IT Services
Get the Technical Support You Need
Whether you need help connecting your laptop to the University network or have questions about our privacy and security policies, the Institutional Technology Services (ITS) department at GMercyU is the place to go. We will help you get connected, protect your personal information while on the GMercyU network, and learn how to make the most of the computer software and hardware available to you on our campuses. We also support the University’s faculty and staff in gaining access to the data they need to serve you better.
IT Resources
IT provides technical support, systems, and services to the entire University community. Learn about the many services available to you through GMercyU’s IT department below.
The ITS Help Desk is our official form of communication with the GMercyU community. You can reach the ITS Help Desk in a number of ways.
IT Help Desk Summer 2024 Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., beginning the week of May 20th through Thursday, August 15, 2024.
- Email: it@253000xa.com
- The Portal: Submit an IT Help Desk ticket through the GMercyU Portal (click the mouse icon)
- Call: 215-646-7300, ext. 21444
- Contact our Live Chat
- Walk-in support at the IT Help Desk is available in University Hall W104, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Telephone, chat, portal ticket, and email support is available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.
All students are encouraged to register on the Omnilert notification system. This system is used to send messages containing critical information in the event of a public safety-related campus event, including weather-related closing announcements.
All GMercyU students, faculty, and staff should sign up for this emergency alert system if you spend any time on one or more of our campuses.
IT Privacy & Security
Gwynedd Mercy University’s IT department is committed to providing a secure teaching and learning environment. We encourage all members of the University community to take the steps needed to comply with our information security policies, and promote good digital citizenship. From network access and file-sharing to anti-virus software, here’s what you need to know.
Gwynedd Mercy University passwords must change once per year. All passwords are subject to the following security standards:
- Must be at least 12 characters long
- Must contain an upper-case letter
- Must contain at least one number
- Must contain at least one special character
Forgot your password?
1. Visit my.253000xa.com
2. Click on the Forgot Password link below the User Name and Password field.3. Enter your User Name in the field provided and click OK.4. Answer your security questions to retrieve your password.
"Phishing" involves the use of fraudulent e-mails and spoofed websites to trick you into revealing account information such as account numbers, your social security number, and the login IDs and passwords you use when accessing your various online accounts. The fraudsters who collect this information then use it to steal your money, your identity, or both. The email will usually ask you to provide valuable information about yourself or to “verify” information that you previously provided when you established your online account. To maximize the chances that a recipient will respond the fraudster might use names of real companies, URLs that look legitimate, emails that look like they are coming from your actual employer or urgent emails that need your immediate attention.
To protect from phishing:
- Be suspicious of any unsolicited email requesting personal information
- Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal information
- Log on to the official website, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited email
- Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the email to verify if the email is genuine
Safety tip: Personal firewalls and security software packages (with anti-virus, anti-spam, and spyware detection features) are a must-have for those who engage in online transactions.
Please understand that Gwynedd Mercy University will never ask you to provide or verify sensitive information through a non-secure means, such as email. If suspicious email shows up in your inbox do not reply to it and be sure to contact the IT Service Desk right away.
Patch management used to be barely a blip on the radar screens of most security and IT personnel. 'Install and forget' was a fairly common practice; once deployed, many systems were infrequently or never updated. This approach is no longer an option. The rise of widespread worms and malicious code targeting known vulnerabilities on unpatched systems, and the resulting downtime and expense they bring, is probably the biggest reason so many organizations are focusing on patch management.
Patching a system means to upgrade software or apply a software modification to systems. This means systems will be unavailable or down during patch management periods. The IT department strives to schedule these patches at minimally intrusive times but system users should expect that systems will sometimes be unavailable.
It is important to back up all information, documents, and data on removable or cloud-based (OneDrive, and SharePoint) media. Gwynedd Mercy University does not guarantee the protection, backup or storage of any individual personal data. IT may be able to retrieve some data and will strive to restore lost data, but it is often unlikely that full restoration of lost data can be attained.
IT Policies
IT provides and supports information technology resources to faculty, staff, students and guests. All community members are responsible for using technology resources in an ethical manner that does not interfere with the reasonable use by other community members.
IT collaborates with the University leadership in the development of Gwynedd Mercy University policies that govern the use of information technology. The IT-related policies listed below apply to all members of the University community.
Gwynedd Mercy University Computer Usage Policy, Gwynedd Mercy University Copyright Infringement Policy, Digital Millennium Copyright Act, TEACH Act (PDF)
Faculty members who require students to submit course assignments electronically, must use the Assignment function of Blackboard (Term) or Canvas (Non-Term), our secure learning management system. Use of email (Gwynedd Mercy University or personal) for electronic submission of course assignments is not an approved Gwynedd Mercy University Policy.
Students (Canvas): Learn how to submit an assignment
Information Technology Services (ITS) Staff
ITS Staff is ready to collaborate with you!
This division of ITS is responsible for the help desk, technical support, technology hardware and software, Audio Visual, and Classroom technology. The help desk is the main hub for any service requests related to technology at Gwynedd Mercy University.
Jeremy Weir, Director of Technical Services
Jack Benoliel, Help Desk Analyst
Daniel Cho, Technology Support Specialist
Cameron Posen, Technology Support Specialist
Connor Randall, Media Support Specialist
Frank Wakefield, Help Desk Analyst
This division of ITS is responsible for network, server, telecom, data security, and access to the Gwynedd University systems.
Patrick Trainer, Director of Enterprise Systems and Security
Michael Siravo, Systems Administrator
Kwamaine Blake, Junior Cyber Security Analyst
Thomas Horvath, Network Administrator
This division of ITS is responsible for the administrative systems (Colleague ERP, Slate, Digital Asset Management, Database Management).
Matthew Felke, Web Developer
James McCaulley, Business Analyst
Armani Rivera, Junior Programmer Analyst