The following tasks should be completed within your first week or two of employment at NC State to make sure you are in the NC State Extension information flow:

1. Request an e-mail alias address.
   1. Actual NC State e-mail addresses are created as unityid@ncsu.edu
   2. NC State e-mail alias addresses can be requested. These addresses may be easier for others to remember. At NC State, most people use firstname_lastname@ncsu.edu
2. Verify and update your contact information in the Extension Employee Database, including your desired email address and Responsibility Areas, and Update Your Image. Your image will display on your website staff page(s) and when someone looks you up in the Extension Directory.
   1. The employee database includes all N.C. Cooperative Extension and NC State Extension employees and affiliates
   2. Our extension websites look to the Extension Employee Database to automatically display contact information in the Extension Directory and on extension portal Staff pages like this one: strawberries.ces.ncsu.edu/people/
   3. This database is also used as an authentication source to give you access to extension-specific applications such as the Extension One-Stop Shop and the Extension Learning Management System.
3. Update your contact information in the NC State Directory
4. Get acquainted with Extension Information Technology. We're here to help you!

Information Technology Support at NC State University

CALS Departments at NC State rely on various IT groups for IT support.

• Your department extension leader and administrative support specialist will be a good sources of computer and network support information.
• Some services, like email, leave and travel systems are supported centrally by the Office of Information Technology (OIT).
  • OIT's website
  • Many OIT-supported services are available through the Mypack portal at mypack.ncsu.edu
• CALS IT offers a range of services, including desktop support for some CALS departments, support for academic web resources, and some useful applications.

Extension Information Technology (EIT) fully supports county extension center employees and offers specific services to departmental extension personnel.The best way to contact EIT is through the EIT Help Desk. You can reach the EIT Help Desk by calling 919-513-7000 or emailing eithelpdesk@ncsu.edu

Extension Specific Applications

• Commodity and Issue focused websites (Topic Sites): EIT will assist you in building and supporting your extension website in our highly customized content management system. To establish a fully integrated, customized website/blog presence for your program area, contact Rhonda_Conlon@ncsu.edu or Scott_McCollum@ncsu.edu to get started.
• Links to Extension specific applications
• The Extension Learning Management System is used for registration for internal workshops and events. This system is integrated with the agent planning and evaluation systems and should be used where possible.
• The Extension Content Database is Extension's online catalog of official Extension publications (often called EP3s) and more informal factsheet publications. Specialists may log into XRDB from the Content Database homepage. XRDB is the database base application used to create factsheets.
• The One Stop Shop is an all-in-one planning and reporting system. It is mostly used by county extension agents. Specialists may find the Extension Reporting System (ERS) reports especially useful.
• The Responsibilities and Email tool helps build communication channels among agents and specialists. Search for internal contacts geographically and by program area. The search generates a list of email addresses you can paste into an email message. Enter your responsibility areas to help agents find you.
• EIT also manages some 3rd party applications for extension purposes. You must contact the EIT Helpdesk for assistance to obtain accounts and get started using these applications. Refer to the Extension Learning Management System to see a list of training opportunities for these applications.
  • Extension's Eventbrite is an EIT-managed version of Eventbrite.  Specialists may use Extension's Eventbrite for free and fee-based public workshops and events in compliance with NC State Merchant Services procedures.
  • ActiveCampaign is Extension's email marketing tool and customer relationship management application.