Administrative Services

New Staff:
Athena Account

Athena Account

ATHENA ACCOUNTS FOR EMPLOYEES, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND GUESTS

Part I: Supervisor’s Responsibilities
Part II: Employee’s Responsibilities

Part I:
An Athena account is opened for all new support and staff* employees during the first week of employment. The account may be opened before the employee receives his/her MIT ID card.

Supervisor:

1. Send an email message to Athena Accounts accounts@mit.edu, N42-140, 253-1325, explain that employee needs to be added to the database. Give them the following information:

Employee’s complete name: First, Middle Initial and Last Name (no nicknames.)

2. Athena Accounts will assign a dummy ID number to the employee, which they will use to register for their actual account.

3. a) When employee arrives go to http://web.mit.edu/register to register for the account. It takes a day or two for the account to become active.

b) Explain use of Athena system.

4. When logon id has been accepted Supervisor should notify Kärin O’Loughlin in Administrative Services (kol@mit.edu), with employee’s username so that he/she can be added to the Staff Directory, mailing and authorization lists.

Employee needs to complete the Employee Information Change Form to let the Institute know their email address.

5. Notify Athena Accounts of employee/s real MIT ID number as soon as it has been assigned.

6. To open a guest account, see Account Information at http://web.mit.edu/accounts

*Under Supervisor, rmdead@mit.edu will handle for staff appointments pts1, 2, 3a, 5.
Immediate supervisor will handle pts 3b, 4.

Temporary Employee – see additional procedure under Temporary Employee – Athena Accounts Section

Part II

Employee:

1. Your name has been added to the database and a dummy ID number has been set up before you receive your MIT ID card. Your supervisor will assist in the registration process and explain Athena system.

2. Prior to setting up your account, think of a username (logon id) and password (plus alternates if your first choices are unavailable). Let your supervisor know when you are ready to begin the procedures.

3. After you receive your username, please complete the Employee Information Change form to let the Institute know your email address. Not applicable to temporary employees.

Choosing a Username – it must be at least 3 characters long, and not more than 8, and must be all lowercase letters or numbers. Put all the characters together into one word, with no spaces or punctuation.

A good username identifies you and makes sense. It is best to pick a username that is an abbreviated form your real name – use your first and middle initials and as much of your last name as will fit.

For example, Wiley E. Coyote might choose the username, wecoyote.

The Registration Program will propose a username based on your real name. But you can make up any username you like – you do not have to accept the suggested name. Make sure you choose a username you can live with.

Choosing a Password – A password should be at least 6 characters long, and can contain any combination of UPPER- and lower-case letters, numbers, or other symbols that appear on the computer keyboard.

Choose a password that you will remember – you shouldn’t have to write your password down (writing it down endangers your account) and shouldn’t be so unique to you that others could easily guess it too. For instance, you shouldn’t use variations on your name, your fiancée’s name, or your pet’s name, phone numbers, birth date or social security number. Don’t use names from popular culture or famous rock bands: these are easier to figure out than you might think. Also, don’t use a regular English word or a word in any dictionary – all that an adept password cracker would need to break into your account is a good online dictionary.

Never let anyone know your password. No one needs to know your password (if they say they d o, they’re wrong). Sometimes it may seem that you’ll need to let someone else know your password so you can share a file, but there are always other ways to achieve this. Don’t give away the key to your account remember, you are assumed to be responsible for anything done in your username.

Unlike your username, the password you select for registration purposes is just your initial password. After getting the Athena account, you can change your password whenever you like. In fact you should change it frequently, or any time you think that someone else may have learned it.
Rev. 03/04

New Staff

MIT Libraries' Public web

MIT Libraries' Staff web