Accounts and Access Management

Student Accounts

The SMU account provided grants access to the various technology resources. The username is typically your eight-digit SMU ID number. In some cases, you will need to enter smu\ in front of your ID, for example smu\0000111. Microsft 365 is the only service that requires your email address as your username, rather than your eight-digit SMU ID.

Account Creation

Student accounts are created through an automated process triggered by my.SMU. Accounts are provided once a student is accepted into SMU. If the student does not enroll, the account is deleted following the census date. Students maintain their accounts through their SMU academic career. Once created, a letter will be sent containing the SMU ID number. Students may then go to smu.edu/activate and create their initial password.

The account is established with access to the following:

• my.SMU account
• SMU E-mail address
• Microsoft 365 subscription
• Personal Box space
• Membership on the student bulk e-mail list

Student Worker Accounts

Students employed in various departments and schools may also receive a separate student worker account. This account is required for any students who need access to departmental network space, Administrative access to mySMU, or permissions for AdminImages. These account IDs begin with a W and must be requested by the student's supervisor. These accounts have a separate password which expires every 12 months. To request a student worker account, the supervisor must complete the webform located at Online Support Center.

Former Student Accounts

Beginning in May 2014, student accounts will no longer be terminated under normal conditions.  If a student has completed a course at SMU, the following accounts and services will remain active:

• my.SMU with a limited set of permissions
• SMU Email
• PerunaNet

Access to other services will be discontinued after a specified period of time based on student type.

• Graduated student: 365 days
• Discontinued student: 180 days
• Administrative Withdrawal: 30 days

Employee Accounts

Requesting an Account

For faculty and staff, an SMU account is created automatically when an employee's job data is active in my.SMU.  All account passwords are set online at smu.edu/activate.

During the initial account creation process, each employee is granted the following:

• SMU password for logging on to the various resources
• SMU Email address
• Membership on either the faculty or staff bulk mailing lists
• U drive network storage space
• Personal Box storage
• Employee self-service account in my.SMU (ability to see paycheck and benefits)
• Faculty self service accounts in my.SMU (for faculty only-- to view class rosters and grades)

Additional access can be requested through the Online Support Center after the account has been created:

• Administrative access to my.SMU, SMU Financials or SMU Budgets
• Access to AdminImages
• Network drive (V, T, Q, departmental Box space, etc)
• Website editing permissions  

Sponsored Accounts

A full time benefit eligible employee may request a sponsored account for a vendor, contractor or guest via Online Support Center.  Once the account has been created, the sponsor will be notified via email and a PIN will be provided for the new account.  This PIN can then used by the sponsored account holder to activate the account at smu.edu/activate.  

Requesting Changes to an Account

Changes to an account including additional permissions or modifications to existing permissions must be requested by the supervisor via the Online Support Center.

Terminating Accounts

All employee accounts expire when the job data in my.SMU is no longer active, or when a sponsorship expires.  For temporary employees, this is when the PAF expires.  For Full Time Benefit Eligible employees, this is when HR enters their termination date in my.SMU. Supervisors can contact IT to verify that an employee account has been terminated. Retired faculty and staff are eligible to maintain their email accounts. 

Parent and Authorized Person Accounts

Parents or other Authorized Persons may have different types of accounts associated with SMU and making payments:

my.SMU Accounts

Parents or Authorized Persons of SMU students may have an account setup for them to review specific details about their student’s information in my.SMU.  This information may include Class Schedules, Grades, Account Summary Information, Financial Aid information, etc. The permissions to view this information are provided by the student and result in the parent/authorized person having their own account to login to my.SMU. The username is an 8 digit ID number and the parent or authorized person will need to set a password for their account. Passwords can be set at smu.edu/activate using a PIN number provided by the student that requested the account. This account logs into my.SMU only, it does not log into the payment system used to make online payments.

Passwords

Passwords for my.SMU accounts expire every 365 days. If you are experiencing trouble with your password you can go to our password tool at smu.edu/password and try changing your password. 

It is highly recommended that you enroll in the Password Reset Tool to setup security questions for your account. In the event that you forget your password or your account gets locked out you can answer the security questions and reset your password online.

Additional assistance for my.SMU account passwords can be obtained by calling the IT Help Desk at 214-768-HELP (4357).

Parents or Authorized Persons are not able to make changes to student’s accounts such as purchase or change Campus Essentials for students or Waive Insurance for a student.  These need to be handled by the student themselves.

SMUpay Accounts

Payments are not made within my.SMU. There is a link from within my.SMU to our Bursar Webpay site, where payments can be made as a Guest Payer or an Authorized Payer using SMUpay.

1. Payments can be made using the Guest Payer option found on the Bursar’s Webpay page. Here the person making the payment needs to know the balance due and if that balance is on the Student Account or Miscellaneous Account. The details of what is due can be found within my.SMU Account Summary details. Guest Payers can choose to use an Electronic Bank Draft or a Credit Card (there is a convenience fee for the credit cards).
2. Payments can be made and bills can be viewed if a person logs in to SMUpay as an Authorized Payer.  An Authorized payer can be setup by the student and the information on how to login will be provided via email. Authorized Payer accounts are usually Alphanumeric (not the same as the 8 Digit ID# used to log into my.SMU). Once setup as an Authorized Payer, a person can login to SMUpay from the Bursar’s Webpage. Here they will be able to view bills and make payments. If you cannot remember the login credentials for SMUpay, there are links on the SMUpay login page for Forgot Username and Forgot Password.

SMU Monthly Payment Plan Options

SMU offers several monthly payment plans. Please refer to Payment Plan Options on the Bursar’s Office website for detailed information