Mercy College Technology FAQ
Purchase/Educational Discounts Supported Software Versions Other Questions
Badge Printing and Copying
Student Email Access
Purchasing / Educational Discounts
Supported Software Versions
Other Questions
Badge Printing and Copying
How many pages do I get per semester?
Each student is allotted 100 pages each semester to print or copy by the College.
Can I still print if I use up my quota?
Students who use up their quota can print / copy at the cost of $0.10 per page. This is done by adding money to the print account via the badge, using the ‘Add-Value Station’ in the vending area of the Sullivan Center (just outside the library).
When will I get my pages for the semester?
New accounts are set up (and old quotas refreshed) after the last orientation session. As the print control system operates with the badges distributed by Public Safety, the badge information must be requested.
What if I don’t use all my pages for the semester?
Pages not used will carry over to the next semester, whether these pages are from the College-alloted quota or paid for by students. Because these pages are indiscriminately combined in the system, no refunds are offered on print control balances.
How do I copy and print?
To copy:
- Swipe the magnetic stripe of the badge on the left-hand side of the print control swipe box.
- Press ‘1’ for copies (make copies)
- Press ‘finish’ (the button outlined in red).
To print:
- Print normally from one of the campus computers. An authentication box will appear, with fields for a username and password.
- Upon entering this information, the job will be sent to the print control computer.
- At the print control computer, enter the same username and password used to print.
- Swipe the badge in the same manner as for copying: magnetic stripe, facing in, left side of the swipe box, press ‘7’ for print jobs.
- Select the job(s) to be printed, click ‘Print’, and click ‘OK’ to confirm.
Can I print from my laptop?
Short answer: No – wireless laptops aren’t part of the Mercy network. Only computers inside the Mercy network are authorized to use the network printers; because the wireless network exists separately from the local network, where the printers and workstations exist, wireless laptops won’t be able to communicate with the other devices, and consequently are unable to print.
Who do I contact with print / copy problems?
Jason Morgan
Technology Specialist
Office Location: B1-201
(515) 643-6704
jmorgan@mercydesmoines.org
You may also contact College Library staff.
Student Email Access
When are new accounts created?
New email accounts are created based on registration; student email will be available shortly after a student's general orientation session.
What is my login information?
New User ID: firstname.lastname
User ID example for George Thompson is george.thompson
What's my New Password?
Initial Password is middle initial (lower case) and date of birth (mmddyy); Password example is x010165 for George Xavier Thompson born January 1, 1965.
- If you have no middle initial, use an x.
- Months & days must have 2 digits so use a 0 (zero) before any number less than 10.
- The information for creating accounts comes from your official college application.
- For students with spaces or punctuation in their names: Type your name with no spaces and no punctuation, except for hyphens.
What do I do if I register late?
Contact Jason Morgan (email access) and Joah Hogan (E-LEOS access).
How do I access my student email?
Begin at the Mercy College homepage – www.mchs.edu. There are links for email and E-LEOS on the right side of the page. Detailed directions for accessing student email are located on the main 'Technology and Support' page.
Can I get my student email from a mobile device?
At present, Mercy email access is not supported for mobile devices.
Can I use Yahoo / Hotmail / Gmail / etc. instead?
Students are encouraged to maintain an alternate email account, but external accounts are not supported. Students are expected to check their MCHS student email regularly.
Can I forward my student email to another account?
Email forwarding is allowed for MCHS student email. More information is available at:
studentemail.cfm
I’m also a Mercy Medical Center employee. Can I merge my accounts, or forward one to the other?
Presently, no. This is because the ‘students’ email exists on its own network, separate from the Medical Center (and College faculty / staff) accounts. The two networks presently do not have any communication, and accounts can not be merged between the two. (Student email can be forwarded, though - see the previous question.)
Is there a limit on mailbox size?
Yes. Student mailboxes are restricted to 75 MB. This includes the items that are in the ‘Sent Items’ and ‘Deleted Items’ folders as well as the ‘Inbox’. If your mailbox exceeds this quota, you won’t be able to receive new messages until you make space.
What happens to my email when I graduate?
Mercy College students are allowed to retain their student email accounts after graduation. This service is provided primarily for alumni to use as a career resource.
Purchasing and Educational Discounts
Can I buy computers / software / etc. at a discount because I am a student?
Many retailers and manufacturers sell computer products at an educational discount; it varies from company to company. Generally, a student (or educator) will be required to provide proof of their enrollment/ affiliation with an educational institution.
Does Mercy College sell software at a discount?
Presently, no. Because Mercy College doesn’t have a bookstore, we don’t have any outlet for software retail. If this changes in the future, though, the student body will certainly be notified!
Supported Software Versions
What programs does Mercy College use?
Mercy College uses Microsoft Office 2003 and Windows XP. While the College computers can accommodate other document types, using file formats compatible with these programs is strongly recommended. Students submitting files in other formats may be asked to resubmit their files.
I don’t have Microsoft Office, or I don’t want to use it. Is there other software I can use?
OpenOffice is a free productivity software suite available for download. This software is available for use on Windows and Mac operating systems, and can save files in formats compatible with Microsoft Office programs. The file size (roughly 142 MB) may make downloads from a dial-up connection prohibitive. Please note that OpenOffice is not officially supported or endorsed by the Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Other Questions
What is the ‘student’ drive?
The ‘student’ drive is network storage specifically set aside for student use. It is accessible from most College library/lab computers, but there are a few caveats:
- As it is open access, everyone has equal rights to ‘most’ files. There are some exceptions (like this document).
- The files in the student drive are backed up to CD and deleted at the end of every semester. If you have files stored on the student drive, please back these files up prior to the end of the semester. If your files are removed, please contact Jason Morgan to retrieve them.
- The student drive is not accessible from off-campus or through 'Guest' wireless access.
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