St Mary's College BYOD Recommended Specifications

St Mary's College is a device-agnostic, supporting both mac OS and Windows devices. Below are the recommended minimum specifications when choosing a device:

Minimum Specs for Mac

13" Display
10th Generation Intel Core i3 Processor
8GB RAM
265GB SSD Storage
mac OS 10.15.4 or later

Minimum Specs for PC

13" Display
10th Generation Intel Core i5 Processor
8GB RAM
256GB SSD Storage
AC WiFi 5
Windows 10 1909 or later

Critical Requirements:

USB-C Charging and Display support (Thunderbolt 3 preferred)

BYOD Frequently Asked Questions

Administrator Account Rights

At times students are required to install subject-related software or adjust specific settings on the device and will require an account on the device with administrator privileges to do this.

Support and services provided by the College

Students have access to the College WIFI network with intelligent internet content filtering and network security while on campus. Printing facilities are available to print from student devices with setup instructions available on the ICT Support Guide.

Charging

All laptop devices must come with a fully charged battery at the commencement of the school day to ensure student learning is not hindered. The College has USB-C charging stations and BYOD docking lab facilities located across the campus. Devices must support USB-C charging and can be charged in Technology Lab Lessons, Recess and Lunchtime.

St Mary's College ICT Support

A list of prerequisite software and software required in specific subjects, as well as steps to setup WiFi connectivity, printing and other resources, are available on the ICT Support Guide https://support.stmarys.sa.edu.au

Office (Part of Microsoft 365)

Office is available to all students as part of Microsoft 365 which can be downloaded and installed with College credentials via https://www.office.com.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Creative Cloud is available to all students with steps to download and install the software available on the ICT Support Guide https://bit.ly/2YzlNAI.

Personal Data Protection and Security

We recommend taking a "best practice" approach to protecting personal files and device security at the College. Configuring and enabling Microsoft Account (Windows) or Apple iCloud (macOS) is strongly recommended to assist in the recovery from a hardware failure or malicious software attack.

Both services offer the following features free of charge.

• 5GB of storage: Backup of personal files and settings

• Remotely Lock and Find My Device: Lock or locate a device that is lost or stolen

• Password Recovery: To assist if login credentials get forgotten

Schoolwork Data Protection

OneDrive is available as part of Microsoft 365 for all students to backup data, share files and collaborate, which includes 1TB of storage.

Malware Protection, Security Features and Software Updates

We strongly encourage all student devices to have recommended Microsoft and Apple system security features configured and enabled and installed apps are up to date. macOS and Windows platforms have adequate built-in Malware protection which is free of charge. Paid antivirus or security software is not required. In some cases, paid antivirus can cause performance and connectivity issues for classroom software.

Warranty Support

SMC ICT can provide assessment and recommendation when it is identified that a device requires authorised hardware support from the vendor, such as a fault or damage. The ICT Department is unable to perform BYOD repairs or modifications as this will void device warranties provided by the manufacturer.

Peripherals and Damage Cover

As St Mary's College is a city school with students often using public transport, the purchase of a padded, secure notebook bag is recommended to protect the device. For ergonomic purposes, we recommend a Bluetooth mouse. We also encourage the purchase of Accidental Damage Cover.

Lost or Stolen Devices

As is the case with other personally owned items, St Mary's College is not responsible for damage/misuse or theft/loss of a student device. When a device is not in use, students should secure it in their locker. The College strongly recommends taking out an insurance policy or adding the device to an existing plan.

Loans

The College has a procedure in place for students to access a limited number of loan devices for short periods when their BYOD is being repaired.

Lifecycle of BYOD Hardware

Technology and curriculum requirements change, and devices experience natural "wear and tear" from everyday use in the classroom. It is reasonable to expect BYOD hardware to require replacing every 3 years to ensure reliability and compatibility with College's ICT software and services. The details provided on the Recommended Specifications page are a current snapshot and will be revised half-yearly.

Further Questions?

Please head to the ICT Support Guide for Frequently Asked Questions and Assistance https://support.stmarys.sa.edu.au.