McGill web gems

McGill web primer

Minerva: roman goddess of wisdom, poetry and administrative web interface.

By Mark Shainblum | Welcome! If you're a first-time reader, this column is the place where we explore the hidden gems and secret places on the websites of McGill University and its affiliated institutions. Usually, we cover a mix of web utilities plus academic, arts, history and entertainment sites, but in keeping with the back-to-school spirit of the month, this time we're focusing on some useful web resources to help get you up and running.

Minerva

For students: www.mcgill.ca/minerva/

For faculty and staff: www.mcgill.ca/minerva-faculty-staff/

Minerva is the Swiss Army knife of life at McGill. A friendly self-service administrative interface for students, staff and faculty, it's the primary way you'll register for courses, pay your tuition, check your marks, receive and view your pay stubs, and verify your insurance and pension benefits, to name just a few features. Instructors access their class lists and submit marks through a custom Minerva interface. Other staff members also have specialized features depending on their roles and responsibilities. Virtually every other website reviewed in this column is optional, but if you want to get the most of out of your time at McGill, you really can't do without Minerva.

myMcGill

http://mymcgill.mcgill.ca

The university's "log in once and go everywhere" portal is called myMcGill. A single sign-on gives you access to your McGill e-mail, Minerva, and library accounts in a single convenient interface. Students can also access courses, marks, class schedules and course materials on myCourses. Soon it will also provide authorized staff and faculty users quick access to McGill's MarketPlace for departmental purchasing. MyMcGill also offers a handy list of important McGill links, news and a customizable favourites list.

Have a favourite McGill web gem we haven't covered yet? Tell us about it at mark.shainblum@mcgill.ca.