Administrative Experience
	Taking care of business online The campus experience includes time spent taking care of practical matters, such as registering for classes, requesting transcripts, and paying tuition. Find out what services are available and which transactions can be handled online.
	Managing your personal information
		What personal information can be viewed online?
		Using BannerWeb, Miami's secure online administrative system accessed via myMiami (http://mymiami.muohio.edu), the following information can viewed online: Contact information—This includes name, address(es), phone number(s), etc. Financial aid information—Students can check the overall status of their financial aid application, view their awards, and review any outstanding financial aid requirements. Award history and award payment information is also available. Financial aid, scholarships, and loan disbursements are applied electronically to the student's bursar account. Registration information—Students can view their registration status and class schedule. Student records—Students can view their grades at the end of the semester and check their current g.p.a. (Grades cannot be obtained by phone.) Students can also audit progress toward completion of their degree via the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS). Employee information—Miami employees, including student employees, can view their benefit data, earnings and deduction history, pay stubs, direct deposit information, and W2/W4 information. All financial aid, scholarship, student employment, and veterans benefit information is accessible online, along with most necessary forms.
	Conducting business
		What tasks can be completed online?
		Students can complete the following tasks online: Apply for admission—Students can find instructions for applying to Miami and submit their application. Confirm financial awards—Students may accept, decline, or decrease the amount of their Federal Direct Loans. Submit FAFSA and loan data—Students may sign loan promissory notes and complete loan entrance and exit counseling requirements online. Pay bills—Students can make payments toward their University Bursar bill using an electronic debit to a checking or savings account. Students may also add value to their one-card balance (see next question) via the online payment system. For more information or to make a payment online, visit the Office of the Bursar and click "Go" under Pay Online. Register for, add, and drop courses—Students may register for, add, and drop courses. (All online registration functions are subject to the standard rules and regulations that govern registration.) Print a transcript order form—Students can print a transcript order form to complete and mail or fax to the Office of the Registrar. Make campus bookstore purchases—Students can purchase the following items from the Miami University Bookstore: Textbooks Computers (certified for use on Miami's network) Clothing/Gifts/Memorabilia Graduation gifts/Diploma frames Gift cards/Certificates To make these purchases online, visit the Bookstore's order site. Renew/request library materials—Students can renew library materials and request currently unavailable materials through the Miami University Libraries.
		What campus and community services are covered by debit-card, smart-card, or one-card systems?
		Students may use their Miami ID card for meal plan purchases at dining halls, convenience markets, To-Go windows at dining halls, the food court in the Shriver Center, concessions, and the mobile dining cart. Using the Miami MUlaa account, a debit account for on-campus services, students may swipe their Miami ID card to purchase cold beverages and snacks from campus vending machines, do laundry in residence halls, pay per-page printing charges at computing labs, purchase event tickets at the Box Office, and purchase items at the Miami Bookstore, athletic Pro Shops, or Copy Center. Using the Miami MUBucks account, a debit account for off-campus services, students may swipe their Miami ID card to purchase products and services from participating off-campus merchants. Students may also use their Miami ID card for library book loans; access to residence halls, the Recreational Sports Center, and after-hours computer labs; and care from Student Health Services. Charges for health services are applied to the student's bursar bill via the Miami ID card.
		Is the school catalog (containing information such as course descriptions, degree requirements, academic policies, and the semester/term schedule of classes) available on the Web?
		The following information sources are available on the Web: General Bulletin—This publication covers all undergraduate degree programs and courses. Graduate Bulletin—This publication covers all graduate degree programs and courses. Course list—The course list includes specific course offerings and procedures for selection. Student Handbook—The publication outlines Miami University student policies.
	Privacy, security, and usage rules
		What security and privacy policies are in place to protect student information?
		Miami recognizes two key aspects to protecting student information: Protecting student information that the institution houses Protecting information that students may transmit over the network In protecting student information that Miami houses, the University has carefully developed business practices to safeguard student data and comply with applicable federal regulations, such as the Federal Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability Act (HIPAA). For instance, access to the Banner Administrative Information System that houses student data is carefully controlled and granted only at the level that job responsibilities require. Regarding protection of information transmitted on the network, the University's "Responsible Use of Computing Resources" policy addresses the respective responsibilities of individuals and the university regarding privacy and security.
		How does the campus protect students from identity theft ?
		The University considers good security and privacy practices as the best defense against identity theft. To help students protect their information, Miami provides the following safeguards: McAfee anti-virus and anti-spyware software for students to install on their personally owned computers at no charge. Students living in residence halls are required to have this software installed. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) client to encrypt information transmitted over Miami's wireless network To guard against intrusion into personal accounts, we require students, faculty, and staff to change their MUnet password from the initial value to a new value at first logon and then again every 180 days. Web-based services that allow students authenticated access to their accounts use SSL to encrypt the information as it is transmitted over the Internet. The University also publishes helpful information on identity theft, such as tips for constructing good passwords and ways to guard against phishing scams.
		How does the campus notify students of their rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?
		Each year, students receive a letter providing a link to the registrar's website that hosts the FERPA Guidelines as well as Miami's FERPA policy. The FERPA policy is also found in the Student Handbook, Appendix M. Further, a student's right to be excluded from publication in print and electronic directories is also documented in the Miami Directory.
		Is network bandwidth limited for peer-to-peer software, gaming, web cams, or other programs requiring high levels of network resources?
		The University believes that Internet traffic associated with academic courses and university business processes should get the highest priority of all of our Internet traffic. We ensure that we have sufficient bandwidth for academic work by limiting the traffic for entertainment services. We do not guarantee either performance or priority of entertainment services; however, our policies for keeping the network clean help to maximize the bandwidth available for all legal uses. As of 1/4/06, Miami has 200 Mb/s of Internet bandwidth and 24 Mbps of Internet2 bandwidth available for use by students, faculty, and staff. Peer-to-peer network traffic is banned at Miami in order to protect the institution from virus activity (which occurs on these ports); protect the institution's bandwidth; and limit the institution's and students' legal liability for copyright infringement claims.
		Are web pages filtered?
		Miami does not filter web pages.
		Is there a campus code of behavior about using computer resources?
		In accordance with our Responsible Use of Computing Resources Policy, all students are expected to behave responsibly while using Miami's computing and information resources.
		Does the campus have policies addressing peer-to-peer file sharing, virus software, and copyright?
		The University considers that as both the generator and user of intellectual property, it is vital to have policies regarding protection of intellectual property. The University's Responsible Computing policy addresses copyright and illegal peer-to-peer file sharing explicitly: "Respect copyrights, intellectual-property rights, ownership of files and passwords. Unauthorized copying of files or passwords belonging to others or to the University may constitute plagiarism or theft. Accessing or modifying files without authorization (including altering information, introducing viruses or Trojan horses, or damaging files) is unethical, may be illegal, and may lead to sanctions." IT Services has published extensive information to educate students about the value of installing and updating virus and spyware protection software. Miami provides virus and spyware protection software free of charge to students and requires that students living in residence halls use it to protect their computers and the Miami network.
		How does the campus manage email spam?
		Miami's incoming email server automatically assigns a Spam Score to any email that appears to be spam-based on a number of automated tests. End users can then create a filter in their email application to place any email with a spam score into a junk or spam folder. Instructions for setting up spam filters on commonly used email applications are available in Miami's Knowledge Base. Additionally, Miami uses a Real-time Blacklisting (RBL) service that automatically blocks email from well-known spam sources. The latest version of the university site-licensed email software, Eudora, offers a user-trainable spam filtering option as well.