Getting Started with the SSCC for Students

Account Request and Activation

Your student account will typically be created at the request of your instructor.  If you join a class late or otherwise need to request your own account, fill out an account request on the SSCC website.  Please include both the course name and number and instructor information to expedite these requests.  Once your account is created, you will need to activate it to set up your password.  You will receive an email with a custom link that you can use to complete the account activation process.

If you have activated your account but are unsure of your password or have issues logging in, please try resetting your password.  

Winstat

Winstat is the SSCC's remote Windows server that allows you to run research software, such as Stata, on our powerful servers.  There are two ways to access Winstat; through a web browser by connecting to https://winstat.ssc.wisc.edu or by using Citrix Workspace.  For most students, the web version of Winstat will meet your needs for class.  It has the added bonus of no need to install any software and it will work from most devices and operating systems and from any campus computer lab.  

If you'd prefer to use Citrix Workspace to connect to Winstat, you can download the program and get instructions for installation and usage from our Using Winstat documentation.

Getting Help

The SSCC has a Help Desk available to assist you with any technical issues you may encounter when using your account, including Winstat connection problems, password resets, and file restores.  The  SSCC Help Desk is open 9AM-12PM and 1PM-4PM. You can contact the Help Desk by emailing helpdesk@ssc.wisc.edu, calling 608-262-9917 or stopping by 4226 Sewell Social Sciences Building. When contacting the Help Desk, please provide as much detail about your issue as possible, including your username, the operating system you are using, any error messages you are receiving, and any troubleshooting steps you've already tried.  

Statistical consultants are available to assist you with questions or problems you may have about your coursework or statistical software.  You can set up an appointment with the consultants from our statistical support page.  You can choose any consultant to meet with that has appointments that fit your schedule.  If your issue is urgent and/or there are not appointments available at the times you'd prefer, please email the Help Desk and one of the consultants will get in touch.  

The SSCC also has a Knowledge Base with extensive documentation on both our services and statistical software.  Our Stata for Students guide will be of particular interest to anyone using Stata for their coursework.  The guide includes basics of the Stata interface and functionality along with instructions on how to do the most common tasks you will need for your coursework.  

Computer Labs

The SSCC provides three public computer labs in the Sewell Social Science building. 4218 is the main lab, 3218 is available when not in use by classes, and 2470 is a quiet place to work with your laptop (see the SSCC Computer Labs web page for more details). All labs are open Monday through Friday. Graduate students can request after-hours access to the labs, which allows them to use the labs 24/7. People who are using the Computer Lab (4218) when it closes may stay, though the doors will be locked. People who are using the Computer Classroom (3218) will be asked to move to the Computer Lab.

Lab 4218: 9AM - 4:00PM

Lab 3218: 9AM - 9:00PM

Printing

Both computer labs have printers which you are welcome to use. The printers use the campus wide pay-for-print system, GoPrint. You will need a valid NetID to sign in to the GoPrint system. Printing is $.07 per side of a page and is debited from your WisCard account. For more information, see Paying for Printing in the SSCC Labs. SSCC lab computers cannot be used to print copies. If you require more than one copy of a document, please print one copy using the lab printers and then contact your department to see if they have a copier you can use to make as many copies as you need!