Effective Date: July 1, 2025
Issuing Authority: Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration
Policy Contact: Associate Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, helpdesk@mercer.edu, 478-301-7000
Purpose
Mercer IT recognizes that Mercer University departments will sometimes host events that require individuals who are currently unaffiliated with Mercer University to be able to log in and use University computer lab resources.
Scope
This policy applies to individuals who are currently unaffiliated with Mercer University and who wish to use Mercer’s computer lab resources for a scheduled event sponsored by a Mercer employee.
Exclusions
None
Policy Statement
To facilitate this request, while also maintaining a secure and safe computing environment, the following conditions for all requests must be met:
- The event must be sponsored and hosted by a Mercer University employee(s).
- At least two weeks advanced notice must be provided to the IT Help Desk (helpdesk@mercer.edu).
- All necessary information must be provided to the IT Help Desk (helpdesk@mercer.edu) per the instructions shown here.
- Signed Computer Lab Acceptable Use Policy for Non-Affiliated Users must be submitted to the IT Help Desk (helpdesk@mercer.edu).
Acceptable Use
Mercer University maintains computer facilities and Internet access for its primary missions of teaching, education, research, and public service. You have been provided a temporary guest account in order to participate in a Mercer event. Computer and Internet access provided by this temporary account should only be used for the purposes of the event you are attending. In addition, the following rules of access and use apply:
No user shall attempt to access any service or resource to which they have not been explicitly authorized access by the appropriate University authority. Users of the University network shall not perform any activity, which disrupts network or server resources, impedes or prevents network or server access by others, or attempt to access private data of others. Examples include, but are not limited to, port scanning software, packet sniffers, mail bombing, ping flooding, SMURF attacks, and/or SYN flooding.
Other violations of Internet use include, but are not limited to, accessing, downloading, uploading, saving, receiving, or sending material that includes sexually explicit content or other material using vulgar, sexist, racist, threatening, violent, or defamatory language.
I, _______________________________ agree to abide by Mercer University’s Computer Lab Acceptable Use Policy for Non-Affiliated Users.
(Printed name) __________________________________
Website Address
History
Approved by the Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance July 1, 2019
Revised July 1, 2025
This policy supersedes the previous Access and Use Policy for Guest Computer Lab Users and the Computer Lab Access for Non-Affiliated Users Policy, which are combined with amendments into this policy.