What course resources are available to SEAS faculty?
This page lists software and course resources available to SEAS faculty.
Our goal is to ensure that the IT resources needed for courses are made available on time and perform as expected. In order to achieve this, early input about your software and reservation needs is required. Please read this page in its entirety and submit your requests well in advance of the coming semester at:
Computer Lab Reservations
Lab space is in high demand and reservations are not carried over from previous semesters. To check for lab availability and submit reservation requests, visit:
Software Requests
The license for your software from the previous term may have expired. Unless it's specifically requested each semester, it may not be retained or updated.
Fall semester software requests are highly preferred by June 15th. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee that software will be available.
Software will be installed and ready by July 15th. These dates are established so that adequate time is allowed for us to perform installations and resolve any unforeseen problems or conflicts. This also allows time for you to test the software before the start of classes. Please test the software on our machines against your specific homework assignments or have a TA do so to be sure the version we have installed works correctly.
Software and Virtual Resources
MATLAB, Mathematica, COMSOL and Aspen Access
Contact CETS if your students will need to use MATLAB, Mathematica, COMSOL or Aspen in your class.
Virtual Machines
The academic version of VMWare Workstation is available on all the Linux and Windows machines managed by CETS. More space can be allocated if needed for storing virtual machine images.
Biglab and Speclab
Contact CETS for access to Biglab/Speclab and any related special requests (such as specific ports being opened on Speclab). Additional information can be found at:
Online Course Management
Canvas
Canvas enables you to post course materials online, collect assignments, etc. Canvas sites default to "unpublished" so please be sure to publish them from the upper right hand corner of your home page when they are ready. We also strongly recommend that sensitive information is never provided on your Canvas site. For example, Answer Keys can be downloaded by students and shared with friends in subsequent semesters.
For more info about Canvas and to request a site, visit:
Panopto
Panopto provides lecture recording, screencasting and video streaming:
Ed Discussion
Ed Discussion is Penn's current campus-wide discussion tool. It replaced Piazza in the summer of 2022. For more information, visit:
Poll Everywhere
Poll Everywhere is an audience response technology based on web and cellular networks, which means the students or audience members can provide feedback using a device of their choosing. For more information, visit:
Respondus LockDown Browser
Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within a learning management system, such as Canvas. It is used for securing online exams in classrooms or proctored environments. Once installed on a student device, the LockDown Browser prevents any other applications from being used until the exam or quiz is completed. For more information, visit:
What is Respondus LockDown Browser?
Gradescope
SEAS has contracted with Gradescope to assist with grading, including integration capability with Canvas. Please contact CETS before trying to sign up directly through the vendor and to avoid additional complications. For more information, visit:
Overleaf
University of Pennsylvania Libraries is sponsoring free Overleaf Professional accounts for all students, faculty and staff. Overleaf Professional accounts provide real-time track changes, unlimited collaborators, and full document history. Sign up at the link below:
Coding Resources
For faculty looking to integrate coding into their curriculum, we provide a suite of resources to support software development and collaboration.
GitHub
Github is a platform for version control and collaboration.
University of Pennsylvania GitHub Campus Program
Codio
SEAS has an institutional site license with Codio that provides access to all premium features such as Canvas integration. For more information, visit:
Ed Workspaces
Ed Workspaces provides collaborative workspaces and Jupyter Notebooks:
SEAS Copy Center
SEAS provides a package receiving and delivery service, along with printing and copying, available at the Ricoh Copy Center located across the hall from the CETS office (164 Levine).
Please contact Anthony Bradley (tone@seas.upenn.edu), Aaron Walker (aawalker@seas.upenn.edu) or George Revell (george1@seas.upenn.edu) from the Copy Center and CC course-support@seas.upenn.edu to use this service or if you have any questions.
Visit the Engineering Operational Services (EOS) website for more information about SEAS facilities and resources:
Penn Engineering Facilities and Resources
Class Mailing Lists
Class Mailing Lists are automatically compiled on a regular schedule. By default, only the faculty instructor can send mail to the list. For more information on using Class Mailing Lists, see:
Class Mailing List Request Menu Help
Class Mailing List Service (Pennkey required)