IT

Student FAQs

Account/Login Information

All university students, faculty, administrators, and staff are issued a Hofstra ID card, where your Hofstra ID number is printed. You are required to carry your Hofstra ID card while on campus and at the School of Medicine.

  • If you have been issued a Hofstra ID card number (beginning with 700# through 703#), have this information ready when contacting the ITS Service Desk at 516-463-7777 to retrieve your username.

Your Hofstra network username is your way of accessing Hofstra resources and services such as the My.Hofstra.edu Portal, wireless network, logging onto campus workstations, and more.

If you have your Hofstra username but have issues logging in with your password, please be sure to activate your account if you haven't already. For additional assistance, please contact the ITS Service Desk at 516-463-7777, option #1.

  • You may visit for walk-in service during office hours. Visit the Hofstra ITS website for location and hours.
  • If you have your Username/Network ID but have issues logging in with your password, please be sure to activate your account if you haven't already by visiting the Hofstra password activation site.
  • If your account has been activated and you continue to have login issues, try resetting your account password.
  • For further assistance with getting your password, contact Hofstra ITS at 516-463-7777, option #1. You may also send an email to the Service Desk describing your issue.
  • You may visit for walk-in service during office hours. Visit the Hofstra ITS website for location and hours.
  • If you have forgotten your Hofstra account password, please visit hofstra.edu/password and follow the onscreen instructions to reset your password. Please note, you will need access to the alternative email listed in your account to obtain a token access code to reset your password.
  • Please be sure to follow the password reset guidelines. Your Hofstra password expires every 6 months.

  • If you are unable to reset your password via the online system:

    • If the above does not resolve the issue, you may contact the Service Desk at 516-463-7777, option #1. You may also send an email to the Service Desk describing your issue at help@hofstra.edu.
    • You may visit for walk-in service during office hours. Visit the Hofstra ITS website for location and hours.

Canvas

For an overview of Canvas LMS, please click here.

Canvas can be accessed via the My.Hofstra.edu Portal.

Log in to the My.Hofstra.edu Portal with your username/password. You will find the Canvas icon under “My Apps." Click on the Canvas icon to be redirected to the site homepage.

Call the Canvas Support Hotline: (877) 241-4253 (24/7 support)

Hofstra University's EdTech team has created documentation for students, including FAQs and ways to contact support. To access these resources, please click here.

Canvas also provides training resources for students, which can be found here.

In Canvas, you may modify your notification settings to receive alerts for all Canvas courses or individual courses. Canvas notifications come in the form of emails or push notifications (if mobile app is installed on your device).  Notifications are sent as one of four delivery types: Notify immediately, Daily summary, Weekly summary, or Notifications off. 

In your Canvas profile, visit Account, then click the Notifications, to select your notification preferences.

We strongly recommend selecting notify immediately for the following options: 

  • Course Activities: Due Date
  • Course Activities: Announcement
  • Course Activities: Announcement created by you
  • Course Activities: Invitation, and
  • Alerts: Global Announcements

Hofstra University switched to Canvas as its learning management system. Blackboard is no longer accessible as of September 1, 2023.

To request a copy of past submitted Blackboard assignments, please email .

ZSOM course content from the past four years (from Fall 2018 onward) has been automatically transferred into Canvas for student reference. Submissions for assignments cannot be automatically transferred from Blackboard to Canvas, only learning materials.

  • Since August 31, 2023, assignments submitted via Blackboard have been archived and are available to students by request only. Submissions for assignments cannot be automatically transferred from Blackboard to Canvas, only learning materials.

Examplify

  • Visit http://examsoft.com/hofstramed. Enter your ID and password under Exam Takers. Once logged in, click on Download. Double click on the installation file to install.
  • Once the installation is complete, you can run Examplify from your system. Examplify will prompt you to register with your ID/Password the first time it runs.
  • Antivirus programs can sometimes interfere with Examplify due to their security features. It is always highly recommended to disable antivirus software before launching any examinations.
  • For a list of antivirus software and instructions on how to disable your specific software during the exam only, visit the ExamSoft Support page.

Printing

  • Students using PC or Mac computers can print from the secure wireless network (eduroam) via PridePrint, which is accessible via the My.Hofstra.edu Portal. For instructions on how to set up and use PridePrint, visit Hofstra PridePrint.
  • Students can print to the B/W and Color network printers located in the Health Sciences Library and the mailrooms. Students are provided $120 in printing credits for the academic year. Scanning documents to email and faxing is free of charge.
  • For more information on Hofstra student printing at the School of Medicine, email medicine.it@hofstra.edu.

Try reinstalling the PridePrint software, which can be downloaded from the PridePrint webpage. After reinstalling, restart your computer and try printing again.

  • If you continue to have issues, each swipe terminal has a phone number you can call or text for more assistance.
  • You may also contact Hofstra ITS via phone at 516-463-7777, option #1 or via email at help@hofstra.edu describing your issue.
  • You may visit for walk-in service during office hours. Visit the Hofstra ITS website for location and hours.

Computer Hardware/Software Issues

If you are not a matriculated student at Hofstra, you can use the unsecured Guest Network.

Click the following links for instructions on setting up email on your mobile device:
Students: Hofstra Email on iOS     Hofstra Email on Android

  • Hofstra University does not provide free licenses to students for specialized software, only what is available in the Portal or pre-installed in Open Access labs across campus.
  • Students currently have access to the following in the "My Apps" section of the Portal:
    • Microsoft Office - Office 365
    • SAP7 (Mac and Windows)
    • VirtualBox 4.1 (Mac)
    • PrideDesktop
    • PridePrint client
  • If you require access to special software for research purposes, discuss the need and rationale with the Office of Student Affairs.

At the School of Medicine, students are required to bring their own functioning computing device(s) and coordinate timely repair, should their device malfunction. Please review the current policy on student laptops for the minimum system requirements expected for your personal laptop.

In the event you need to borrow a laptop for a short period of time, you may contact Integrated Learning or Clinical Experiences to borrow a laptop for 48 hours.