log into eduroam Wi-Fi, both across Oxford and at other participating universities/colleges around the world.

If you have a department-provided **laptop**, you will be provided the initial login details when you receive it and asked to set your own password, which is independent of your other accounts.

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Contacting Stats IT Support
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Via Email (Recommended)
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The recommended method of contacting Stats IT Support is to email ithelp@stats.ox.ac.uk.

When contacting Stats IT support, please try to follow the guidelines below:

* Keep to one **request per email**, so we can assign and track each request separately, with a separate ticket ID.
* Make the **subject meaningful** - generic subjects like "HELP!!!" are more likely to delay your request.
* When following up, **keep the ticket ID** in the subject, so your email can be matched to the correct ticket. You can do this by replying to the "AutoReply" email from the system, or to any follow-up email from the Stats IT staff, rather than to your original email.
* Include **all relevant information** - for example:

  #. What machine/printer/device were you using? (name or number from asset sticker)
  #. The location of the the machine/printer (e.g. S1.23)
  #. What were you doing when the error occurred?
  #. What was the exact error message?
  #. If the problem relates to a specific file, please state the location
  #. If the problem relates to a specific web page, please provide the URL of that page

Emails are automatically logged in the IT ticket tracking system and assigned a ticket ID. All members of the Stats IT team read the mail sent to ithelp@stats.ox.ac.uk, and the system allows us to allocate tasks easily and track progress on the problem.

In Person
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The Stats IT staff can be visited in person too:

* G.07 - `Stuart McRobert (Computing Manager) <https://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/stuart-mcrobert>`_
* G.06 - `Mark Feasey (Computing Officer) <https://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/mark-feasey>`_
* G.06 - `Dayo Ntwari (Senior Computing Specialist) <https://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/dayo-ntwari>`_
* G.06 - `Simon Patchett (Computing Officer) <https://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/simon-patchett>`_

**However**, if you report a problem in person and it cannot be answered on the spot, it is quite likely you will be asked to log the request by sending clear details to ithelp@stats.ox.ac.uk.

Other IT Support Teams
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While the Stats IT team will do our best to help with your query, we do not have administrative access to many systems provided by central IT Services or other departments/colleges. In such cases, you may need to contact the teams that manage those services directly - for example:

* `IT Services (including for Nexus365 email issues) <https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/get-support>`_
* `Other department/college IT teams <https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/local-it-support-staff>`_



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IT Help and Guides
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Further information about the Stats IT systems and obtaining support for them can be found in the pages on this website.

Items of particular interest to a new user might be:

* :ref:`Connecting to the Wi-Fi network <userguides/communication-and-collaboration/wifi-remote:Wi-Fi and Remote Access>`
* :ref:`Connecting to the Department of Statistics VPN <forticlient-vpn>`
* :ref:`Communication and email <userguides/communication-and-collaboration/index:Communication & Collaboration>`
* `Information Security and Data Protection training course <https://www.infosec.ox.ac.uk/do-the-online-training>`_
* :ref:`Printing <userguides/computing-essentials/print-scan:Printing & Scanning>`
* :ref:`High-Performance Computing (HPC) <hpc>`
* :ref:`IT purchasing guidance <userguides/computing-essentials/computers-devices:Computers & Devices>`