Vendor Service Tech Accounts
What is a vendor service tech account?
- Does your department/area hire Vendor contractors? These would be technicians or consultants from independent companies, who are paid to perform installation, maintenance or upgrades on VIU systems or computers. If any work requires the vendor service tech to have a VIU computer account, those people will need a vendor service technician account.
How do I request a vendor service tech account?
Complete the Vendor Service Tech Account Request form and submit it to ithelp@viu.ca.
Affiliate Accounts
What is an affiliate account?
An Affiliate of Vancouver Island University (VIU) is a person who is not a paid employee but who has a regular relationship to the institution and may require access to some VIU services. Once registered as an Affiliate in the HRIS, VIU, at its discretion, can extend this person rights to various services, such as a computer account and staff paid parking.
How long do affiliate accounts retain access?
Status as an Affiliate lasts a maximum of two years, after which it can be renewed. Affiliates assigned a computer account are bound by the provisions of Use of Information Technology Policy 45.01.
How do I request an affiliate account?
The affiliates "sponsor" (an employee who works at VIU and will be the contact for the affiliate) needs to do the following:
- Complete and sign the VIU Affiliate Status Application Form
- Send the completed and signed form to Human Resources for processing and account creation.
If you need an account for vendor service technicians to perform updates or maintenance to applications used by VIU, please use the Vendor Service Tech Request form. Do NOT submit affiliate forms for vendor service technicians.
Generic Accounts
What is a generic account?
A generic account is a login account that departments use when they want to provide access to unique or specific department or position resources for short time periods.
Usage of Generic Computer Accounts:
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Shared Kiosk Computers: For shared computers that need to stay logged in for multiple users to access, a generic account can be used, provided all users are licensed (either as students or employees/affiliates).
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Volunteer Access: Volunteers who provide services to VIU are considered knowledge workers and require their own affiliate accounts. They should not use generic accounts to access department resources.
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Shared Mobile Devices: VIU departments with shared mobile devices (such as laptops and tablets) that do not support individual logins but need access to viu-secure wireless can use a generic account. Ensure you check the "YES" box for Secure VIU Access on the request form if this is your intended use.
- Employees using personal or assigned mobile devices should use their standard VIU employee computer account.
- For more information, refer to the VIU Employee Computer Account section in the Employee Technology Guide.
Key points to remember when using a Generic Account:
- The generic account administrator is responsible for ensuring that the activities of the account can always be attributed to a single individual at one time.
- The generic account administrator is responsible for keeping documentation recording the dates that an individual has been granted access to the account.
- The generic account administrator is responsible for changing the password on the account whenever an individual no longer requires access to the account.
- Generic accounts follow the VIU password standards for complexity and length
- Generic accounts, by default, will not have access to Wireless Networks (VIU-Secure). You must request this access if it is needed.
- The generic account administrator should keep a record of all generic accounts they have requested so they can provide information regarding ongoing need when requested.
- Generic accounts should be audited by the account Administrator on an annual basis for appropriateness of access and ongoing need.
How do I request a generic account?
To request a Generic Account:
- Read the Generic Account Standard: Generic Account Standard
- Complete the Generic Account Request Form: Generic Account Request form
- Track your generic accounts (sample excel generic account tracker)
- Email the completed Request form to ithelp@viu.ca
Temporary Computer Accounts
What is a Temporary Computer Account?
Temporary Computer Accounts are special accounts that have limited use for logging on to a computer and accessing the Internet.
Temporary Computer Accounts can be used for:
How do I request a Temporary Computer Account
Active VIU Employees can request a Temporary Account for an event or course they are organizing. Be sure to allow ample time for the account to be created for your event/course. We need at least a full work week to make sure we can action the request on time.
Send an email to ithelp@viu.ca with your request, and include the following information.
- Name of the Event or Course
- Name of the Event/Course Facilitator/Instructor
- Start Date and Time of the event
- If it is a multi-day event – End Date and Time
- How many people will need to log in with the temporary account – keep in mind that event attendees can use VIU-GUEST. This account is meant only for those who need all-day continuous wireless access, i.e., students in a course, main presenters/instructors.
NOTE: Each person who needs to use the account will have a separate username and password, and the event Facilitator/instructor is required to keep track of who is using which login.