IT Help
Password information
Changing Your Password
As part of our ICT Security Policy, students are required to change their network password when they first login. This provides better security for you.
Students are recommended to set a Windows Complex Password, which should have the following attributes:
- Minimum length of 8 characters
- Contain at least one capital letter
- Contain at least one symbol OR number
- The same password should not be used again
Resetting Your Password
Whether you are on campus or offsite you can reset your password whenever you like.
To reset your password please click on the following link https://pwd.ara.ac.nz/ and follow the instructions.
Please note: you will need to know your current password to use the reset portal.
If you do not know your current password please do not hesitate to contact our ICT Service Desk on (03) 940 8800 or ictservicedesk@ara.ac.nz
Email information
Student email
As an Ara student, you get a free email account for as long as you are enrolled. You can access this anywhere, anytime.
Your email address is your network username followed by @arastudent.ac.nz, for example: abc123@arastudent.ac.nz.
Access your email using the link at the top of this website, or go to www.outlook.com/arastudent.ac.nz. Login using the username format above, and your everyday Moodle/Computer password. If you've lost these, contact the ICT Service Desk.
Please note: The password for this email account is synchronised with your Ara login. The ICT Service Desk is able to reset this password for you if you lose it.
Ara uses this email address to send you important information, e.g. overdue library books. Make sure you check this address often, or if you prefer you can forward your emails to your personal email account. View a guide on setting up email forwarding in Outlook in Office 365.
Student resources
Microsoft Office 365
All Ara students have access to Office 365 for the period of their study.
Office 365 provides OneDrive for Business (1000GB of file storage), email, Skype for Business, free copies of MS Office and more.
You have a small amount of storage space (2GB) locally on H: drive but ICT do not provide backup for H: drive content. The H: drive should be treated as scratch space for working files only. This includes anything you save on the desktop of your PC or in Documents/Pictures etc.
Office 365 is the place to safely/securely store your files.
Microsoft Office 2016 ProPlus
Part of Microsoft Office 365 Education is access to a full version of Microsoft Office at no charge to enrolled students. Now you can now take advantage of all that Office 365 Education has to offer.
Office 365 Education includes:
- Office 2016 ProPlus for PC
- Office 2016 ProPlus for Mac
- Office Mobile for iPhone
- Office Mobile for Android
- Office Mobile for Windows Phone/Mobile
The license allows you to run Office on up to five machines being Mac or PC. You can also run Office Mobile for Android or Office Mobile for iPhone on up to 5 mobile devices.
This a full version Office and available for offline use.
Read the instructions to access and install Office 365 Education.
Note. you will lose access to this license when your enrolment ends.
Other student resources
Visit the Microsoft store for student software deals.
Note: When purchasing from the Microsoft Store you may be asked to "Verify Student Eligibility". The login to this verification must be a personal Microsoft account e.g. username@outlook.com, username@hotmail.com, username@live.com.
Ara Student Portal
Your Student Portal (your tutors may call it Tribal) is the place where you can:
- Update your personal and contact details
- Check your results
- View your timetable
To access the portal for the first time, use the username sent to you when you started at Ara and then change your password via the 'retrieve your password' link. Note: You cannot access your Student Portal using your network login.
Moodle
Moodle is the most popular place at Ara for tutors to add resources and create online activities to assist your learning.
Login to Moodle using your network details. You can then access your courses and relevant material. If your course isn't there, check with your tutor to see if they use Moodle.
Note: You have to login to an Ara computer and reset your password before your access to Moodle will be enabled. After this first password change your Moodle password will be maintained as your login password.
Careerhub
CareerHub has casual, part time, temporary and full time job opportunities as well as info on upcoming career seminars, workshops and more.
Register for CareerHub using your Ara network username and password.
Gartner Research
Ara has invested in a subscription to Gartner. Gartner is an IT research and advisory company providing technology related insight. Our subscription makes Gartner research available to all staff and students. To take a look go to gartner.ara.ac.nz/. Login with your day-to-day username and password.
Lynda.com
Ara has a subscription to Lynda.com. Lynda.com provides video based training across a wide range of products, work and life activities.
Login with your day-to-day username and password.
BYOD product recommendations
If you are in the market for new IT devices, please check out this list of recommended products and what specifications to look for when purchasing
Printing and copying
There is combination of Fuji Xerox desktop printers and multi-functional devices (MFDs) located around our campuses. The desktop printers and MFDs allocated to the computer you work from will be automatically sent to direct print by default each time you login.
The MFDs also have a new printing function call 'Follow You" printing, which means you can print to any MFD on campus and release the print jobs by swiping your ID card and selecting the "Follow You" option on the screen.
Printing costs
| A4 | A3 | |
| Black and White | $0.05 | $0.10 |
| Colour | $0.15 | $0.30 |
Ara Mobile Printing
Ara Mobile Printing is a printing solution that enables you to seamlessly print to any FujiXerox Multifunction Devices on our network across the campuses. You may print to these devices from any internet/WiFi-enabled mobile/handheld device (smartphone, tablet, notebook or laptop computer). For more information on this, please refer to our Ara Mobile Printing User Guide.
Top-up your Printing Credit
There are various ways for you to top-up your Ara printing credit.
Online Top-up
You can add credit to your ID card for printing and copying online using the PayPal-FujiXerox payment gateway.
We accept debit or credit card and there is a minimum top up of $5. PayPal is usually free however a currency conversion fee may apply when using an international credit/debit card.
Kiosks
To add credit to your ID card for printing and copying, you just have to go to one of our Docupos Kiosks to credit your card. There is one kiosk located at Manawa, one at the Timaru Campus outside Room TA201 and three others are located at the City Campus, in the Rakaia centre library, the atrium outside the library, and D block ground floor foyer.
You can top-up using EFTPOS or credit card. There is a minimum top up of $1 and maximum of $100.
Student Finance Office
Alternatively you can also top-up at the Student Finance Office located at both campuses in the enrolment area - however, there's a minimum top up at the Student Finance Office of $5.
Note: The funds on your ID card are not transferable or refundable except at the discretion of Ara on balances over $10.
Printing Services
The Printing Services team is situated in T Block and accessible via the ICT Service Desk. We can help you with:
- Colour and monochrome printing
- Spiral binding (from $1.50 for A4 and $2.50 for A3)
- Laminating (A4 - $1; A3 - $2)
- Exam, course materials
Wi-fi
Free WiFi is available for students at all our City, Woolston, Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru campuses. All our Computing for Free sites also have access to ARA-WiFi.
To access the Ara wireless network and Moodle services, you'll firstly need to login on an Ara computer with the initial password sent to you in your enrolment confirmation letter. You'll then be asked to reset your password. Once you've reset your password, you'll be able to access your account that can be used on wireless and Moodle services.
Here are links that show how to join our WiFi on your device:
See maps below of where the best WiFi is at our City and Woolston campuses.
Your Study
Email information
Student email
As an Ara student, you get a free email account for as long as you are enrolled. You can access this anywhere, anytime.
Your email address is your network username followed by @arastudent.ac.nz, for example: abc123@arastudent.ac.nz.
Access your email using the link at the top of this website, or go to www.outlook.com/arastudent.ac.nz. Login using the username format above, and your everyday Moodle/Computer password. If you've lost these, contact the ICT Service Desk.
Please note: The password for this email account is synchronised with your Ara login. The ICT Service Desk is able to reset this password for you if you lose it.
Ara uses this email address to send you important information, e.g. overdue library books. Make sure you check this address often, or if you prefer you can forward your emails to your personal email account. View a guide on setting up email forwarding in Outlook in Office 365.